1/2a All time Favorites

What are some of the 1/2a size all time favorites airplanes?

I really like a few of my designs but almost no one else even knows them, so I would nominate the Combat Kittens and the baby flight streak.

Midwest kit ..... "Li'l Omega" with Sky Fury .049 power.

By far, the best 1/2 A plane I ever had was Red Reinhart's Snapper from MAN some time in '52. I think we gave a set of plans for it to Leonard.
Larry Lundy

I still have one of those 1/2A Snapper kits. Nice little plane.

Bill

Big otto, Lil satan, Hobo, little mercury, lil jumpin bean, stunt man 23, baby flite streak, king pin, zig zag, and of coarse, the lil spudzooka. < just kidding on the last one folks> Paul

I vote for the Baby Ringmaster and the Stuntman 23. We did fly the Swordsman 18 quite a bit. The Baby Flite Steak could almost do the pattern with a Black Widow. I was recently reading an old article by George Aldrich and he suggested that the TD engines were timed for racing and that the Black Widow cylinder and piston made for a good replacement for soild engine runs for 1/2A stunt. If I only knew then what I know now. The kittens were much better than the Lil'Satan, but we had to build'em all, it was easy to have a large fleet and a couple a good engines to have fun. Like doing touch and go's off picnic benches and tables. Jim Johnson

>I really like a few of my designs but almost no one else
>even knows them, so I would nominate the Combat Kittens and
>the baby flight streak.

Alright Steve, Im not really meaning to be patronizing...But I would
love to build a Half-A sized Sickle....two in fact..one TD .049 size(215sq") and a Fora .049 size(315sq")...each one for different purposes. Fora size for modern 1/2A and the TD size for weekend mess about times. Okay so I am a little patronizing here. I believe Bare still has a Cad file for the FAI Sickle, It would be easy enough to scale down. I'm also very fond of Hoffelt's 1/2a Monoboom. I found the standard 165sq" model gets a bit squirrley(SP?) in wind though, so I flew them with 200sq" wings..just as fast and turn even better, really a tremendous flier.
I changed the D tube wing to a foam leading edge. total ready to fly dry weight was 4.9-5.2 ozs. For sport/stunt flying I also really like my Ringmaster Jr's, which have been modified for 1/2A diesel power. 7.2 ozs ready to fly dry.
Oh what the Heck..I love Firebabys,Scientific holllow logs and the Berkeley Mini-Zilch too. I guess I just love 1/2As period...
Tony G

Most fun plane Fire Baby-- Atwood Wasp.
Best flying (stunt type) Ree IV (1952 version)

Bigiron

Ron B.
F4Fguy

Baby Barnstormer,with McCoy .049 diesel,7-2RevUp pressed wood prop.

Surprised no one's yet mentioned the Sig ½A Skyray - or perhaps not?

When I was a young boy I had a "Puddle Jumper". It was a 1/2A profile stunt plane. I thought it was pretty special and think of it every now and then. It was my first stunt plane, before I knew what stunt was.

OK, best overall: Skyray with Black Widow.

Built up wing & fuse kit: Veco Scout.

Scratch built: Red Rhinehardt's Roger Dodger.

Most fun per effort: ANY Scientific "hollow log".

>Surprised no one's yet mentioned the Sig ½A Skyray - or
>perhaps not?

Mine flew pretty good. But I had a lot more fun, a very long time ago, with my Lil' Jumpin Bean+Black Widow. Had no problem with any of the round maneuvers. Pint of fuel and you were set for the afternoon.

A lot of us are old.

Paul Smith

The Sig Skyray is one of my most UN-favorite.

Big, thin, sheet balsa wing warps all time. When the plane is made to turn well, it flexes too much. I built three of 'em for the Sig contest in 1991.

Very disappointed with the 1/2 A Skyray. However, the contest and factory tour were great.

I still like the Scientific Cadet

Little Jumping Bean with a Black Widow --26 years ago--sigh

My 10 year old would rather fly the Jumpin' Bean than any of a dozen he could pick...Gotta agree, it's a blast!

It's odd that I started flying 1/2As forty years after getting involved with the bigger stuff.

My first plane, A Comet Sabre 44 with a Cub, never got off the ground. I did learn engine starting from this motor, however.

Here's a few comments re Hollow Log Scientifics...

The Little Mercury is the most stable one I have yet flown. Great for Team Racing.

I think the Cyclone is the best stunter, but Walt Musciano likes the Stuntmaster. Or, maybe the Bullet.

The Bel Air is a neat airplane, with it hollow "clamshell" wing.

