So what was your first control line plane, and what was the year, and age that you...
10-11-2019, 07:01 PM
#176
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Nope,
I'm the world famous Sparky.
I havent flown CL for around 45 years I gave two brand new .35 stunters ready to go. I got them at an estate sale they are both much nicer than I could ever build.
I think the Thimble Drone was some sort of a trade mark that Cox used. So likely that's the handle I'm referring to.
Yes I think Spider wire would be a great fit for current small CL airplanes.
Sparky
I'm the world famous Sparky.
I havent flown CL for around 45 years I gave two brand new .35 stunters ready to go. I got them at an estate sale they are both much nicer than I could ever build.
I think the Thimble Drone was some sort of a trade mark that Cox used. So likely that's the handle I'm referring to.
Yes I think Spider wire would be a great fit for current small CL airplanes.
Sparky
11-01-2019, 05:20 AM
#179
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Oakdale, CT
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Back in 1965 when i was 8 years old my cousin Mark ( who my wife calls the "good Mark" as opposed to me the "evil Mark") went off to join the navy and gave me his Wen-Mac Turbojet control line plane. I tried for many hours to get the engine started and after getting some help and finding out that a 6 volt lantern battery instantly fried the glow plug I was able to make a few short attempts at flying before it was destroyed. So it was on to various Cox RTF's up to the highly prized Stuka. After those models were all "used up" I had a collection of Cox 049s around. I went to a local hobby store in Clinton Connecticut named Dave's Hobbies and purchased a Sterling Beginners Spitfire and a Dave converted one of my 049's to a tank mount. The rest is history as they say. From there it was many 1/2a planes then onto a Sterling Ringmaster my first "Big" C/L kit. I wanted a Fox 35 but couldn't quite deliver enough newspapers to afford the $11.95 price tag so I got a K&B Stallion 35 fro $7.95. I still have that engine not because it was so good but to remind me of how many Ringmasters it cost me when it quit doing an overhead maneuver. I still have a Ringmaster but this one has an L&J Fox 35 up front. Been a modeler ever since. Both RC and CL.
Mark O
Mark O
02-05-2020, 02:42 PM
#180
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
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Got a cox PT-20 for Christmas - maybe 1968. was in the 9th grade. After a few repairs and finding that the lines would not stay tight no matter what at 25', I shortened the lines to @ 17 or 18 feet, and I had much fun with that plane, as under-powered as it was with a cox 0.020 engine. Got a an .049 golden bee and several jars of Pactra dope from a kid at school who didn't want it (I could believe that - think I gave him something like 2 bucks for all of it) and built a goldberg Lil' Satan, and have been hooked since. Later got a Cox Medallion .15 that lasted thru a Jr Ringmaster and a Magician .15. LOVED the Magician and really learned how to fly CL on that. Still have the Cox engine, although getting a glow head for it is probably not gonna happen. That engine ran really well on Fox Missile Mist (expensive at $2 a quart). Later I got a K&B Stallion .35 and a Midwest Panther - real fun there. Ah, the memories.
02-06-2020, 01:14 PM
#181
Join Date: Mar 2015
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Cox p-51 plastic with string control lines, about 1966-68. Took 2 days to fly because I thought that the elevator was pushing air down, the plane should go up. Durable sucker, to bounce so many times and still fly.
02-06-2020, 01:24 PM
#182
Join Date: Mar 2015
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If I remember correctly, the coil burned out at the tip mostly I wonder if it would be possible to drill, ever so little, (1/64th"), barley enough to fit coil wire. Just enough to use tweezers to put the tip of the coil in it. Get contac, and maby a glow. 
nce it starts, its running.
nce it starts, its running.
02-06-2020, 04:11 PM
#186
Join Date: Mar 2015
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I saw a post earlier, at 73 a member cant fly any more, couldn't turn and turn. Problem solved, 1 line to a post about 4 ft deep with a ring and a mono cable. A a Radio with 1 servo. Sit back in a lawn chair, and have at it. A heavy duty swivel on each end of the line would allow endless loops. Have fun.
02-07-2020, 06:16 AM
#189
02-07-2020, 08:16 AM
#190
I saw a post earlier, at 73 a member cant fly any more, couldn't turn and turn. Problem solved, 1 line to a post about 4 ft deep with a ring and a mono cable. A a Radio with 1 servo. Sit back in a lawn chair, and have at it. A heavy duty swivel on each end of the line would allow endless loops. Have fun.
Last edited by aspeed; 02-07-2020 at 09:04 AM.
04-12-2020, 02:30 PM
#191
Same - Stuka death dive then Success
As I have said in another forum my first control line plane was a Cox Stuka.
It was in 1975, our last Christmas as a family before mom, and dad got divorced.
I was around 11 years old then, and had just recently flown my cousins Testor Flying Tiger. The Tiger was really fun, but a bit smaller than the Cox Stuka.
I wasn't adept enough back then to start, and fly the plane myself, so since my dad left I had to wait until that rare day that he would come over to start the engine.
Well about a year later he finally got around to it. I was so nervous, that when the plane was finally started/running there was a small crowd of kids gathered around.
I flew the Stuka one revolution before it started flying at an arch, then into the ground.
Then it was retired the closet, and finally lost to time.
Now I have another Stuka even with the original box to relive that day again.
