mmartin55

Hey I just finished drafting all of the patterns for laser cut parts for the old Fledgling if anyone is interested. PM me for more information. A modeler here in Kansas City flies one and says it is the best trainer their club has ever seen. Does well in windy conditions, is built strong and light, and is easy to build and an excellent flier.

The parts I drafted by tracing the pieces left from his old aircraft so he can rebuild a new one and then checked all parts against the plans after outlining them in the computer. They are all laid out on sheet for laser cutting.

If you are unfamiliar with this model, it has a 56" span, 42" length, 545" area and is designed for .23-40 size glow engines.


Tom

ama1437

What a great thread. I just discovered it today while looking for information on the Ringmaster R/C.

I remember flying Baby Ringmasters and Ringmaster Juniors as well as the same sizes in Flight Streaks. They were ALL great airplanes and I spent many weekend days at the schoolyard flipping props. I must've flipped a Thimble Drome Thermal Hopper a thousand times before figuring out what a tiny speck of dirt could cause. Boy, was I ready for fuel filters when I first heard of them years later. I still have a couple of Thermal Hoppers, but no more of those cage mounts that came with them. Anyone have one I could copy? I guess that should be for another thread.

I'm selling off some kits on eBay (NO Sterling kits, sorry) but was going to list this Sterling Ringmaster R/C which HAS BEEN BUILT AND FLOWN. I checked it out on the Sterling site (thanks to this thread) and found out it was the last kit in the FS series. "FS-41 R/C Ringmaster ARF" They actually called it an ARF but it really was an ARC (almost ready to cover).

Mine has an OS SF .46 which is almost new, and JR radio gear. I would sell it with or without the radio gear. Is there any interest?

Scott

ElectRick

My Feedback: (2)

I am in need of a set of plans for the 64" Stearman. Anyone willing to copy theirs and sell to me?

Rick

sledge_78

My Feedback: (24)

ElectRick,

You may want to call the AMA. They had purchased all of the Ponse inventory and were sorting through the thousands of plans last year. This may help. Unless someone has a set out there & can duplicate them.

Sledge_78

ElectRick

My Feedback: (2)

I'm not sure I follow you. What is the Ponse inventory? Are you saying the AMA bought out the old Sterling line plans?

With all the Sterling Stearman owners/builders out there, I never dreamed it would be this hard to get a set copied.


Rick

sledge_78

My Feedback: (24)

Rick,

The Ponse or Ponce inventory was a plan business run by a fellow of the same name. He had passed away and the son or son inlaw ran the business but sold out to the AMA. Apparently the inventory of kit plans from Ponse was very extensive (thousands). It has taken the AMA almost a year to sort through it all. I tried for a while to acquire a set of sterling P-63 plans and I even had the original Ponse catalog file number. AMA hadn't finished the sorting task so I could not get it from them at the time. They may be done now, and may have a set of plans for you. Apparently Ponse was quite good at his kit plans for sale business and AMA recognized this so they bought it all out right.

That's the best I can do to help at this time.

Sledge_78 (Gerry)

nanavion46

Rick,

The name of the plan service AMA bought is John Pond Plan Service.

Nanavion46

Joe Young

My Feedback: (4)

Could it be the "John Pond" collection that is being referred to.

sledge_78

My Feedback: (24)

Rick,

After reading the subsequent notes on this, it is the John Pond plan service the AMA bought. I wrote from memory in my previous notes and I came close to Pond with Ponce & Ponse.

Good Luck,

Gerry

Believer

Hey Tom,

I have a Fledgling finished except for radio and engine installation. I'm wondering if it will fly with a Magnum .25? I also have a couple of old K&B .40s, but they seem a little heavy...

I built and flew a Mini-Fledgling in the early 80s; Motor, Elevator and Ailerons using an EK brick and a Thunder Tiger .10. Flew great until I decided to remove the muffler in an attempt to wring the last little bit of power out of the TT. Forgot to rebalance and it was uncontrollably tail heavy. The resulting re-kitting made quite an impression on my Dad, who walked away mumbling about flushing money down the toilet[&o].

