SCIENTIFIC SUPER STUNT MASTER

Keepers and seekers of odd knowledge

I have a partial Super Stunt Master Kit. I know that some of the balsa bodies to these hollow log planes look much alike. The horizontal tail surfaces in the kit do not match the shape and size shown in the plans. The wood seems to be the same as the rest of the kit but everthing was loose pieces in the box. Everything else matches to the plans. It appears to have been started long ago by a young man.

Have I got the tail surfaces from another kit?

Perhaps this is just normal?

I am going to make new tail surfaces to match the plans. 1. Larger total area (25%). 2. MUCH better looking. I will fly it with a C*x BW or GB.

Your advice pro or con?

If you are building it to compete, you will have to choose a different engine. I think even the newer Babe Bees are not allowed.
Not a problem to switch among Coxes, they all have the same mounting holes.

Good luck with it.

Regarding Scientific kits, the wings and tail surfaces almost always match the plans. Your Super Stuntmaster (and the standard Stuntmaster) both have low aspect ratio stab/el assemblies, with a somewhat elliptical tip shape. I don't know what your tailfeathers actually look like so cannot comment. But please make them as per the plans.

For Scientific Hollow Log fuselages, the situation is a bit more murky. For example, on the popular Little Mercury, both the box art and plans show a canopy (and pilot "hole") position in a rather aft position. However, many of the (later?) kits simply supply a Stuntmaster fuselage, which, although similar to the Little Mercury fuselage, has the canopy much further forward. But, usually, everything matches between plans and the wood you get.

Scientific makes cute little mistakes. In the F-100 kit, they have a little artwork picture of an F-86. And they played with span changes a lot (the Little Bipe has no less than 4 different advertised spans per the print ads; whether this actually happened, I can't say. Walt M. didn't think so). The original Thunderbird bipe ad says 18", but every one I have seen has 15", per the later ad.

By the way, your Super Stuntmaster, with the 20" built up wing, should fly well. My standard all wood 18" Stuntmaster flies OK, and yours should do better. Use a double ported Black Widow Cox if you like, but a standard one lunger Babe Bee is just fine. For the Musciano Meet, you must use a single ported cylinder. Please don't use Dacron lines, either.

No less than five Scientific Stuntmasters (Baby, with solid wing but built up fuse, Giant for .35s, and the 1948 ignition version) altogether! So little time...

Correct me if I am wrong, and I may well be... But I thought that for the Walt Musciano events, the airplane version HAD to be the hollow log fuselage AND the SOLID balsa wing? Is that a real rule or just local interpretation. Obviously, a built-up wing, as in the Super Stuntmaster, would have an advantage...
Nick Vanmatre

Hi Nick,
The NVCL Musciano Event has an "Open" class where you can fly any of Walt's designs. I have a very interesting one to build.
Bill <><

Check out sale #5938567735 on Ebay. Larry Lindburg

Nick: There are two components to the Musciano Meet. In the competitive four part (concours, proto speed, stunt, and team race), the models indeed have to be all wood. You have 71 to choose from.

In the Unlimited portion, which involves, usually, a freeform flight of the pilot's choosing, you can use any Musciano design, and you have hundreds to choose from.