>Little Jumping Bean with a Black Widow --26 years ago--sigh

So you were a latecomer to the idea, huh? I can't even bring myself to tell how long ago I did it...

Lil Jumpin' Bean w/ Black Widow here, too.
Bill <><

My all time favorite is the Sterling Space Kaydet, later changed to Space Master, I built two, one with a McCoy diesel. Don't recall what the other had. Barry Baxter has the plans.

FIREBAY, Stunt Master, Baby Ringmaster, lil otto,and MY OWN 1/2a Design, Firebaby ll,

Of kit models, my fondest memories go to the 1/2A Snapper kit, which is not the Red Reinhart design, but one from Southwest Models.

I actually built more 1/2A Flite Streaks and Lil Omegas. The best flyer, though, has to be my scaled-down Magician as published in Flying Models.

The plane that I have flown most in competition is the Brodak Baby Clown with PAW 55 diesel. Competed in 1/2A, Old Time, Classic, and Advanced with it!

Potentially, the best of all has to be the Baby Pathfinder, but I haven't flown one that wasn't painted up to being overweight for an .049 yet. I would love to try one at under 12 ounces!

There are fond memories of the Top flite P-51 profile (built up wing model), Veco Scout.

Scarinzi's Streak was one I never could bring myself to build as per the plans, but I have photos of a 1/2 dozen simplified copies built over the years. Now I know how to build a good scarf joint, I may yet do the original - with an Atwood Shiek!

>My all time favorite is the Sterling Space Kaydet, later
>changed to Space Master, I built two, one with a McCoy
>diesel. Don't recall what the other had. Barry Baxter has
>the plans.
>
>Jim

I built one of these way back about 1959 and installed a spanking new Holland Hornet .049 in it .... it was a terriffic looking model, but one of the sickest flying ukies I ever flew, would barely get around the circle. BUT, looking back it was my fault simply because I had the poor little Holland Hornet way over propped, probably had a 6-4 prop on it, and this is way too much load for the high revving designed Holland Hornet. I have found a NOS kit ("Space Master Jr.") of this model and intend to build it again someday, it was a very sleek and beautiful model back then! See photo of very old kit box art.

I still have mine, but it's not flyable after 40 years. It flew well enough with an OS "Pet" .09, but I have trouble imagining acceptable performance with any .049 of its day.

SK

Most fun for the time / money in my mind was the Sterling warbird profiles. Buy it Friday afterschool, assemble it with Ambroid that night. Get up early Sat. and paint it with Aero-gloss. Mount the hardware around noon ( trying not to get too many fingerprints in the dope!), Fly it that day and watch the fuel eat the still soft dope off the wing center section. I think they were about $2.50 back in the 70's.

Lil-Satan, Jumpin Bean, and Wizzard were great when you had wanted to invest more time, had a great flying Lil' Toot biplane also. CG kits seemed to have better quality than the Sterling stuff, but cost a bit more. Back then a buck made a big difference.

Wish I had known how much larger a plane a good twin port Cox would pull around. We scratch built a bunch of stuff, but kept them small because that is what we thought the size should be - based on the kits we bought.

Good times when you could spend a whole day with your buddies, a quart of Cox Super Fuel, and Mom and Dad didn't worry because they could hear the engines running from the house.

Do the "Little Legends" qualify? They were designed for the VA 049.
I think my USA-1 will be my favorite "1/2A" when it's finished. It will be powered by a Norvel 061, though.
Bill <><

Another of my favorites was the Veco Little Tomahawk, a quality kit and fun to bulid and fly. They cost more than the $1.95 Sterling kits but were worth it. If I remember they were $3.95 in 1970, we were soon buying the Ringmaster S-1 for the same price. I also built a C-47 with two engines from a MAN article. After awhile our whole gang started building from scratch. Jim J.

LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-04 AT 01:08 PM (CDT)
 
Bill,
You "will" like it, I promise.
Roger
p.s. the other plans s/b there today or tomorrow.

My favorite 1/2A's are the Baby Flite Streak in first, and Baby Clown in 2nd will norvels. I heard good things about the pathfinder 1/2A but didn't built it yet, I have the kit.
I learned how to fly CL when I was 5yo with a CG stuntman with cox blackwidow.

LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-04 AT 05:37 PM (CDT)
 

Learned to fly c/l with Guillows Trainer w/Readhead 35 in 1960.
But my favorite 1/2a control lines are:
Top Flite Profile Mustang w/Baby Bee
Top Flite Baby Flitestreak w/Cox Texaco .049 (Pre- Estes)
Stuntmaster w/ OK Cub .074
Li'l Toot w/Baby Bee
Li'l Wizzard w/Baby Bee
Combat Kittens w/wenmac .049

No particular order...

