lflf

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Check out my new flight box. An authentic Goldberg Handi-tote circa 1986. Started yesterday, finished today. Sure wish kits were as easy to build. I think everyone at one time had one of these boxes, now to find one new in the box is pretty rare.

latinRClover

Here is my own : still in use since 1978

lflf

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Awesome, you even have a K and B square metal fuel can. K and B went out of business ages ago. I built this new/old Handi-tote flight box because I remembered them as being great flight boxes, and when I saw this n.i.b. Handi-tote kit on ebay, I couldn't resist building another. I've had other flight boxes, but this one is just the greatest. I love the advertising on the kit: "The flight box that won't give you a hernia."

Roary m

My Feedback: (67)

I would really like to see some tote box examples. Have been at this for decades and am always changing to another type of field box; Just a headache. Can't figure out how much I really need to haul support stuff out to the field.

lflf

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I also forgot to mention that I called the folks at Hobby Services, the outfit that takes care of Goldberg, Great Planes, etc, items, and told them I had the plans for this flite box and would they like them for their Goldberg Discontinued Products Manuals Website. They got quite excited about that as they don't presently have a Handi-tote manual, so I sent the manual off to them, I expect it should appear on their website shortly for people that find one of these but don't know how to put it together. I have occasionally seen queries on the internet looking for the instructions.

lflf

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The general dimensions of the hand-tote are:

Base- 6 3/4 by 17 inches
Uprights: 6 3/4 by 9 inches, as in the picture it is square 5 1/4 inches up, then turns triangular to the top, where the triangle is flattened off with a 1 1/8 inch plateau.
The handle seems to be 9/ 16 inch dowel.
The uprights stand 4 1/2 inches in on the fuel can side, and 2 3/4 on the battery end side. The battery end side has two triangles 2 3/4 by 3 1/2 glued in like gussets on each side.
The drawer size is 2 1/4 high , 8 7/8 wide, and 5 5/8 inches deep. There is a little drawer stop to keep if from going too far back in the tote.
The compartment above the drawer is 3 1/8 inch high. Your drawer and compartment add up to 5/ 1/4 inches high, ending where the uprights begin to slant in. The compartment and the drawer slot are 9 inches wide.

The uprights and base seem to be made of 3/8 inch mahogany plywood. Everything else is made of mahogany ply that is a little thicker than 1/8 inches.

It would be quite a task to build one of these from scratch. There is a slanting panel on the back to hold the transmitter, metal hardware that seems specially made to hold the starter, welded rods for the plane holder, etc. Also the odd ball thickness of ply could present a problem. So if I were to make a box like it, it would just be 6 3/4 inches wide by 17 inches at the base with 9 inch uprights-everything else would have to be "winged" according to the thickness of the materials on hand.

lflf

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It would be great fun to see some other vintage flight boxes people have, so go ahead, post them.

vicman

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Mine is older than dirt, has a few more stickers, and has been re-glued togeather a few times but otherwise looks just like yours.

danbartee

After seeing this I had to put in a call to mom to see if my flite box built in 84 when I was 10 is around some where. Hope to have some pictures soon. Built a GB Eagle 63 and GB tote, those were the first projects of my RC life. Miss the good old days.

vicman

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Mine was sitting in a little barely functioning hobby shop for $15 needing a re-build. I bought it before I even got a plane oddly enough. That was 12 years ago and I use it as my main box still.

lflf

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Pictures of the newly completed handi-tote from all angles, and minus the suppport gear. I made a few mistakes assembling it. I put the upright meant to go on the battery end on the fuel can end, so I had to drill two new holes for the starter brackets to fit in. The fuel can upright has two holes under the tote handle dowel on account of this. I also cut and slid the foam tubing meant for the airplane cradle assembly over the two starter holding brackets, then discovered I didn't have enough foam tubing to completely cover the plane holding cradle. I'll have to remedy that when I find more foam tubing at home depot or an auto parts store. I looks like foam tubing that covers hoses in a car engine compartment.

The kit had a few parts wrong or missing from when it was new. It didn't have the right size nuts, or any washers, for the starter holding brackets, had to supply my own. The tote kit even came with 30 year old rubber bands to fasten to the hook-thingies holding the fuel can and battery on. I put them on, next morning both rubber bands had snapped. Shows the value of fresh rubber bands for holding wings on.

