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Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/22/2012 10:27 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
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Hi,

If You know where to look I'm sure you will find it...
New in box Pilot Cavalier, old ARF pattern plane with foam wings and stab covered with plastic film, blue ABS fuselage.
If You where into RC flying in 1970th You maybe have seen it advertised back in early to mid 1970th.
Anyway I remember this plane from reading catalogs back then and I believe it was reviewed in Model Airplane News in some issue.

Kind of piece of pattern history and I'm rather sure these blue/white Pilot ARF's from this time is rather rare by now.
We had one company in my country that sold alot of Pilot kits back in 1970th and sure this Cavalier 60 seize pattern plane was in their catalog.
I just had to dig out one of the catalogs now and I scanned a picture of Cavalier, see below.

Never thought I would se a NIB kit of that plane now but it is out there now.

Just thought I would write some lines about it since I saw the plane and remebered it.
Maybe some of You also remeber it? Anyone had one and flew with it?
I do not know if it flew bad as a bat or if it flew rather good.
I kind of always wanted one back when I read about it for the first time back in 1970th.
The seller in this case does not ship international so I have to keep dream about it.

I have however another old Pilot 60 seize pattern ARF from that era, Five Star. Picture of it side by side with a Cavalier (from old catalog) below.
The ABS plastic fuselage on my Five Star would probably fall apart if a 60 seize glow engine was to release it's vibration in this fuselage... maybe an electric motor would be be kind enough against the fragile fuselage. 

/Bo



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< Message edited by bem -- 9/22/2012 10:55 PM >

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 10:26 AM   
matt13


 

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Status: offline 		I remember spending my youth gazing through the Pilot catalog drooling over those pattern models. Never saw any in real life, but we did have some of the Das Box series of models which were kits. I ended up satisfying my desire with a Kaos 40 kit in the end.

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 12:03 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
Status: offline 		Hi matt13,

When I first saw the Pilot Cavalier and other Pilot ARF's it was just before I started to fly RC in 1973 (I was flying control lines before that about 1970-1972). Many planes in the RC catalogs was just to dream about since the money simply was not there to buy an RC plane this big, with engine etc. But when an RC club formed in my town in 1973 (I was 12 years old then) I was there hanging on the door to be a member and then I was into RC (with a Graupner Taxi, Enya 29 and Robbe/Futaba 4 ch radio - I was in heaven). We had two large rooms for building planes in our club and there we had a corner with RC litterature, magazines and catalogs. It was there we sat dreaming of all the nice planes and that was our eye out in the bigger RC world. So we got info about pattern planes like Mach 1 and so on and we built rather many classic pattern planes back in these days, many from plans and some kits. We had no older experienced people to ask since we all was young (most between 12-18 years old and one had a car and he was the oldest and best flyer, he had been flying longest). I remember when this older guy bought a Midwest Mach 1 and HP 61F and how beautiful we all thought that plane was and it flew also extremly good (for that time). So the rest of us got Mach 1 also including me. That is about how we discovered pattern and I have since then liked classic pattern best.

Anyway, I went out in the basement for my Pilot Five Star and took some photos of it that I post below. I also scanned the assembly instructions for it to a 2 page PDF file (Attachment.pdf).
I have an OS Max-H60F GP (Series 72) that was the recommended engine for most of the Pilot 60 seize pattern ARF in beginning 1970th. But as I wrote in first post I think the fuselage would fall apart from engine vibrations if glow engine is used (the ABS plastic is not so strong anymore due to age).
The hinges is a history of it's own, the hinges in the fin are pop rivited! And the hinges are made of brass and has small "hooks" on them to grip into glue better. The quality of these old Pilot ARF's are rather good in my opinion.

Box Fly: Yes I remember both "Das Box Fly" and the "Box Fly"(avaliable in 3 seizes). Two people in ur club had Box Fly and learned to fly on it. The fuselage was light plywood (the fuselage was really a "box") and the wing was the foam with white plastic cover style like it is in my Five Star. I still remember where the Box Fly planes was flying in our club, we had a larger field with high grass that was very good for learning (and chrashing) on. Box Fly fuselages was sturdy and usually was in one piece also after a spiral dive into the ground/grass field. I scanned a picture of that old classic beginner semi ARF plane.

/Bo  


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< Message edited by bem -- 9/23/2012 12:30 PM >

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 2:02 PM   
jetmech43


 

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Status: offline 		learned to fly on a box fly 40

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 8:40 PM   
stuntflyr



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Status: offline 		I remember those brass hinges, my Dad used them on his 1967 Nationals Smoothie Stunt model.
Cool model, what a primo find.
Chris...