So tell me what was your first plane, the year you got it, how old were you, and what was the story behind it..........thanks.
It was in 1975, our last Christmas as a family before mom, and dad got divorced.
I was around 11 years old then, and had just recently flown my cousins Testor Flying Tiger. The Tiger was really fun, but a bit smaller than the Cox Stuka.
I wasn't adept enough back then to start, and fly the plane myself, so since my dad left I had to wait until that rare day that he would come over to start the engine.
Well about a year later he finally got around to it. I was so nervous, that when the plane was finally started/running there was a small crowd of kids gathered around.
I flew the Stuka one revolution before it started flying at an arch, then into the ground.
Then it was retired the closet, and finally lost to time.
Now I have another Stuka even with the original box to relive that day again.
So tell me what was your first plane, the year you got it, how old were you, and what was the story behind it..........thanks.
04-12-2020, 06:27 PM
#192
first Ucontrol plane
The Goldberg plane that had the engine held on with rubber bands was the Wizard.
Had one of those myself. Used it for an intro for others who wanted to try Ucontrol flying.
Had one of those myself. Used it for an intro for others who wanted to try Ucontrol flying.
04-12-2020, 06:37 PM
#193
04-12-2020, 06:38 PM
#194
A couple of my friends had those. One even let me fly his. I built the Stuntman 23. Which was anemic with the Cox .049 Golden Bee that I had. Don't remember how I got that. Climbs dives, wingovers, fine. I never did a loop, lazy eight, fly inverted with mine. It did need a little more "oomph" to feel better about stunts.
04-12-2020, 09:17 PM
#195
Sorry do335a , I was posting my message, stepped away, completed it and after submitting, see you had already addressed the CG Li'l Wizard.
AFAIK, the Golden Bee had a freer flowing venturi system so it was a tad more powerful than the Babe Bee, but still had the same single bypass cylinder like the Babe Bee. I used the Babe Bee on a 21" span Sterling Beginner's Fokker E-III Eindecker profile, it had plenty of power. The later Black Widow had a dual bypass cylinder and as such was more powerful, probably would have been the right ticket for the Stuntman.
Half-A's are so affected by wind that I enjoy the heavier larger aircraft. My next CL aircraft I flew was the 38" span Sterling profile F-51 with a Testor McCoy .19 Red Head. After a 30" Sterling Ringmaster Jr. with OS .15FP, engine made it very nose heavy and as a result performance suffered although engine had more than enough power. 42" Sterling Ringmaster with Testor McCoy .35 Red Head was a pleasure to fly. I've got a few of the larger kits to build, 42" Sterling Hellcat profile, 33" Midwest P-40 Warhawk profile, 55" Brodak Focke Wulf FW-190 profile, 55" Brodak Continental profile.
A couple of my friends had those. One even let me fly his. I built the Stuntman 23. Which was anemic with the Cox .049 Golden Bee that I had. Don't remember how I got that. Climbs dives, wingovers, fine. I never did a loop, lazy eight, fly inverted with mine. It did need a little more "oomph" to feel better about stunts.
Half-A's are so affected by wind that I enjoy the heavier larger aircraft. My next CL aircraft I flew was the 38" span Sterling profile F-51 with a Testor McCoy .19 Red Head. After a 30" Sterling Ringmaster Jr. with OS .15FP, engine made it very nose heavy and as a result performance suffered although engine had more than enough power. 42" Sterling Ringmaster with Testor McCoy .35 Red Head was a pleasure to fly. I've got a few of the larger kits to build, 42" Sterling Hellcat profile, 33" Midwest P-40 Warhawk profile, 55" Brodak Focke Wulf FW-190 profile, 55" Brodak Continental profile.
04-13-2020, 07:37 AM
#197
You are welcome, whittonm . By the way, since we are a rural farming town of roughly 42k or so population, last year Plateau Tel, our local telecommunications company provided this as the front cover of their phone book to us:
That is definitely a CL aircraft and with of all things, a diesel engine. An interesting twist with about the right power for that Stuntman 23 would be of all things, the lower powered 1963 A.C. Gilbert (yes, the train company!) Thunderhead .11 glow motor.
That is definitely a CL aircraft and with of all things, a diesel engine. An interesting twist with about the right power for that Stuntman 23 would be of all things, the lower powered 1963 A.C. Gilbert (yes, the train company!) Thunderhead .11 glow motor.
04-14-2020, 04:39 AM
#198
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I had a Gilbert .11 not a very powerful engine. I think it came in a crashed plastic CL airplane that I was gifted. (1966-67) I put it on a profile P-47 maybe a Berkley kit. It was heavy as i recall. and I don't remember much about flying it. It had dual exhaust on the engine the picture is missing the starboard exhaust pipe.
Sparky
Sparky
05-29-2020, 04:35 PM
#200
I had a Cox Mustang, and a friend had the Corsair. We both found what anyone who has flow one learns. High wing loading and a highly cambered wing produces a plane that will not recover from a wing over. The engine survived and went on a Baby Flight Streak that actually flew well.
My last was a Sig Zlin Akrobat with a Fox .35. Have plans for an Ariel, and an O.S. 40. may build it. Would be my first ukie in fifty years.
My last was a Sig Zlin Akrobat with a Fox .35. Have plans for an Ariel, and an O.S. 40. may build it. Would be my first ukie in fifty years.