Anyway, I'd like a copy of the Fledgling plans as mine have long since disappeared.

Thanks,
Brian
[email protected]

mmartin55

Brian, I am sending an email. Meantime, link here has all of the specs and motor recommendations for the Fledgling kit. I have heard that the Coachman, Fledgling and Mini Fledgling were all excellent flyers. That is why we decided to make parts available. http://tmrcsailplanes.com/old-time-plans_2.html. Plans say 23-40 size motors, I would opt for a lightweight 35 or 40 and have the extra power if needed.

Tom

1g1yy2

I really had no idea Sterling kits were popular -- I built one in 1983 and it was the worst kit (bad, heavy, split, warped wood, terrible die crunching) I have ever built!! I spent about 2 years, off + on, building it. It is a Lancer SL-62. I bought the kit at Hobby Lobby for $30 -- they were just trying to clear it, and some other kits, out.

After I got into building it I could see that it could turn into a really great looking plane, so I took my time, replaced all the bad wood, and built and covered it EXACTLY as per the box picture. I grooved trailing edges and rounded the leading edges of control surfaces and used Robart hidden hinge points with pockets so the control surfaces are removable, and there are no gaps since the control surfaces rotate inside the trailing edges. I used Coverite Super Permagloss (I think that is what it was called.), and covered it per the box picture -- even duplicating the design underneath the wing and stabilizer (I know, a bad idea.). I mounted a ringed Rossi 60 with a tuned pipe going down one side. It looked mean!! Unforunately before I got around to installing servos, etc., I went through a very difficult divorce, and got out of the hobby for about 16 years!

But I still have the plane with the piped Rossi engine hanging in my garage! It is in new, unflown condition, and the engine has never been started. (Yes, I have kept it preserved with afterrun oil.) The covering is in very good condition with no seams lifting and only a couple of minor wrinkles -- though the years have dulled the luster of the red, white, and blue colors a bit.

I have muscular dystrophy and can't fly glow planes anymore -- I fly only electrics now. However my son is taking some time from his business now to get into glow planes, and he is threatening to force me to fly it this year with his help. So maybe it will finally take flight!

mmartin55

Great story. Can you post a picture of it?

Tom

flmlm

1g1yy2,

I would agree that is a great story on the SL-62. Also a picture would be fantastic! I'm in the process of trying to acquire a SL-62 kit myself from a friend. The SL-62 has appealing lines to me.

1g1yy2

Unfortunately I can't post a pic at this time -- no camera. But I will soon.

RC_RULES

Hey There, I came across a Fledgling kit and am starting to build it. It has 1974 on the box for the year. The kit seems to be all there with plastic coated plans. It can be built as a trike or tail dragger. We opted for the taildragger. We have the fuselage built and are going to start the wings. It also came with a styrofoam wing kit. It seems like its going to be a light plane and am wondering if an o.s.25 la will be enough to fly it ? It calls for 23-40 size engine.

mmartin55

Here is one being built at RC Groups: http://www.http://www.rcgroups.com/f...ledgling+build. You may want to ask Jim what he recommends since he has flown the gas powered one shown at the beginning of his thread.

Tom

Gobbler

My Feedback: (1)

Sterling fledgling never heard of a foam wing in that kit.I have three kits in the box with good plans /Flying fool bip-cl /Corsair36''/Fledgling 56''and plans for a mini-Fledgling that I've built from scratch a couple times opps!!!! curently looking for the sterling diamant or cirrus sailplane kit listed in the ads about a month ago Thanks Gobbler

mmartin55

I have the SGS 1-26, Cirrus and Fledgling short kits and plans for a number of the sailplane and powered models plus canopies for the Cirrus, Diamant, 1-34, 1-26 and the 2-32. PM me and I'll get back to you.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