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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 9:41 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
Status: offline 		Hi,

I dived into my Model Airplane News and after a while I found the Field and Bench of Pilot Cavalier (sold by World Engines in US).
It was in MAN August 1971 issue.
Here it is:

http://www.algonet.se/~boem/RC/Pilot/Cavalier/MAN_August_1971_Pilot_Cavalier_Field_and_Bench.pdf

Color photo of the plane in Field and Bench below. They obviosly had painted the fuselage white and wing leading edge red instead of original Pilot color blue.
They used an OS Max 60 GP Goldhead (Series 71) in the plane.
They wrote about the flying: "Cavalier is a beautiful flying ARF, good enough for contest work, yet docile enough for most  beginners who have some multi-traning."

/Bo


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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/23/2012 10:27 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
Status: offline 		By the way, anyone have a Pilot catalog from about 1971 or -72 and can scan a picture of the Five Star so I can look how it was striped/decorated?
I have a crappy low resolution picture from a catalog (see below) that I'm unable to see how it really was orginally striped/decorated.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 9/26/2012 1:45 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
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The Pilot Cavalier I was talking about in my first post is no longer avaliable at "if You know where to look" auction site.
It is on it's way to me now.
Will post some pictures of it when it arrive.

/Bo 

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/4/2012 11:16 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
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Pilot Cavalier arrived today. It survived the shipment over the sea (it was shipped in doubled cardboard box).
You just have to love these old ARF's. This one has been in the dark, in the box, for over 40 years probably.
It is fashinating it never got assembeled but that is lucky for me.
I took some pictures tonight and also scanned the "Construction Guide" as PDF and attach below.
Not a scratch on the plane, and plastic on the wing and stab is still firmly attached to the foam.
The plastic cover on aileron and elevator is also firmly attached even today, not a wrinkle.
Hope You like the plane, at least I do.

Now if I could find some small and large "Pilot" logotype decals like the red ones in color picture in first post so I can use
it on the fuselage and wing.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/4/2012 11:58 PM   
80sPattern


 

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Status: offline 		Bo,

Thanks for the pictures.  That plane is in AMAZING shape.  I guess it just slept peacefully waiting for you to adopt it.

Really brings back memories for me.  I don't recall which plane I had, but the construction technique is very familiar to me.  If I am not mistaken the covering on the control surfaces are adhesive backed, not heat shrunk.  I recall the plastic on the fuse becoming brittle from sun and fuel exposure.

I seem to think that this was the first generation of ARFs.  Do you agree?  After this line I seem to recall the EZ line came out with the wood structure and the foam backed covering.

Thanks for the memories,

Doug


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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/5/2012 12:45 AM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
Status: offline 		Hi Doug,

Great You like the plane and also it may wake up old memories of past planes.

Yes, the control surfaces are covered with thin film that is not Monocote or similar shrink film, it as You say adhesived back (like plastic they used to have on RC helicopter wood rotorblades in the past).

I can imagine sun is the main source for the ABS plastic fuselage to get brittle over time. But my Cavalier seems to be strong even today probably because it has been in the dark in the box all years.

Cavalier belongs to first generation ARF's in my opinion. I'm not aware of any pattern planes from 1960th that had such high level of prefabrication as these Pilot, OK Model, ARF's from beginning of 1970th.

It is amazing they could do such nice ARF's, image the moulds and tools needed to do an ABS fuselage like this Cavalier.

I do not know how popular these Pilot ARF's was back in 1970th but most people built from kits or scratch built from plan those days and ARF's was considered a little "odd" and lazy way to get up in the air (at least that was most people was thinking in my club back in 1970th). The few times You saw a Pilot ARF You know it was not going to survive very long (it is rather fragile ABS fuselage after all and vibration do not help to keep the plane together either).
But we had a reseller here in my country that supplied many people with a plane, that started with RC here in 1970th RC boom, and he had Pilot as one of the brands he sold (I still have some of the catalogs left).
Pilot Box Fly was one of the most popular ARF's here - it was fast to assemble (but You had to glue the fuselage and cover or paint the fuselage), it was strong and flew OK so it was great for beginners to get quick in the air. The company that sold Pilot ARF's here also sold Futaba very cheap so that was what most beginners got also.