>My favorite 1/2A's are the Baby Flite Streak in first, and
>Baby Clown in 2nd will norvels. I heard good things about
>the pathfinder 1/2A but didn't built it yet, I have the kit.
>I learned how to fly CL when I was 5yo with a CG stuntman
>with cox blackwidow.

One of our club members flew the ½A Pathfinder w/Medallion .051 for ooomph. It did credibly well.

I tried a Li'l Satan w/TeeDee .049 and couldn't even launch it. It would have greatly helped if it balanced back on the wing (I used the C*x radial tank mount) and didn't have such such an incredulous amount of elevator travel.

I also tried the Jumping Bean w/Black Widow but it wasn't very straight. Still flew better than virtually any C*x RTF...

Some other club members swear by the Corehouse Li'l Hacker. With a tank mounted Novell, it offers danged good peformance.

My first was the Veco Lil Tomahawk with Babe Bee. Later went to the Golden Bee when round and round got tiresome. By far my favorite was the Veco Scout. I want one of those kits but not willing to pay EBAY prices. $90 bucks for the last one I saw. Maybe after I hit the Lotto!

Bill

...By far my favorite was the Veco Scout. I want one of those kits but not willing to pay EBAY prices. $90 bucks for the last one I saw. Maybe after I hit the Lotto!

You can get plans from it's designer, Joe Wagner. He even includes extras like the rib outline used in the prototype that used a square LE instead of a molded one.

> You can get plans from it's designer, Joe Wagner. He even
>includes extras like the rib outline used in the prototype
>that used a square LE instead of a molded one.
>
> George

Hi George,
I would like the contact info for Joe.
Thanks!
Bill <><

Bill,

Try: [email protected]

Hi George,
Thank you very much. I am going to send an email to Joe.
Bill <><

Many years ago, I built a Cox FW-190 with the "fold over" foam wings, which had a small set of plans for the parts. I remember these as being some sort of promotion.
You out there Larry?
Put a Black Widow on it and it really flew pretty good! A lot of fun.
Bill <><

Yup, still have the original for the plans, even! Dale Kirn rescued them from the trash some years ago, and saved them for me!

I also have at least one remaining set of wings. I wonder how it would go with a Norvel on it?

Cool,
I have a set of the original wings, too. Someone on the 'bay has been selling them recently.
Norvel 061?? hmmmmmm
BTW: what was the "promotion"? Were they free with an engine?
Bill <><

Yes, you got a set of plans and set of wings when you bought the Black Widow when it first came out. Quite a nice deal, and a dynamite combo. Basically you ended up with a Super Stunter at 2/3 the weight!

Thanks, Larry!
I am sure now that that is the way I acquired my "wings", since I bought the first Black Widow I saw. I just didn't remember the specifics. Had trouble keeping it running when I would go inverted. (??)
Still have that one (plane and engine) and the new wings. Would like to get one more set and make an Allied fighter and do some mild combat.
Bill <><

Well, you could put a want-ad in this forum and also haunt e-Bay. The wings come up occasionally.

Bill,

Check your email.

Geez, Bill. I forgot that one, too. One of the most fun airplanes I ever had. I,also have a few of those wings from ebay. Thanks, Design Man, for a fine design.
Larry Lundy

I still have a half dozen foam wings by cox. Just before I got away from the hobby 30 years ago I made a twin boom, p38 like model using these I made a 7" center section from balsa and installed a pair of teedees for power. Never flew it and it was not among the stuff I took out of the attic last fall. guess I'm gonna have to build another.

To one and all, it really gives me those ol' Warm Fuzzies to hear that people like my designs.

Having been put in a benevolent mood, is anyone up for building a .40 Skyfire (or .15?) First 4 volunteers I will send a free set of plans, but you have to promise to actually build the thing! Not fair to get on the bandwagon and then sit on the plans when someone else would actually use them.

E-mail me your addresses!

>To one and all, it really gives me those ol' Warm Fuzzies to
>hear that people like my designs.
>
>Having been put in a benevolent mood, is anyone up for
>building a .40 Skyfire (or .15?) First 4 volunteers I will
>send a free set of plans, but you have to promise to
>actually build the thing! Not fair to get on the bandwagon
>and then sit on the plans when someone else would actually
>use them.
>
>E-mail me your addresses!

