Psychodragon

Back in 1997, my uncle died from a motorcycle accident and I ended up with all of his RC airplanes. He was very involved with RC airplanes - primarily scale, racing, and acrobatic planes. He fell out of touch for a long while due to problems between him and my aunt. When he came back, I was a young teenager and I wanted to get into the RC airplane hobby. He took me under his wing but he died a month later in an accident. That being said, I ended up with all of his airplane related stuff with no knowledge about building them except for what I learned from RC magazines and books. His death affected me so much that I couldn't bring myself to build the planes so they sat hidden away all these years.

Now as an adult, I've been cleaning out my basement and hate to see these planes sitting around when they need to be finished and flown. So I'll be taking them to the RC airfield and give them away under the catch that I get to see the first flight. The planes are: an Ultimate Biplane, a Dragon Lady, a home designed pylon/speed racer, and an Extra.

I will be keeping two models, a Pica P-51 Mustang that's still in a box - unassembled (he bought that for us to build together and enter in scale model competitions) and this fiberglass fuselage.

The fiberglass fuselage is what I need help identifying. It measures 52 inches long. It's obviously pieced together by my uncle or finish sanded. There's no markings anywhere to help with identification. I'm assuming it's a racing plane fuselage since there's no canopy? Anything, and I mean, anything that would help give me some idea what this plane is supposed to look like would be appreciated.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Looks like a glass fuselage for the Ed Kazmirski Taurus.

John

MetallicaJunkie

yeah it looks like a Taurus ..heres a couple of pics of mine....it was built from an early 1970s kit, the leading edge is sheeted and wrapped around, im guessing it was done like that to save weight or make it easier to skin the wing and not have to sand/ carve the leading edge contour


my kit might have been a "bash" or variant of the Tagus, since mine has a canopy

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Wow MJ your Taurus is absolutely beautiful. And I love the canopy setup which I suspect is non standard.

I beleve the orginal kitter of the design was Top Flite. Photos of M'r. Kazmirski original show just a simple small simple canopy on a flat topped fuse much like Mr Joes Kaos line.

I beleve the wrap around sheeting may have been more related to the the early choice and use of a rather blunt airfoil, maybe even a precurser to the modern very blunt fun fly types.

I never had one but always admired the design.

Tell us about the SPA, I'am interested

John

MetallicaJunkie

Thanks John... It flys like a dream, and is a hell of a sport plane. You are probably right about the sheeting, makes sense if you think about it.

SPA is the senior pattern association. Basicly it is a group of pattern plane enthusiasts who cherish the planes from the late 60s to mid 70s(all 60 sized planes). There are events held through RC clubs, and compete using a pattern schedule of maneuvers that would have been done back in the day.. I have not attended an event, mainly because there arent any near by, but i do find planes from that era sexxy

http://www.seniorpattern.com

Steve Steinbring

John,


I competed in just one SPA event that we had at our club.

It was my first pattern event ever I ended up second in Novice class. The biggest difference is that there are no turnaround maneuvers scored in Senior Pattern. So the airplanes pretty much rip down the field doing the maneuver pretty much on center. Then perform whatever turn around you want to return for the next one maneuver in the sequence. Some of the older design pattern birds are pretty quick with tune pipes and retracts................. it was good fun!

hogflyer

My initial thought was Taurus also. But the Taurus' I've seen have been wood (either kit or scratch built) which is what made me think it was something else based on the Taurus.

When/by whom was a fiberglass fuse Taurus kit produced?

Hogflyer

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Steve I agree many of the old "pre turn around" pattern ships were very cool and I have enjoyed various ones over the years including Mr. Joes Sunfly's 2,3 and 4 I think as well as a Killer Kaos. That one is now on floats with a RE Rossi 61 on full wave pipe.

He, He my surviving Sunfly 3 even went through a major metamorphasis to become the Soylent Green. My current cross country airplane and sort of a veteran at that now.

Like you MJ I have never competed in Pattern but I was aware of what SPA is but used the opportunity to talk about it. Its a very cool thing but suspect its mostly eastern seaboard. I am pretty limited on travel these days due to health, so am afraid I will never get the chance and most of my competive efforts has been centered on various pylon events in the southwest region.

Whats kinda cool I did join Sam's at the Ontario AMA show just in January and it seems some of my old timer stuff does fit in some of their classes so hope to compete in that when they return to Eldorado dry lake up near Vegas in 2013.

The Model Airplane News published plans of the Kazmirski Taurus was I think in '63 and That I beleve was an all wood airplane.

I think the first Kit version was Top Flite and I beleve an all wood airplane.

My speculation is that the Glass fuselage came along in later versions Or perhaps even different suppliers.

I am sure some of the fellow at the SPA could clear that up.


John

pimmnz

The wing cut-out looks too slim for a Taurus wing, but some of the earliest 'after market' polyester glass fuselages were designed around the Top Flite wing kit for the 'Orion', Ed Kazmirski's earlier design. This looks just like one of them. Perhaps if you can confirm the wing chord at the cutout it will help. Orion chord is 12 inches.
Evan, WB #12.

MetallicaJunkie

i bet if this was posted in the classic patter page, we'd have an answer.... for now here are some pics to go through http://www.trentonrcflyers.com/pattern/patternno.htm

llindsey1965

My Feedback: (-1)

it could be a dick hensen tipo looks like it , i had several of them back in the 80s

WaffleMan

My Feedback: (1)

It appeas to have a different nose section than MetallicaJunkies taurus. Looks like an entire cowl instead of the peices of wood on either side of the engine...?

drmike

i believe it is an orion also. dad was building that stuff when i was a kid.