Many young people today probably think ARF's is rather new invention in RC but these Pilot ARF's is a clear evidence from the past that it is rather old thing.
Imagine this Cavalier made as ARF today with glass fuselage maybe painted in mold, light balsa wing and stab covered with Oracover/Ultracote so all would be very light, and then option for glow or electric.
That would be someting for us to fly today and maybe some of the younger generation to try also. It is so many pattern planes from the past that slumber in the dark.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/5/2012 6:27 PM   
bem


 

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I tested if my OS H60F GP Series 72 engine would fit easy in the nose and it was a direct drop in to the wood engine mount and cut out in the engine compartment. I'm sure this engine was the one the designer had in mind when they designed the engine compartment.
So very easy install if one want to use this engine in this Cavalier.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/5/2012 7:00 PM   
lfinney


 

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Status: offline 		tower sold falcon 56 arcs made in mexico that were things of beauty, they had better wood than any goldberg kit....and they got very mixed responses, bu those who bought and flew them were sold on the idea as well as the plane being a pound lighter

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/5/2012 7:12 PM   
bem


 

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That Falcon 56 ARC from Mexico in what decade was it made?
To some extent I like ARC (almost ready to cover) planes better then ARF's that are already covered but I have heard the cost to cover a plane is not so high and if one want to cover an ARF in own covering and colors it is just to rip off the original cover and recover. It is not that much work to rip of a plastic film cover from an ARF. So I suppose it is because of this we almost never see ARC today but they are out there, for example the new Giezendanner Technik "Marabu" ARF pattern plane is avalable as ARC also.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 10/7/2012 4:13 PM   
lfinney


 

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 11/10/2012 2:02 AM   
casniffer


 

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What are the specs for the Cavalier?

Thanks

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 11/10/2012 4:11 AM   
UltraBob


 

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Status: offline 		Geez.....I'm getting all misty eyed here.....I had one of these back in the day... It had a Webra Blackhead .61.....Proline 7 Channel single stick... A really good flying airplane........
Have Fun!!!

Bob

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 11/10/2012 11:30 AM   
bem


 

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Status: offline 		Bob,

Webra Blackhead 61 will drop in fine also in the engine compartment without any need to cut out in plastic - see pictures below.
The Webra engine was rather popular since World Champion 1971 (and 1969), Bruno Giezendanner, was using a Blackhead 61 when he won. Many top US flyers at the time like Ron Chidgey also used Webra Blackhead 61.
I placed my Proline Competition Series 7 ch radio beside the Cavalier also for You althoug mine is a two stick transmitter. It is converted to 2.4 GHz with a Futaba TM-7 2.4 GHz transmitter module.

/Bo

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RE: Pilot Cavalier ARF from 1971... remember? - 11/10/2012 1:44 PM   
bem


 

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From: Filipstad, , SWEDEN
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Cavalier specification:

Material: Fuselage ABS plastic, Wing+stab white foam covered with plastic film (not iron on plastic film) with film thickness approx 0.25 mm / 0.0984 inch.

Wingspan: 1610 mm / 63.39 inch
Stabspan: 650 mm / 25.6 inch

Wing area: approx 0.4068 sq meter / 4.38 sq ft
Stab area: approx 0.092 sq meter / 0.492 sq ft

Fuselage length tail to nose (excluding any spinner): 1160 mm / 45.67 inch
Fuselage side area: approx 0.17 sq meter / 1.83 sq ft

Wing and stab profile: see images below.

Engine: .60-.61 2-stroke

Tank: approx 12 fluid ounces / 350 ml

Radio: 4 ch

Landing gear: Fixed

Wheels: Nosewheel and mainwheels 60 mm / 2 1/3 inch

Spinner: 60 mm / 2 1/3 inch

Empty weight, just the kit parts (no engine, no radio, no wheels, no tank etc):

- Wing incl ailerons: 600 gram / 20.28 oz
- Stab incl elevators: 80 gram / 2.7 oz
- Fuselage incl nosegear: 800 gram / 27 oz
- "Accessories bag" that was in the kit (hardware like main landing gear, hinges, some balsa and plastic parts, aileron horns etc): 120 gram / 4.1 oz
- Wing and stab middle plastic covers/reinforcements: 80 gram / 2.7 oz
Total: 1680 gram / 56.8 oz

OS H60F GP Series 72 incl muffler: 470 gram / 15.9 oz
Webra Blackhead 61 incl muffler: 500 gram / 16.9 oz

In production: 1970-1977 (about, maybe some more years)
Manufactuer: Pilot, OK Model Co., Ltd.

All measurments, weights and calculations (square meter / ft) made by me from my model and my drawings programs I have.

/Bo


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