So why don't I have the original handi-tote. I was seduced into buying the Super-tote, so I sold the Handi-tote at a hobby shop and replaced it with the Super-tote. When I got sick of the Super-tote because of its size, and sold it a few years later, the Handi-tote was gone, no longer made. Since then I've made do with all kinds of plastic tool boxes. Now with the miracle of the internet the handi-tote is back. I don't know what the Handi-tote originally cost (anyone remember). My latest handi-tote kit cost $25 over ebay.

Loaded with flight gear, I'm not sure there is much weight savings over a plastic tool box. The beauty of the handi-tote, though, is that everything is handy-the transmitter in its little holder, the starter and battery right there, the fuel can with its pump, no need to open lids etc, to access stuff. The little top compartment has the tools readily accessible, and the drawer keeps all the little stuff. Also you've got those brackets so you can work on your plane right there with everything accessible. Most important, you can carry all the support gear, plus your transmitter, in one hand, and the airplane in your other hand (wings on). That will make the handi-tote a real treat for where I presently fly. I am flying off the beaches near the Great Salt Lake, and I have to lug all my gear and airplane about 100 yards from where I park out to where I fly. It will save me many extra trips back and forth from the car to the flying spot.

The only drawback I've found with the hand-tote is that it needs to be securely fastened in a car trunk or back seat, because if it tips over with your transmitter in it something could get broken, and its pretty tippy. I only put the transmitter in it when I'm carrying it from the car, not when its in the car. I put in a couple of extra screw eyes on the transmitter holder side so that I can use a rubber band to make sure the transmitter doesn't fall out.

Bob Rich, designer of the handi-tote, many thanks to you wherever you are.

lflf

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Dan, I started out flying RC in 1987 by building a Handi-tote and the Goldberg Eaglet. Goldberg was the man in my book. I didn't know the handi-tote had been around much longer than that, but it looks like from the posts here one was built in 1978. Anyone know the year the handi-tote first came out?

Toysareforkids

My Feedback: (4)

I had a Handi-tote also. I sold it and got the Super-tote, which I still have to this day. I sold the Handi-tote because I kept hitting the Tx sticks & shelf edge,with my leg, and after I cut my pants & leg with the prop holding screws, I got the Super-tote, which I still use yet.

Pat

lflf

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I also had a Super Tote. You are right about the Handi Tote having the two problems you mentioned. Those screws that stick out that hold the propellers are way too long. I plan on replacing them with some shorter ones, perhaps fastened on the inside. The shelf sticking out on the side is another downside. I love having the transmitter there, though, so I can start up the plane and adjust the transmitter without having to set it down in the dirt where I presently fly.

All of this old stuff, when you don't have it and remember it, you kind of forget the hassles involved-like an old girlfriend you broke up with decades ago. When you get it back-same old problems you forgot about. On the whole, though, I'm happy with it, now I'll have to find a Super tote Kit. I like a fast build, and these flight boxes sure build faster than an airplane (and don't crash, either).

Toysareforkids

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I liked the Handy-Tote, I just thought I needed to carry more stuff in one hand, (Heavy) thati rarely, if ever, use! I would like to have a handy-tote again. The screws and the sheilf were just things I used, to talk myself into buyingthe larger one! Like I really needed a reason to do so.

Pat

lflf

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Thats why I put all the dimensions and many pics of the handi-tote on here. So someone could scratch build their own version if they wanted. The only tricky part could be the transmitter shelf. If you want me to post more info, let me know.

Jim Johns

Here's one that I just picked up last weekend at the Southeastern Model Show in Perry, GA, for $10. It had a ton of dust on it and it doesn't have all the plane stands but I wouldn't use them anyway. The starter holders will go as well - I use a Kavan starter with an attached battery pack that fits where the battery usually sits. I'll clean it up, make a few modifications - like straightening up the transmitter shelf and creating some storage in the space behind it - and refinish it. There's nothing like a Handi-Tote.

Jim

LSP972

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Holy cow… talk about a trip down memory lane...

One of these was my first flight box when I started the hobby in 1986. As someone else pointed out, Goldberg stuff was right up there at the top in those days. My first two r/c kit builds were a Sky Tiger and an Eagle 63.

Flight boxes were a big thing; I must have gone through a dozen different ones, looking for that "perfect" example.

Interesting how times change; I went all-electric a couple of years ago, and now my "flight box" is a nylon backpack….

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