Thunderbird 60 Mk II
IT WASN'T LONG AFTER the 1988 Nats that I received a note and photo from Model Aviation Editor and Publisher Carl Wheeley expressing interest in publishing the Thunderbird 60 Mk II. Although we were both unaware of it, Wheeley's camera had captured Milton Woodward and myself as we launched the plane for the last official flight at the Nats. That shot, included in this article, motivated me to redo the plans and present them to you. While the T-60 Mk II is clearly an evolu
Original Veco: Thunderbird
SINCE 1983, as regular readers of Model Aviation know, I've been flying and publishing various modifications and updates of Bob Palmer's designs. It was at that time that I came to feel as though I'd gone about as far as I could with the various Nobler-derived designs. I was looking for something classic-something that would get me away from the then-current idiom of Stunters exemplified by the Stiletto, Genesis, and other Jet-type designs. Bob Palmer's designs, most of which were kitted by Veco, proved to be just the ticket-timeless in their aesthetics but also Nats winners.
Snapper
FIRST, a little background: The control line SNAPPER! originated as a developmental platform for exploring the setup for a sidewinder-mounted O.S. .32 engine. I was planning to fly a Walt Pyron P-39 design at the Vintage Stunt Championships-V and didn't want to use the contest plane to find all the answers. Earlier, I'd tried installing the O.S. .32 in a Sig Skyray but found that the nose was too flexible to get a reliable engine run. (The plane flew great, anyway.) Realizing that I needed a full fuselage for structural rigidity, I began scanning my list of plans to see what was adaptable. I wasn't looking for contest performance, so flaps weren't necessary. The quicker to build, the better!
38 Special
What control line stunt flier has not imagined a fully aerobatic biplane? How many biplanes have been built, only to be disappointing? When built properly, this model will not be a disappointment! I wish I could take all the design credit, but I just can't. When I was in Australia in 1988, Sydney club member Grant Wylie offered me his Zephyr bipe to fly. He was enthusiastic about the model and its ability to fly very accurate eights and overheads; I was skeptical.
Praxis
This design flies in the face of the prevailing wisdom in this country regarding CL Stunt models: It does not use a tuned pipe, and it has the engine mounted sidewinder-style with the cylinder mounted to the outside of the flight circle. (Texans, please do not write in!) In 1990-91 I was an agent for importing and distribution of fully framed and finished Skywriter models by 1988-90 world champion Zhang Xiang Dong. I was impressed with Zhang's incredible workmanship and his approach to design. The Skywriters were built with two-piece wings and removable tails and fit into 40 × 20 × 12-inch boxes.