Larry,
I fly one of your 1/2A Skyfires and it's the greatest!!
Better than sliced bread!
Many thanks for a great design!
Wes

Paul Smith

I acted as an "expert" demo flyer to fly a Cox 190 in an arishow in Wichita. It was vewry windy. I can fly in wind OK, but not when the bellcrank breaks in half.

Very embarrassing.

Looks like the favorites are, in this order.

1. Jumping Bean

2. Black Widow

3. Baby Flite Streak

4. Li'l Satan

5. Baby Ringmaster

Starduster, Starduster X. Baby Barnstormer, FireBaby, Wizard.

Hey Ty,
Was it hard to trim those Stardusters for equal turn and level inverted flight?? Bet the cloverleaf was a killer! hahaha
Bill <><

Atlanta?

Well, whacko didn't say control line!! At times a Starduster could do killer loops at take off and everyone would scatter. I had one that did neat inverted flight, just before it landed in Mexico upside down. *&&^^%.

>Starduster, Starduster X. Baby Barnstormer, FireBaby,
>Wizard.

Starduster X!! Yeah!!

I was bummed to see that the Starduster X one-design event was not listed in the NFFS events for this year's USOC/NATS, because it was *supposed* to be offered. Yesterday I get my NFFS Digest, and there is a big announcement that indeed it *will* be offered. Great news.

For all of you who want to knock one out in time, Lee Campbell of Campbell's Custom Kits has a short kit and plans for you:

Campbell's Custom Kits
P.O. Box 3104 Muncie, IN 47307
1-765-289-7753 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
[email protected]
QUALITY FREE FLIGHT KITS AND SUPPLIES SINCE 1980

I have a really strong TD 049 which my dad flew in his Starduster X in the early '60s at Sepulveda. And I flew it on my Starduster X's at the '72 Nationals in Glenview IL (last Navy Nats). I still have the stabilizer from Fast Richard's Pearl 450 which he splattered at my feet. Was published in Flying Models, and you can see that model in the pictures. I still have what's left of my '72 models, but they are in too tough shape to fly anymore. Ah, to be 12 again...

Ty, are you bringing one to Muncie for USOC?

TD 049s--They're not just for CLPA...

Andy

My favorite is the Baby Barnstormer with an O.K. Cub .049. Built it in 1955. The kit cost $2.95 at that time........as much as a full sized Ringmaster. Covered it with the red dyed tissue in the kit, using Aerogloss clear. It was trimmed in red and black Aerogloss. I really liked that little plane because it flew very much like larger stunters, and in particular, the full sized Barnstormer which I am flying today. Great little airplane!

Too many replies. I read about 1/2 of them. Did't see any mention of the Mathis PINTO. Mine is almost finished and I have a new Norvel Big Mig for it. PINTO is flapped and "looks right". I guess it should "look right" because it seems to be a smaller version of ORIENTAL.

I have been flying a Joe Wagner "SCOUT" with a TD049. The SCOUT is a bit too small and too fast for any kind of useful stunting.

I built two of the Pintos when the plans first came out and neither one flew as good as I thought it should.

Bigiron

> I built two of the Pintos when the plans first came out
>and neither one flew as good as I thought it should.
>
> Bigiron

I remember the Pinto article well. I thought it looked like a terrific model too, and it was *way* beyond my 10 year old skills. To inexperienced to recognize the "Oriental" connection. I'm sure I still have the magazine in my collection. Reading about FR's misfortunes in the recent Chizler thread, and hearing that his daughter was in contact with the community, brought the Pinto back to my thoughts. Why? Because daughter Alexis "took the model away" from dad and refused to sleep unless it was hanging in her bedroom. You'll note that "Pooh" is painted on the original model. That was for Lexie, being her nickname.

Memories...

Andy

Mini Zilch kit by Berkeley.....cub .049. My first engine powered plane, learned to fly. do loops an inverted. Still have the plane,plane to build another one "someday".
David

Bigiron13. I would be interested in your critique of the PINTO. Just "how bad was it?" (Johnny Carson tag line) The plans call for a weight of 11 oz. Mine should come under that by an ounce or two. It certainly looks good, in theory. The plans call for the Cox TD 049, which would be marginal for a model that large. I think the Norvel Big Mig would make a difference.

There isn't a lot of 1/2-A stunt activity in my part of the world. On a recent visit to Honolulu, I saw 1/2-A stunt flying at the Ala Moana Park in Waikiki. This seems to be popular: perhaps because of the lack of full-sized C/L flying fields in the area. Also, 1/2-A control-line combat seems to be popular over there.

