Korean War Era planes

[Mitch]

Rapier and Jetex Engines... Where do you get them in England?

I did a search and "EasyBuilt" site came up... BUT there website said they are no longer produced... MOREOVER, they said if you know where to find them let them know and they WILL stock them!

It seams that the Jetex is no longer made but maybe the Rapier? Is there some British company that still makes the Rapier engine? If so please let me know and I will pass it on to EasyBuilt.

If I can not get an engine, I think my second choice would be to make a catapult... Easybuilt has a plan that shows a basic "Jet Launcher Catapult"

Thanks, Mitch

PS: Easybuilt also has about a dozen JET models... BUT no Cougar... I WILL preserve the plans and make TEMPLETES before I build this model. This model never had decals...just printed on the plan are the markings..."color in and apply"... I think with new technology I can do better.

UPDATE: Just checking the plans again, I misspoke about the 24 inch ws... The length is 24 inches the ws is 19 inches... SO it will be close in scale to the Panther and Mig that EasyBuilt Sells

ACE423, if you read this, let me know if you want the plans... I would not sell them but can mail them to you... I don't believe there is any copyright problems. This kit is not even an SRK for DPC. It may take me awhile to copy everything someone needs and it would be a total scratch build... but I plan to do that anyway before I make the model. Here is another Koren War Plane Better than waiting for Guillow's to produce this kit!

[Phugoid]

A company called SAMS in the uk lists rapiers:

http://www.samsmodels.com/index.html

I believe they are made in the Czech Republic.

You can still find Jetex motors second hand, but I think they stopped production when Keil Kraft went out of business in the early nineties (I could be wrong on this!)

One thing that might be of interest is that SAMS list some teeny weeny Ducted fans, that and a LiPo might be a easier and more modern solution for a free flight jet....

Andrew

[joecrouse]

I say build it once from the plans
and then start experimenting with some small ducted fans.

[Mitch]

Hey Guys,

Reading my book on the F9F Panther/Cougar. The Cougar never saw action over Korea. There was at least some planes on an Aircraft Carrier in the area when the Peace Treaty was signed.

Another plane that was over there was the P/F 80 Shooting Star, built by Lookheed. I picked up a Squadron book at the Hobby Bench here in AZ. I have not been able to find and plans for this airplane in any archives. Does anyone know if this was ever produced as a Balsa Kit?

In 1/24th scale it would have a 19-1/2 inch ws and the canopy looks like one could substitute the P-51 from the kit 905...

Mitch

[Mitch]

Thanks Dave...

I think I will go with an EasyBuilt kit of the British Attacker. I will need to kitbash it, but with my Squadron Book and the internet I think I will come up with something that looks like the F80 Shooting Star... It will be 1/24 scale and have a ws of 19-1/2 inches and be a lauched glider...I hope I can keep focused,,, I have alot of plans to build in 2013...

Mitch

PS I was putting the finishing touches on a TWA plane Northrup Alpha 4A, I built last year... Its not a Guillows kit but when I get home I will show a few pics of the detail parts and "Aluminum Finish" I did... I am satisfied with the results.

[joecrouse]

Mitch, as a suggestion? there are some really good p80 shooting star plastic kits.

Perhaps taking a saw to the fuselage of one at the appropriate places and then traceing the results, then upscaling the results, might give you a relatively skull sweat start on a fuselage.

[Mitch]

Thanks for the suggestion... Actually I was thinking about buying an inexpensive plastic model, for reference. I will probably build Cougar and a Mig before I build the Shooting Star... just planning ahead. I would not want to cut apart the plastic kit, but could use it as another reference. Mitch

[Mitch]

For those of you who may not know... (A week ago I did NOT know)... This is the Shooting Star:

Yesterday I went to my favorite Plastic Model Hobby Shop (Skyway Hobbies) and got this for 10 dollars:

This kit is 40 years old and looks very nice. 1/72 scale means a ws of about 6-1/2 inches:

I usually build 1/48 scale for WW1 and WW2 but jets are larger so 1/72 scale is nice....

On that note my Flying models are WW1 = 1/14 scale, WW2 = 1/16 scale, Jets will be approx 1/24 scale...

I plan to use the canopy from the kit 905 mustang (1/24 scale)... Mitch

This was our only jet available in quantity at the outset of the Koren War... I suppose we were very shocked to come up against the Mig 15!



