Big Boy SKYLARK

After all the talk of Skylarks I remembered Tucson '93 I met ED Southwick we talked about planes he showed me a plane in the back of his van a .60 sized Skylark with a Randy Smith Super Tiger .60. It was baby Blue in color probably 62" span deeper Fuse than the other planes .He told me it's weight was 62ounces & it was an absolute joy to fly. This plane might be really something for a guy to build .Bill Byles do you have the plans for this Gem??? Or did you get to fly it? I as one person would be very interested in knowing more about this plane.

> After all
>the talk of Skylarks I
>remembered Tucson '93 I
>met ED Southwick we talked
>about planes he showed me
>a plane in the back
>of his van a .60
>sized Skylark with a Randy
>Smith Super Tiger .60. It
>was baby Blue in color
>probably 62" span deeper Fuse
>than the other planes .He
>told me it's weight was
>62ounces & it was an
>absolute joy to fly. This
>plane might be really something
>for a guy to build
>.Bill Byles do you have
>the plans for this Gem???
>Or did you get to
>fly it? I as one
>person would be very interested
>in knowing more about this
>plane.
>
>
>
>
>
> John Leidle
>

John,

In 1993 Ed gave me one of his ST.60 powered Skylarks, metallic maroon in color which I still have. I flew it in quite a few contests while I was building my own .40 size Skylark. The .60 size Skylark was a very good flyer and was built with a foam wing by Randy Smith. The airplane is about 700 square inches and is larger overall than the .40 size Skylark.

While I do not have plans for this size Skylark it would not be difficult for me to draw them if there is interest. I would prefer to build it with a built-up wing as it would be lighter, particularly using Bob Hunt's lost foam wing system.

That would be Very Cool! How about using either of Tom Morris' wing structures? Steve

Hello Bill:
Do you think or have any evidence that Ed(or others) may have designed or flown the 60 sized Skylark prior to 1970?
60 sized pre 1970 designs are not all that numerous-could this be another?

>Hello Bill:
>Do you think or have any
>evidence that Ed(or others) may
>have designed or flown the
>60 sized Skylark prior to
>1970?
>60 sized pre 1970 designs are
>not all that numerous-could this
>be another?

Hi Jim,

No, unfortunately Ed never built a Skylark larger than 56" span prior to 1990.

>That would be Very Cool! How
>about using either of Tom
>Morris' wing structures? Steve

Hi Steve,

I'm familiar only with Tom's Cavalier wing and don't know what the other one is. Ed's .60 Skylark is 60" span with squared off wingtips. It is a good looking ship and I will be posting a photo of it in the next few days. Ed built it in about 1990 when he came back into modeling after the first VSC.

It uses his original Skylark airfoil which is 2 3/8" thick at the root and is a good flyer. Currently it is hanging on my wall sans engine. Just for old times sake I may re-install a Supertigre .60 in it and fly it again. I haven't flown it since 1995 and would like to see how it flies compared to more current ships.

>>That would be Very Cool! How
>>about using either of Tom
>>Morris' wing structures? Steve
>
>Hi Steve,
>
>I'm familiar only with Tom's Cavalier
>wing and don't know what
>the other one is.
>Bill Byles

Bill, both the "Lincoln Log" and "New Millenium" wing structures have been detailed in SN and are both shown on the same page in Tom's catalog. Neither shows the sheeting. These methods don't require the foam work and Tom will make wing kits for ~$70. Steve

Bill is your 60 Skylark the aircraft pictured with Ed on the cover of Stunt News July/Aug/2002? If not, do you have a picture you can post?

>Bill is your 60 Skylark the
>aircraft pictured with Ed on
>the cover of Stunt News
>July/Aug/2002? If not, do you
>have a picture you can
>post?
>
>Eggy

Hi Eggy,

The Skylark on the cover of Stunt News July/Aug 2002 was one of Ed's 56" versions. I do have a photo of the .60 size ship that Ed gave to me that I can scan and post and will do so in the next few days.

I would like to see the photos of the 60 size Skylark. I'm bumping this one up.

>I would like to see the photos of the 60 size Skylark. I'm
>bumping this one up.
>
>

Last December I said that I was going to scan and post a photo of the .60 size Skylark and then I never did. After I get through with my tennis match tonight I will scan and post it. Might be after 10:00pm or so, though.

So, will you post it?

A quote from RSM's WEB:

Skylark
Competitive Precision Stunter

3 Versions in one kit!
Builds as either "35", "46" or "60"
version
Classic Legal (46 & 35 versions)
46 version flown in 1958
35 version kitted in 1962
Wing Span: (46 version) 56-1/2"
Area: (46 version) 614 sq. in.
Length: (all versions) 39-3/4"
Full-size plans signed by Ed Southwick
Aluminum Landing Gear
Fully Adjustable lead-outs
Arrowshaft pushrod
Deluxe Hardware
Laser Cut Ribs

RSM Price $ 144.95
EricV

>Last December I said that I was going to scan and post a
>photo of the .60 size Skylark and then I never did. After I
>get through with my tennis match tonight I will scan and
>post it. Might be after 10:00pm or so, though.
Here's Bill's picture that he sent me to post for him.