Chief Kit

Larry Richards Custom Models produces the finest kit of the Chief I've ever seen. He really does a great job, from expertly double boxing the kit for mailing to selecting great wood to use. This kit is the most impressive kit I have purchased from Larry. If anyone wants to get a Chief kit, forget trying to find an old Veco kit and buy the finest replica of the Chief kit anywhere to be found from Larry Richards.

Kurt, is this the 1949 Red and White label Henry Engineering kit with the polywog ribs or the later Veco kit? They are different.

This is the second version without the polywog airfoil. I've never seen the early polywog version of the veco kit. For me, I like the second generation version better. I purchased a set of Chief and Squaw plans from Joe Wagner last year and his copy was of the second generation version with a side view of the Super Chief that I think Aldrich used to fly before the Nobler.

That's interesting, because I thought the later version was not OTS legal, but only the first version was. That's what GMA flew, not the later version. Some times I wish there was just ONE version of these things. Sure would make building the right ones easier. Thanks, Ty

Only the Chief with the Polywog airfoil is Old Time Stunt legal.
the second version Chief was designed by Joe Wagner after December 31,1952.

The second version Chief is Classic legal.

That's right! The kit I make is the Joe Wagner design wing. Sorry I took so long to reply, I just got up and running at the new house.

>Only the Chief with the Polywog airfoil is Old Time Stunt
>legal.
>the second version Chief was designed by Joe Wagner after
>December 31,1952.
>
>The second version Chief is Classic legal.

Yes, but the plot thickens.

The original, e.g. the scratch built one that Bob Palmer designed, did NOT have the pollywog airfoil shape. I have a letter from Bob along with an extract from the plans that Pat Johnston did a few years ago that has his hand drawn correctins to the airfoil. Bob said that he told Hi Johnson that people would buy one, but never another after wrestling with getting silk or silkspan to stick to the reflex part of the curve. Bob also stated that Hi did not do this to save wood (as was often thought). Rather, Hi thought the reflex curve would give a smoother air flow over the flaps.

So, if you were to take the reflex curve out of the airfoil, you could fly it under PAMPA OTS, but not GSCB OTS.

Interesting! VERY interesting!

My Chief plans have BOTH the "Chief" & the "Super Chief" on them.
At the bottom right corner is the following statement:

<"This drawing shows both the "Super Chief" flown at the 1950 Nationals and the 1951 Veco kit model. Designed & drawn by Joe Wagner.(signature) Special thanks to George Aldrich, who helped a lot in recollecting & verifying details of the 1950 "Super Chiefs".>

Neither of planes show the "Polywog" kit airfoil.

Several other "Chief" info on the plans also.....

>That's interesting, because I thought the later version was not OTS legal,
>but only the first version was. That's what GMA flew, not the later version.

Both George and Bob Palmer had patterns for a Chief prototype with "normal" rib shapes, prior to the Gil Henry CHANGE that created the goofy looking ollywog ribs. They built theirs with a tapered TE piece that Gil didn't want to put in the kit. He changed to a square TE and then the ribs were altered so the new TE didn't look as bad of an afterthought.

What would be nice is if anyone could locate and be able to confirm the ages on, any copies of those "pre-kit" patterns.

>Sometimes I wish there was just ONE version of these things. Sure would
>make building the right ones easier.

But so much more boring than this normal way, with so much more to be the subject of arguments!

.

Kiwi

An argument at a contest over the "legality" of your model is not what I look forward to. I want to build the models that are accepted and proven to be OTS lega or Classic legal with out hassles. However the research of these is fun and interesting to say the least.