Skyscraper - a Palmer Design?

I recently acquired a set of plans for the vintage Skyscraper, a design I've always associated with the legendary Bob Palmer. But text on this set of plans credits Larry Conover with the design, Dotty Conover with the drawing.

Can anyone here enlighten me (well, maybe make an attempt...)?

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 12:10 PM (CDT)
 
Many of the "names" get re-used. There have been Barnstormers for FF & RC as well as Lou Andrews' Mk I for Paul Guillow (I never had a Mk II, or saw a magazine article on it, so if it was Lou's, I never knew it). The Palmer Skyscraper was fairly large for the early 1960's, in the 700 square inch range, and was intended for a 45.

Anyone else's with the same name I don't know about, which isn't saying no one else ever did borrow that design name. (Edited addition: unlike Steve, I saw a published article in a magazine for the Palmer plane. If push comes to shove, I probably could turn up a photocopied set of the pages, pretty faded, though, since it was copied.)

.

Kiwi

I'm with Kiwi. The Bob Palmer Skyscraper is a very large stunter designed for a .45 engine at a time everyone else was using a .35. To my knowledge, the design was never published nor kitted and copies of the plans are very rare. Don't know about any one else's Skyscraper design.
Steve
The older I get, the better I used to fly!

Hi Dennis,
Published in '63 (??) I have the article. Bob used the Veco 45 running as he described in a constant 4 stroke. Article shows differential flaps. Plans are incorrect as to Conover, don't know why.
Got my article reprint from PAMPA products...... see Capt Curt Nixon.
I am at work so I cannot tell you the magazine issue.
I have the pub;ished and the Dixon plans. original had dihedral and over/under lead outs. Fairly low wing design that looks like a Smoothie with a Nobler wing, but bigger!!
Bill <><
P.S. My plans are for a ST 51 powered version. It has a good looking airfoil. Come on down and take a look!

This definitely a Palmer design. My father built 2 and both used Veco 45's Great flyers! Still have the second hanging in the basement. My father did suggest discarding the differential flap though.

March 1963 Model Airplane News...Skyscraper by Bob Palmer.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 01:10 PM (CDT)
 
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the issue date. I knew '63 but couldn't remember the month.
Did you see my post on the Argus? Got to build the new one now!
Thanks,
Bill <><
Just an Old Advanced flyer.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 01:05 PM (CDT)
 
Here's a couple of shots of the restored original Skyscraper at VSC 2K2.

[photo not recovered: 4055fd4b4e6483fd.jpg]

The original Skyscraper basking in the shade of the courtyard of the Rodeway Inn at VSC 2K2.

[photo not recovered: 4055fd574e6c743f.jpg]

Bob Palmer displays the Skyscraper. The restoration was accomplised by the gentleman to his left (our right). Some forum member can fill in the details.

Cy

Well, color me as having another senior moment (year, really)... I meant to include that I'm well aware the design was published, and yes - the plans illustrate mounting of a (Clarence Lee) Veco .45!

If it looks like, smells like, tastes like...

The only thing that throws me here are the credits to the Conovers.

???

Dennis,
It was a Model Airplane News SNAFU.
Bill <><

Larry was one of the greats in free flight and was on the USA world team. He drew a lot of the plans for magazines but I don't know how his wife got on the plans. I watched his 1/2A payload lift three pounds at the 57 Nats.
Ed

I think I have this close to right. Randy Ryan help me out here. The other Skyscraper was an unlimited rubber F/F design by Bob Hatschek of the Brooklyn Skyscrapers F/F club,published at the same time as the Palmer Skyscraper. Larry Conover, another F/F legend published a lot of designs in M.A.N. at the same time too and his wife Dotty did his drawings. The M.A.N. printers or whomever mixed it up so well that some copies of the plans had both planes back to back with credits to Conover and no mention of Palmer or Hatschek. Whew!---Randy,HELP.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 07:54 PM (CDT)
 
Gary Tultz got it right, exactly and completely. I have the issue of MAN, not sure what's on the other side of the plan, but Dotty Conover was draftsperson on many of the FF projects in those days, for MAN. Too bad MAN has such a poor attitude these days, they published some really good CL designs. Steve

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-04 AT 09:56 PM (CDT)
 
Gary, Steve,
Have the plan infront of me - yep, no mention of Bob Palmer on the Skyscraper plan - the plan has a cute little ff bipe "Lady Bug" - could be the Larry Conover design - on the reverse along with a Jetex "Rocket Delta" - designer unknown (but probably annoyed).

Larry was, I think, equal world ff power champ in 1960 with "Lucky Lindy".

I believe that the other Skyscraper was the Bob Hatchek open rubber or wakefield, as stated. Could probably check it out in one of the orange books.

>I recently acquired a set of plans for the vintage
>Skyscraper, a design I've always associated
>with the legendary Bob Palmer. But text on this set of
>plans credits Larry Conover with the design, Dotty Conover
>with the drawing.
>
>Can anyone here enlighten me (well, maybe make an
>attempt...)?
>
>
>Dennis Leonhardi
>AMA 353
>

OK, here's the dope. I was "fooled" by this, too, until someone set me straight. The plan is Model Airplane News plan 17A. Perhaps someone can check the magazine for this, but on the back of the plan, as is normal fare for these things, there was included the plan for a Jetex powered "Rocket Delta" and a sheet balsa Cox .020 Pee Wee powered free flight biplane. As I understand it, Larry Conover designed the biplane, but his name and that of his wife was erroneously placed in the middle of the Skyscraper plan when the bits and pieces were assembled for publication. And so, as we copy these for others, copying only those portions that are pertinent to the design at hand (in this case the skyscraper) we are faced with the name of the wrong modeler being given credit for the Skyscraper design and his wife as having drawn up the plan.

Thanks, guys, it all makes poy-feckt sense now.

There is a little English history attached to the Skyscraper. I am lucky enough to have a set of Skyscraper negs for all the model and block parts, shewing a Merco 49 installed and indicating the English KeilKraft company. So far as we can guess KK were intending to kit this model over here, prior to publication in the mag? We surmise that the premature death of Eddy Keil in a car accident put the kybosh on the idea, and it never reached fruition.