Guillows sheetwood flying models - the Zip nocals.

[Scott]

Thanks for that USN Tracker pic,in Houston.I like that paint scheme.I'll have to read
that "Churning & Burning" B-36 story that you were describing.
Here's a pic from around 1964-65,of a Canadian Tracker visiting a shore base in
Bermuda.The planes from the Carrier Bonaventure,were doing some anti-submarine
exercises.Way back in the late 1970's I was at an airshow where 3 Trackers put on
a simulated anti-sub attack.They played 'follow the leader' down low over the centre
of the runway.The sound of those radial engines when they pulled up was fantastic.





Here's the last type of paint scheme the Trackers were in,before they were phased out.

[simpleflyer]

Thanks for the Tracker pix, Scott. What color is the top of the fuselage of the Tracker in the first two pix? Looks like a very dark grey.

In the pic of the Banshees that you posted earlier, it appears to be almost black.

http://balsamodels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1646

[Scott]

Hi,
I think the official name for the paint on the top of the fuselage was "Dark Sea Grey".
Light grey on underside of wings and fuselage.

The dark grey on these Sea Furies has faded alot.

[simpleflyer]

Nice pictures of the Sea Fury, Scott. Did you take these pictures? Do you have a story to go with the Sea Fury? We saw a couple of them at an airshow in Harlingen, TX in 1976.

CAF_airsho_1976097.jpg

CAF_airsho_1976098.jpg

In 1977 we saw a two seat version of the Sea Fury at an open house at England AFB in Louisiana.

FF_N082-08_EAFB_1977sm.JPG

We are slowly making progress in building a 'ZIP' model of the C-1 Trader for swing control.

[simpleflyer]

A while back we started building a series of 'ZIP' models of airplanes that we had the good fortune of having a flight in during the first 25 years of our life. We began building them in the order that the flights had occurred. So far we've reached the first five: Navion(1954), Stinson L-5(1954), C-47(1955), C-119(1957), C-46(1957).

SC_08-17-13_PPM-grp1.JPG

While we had them out, some flying time was in order.

The Navion.

SC_08-17-13_PPM_Nav.JPG

Next the L-5.

SC_08-17-13_PPM_L-5.jpg

[simpleflyer]

Followed by the rest of the group.

C-47

SC_08-17-13_PPM_C47.jpg

C-119

SC_08-17-13_PPM_C119a.jpg

C-46

SC_08-17-1_PPM_C46.jpg

[simpleflyer]

After the ride in the C-46 in 1957, there was another ride in a C-119 in 1958. Then our next airplane ride was not until 1961 in a Lockheed Electra operated by Eastern Airlines. We had enlisted in the USAF and they flew a group of us enlistees from New Orleans LA to Lackland AFB in San Antonio.

To build the Electra, we start with a 3- vu of the Electra.

Electra_3Vu_sm.JPG

Work on it with MS paint and get this grouping of aircraft shapes.

Electra_ptrn_sm.JPG

This is printed to a letter size sheet of paper and a letter size sheet of card stock. The printed card stock us cut up for patterns to be used for cutting balsa. On the paper copy we sketch in building details and notes for the construction as we go along. Here is a partial 'ZIP' kit of the Electra. Wingspan will be about 8 and a half inches.

SC_08-18-13_PPM_L188-pts.JPG

[simpleflyer]

Glued the vertical tail to the fuselage of the Electra. Made some repairs to a few other swingers, mainly repairing a break in the profile A-26 rear fuselage at the tail.

SC_08-19-13a.JPG

Took some of the 'swingers' for some test flights. Did OK. except for the A-26 which ran into a gust too near the ground with this result.

SC_08-19-13b.JPG

With a bit of Elmers, we should get a few more flights from this bird. Time to build a new rear fuselage for this guy, it's such a pleasant flyer.

SC_08-19-13c.JPG

[simpleflyer]

The next morning the A-26 was ready to fly.

SC_08-20-13a.JPG

Test flight went well and it didn't crash this time.

SC_08-20-13b.JPG

SC_08-20-13d.JPG

[Scott]

Great pics of those Sea Furies in Harlingen,and that two-seater version.The pics
I posted were from an internet search.The first Sea Fury is in a Canadian Museum
up here.The two other pics of the Sea Fury outside the hanger,were taken in the
1950's,when the plane was ashore for maintenance.
It's neat that you're building models of the aircraft that you had flights on,while
in the USAF.Your models look like they're all great flyers.Nice Electra too.

[simpleflyer]

Thank you for you thoughtful comments, Scott. I clicked on the Canadian Navy emblem on the bottom of your message and it leads to some links for some of your Photobucket albums. Your dioramas are well done as the figures in them. Nice work. The Navy and aircraft pix are interesting.

Progress on the Electra is a bit slow. Household chores keep popping up to compete with building time. The nose doublers are cut and the rest of the model has markings applied. The Electra should be finished soon.

SC_08-25-13aSm.JPG

[simpleflyer]

Last week were browsing the Guillows web site and came upon their commercial foam gliders at.

http://guillowgliders.com/foamgliders.htm

The jet-wing and mono-plane were pretty simple shapes so we drew up a couple of simple plans and came up with this pair of images that could be printed to a letter sized sheet of cardstock.

Mono-pln-N-Jet-winc_ptrn_sm.JPG

We added doublers to both models and made a few mods to the Mono Plane.

[simpleflyer]

The skerched images was printed to cardstock and the parts for the models were cut out. Some scrap foam from some fast food or left-overs containers was scrounged up. Here are the patterns and materials for the 2 models.

SC_08-25-13bSm.JPG

We begin with the jet-wing. The patterns are traced to the bottom of a McDonalds breakfast plate.

SC_08-25-13cSm.JPG

Parts are cut out and prepared for assembly.

SC_08-25-13dSm.JPG

[simpleflyer]

The jet-wing builds up quickly. Outboard trailing edges are scored with a metal ruler and bent up for elevons. One of the doublers is glued in place. A few flattened lead BBs are taped in place for preliminary balance. A temporary attachment loop is taped to the wing tip and the model is ready for flight test. A couple hand tosses show that it flys sorta level with a bit of turn.

SC_08-25-13fSm.JPG

[simpleflyer]

Late afternoon weather was a tad breezy with threatening looking clouds but the jet-wing flew well for its first flights.

SC_08-25-13g.jpg

SC_08-25-13h.jpg

SC_08-25-13I.jpg