Lynn S

BobHH,
We see request for 1/2A trainers (or people who should be looking for trainers instead of scale models to start out with)
I think the Falcon would make a fine trainer.
I built a 1/2A Falcon back in the 60s but I nerver had a chance to fly it.(I didn't have a working radio)
I remember is was not hard at all to build. It should be a great little plane to start out with.
How about some constructions photos, finished plane, and inflight photos if you have them?
........and we can point people to this thread. There doesn't seem to be any favorite trainer plane here, so I nominate the 1/2A Falcon.
Maybe some flyers who have built one will chime in.

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Lynn, I have to agree. The Jr falcon is a great little model for a trainer. Nowadays most people are lead towards the 40 size RTF models but in the old days the smaller models were the thing. Most were single channel and numerous flights were made on the designs. (I have 6 single channel models flying now with Galloping Ghost and even a escapement version. All fly quite well. I hope to get a single channel Jr Falcon version going in the future. I already have a Jr Skylark single channel) I have 2 Jr Falcons flying now. The red one is 2 channel with a Cox .049., minnie servos and 500mA pack. Great little flyer and will fly itself hands off. The second one is the yellow 4 channel version with Norvel .061. Several flights on this bird and I usually pass the transmitter about when I am at the field. At the last NC 1/2A flyin Rog had, Dan (Deadstik) was showing his pattern skills by performing rolling circles with it and doing a great job. Not to mention we were flying in 25 MPH wind gust!!! If you go to the website, I show a few customers version with Floyd's single channel Mattel version and Mark'selectric version. There was a video someone sent me info on, with one of our Jr Falcons and a Norvel .074. Looks like a rocket! Unfortunately I have lost the link somewhere. Brian (Fireman) has sent some pictures of his and has it up and flying. I will post pics of his on the web page ASAP.

Many of the early 1/2A RC models were designed around the heavier RC gear. With our newer lighter radio gear they make superb fliers and trainers. Yes, contrary to popular belief, the Cox .049 is a good running engine and easy to use. Most of us have messed with these in our youth and kinda figured them out! They are fairly inexpensive used and Tim Wiltse has access to the larger fuel tanks so longer flights are possible.

I will try to post some pictures from the assembly manual to show the bare bones so to speak. Here are some pictures of a few flying versions.

Bob Harris
Early RC Models
www.earlyrcmodels.com

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Lynn S, I have seen Bobs planes in action twice and at the local swap shop here in Burlington back in January,, he does suberb covering as well as flying,,the kind of covering that makes you say,Dang I wish I could cover like that ....Rog

Tim Wiltse-RCU

It's like this when I grow up I would love to be able to cover half as good as Bob does. I am going to be doping the Roaring 20 from Early RC Models and I will have to set up my stuff at the other end of the field from Bob when we fly so people won't laugh at my dope job next to his too!

Later,
Tim

Lynn S

Those are some neat looking Falcons! I think this plane fills the bill for a trainer that will fly with a cox or norvel engine. I'm sure this plane will fly itself when properly trimmed.
The word for this plane is practical. We can point to this thread whenever someone wants to join our merry band of 1/2 A flyers and needs a trainer kit to start with.
How about some inside pictures of the fuse to show the servos, fuel tank ,ect?
I built a Skylark 56 after my 1/2A Falcon and it did fly by itself quite well. It had a McCoy .19 on it, and a Citizenship 3ch radio. I ended up having to crash it to keep it from flying away.( I had no idea how to fly it....so if you don't know how to fly, get help on your first flights.)

......anyhow, Bob has gone to the expense to recreate this great little plane (kit)from the 1960s and for those looking for a place to start flying....here it is! Don't waste your time on kits not made to be r/c planes.

Lynn S

blvdbuzzard

Here is my Jr Falcon. It is powered by a geared 370 power set from Wattage. It is 4 channel and flys like a dream. Steereble nose wheel and all. It is just over 1 pound ready to fly. I tried to get one of these to fly back when Kraft had a two channel brick and a Baby Bee. I thik it was over 2 pounds back then.

Dru.

Lynn S

Dru,
Thanks for reminding me its a "Jr. Falcon".
Nice electric version you have [8D]

Andrew

Tim --

I feel the same when covering with the plastics. I grew up with tissue, silkspan and silk. I'm a little amused when I read about some of the complaints about the odor of dope and thinner -- always thought it smelled pretty good and still do. OTOH, maybe breathing all those fumes explains some of my thought processes today. I have a silk and dope plane that is over 30 years old and when you thump the wing between the bays, it is still as tight as a drum.

When I try covering with the plastics, I think it looks like I dipped the plane in molasses then rolled it around in a barrel of wadded up Walmart bags -- and that's when it looks good.[]

the "other" Andrew

blvdbuzzard

Lynn thanks. Remember that there is the Jr Falcon, Falcon 56(MK II, MKIII) and the Senior Falcon. The Senoir had around a 70 in wing.

If you build one of these plane for E flight, there is a lot of ways to save a little weight. I built it just as the plans show and it came in at just over 1 pound. You can trim here and there, cut lightning holes in a lot of places and you should be albe to get it under 1 pound easy. Mine flys about 8-10 minutes with a 7 cell 800nimh pack. I also have two alieron servos so I can have flaperons.

The wheels I have are the lite weight foamies, all three weigh less then the Dubro rubber ones I used way back when. This plane would be a lot of fun with a throttled 0.061 in the nose. I may build another and put an AP Hornet in it.

Dru.

Lynn S

Dru, I bought a used Sr Falcon once. It had a nonstandard heavy fiberglass fuse. The wing folded on my first flight. It was poorly built and not the fault of the kit.
The Skylark 56 I built was a nice plane, too bad I did't know how to fly it on its maiden flight. I guess I should have stuck with those Goldberg planes in my early years of flying. I never did build a Falcon 56. This is one reason I brought up the Jr Falcon in this thread, they were good solid planes to start out with.

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Lynn, just a picture of my Sr Falcon. Hopefully the "Sr Skylark" may be available sometime when I can finish it up. The Sr Falcon flies like the Jr. Smooth and predictable. All of Carl's designs flew well.

Bob Harris
Early RC Models
www.earlyrcmodels.com

Lynn S

Bob,
That is one pur-dy airplane. Nice trim too!
The Sr Falcon I flew must have had a broken wing spar when I bought it. I remember the monokote covering was very loose......too bad I didn't have one that was well built.

blvdbuzzard

I can remember seeing a bunch of the Sr's at the field. For the time they were real floaters. I learned how to fly with a Falcon 56(no MK). It had a K&B .40 on the nose. I thought it would be the same for the Jr with a Black Widow in the nose. The problem was that the little 0.049 weighed almost half the weight of the 40 szed plane.

When I fly my little Falcon, I use full power until I am at about 2 feet up, throttle back to about 1/4 throttle and just do lazy circles climbing just a bit. At the end of the batterys it is just a tiny little dot up there. I then do a nice long glide.

Dru.