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Model plane building

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Randy

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I know this way off from tobacco,but does anyone else build here build model planes,like gulleows balsa wood kits..?
 
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johnlee1933

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Re: Off topic posts

I know this way off from tobacco,but does anyone else build here build model planes,like gulleows balsa wood kits..?
Hell Yes ! I started building them in 1939 and have played with the hobby on and off for years. Gliders, rubber band, glow fuel , electric, I've tried them all. Haven't done gasoline yet but who knows? My eyes are acting up a little (loss of depth perception) so I am not as active as I used to be but in RC it wouldn't be my first rodeo.

John
 

Jitterbugdude

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Back in the sixties (when I was a kid) I used to build the kind of balsa wood planes that you pinned and glued strips together for a frame then wrapped in paper and painted the paper with something to make it "hard". Do they still sell something similar- they were cool.

Yeah man, the glue smelled great....:cool:
 

johnlee1933

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Back in the sixties (when I was a kid) I used to build the kind of balsa wood planes that you pinned and glued strips together for a frame then wrapped in paper and painted the paper with something to make it "hard". Do they still sell something similar- they were cool.

Yeah man, the glue smelled great....:cool:
Amyl acetate -- "banana oil". the solvent in the old cellulose glue has been banned "for the public good" but it did smell good. Some folks abused it so it's gone. I can't wait till they figure out knives can make you bleed and could lead to death.

The tissue paper covering can still be found. It is glued on and then shrunk with a light spray of water. The "dope" we used to paint with is now history. Same reason as above.

The models you refer to were widely marketed by Guillows and can still be found now and them on Ebay. None that I am aware of are produced today. Stick models are largely a thing of the past now. Some kits can still be bought or you can scratch build them from plans. Even the ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) models are on the road to extinction. Glow engines (alcohol/nitro methane/oil) too are much less common than they were. The trend today is toward electric powered foam models. The hobby in general seems to be attracting less and less enthusiasts. The AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) has a shrinking membership. Some modelers still buy and/or build large (30 lb. +) planes and use gasoline engines.

Hope this answers your question,

John
 

Jitterbugdude

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Bummer, I'd love to build one of them planes again.

John, you should remember Amyl Acetate from your Army days.. That's what they wafted in front of you when you had a gas mask on. If you smelled bananas you had a leaker.
 

johnlee1933

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Bummer, I'd love to build one of them planes again.

John, you should remember Amyl Acetate from your Army days.. That's what they wafted in front of you when you had a gas mask on. If you smelled bananas you had a leaker.
You were lucky. They had us test ours with tear gas. If it leaked you KNEW it.

John
 

Randy

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John Im sure you still buy the guillows models,just bought one yesterday 400 P-40 series,over my life have went through the whole line at least 2-3 times,and abt the dope mix elmers glue with water I just build for display no-motor myselfand gillows still has website atleast few weeks ago cool hobby anyway.

Randy

edit the hobby lobby here still sells them
 

Jitterbugdude

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You were lucky. They had us test ours with tear gas. If it leaked you KNEW it.

John

John, I was (still am) luckier than that... I got to do administer (as a civilian) the banana oil test and help with the CS testing. Now we using machines that sniff the inside of the mask while it's being worn.
 

marksctm

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The trend today is toward electric powered foam models. The hobby in general seems to be attracting less and less enthusiasts. The AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics)
I used to build the balsa wood planes also, I put a lot of time & labor in them to get them to look authentic. And then in a split second, hours and hours of work smash into the ground, and the air is filled with pretty colored tooth picks. That hurts like hell! Now I got a few electric planes and I love em. No fuel to buy or wipe down, no glow plugs to buy, and you can repair them in minutes with a good ca glue, hot melt glue, or 5 minute epoxy. just turn on transmitter, plug in plane battery, and fly.
They've come a long way with electric RC power plants with the outrunner motors. Just in the last few years.
I have a flycam I can mount on all my planes and get videos with. Fun to fly over pools with.
If I build balsa again, they'll be for display only! I'll build another one some day.
Out of my planes, my P-38 lightning with a 57 inch wing span is my baby! It climbs like a home sick angel, and flies like a bat out of hell!
PICT0004_0015.jpg
 

Jitterbugdude

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What brand/kind of plane would you recommend? I like the P-38 it was always one of my favorite planes as a kid. The Stucka was a close tie though
I hear ya about the balsa wood. I remember as a kid spending hours and hours putting that thing together only to have it crash and burn. But then I would spend hours and hours more "fixing" it... kept me off the streets... for awhile
 

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I really have always just build display models.I try the little cox.49 engine oncecrashed and burned first try never messed with actual flying them again,yea the P-38 great plane and change to build but fun I actually fav the WWI birds like the sopwith,SPAD,Albatros etc as a kid they looked cool hanging "flying" from my bedroom ceiling.

Randy
 

marksctm

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Jitterbug, And Randy

The P-38 is a blitz works brand from Banana Hobby out of California, this kid Pete, I don't know if he or his family own the company, but that kid can fly! I've seen him fly competition, I think he could put a motor on flat dried up road kill and fly the hell out of it.
All my other planes are from Horizon Hobby out of Champaign Illinois, It was started in 1985 and is a employee owned company, and has a great product line and product support.
I have 6 of there plains and 1 of there helicopters. The Champ micro, P-51D micro, Sukhoi SU-26xp micro, Super Cub 480-size, P51D Mustang 480, Stinson Reliant 480, and Blade MSR helicopter.
The p-38 also is a 480 size x2 1150Kv brushiess outrunners
I also have a E Sky 3D aerobatic Honey Bee King 3 helicopter, 600 mm, or a little over 23 inch main rotor. NO PART OF HORIZON HOBBY.
Nice helicopter though, but there head lock gyros suck!
Next one will definitely come from Horizon.
I would love to find the time to build a nice balsa again, but hard enough to find time to fly, or when I do have time, like today, It's too windy to fly. 25 to 30 mph wind today.
 

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I will too look into that marksctm,srry abt late reply was doctor all day...wow..you dont want 2 know...hope I have time to build another plane thats all im saying!
 

marksctm

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One of my flights with the Super Cub and Flycam. Never done this youtube stuff before. First time.
You might want to turn down the volume.


 

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That was fun. I have a bumble bee from the chinese tool store. My sister give it to me for Christmas and I dont' want to crash it.
 

marksctm

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Boboro,
We have those chinese tool stores here also, (Harbor Freight) and they have a couple of planes there.
One under 40 bucks!
If your Bumble Bee is a replica of the original Bumdle bee, (smallest piloted aircraft) It crashed on it's first flight, and destroyed it. so maybe I'd hold on to it and get something else to try.

Chris...
 
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