I guess I might as well reminice aboput sterling kits as I built them from the 50's forward. To be fair they were never really great kits. The die cutting was only good if you got one of the first issued. Since Sterling was in Philadelphia and I only lived up the road it was easy to get a good one. Besides Ed Manulkin was really good to kids. The wood went from 10/12 lb stock to oak, although there were times when he actually did get good stuff. The later ones after his death were better in wood selection.
As I flew controlline in those days I probably flew everything in his inventory including the Ringmaster Imperial and the Spitfire. To be fair they were heavy and really hard to make them responsive and a Fox 35 really spilled it's guts to fly one of them if you used the kit wood..
I remember when the Sterling P-63 won 3rd place in scale at the 69 nats. Won by John Rohrbach a fellow club member at the time. Still talks about that plane every now ant then and he's a sprightly still flying 81. So I flew a lot of the C/l planes tilll about 1970 and then moved exclusively into RC after dabbling with it for a few years. Built Mambos, Tri Pacers, PT-19, Wizard, you know I never saw one of those really fly well. The incidences are all wrong on the wing and the dihedral was excessive giving dutch roll when you tried to turn. Most of their 'aerobatic' stuff was miserable, high wing loadings and some had a real rendency to snap. But I did love the Rimfire and built at least 3 of them using a ST46 on at least 2 of them. Needed washout to prevent the dreaded snap.
But to move to the present day, I'm, reliving my youth with some C/L sterling kits, yes I'm actually building the kits,horrors. Everyone should be forced to build a sterling at least once in their life to see how far we've really come.
I finished a C/L P-38 and a Ringmaster Flash, both have absolutely horrible wood both, had inaccurately cut ribs. Don't even try and line up the tapered trailing edges. The Ring Flash had the center ribs punched completely wrong making them completely unusable and had to be refabricated, so maybe now you understand that anyone who wants to reintroduce these kits has to completely re-engineer them.
Notwithstanding I still have a few left, A wizard,another P-38, Tri pacer both sizes, Flying Fool, The C/L scale sterman and the Great lakes Trainer. A few rubber jobs including the Real sporty rubber job. a Baby,Jinior and standard Ringmaster and one or two more but memory fails me now.
I have a Stitson Reliant about 85% done, wings,tail surfaces and the fuse are done but there is still a lot to do, bought it from a real gentleman who still sells plans here on RCU, hopefully it will get done or I'll have to pass it on to someone who will actually complete it. Still have the origional box and the plans and everything else that should have been in the box.
As you have all said, great memories, somehow at times I think that they are better served staying memories unless you have a new updated,good wood,great plans version like Bob HHH puts into his kits

Edit, the person who asked about the ARF ME-109 that was out from about 1968 to early 1970. Your right at $39.95 they were expensive for the times.

mmartin55

Here are some awesome pictures of a great example of the Sterling 1-26D built and flown by a modeler in Australia. Photos courtesy of Russell Naughton who is webmaster for the Scale Soaring Australia site. We offer it as a short kit with all of the typical problems of die cutting eliminated, i.e. no crushed edges, CAD engineered for better fit, and also much better stock selection than Sterling ever employed. Comes with canopy and a complete hardware pack is optional.

Tom

GoldenAge

I built many of the 'A' series kits and converted them to 1/2A Control Line when I was very young. It was always interesting to see what kind of wood and die cut quality you were going to get when you opened the box. Sometimes pretty clean and sometimes crunched fuse bulkheads

I'll always have fond memories of building and flying those planes. The Aeronca C3 was one of my favorites. I have the big Stearman FS-20 kit NIB that I'm thinking of selling. I don't think I'm ever going to build it.

Scott

mrgman57

My Feedback: (2)

i have both the lancer40 kit fs25 & the lancer ls-62 kit fs 30 not sure if i want to build or sell i also have a old top flite orion

1g1yy2

Oh come on -- they are just old Sterling die-crunched kits with a bunch of poor wood! I will do you a favor and prevent you from pulling your hair out from having to replace half the wood and trying to get the parts to fit. [sm=wink.gif] How much do want for them?

got2retire

Scott,

Do you still have the PT-17< Sterling Kit FS-20 in your possesion?

Tom