MIKE, YOUR CHIPMUNK HISTORY IS GREAT. THE CHIPMUNK IS MY FAVORITE SINCE 1970 WHEN MY FIRST CL-3 FLEW. I CAMPAIGNED VERY SUCCESSFULLY WITH IT IN VA, NC, MD, AND PA FOR THE NXT 17 YRS UNTIL IT FINALLY WORE OUT.
MY FIRST CHIPMUNK WAS NOT THE CL-3, PERHAPS IT WAS THE XCL-3. HERE IS THE SCENERIO.
SOMETIME IN SPRING-SUMMER 1968, I BOUGHT MY FIRST SIG CHIPMUNK KIT AT A LOCAL HOBBY SHOP FOR $12.96. THIS SIG KIT CAME IN BOX(I STILL HAVE IT, THE PLANS, AND SOME OF THE LEFTOVER PARTS INCLUDING UNUSED W-11) THAT HAS NO IDENTFICATION I.E. NO CL-#. THE A/C RT. WING NUMBERS ON THE BOX ARE AMA 822 AND THE PLANS SHOW AMA 822. THE BOX IS 31&1/2" LONG. THE CL-3 KIT BOX IS 36 1/2" LONG.
THE BOX ALSO SAYS "CONTAINS MOLDED BUTYRATE CANOPY AND MOLDED ENGINE COWLING" AMONGST OTHER ITEMS AND SAYS 54" WINGSPAN. I AM REASONABLY SURE THE KIT HAD A LARGE CANOPY AND IT WASN'T FOR THE CL-3 OR CL-19.
THE PLANS SAY DESIGNED BY JIM VAN LOO AND DRAWN BY AL NOVOTNIK. THE TOP OF THE PLANS HAVE CONSTRUCTION INSTRUCTIONS BY JIM VAN LOO. PLANS SHOW CLOTH HINGES FOR ELEVATORS AND FLAPS.
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THE WING IS GREENBOX NOBLER CONSTRUCTION EXCEPT FOR TIPS AND RIB(S) W-E WHICH ARE PLYWOOD TO TO ACCEPT FORMED AND FURNISHED LANDING GEAR(USED J-BOLTS).
THE PLANS ARE FOR SOLID VERTICAL FIN.STAB. AND ELEVATORS EXCEPT ONE DIAGRAM OF BUILT UP ELEVATORS PER GREENBOX NOBLER.
THIS DETAIL ALSO AMAZINGLY SHOWS ELEV/STAV X-SECTION AA WITH REASONABLEFLYING SURFACES. THE STAB/ELEV TIPS ARE ATTACHED TO THE STAB AND EXTEND TO THE ELEVATOR TRAILING EDGE UNLIKE THE CL-3 OR CL-19 WHICH HAVE AERODYNAMICALLY BALANCED ELEVATORS.
THE STAB/ELEV X-SECTION SHOW ON FUSELAGE SIDEVIEW ARE CERTAINLY UNUSUAL AS NOTED BY OTHERS IN THE MAN PLANS.
THE COCKPIT CUTOUT IS 7 1/2" APPROX LONG ( STILL HAVE THE CUT OUT PIECE OF VERY NICE WOOD). THE FUSELAGE SIDES ARE EACH CONSTRUCTED FROM TWO PIECES OF 1/8" BALSA SPLICED TOGETHER BEHIND WING CUTOUT.
I POWERED THE INISHED A/C WITH A FOX-35S AND FINISHED WITH HOBBYPOXY PAINTS. IT DID NOT FLY AS WELL AS MY NOBLERS SO I GAVE AWAY OR SOLD IT.
I THEN PURCHASED THE CL-3 KIT AND IT PROVED TO BE A GREAT FLYER POWERED BY FIRST A MCCOY 40S AND LATER BY AN OS-35S. I BUILT ANOTHER CL-3 THAT TURNED OUT HEAVY DUE TO MY "IMPROVEMENTS" BEFORE THE DEMISE OF #1 CL-3 WHICH I STILL WITH OSFP35/40.
I TALED TO ANOTHER FLYER AT THE HUNTERSVILLE CONTEST THIS PAST FALL AND HE ALSO HAD ONE OF THESE EARLY SIG KITS.
ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SUBJECT, THE RIBS, SPARS, LEADING EDGE, AND TRAILING EDGE OF THE CL-3 AND CL-19 APPEAR IDENTICAL.FROM OUTSIDE RIB TO OUTSIDE RIB, BOTH WINGS MEASURE 48" THE TIPS DIFFER AS DO THE FLAPS. IT'S PRETTY EASY TO MAKE A CL-3 (WITH PLANS) USING THE CL-19 WING KIT FROM SIG. I RECENTLY COMPLETED A CL-3 ON THIS BASIS.. IT IS A VERY NICE FLYING A/C.
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR COMMENTS
JIMMY