ORIGINAL: Steve Westphal
I have an old C/L Pogo VTOL plastic model that I will be putting on fleabay soon. Anybody have any info what it might be worth? Shortly I hope to post a picture of it here.
Okay Steve, here's what I remember about that ready to fly model. If it's the same one I saw in 1957(1958),
It was not a control line model, it was a tethered ready-to-fly model powered by a throttled PAGGO(sp??) .09.
The hobby shop owner where I helped out several days a week, was really angry(dissapointed) to discover that
his wife(I'll not name names) accepted the model from a distributer rep. Well, the owner decided to try it out on
the sidewalk in front of the shop. The engine started remarkably easily; I held it in the vertical takeoff position.
The owner tested the throttle response and then signaled for me to let go.... The 5'-6' line was attached to a 1ft wand,
and the throttle was controlled by an air bulb( just like the Jim Walker Throttle system.) It rose slowly and did a few
spins around the owner. I guess he lost cordination with the stick and the bulb; because it started climbing and diving(like an out of control speed ship)
until the apogee was vertical. The plastic .09 powered Pogo then slammed into his Butt shutting off the engine, breaking
the three-bladed prop and causing the small crowd of onlookers to either gasp in horror or drop to the cement in uncontollable laughter!
What more would you want to know?
the POGO is only worth what bidders are willing to pay. Personally It has no physical value for me. However,my memory of the Pogo flight is Priceless.
Tony