Anybody from Hawaii want to comment?

Hi Andy, I'm not going to Muncie. Other plans with the wife. Guess who's in charge??

Yet another good plane is the Stork. I have seen about 6, and owned 2, and no matter how badly built, they seemed to fly very well. I include the restyled versions (Me-109 and Spitfire).

In fact, the only really nice one I have seen belongs to Bill Byles, and I was never able to persuade him to fly it in my presence. I think he still has it. You out there Billy? Bring it to the Palmer?

For me was my 1st ringmaster $2.50 kit,took me 3 weeks to pay for it.
Berkely "wing" got me into combat back in the 50's. I still have the plans.
Roger

Talking about the Stork. They show up on the Bay every once in a while. I like to get one but it's always out of reach. Walter Umland owns the rights to the stork and is supposed to be kitting it. Maybe he's waiting for enough offers to make it profitable.
Hey Walter you out there? I want one.

Jay

OK, as long as we are talking about 1/2A control line airplanes, I have two favorites.

XB-47D (3rd in Profile Scale, 2000 Nats)

The original Tercel. It had 4 1sts and one 2nd at the Nats from when it was new in 76 until its last flight at the 2000 Nats. (One of those 1st places was when Bart Klapinski flew it.)

Keith,

I believe someone mentioned on a thread awhile back that you are updating the Tercel, is this true?

George

My favorite 1/2a C/Ls:

1.Ringmaster bipe with McCoy Diesel 049 or Black Widow .049.

2.Top Flight 1/2A Hurricane Black Widow.

3.Goldberg Wizzard with Black Widow.

4. Firebaby with OK Cub .049.

Glad someone mentioned CG Little Toot. I picked one up NIB at a Hobby Shop in Virginia two years ago. Now the fire is lit to build it!

My Favorite 1/2A FF: Phoenix Imp with McCoy 049 Diesel. It took a crew of three to launch it. One flipping prop, One priming, and one adjusting compression lever but it never failed to start quickly in all kinds of weather (above freezing)and had gobs of power.

The Little Spud-Z-Buzzbomb wins hands down. Game over-turn the page--And stay tuned for detailes--< Paul

I just put together a ARF Brodak Clown with a Cox BW , This plane and motor are really a great match the only problem is the tank could be a little larger. It will do the entire pattern , but not on one tank of fuel . With all the time I have in puting it together( ha ha)I dont mind other pilots flying this plane. I have other ARF 1/2 A's( BRACO)and a Brodak Streak and the Clown flies the best. See YA NEAL:)

>I just put together a ARF Brodak Clown with a Cox BW , This
>plane and motor are really a great match the only problem is
>the tank could be a little larger. It will do the entire
>pattern , but not on one tank of fuel . With all the time I
>have in puting it together( ha ha)I dont mind other pilots
>flying this plane. I have other ARF 1/2 A's( BRACO)and a
>Brodak Streak and the Clown flies the best. See YA NEAL:)
>

Hi Neal, your combo is perfect for Leprauchan Stunt...Refuel Pit
Stops are allowed....See Larry Renger for details.
Tony

You didn't restrict this to CLPA-Only, so . . .

"Sly Sir" w/TD 049 (combat foamie) - Which reminds me - - Has anyone heard how Rich "von" Lopez is recovering after surgery??

Another one, very informal - "Somebody" in Southern Kentucky designed/built a ½A Profile Nobler in the early 70s. I got to fly it once and it was the smoothest little plane I ever tried! Flew like it was on rails!

Penn Valley Hobbies, Super Looper. It kind of looked like Batmans plane.

I have a Super Looper, Medallion 049, 35' 008 braided line, flies good.

Okay i am going to do it. The one manufacturer was Scientific, I built almost all of them. They were available at local hardware store. Then I found Charlies Hobby Shop just off Chelsea in KCK. That is where I found the Omega and Snapper kits. Spent a lot of time changing the OK Cub .049A from one plane to another. A lot of fun then. DOC

BLACK HAWK
You need a Black Hawk Mordels catalog if you liked Scientific Models. Larry

A personal favorite for just plain cute has to be the Dilbod 1/2A team racer by Southwestern Model Mfg. It was a sister ship to the Snapper stunter, both were designed by George Milikin. Ken Smith made a few repro kits of the Dilbod too.

I still have my original Dilbod that I built in 1953 or 54. Wow! It's over 50 years old now. It still looks pretty good with the wheel pants and all but I'm afraid the Testors glue on the firewall turned to goo long ago. Atwood Wasp for power.