Scratchie

I've been looking for a while for a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny kit, but no luck. Unfortunately, I can’t afford the Proctor. I'd like a 65-100” wingspan, glow/gas, scale or stand off scale – NO ARF/RFT. Nothing seems to come up on eBay (other than a recent Proctor), and the only short kit I’ve found is based on Cleveland plans which I understand are not designed for large RC.

Other than eBay, can anyone suggest a company that sells a kit, short kit or full wood kit for $200 to 300? Am I unrealistic as to what this project would cost? Do I need to find plans and send them to a kit cutter – seems expensive.

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Whoops,
Thought this was going to be a thread on the deBolt Jenny.

Didn't Joy Products make a Curtis Jenny kit about that size?

Scratchie

hard to find one

WacoNut

You can build the Jenny from the Proctor plans and go less than scale on the rigging and wires. You will spend hundreds buying all the hardware from Proctor.
I have the plans and they are nice well worth the money. I blew them up 200% with intentions of building a 1/3 scale Jenny. I have decided to build a full scale Hatz Classic Bi-plane instead.
As you have found you do not have a whole lot of options for the Jenny.
Good Luck!!
Anthony

Stickbuilder

The last Aerodrome Jenny kit that I saw went for about $1100.00. I don't think that there is a good cheap Jenny kit out there.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

Scratchie

Do the Proctor plans have all the ribs, formers, smaller parts on them? I did a lot of scratch building stick and tissue planes as a kid, but this would be my first scratch RC.

TFF

Register here http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/ lots of builders of the proctor JN4. The plane needs all that rigging to make work which is why the proctor is so expensive. I bet it will cost close to the same if you scratch build it; the only difference is you dont have to lay it all out at once.

DRCRAIG

My Feedback: (31)

Another Jenny plan is available that is not very complicated.
Flying Models Magazine plan #CD024 is a 72", stand off scale Jenny for a 40-53 size 4-stroke.
It was published in 9/95, and is on page #31 of their online plans catalog (color photo).
It should be a fairly easy scrtach build.
Check it out.
Craig

WacoNut

The Proctor plans have all the templates on the plans even for all the brass fittings.
You can get by with using braided cable(like Dubro Pull/Pull) for the flying wires and cheaper connectors for the rigging. The flying wires are critical for the strength of the model. Like TFF said if you build from scratch you do not have to lay it out all at once. I can tell you from looking over the plans very carefully this will be a long time consuming build especially if you scratch it from plans.
Anthony

Scratchie

Functional rigging - didn't see that one comming. Sounds like a project to get it set up before flying.

WacoNut

I would estimate 20-30 setup time. About the same for my 33% Waco.

Bipes with wires take time to setup at the field.
Anthony

buzzard bait

If you're willing to go smaller, Pat Trittle's, at 60 inches, looks pretty good.

Jim

Scratchie

Pat's is designed for electric - I was going to go glow or gas. Not really sure about modifications that would be required to convert/beef it up.

LesUyeda

"good cheap " A contradiction in terms. There is no such thing.:-)))))))

Les

LesUyeda

"I would estimate 20-30 setup time. About the same for my 33% Waco."

That is why, a number of years ago, I bought a used Crew Cab Dually. Put a camper shell on it, and had room to cary anything I wanted to, Including the family motorcycles for summer vacation. And my little OLD (before they knew how to properly weld alminum. It was all riveted.) aluminum and wood 13 foot boat on top.

Les

TFF

I believe the Proctor stays together in top/bottom wing half; like a box kite( which I guess it is anyway). You only have to mess with attaching the panels to the fuselage, not every wire in the wing. Register at RCSB; many of the threads have good views of the plans; I dont think ANYONE could make a better plan for a plane. I understand the cost thing; I drool for the Albatross but at $900, I cant do it. I have built the VK stuff from them; worth every penny, and I believe it cant be done for less when you see what they give you.

WacoNut

I have a 6x12 box trailer and my 1/3 scale planes will not fit in the trailer in one piece. The spans are over 10ft and the fuse lenghts are almost 8 ft.
My Waco comes apart nicely and and no matter how you slice it you still have to make 10 wire connections. 5 wires each side. It is well worth the effort of setting up for the flight as the plane is very nice to fly and is impressive in the air.

The Proctor Jenny has a 87.25" span if I remember cottecly and the fuse is only about 60" long. This would fit in a trailer as one piece.
The Jenny is too nice of a plane to skimp on and everything is out in the open to look at.
Anthony

Joe Nagy

My Feedback: (3)

Hi Scratchie;

Greetings from the 'Valley of the Sun'.

Flying Models magazine had a real nice Jenny construction artcle a few yews back, I think around a 77" ws. I am away from my archives rite now, but will try and find the plan # for U, unless someone herein RCU beats me to it.

Also a way back when, I think in '68, a modeller named DIck [?] Hansen presented a bigger Jenny in American Modeler Magazine. around 100" ws, it could be built simple or go wild with scale detail. I believe Walt Mocha won the Nats Scale event with this design, wild with detail. I do remember a design feature being the wing spars being of simple to find, straight for sure. aluminum strip stock available from Home Depot or any building supply/hardware store.

As for a kit cutter: WHY? the wings are straight, so U only have to cut a master ply rib or each wing and then cut as many as you need for each wing, and the fuse is real straight lined, simple really. Learn to cut your own kits, cut your own parts, U will find that your own kits build easier, faster and you end a much better. straight, warp free structure, + you choose you own balsa. Scratch building your own stuff is the only way to go.

I will close for now, and try and find you details on the FM and AAM plans, best regards from Glendale, Arizona,

Joe Nagy.

TFF

In the kit section, I think, a guy bashed a Proctor Antic biplane into a pretty good Jenny.

AROPLANE

My Feedback: (52)

I also think "bud nosen" had a large jenny, now it's not going to be anything like the "proctor" but would be a lot faster to build

I think I have the plans here somewhere - haven't seen them in a few years but I will take a look
tom

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Hello Joe and Scratchie,

You guys got my curiousity up, so I went hunting in the FM Archives on the web. I downloaded their plans folder and found the Jennie that I think that you're looking at.

If you download their plans list at http://flying-models.com/catalog/catalog_rc.php then the Jenny is near the bottom of Page 31. The catalog reads:
"CD024 Curtiss JN-4 Jenny R/C sport scale remake with simplified construction and good outlines. 72-inch span. .28 - .52 4-Stroke. Plans on two sheets. David Fielding. FM 5-97. $7.00

So, I guess that the May 1997 issue is the issue that you're referring to, Joe.

I hope that this helps,

Happy Thanksgiving,

Bob

aerowoof

just sold a joy jeenny last week it was in the classifieds foe almost a month

LesUyeda

"just sold a Joy Jenny last week it was in the classifieds foe almost a month"

Boy, does that ring the nostalgia bells. I built one of those Years ago. Had it hanging in the model shop for show and tell, and some collector made me an offer I could not refuse.

Les

Was going to post pics, but couldn't figure out how.

aeroastro

For Sale: a NIB Proctor Jenny kit, part of an estatel sale of a long-time modeler's collection.
$300 firm, shipping extra. Please contact Guy Whitaker, [email protected]

DRCRAIG

My Feedback: (31)

A Joy Products Jenny kit just hit *bay - FYI.