So I got a few plastic kits of jets from the Hobby Shop and plan to build those so I have a 3D reference when I upscale and build Flying (Glider) versions of these Koren War Jet Fighters! Mitch

I only found out about the F80 from the cover picture on my Mig 15 book... Of course my Dad was well aware of the F80 Shooting Star built by Lockheed.

PS Looks like I will getting more practice in refining my "Aluminum" technique.

[bitlerisvj]

Hi Mitch,
Definitely build it whether you can find an engine or not. This baby has a beautiful glide to it. I built one of these when I was a pre-teen and I did not find it difficult to build at all. Actually it was quite pleasurable. I covered it and painted it dark Navy Blue. I did not cut out the insignia and glue it on. I think I was going to look for decals at the hobby shop. I used to glide it in the yard and it did glide really nice. Maybe a tow hook on it would make it go farther?
Good luck and regards, Vic Bitleris

Rapier and Jetex Engines... Where do you get them in England?

I did a search and "EasyBuilt" site came up... BUT there website said they are no longer produced... MOREOVER, they said if you know where to find them let them know and they WILL stock them!

It seams that the Jetex is no longer made but maybe the Rapier? Is there some British company that still makes the Rapier engine? If so please let me know and I will pass it on to EasyBuilt.

If I can not get an engine, I think my second choice would be to make a catapult... Easybuilt has a plan that shows a basic "Jet Launcher Catapult"

Thanks, Mitch

PS: Easybuilt also has about a dozen JET models... BUT no Cougar... I WILL preserve the plans and make TEMPLETES before I build this model. This model never had decals...just printed on the plan are the markings..."color in and apply"... I think with new technology I can do better.

UPDATE: Just checking the plans again, I misspoke about the 24 inch ws... The length is 24 inches the ws is 19 inches... SO it will be close in scale to the Panther and Mig that EasyBuilt Sells

ACE423, if you read this, let me know if you want the plans... I would not sell them but can mail them to you... I don't believe there is any copyright problems. This kit is not even an SRK for DPC. It may take me awhile to copy everything someone needs and it would be a total scratch build... but I plan to do that anyway before I make the model. Here is another Koren War Plane Better than waiting for Guillow's to produce this kit!

[Mitch]

I think I will build my jets as gluiders for my first attempt. Before I do that I have them in 1/72 scale plastic. I have the Sabre, Panther, Mig, and Shooting Star! I have 3 other Guillow projects planned over the next couple of months...BUT these jets are on my TO DO LIST! Mitch

PS as a kid my BEST FLYER...let me think... MY ONLY FLYER... was a peanut scale Zero and I eventually took out the rubber and would toss it. I think I made a Sling Shot and catapulted it... As I recall it would do 2 or 3 loops before gliding back to the ground. That kit was PRINTED PARTS = LIGHT BALSA

[Mitch]

...And my latest construction for Korean War planes...from EasyBuilt Kits



I modified the plans ( designed for the JETEX rocket) Built it as a full fuselage and plan to fly it with a propeller!

PS I just got my Panther in the mail. It was Out of Stock for a while, BUT now back in stock... I plan to build that also as a prop driven model!

These model cost about 15 dollars. You do not get much, but you get what you need and it is CONTEST grade balsa!

Mitch

[WIDDOG]

Wow super cool stuff Mitch. Very interesting indeed.

[Mitch]

Thanks, I think these jets would go along very nicely with Guillows 900 series, Skyraider, Trojan, etc.

I am really excited about the Panther, and also have an old comet kit of the Cougar. I will build those at the same time, but NOT until I clear of my workbench.

I filled in the nose with balsa, the wing fuselage joint and the rear peg mount. The nose has a bit of a down angle (for the plug in) This is intended for the down thrust of the prop. I also plan to have an insert of the nose ring for display when NOT flying.

[David Lewis]

Guillow's also makes a Cessna O1-E Bird Dog (kit #902), which is a Korean War Era plane.

[Mitch]

Yes, thank you. Also I read the Mustang was used before the Panthers were there. Those 900 series kits would be in a very close in scale to the jet models. So Guillows for the prop driven Korean War planes and there are Jet kits available from other mfg. Mitch