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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Golden Age, Vintage & Antique RC >> Some info on a yard sale spitfire? Page: [1]

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Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 1:03 AM   
spit1687


 

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From: Galloway, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Hello Folks, I bought this spitfire model at a yard sale, and just wanted to know if anyone had an idea who the maker is... All I can tell you at this point is the weight feels like a .60 size, it has bellcrank style ailerons, no flaps, fixed gear, and is covered with fabric and painted. Thanks for any info you can provide!

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 1:07 AM   
spit1687


 

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 2:07 AM   
Walt Thyng


 

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Status: offline 		Did Sterling ever make a Spit? The parts numbering looks like theirs.
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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 2:57 AM   
Michaelj2k



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Status: offline 		Oh it's a Sterling, all right. Nice find!

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 4:09 AM   
spit1687


 

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Status: offline 		Well, Ive done a little research now about Sterling models, and I must say, im a little excited about what I might have! Im from philadelphia, so an out of production model from an out of business company in my hometown has me extra motivated to repair and update(2.4 gear and some new servo's) this ol' timer! I do however have a few questions as far as a re-cover in fabric.... Never had any experence in R/C with this type of covering, and I don't want to just cover up a model like this with monokote, that would be cheating. Any info on that front would also be a help, Thanks again fellas!

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 2:26 PM   
Michaelj2k



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quote:

ORIGINAL: spit1687

Well, Ive done a little research now about Sterling models, and I must say, im a little excited about what I might have! Im from philadelphia, so an out of production model from an out of business company in my hometown has me extra motivated to repair and update(2.4 gear and some new servo's) this ol' timer! I do however have a few questions as far as a re-cover in fabric.... Never had any experence in R/C with this type of covering, and I don't want to just cover up a model like this with monokote, that would be cheating. Any info on that front would also be a help, Thanks again fellas!


Plans for this model are floating around on the net and Fleecebay. There's also a suitable replacemnet canopy available there. Here's the site for Sterling info: http://home.mindspring.com/~jeff.coons/vintagesterlingmodels/

I assume it is silk and dope? If so, it's easy to fix. There's enough information on RCU to get you started.

Why not bring it to Octoberfest in Oxford, PA? The dates are October 10 and 11. Look at http://www.cloudkingsrc.org for maps and directions and http://www.vintagercsociety.org.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 3:20 PM   
CoosBayLumber


 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Michaelj2k

Oh it's a Sterling, all right. Nice find!


No it is not a Sterling. The Sterling version was a controlliner, without ailerons, and would never have handled a .60 up front.


Wm.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 4:24 PM   
cpc625


 

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Status: offline 		http://home.comcast.net/~classicsterling/site/?/page/1994_Sterling_Catalog page 4

1994 Sterling Catalog FS-14 .40 to .60. Looks like R/C

Charlie

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 4:26 PM   
RFJ



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Status: online 		Wm,

They also produced a big R/C version. Came out in 1962.

Oh, by the way Wm, thank you for your very kind words in another thread. I don't deserve it.

Ray

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 4:42 PM   
cpc625


 

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Same Kit number in '62 & '94

Charlie

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 6:56 PM   
skyraider71



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Status: offline 		Lucky dog! I never find R/C stuff at yard sales.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/20/2009 11:18 PM   
Joe Nagy


 

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Status: offline 		Hi spit-[hide signature...?]

Greetings from the ever hot 'Valley of the Sun'.

If indeed you have a Sterling kit Spitfire, it was designed by the British Scale Flyer/designer, George Harris, an published in either MAN or AAM a way back when. A local Phoeinix area scale flyer, Bob Frey, did extenstive work with and on this design back in the 70' and 80s and wrote several articles published in RC Scale Modeller magazine describing his mods and expericences with this fine flying model design. I will try and dig into my mag archives to find the exact dates of publication.

Hoping this has been of assistance to you, [seehow we can all help one another out], enjoy your find, best regards from Glendale, Arizona,

Joe Nagy.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/21/2009 12:14 AM   
RFJ



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quote:

it was designed by the British Scale Flyer/designer, George Harris, an published in either MAN or AAM a way back when


Joe - Model was published in the February 1962 issue of American Modeler. I thought Mr Harris was from the San Diego area. Are you sure he was British.

Ray

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/21/2009 2:34 AM   
Michaelj2k



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quote:

ORIGINAL: RFJ

quote:

it was designed by the British Scale Flyer/designer, George Harris, an published in either MAN or AAM a way back when


Joe - Model was published in the February 1962 issue of American Modeler. I thought Mr Harris was from the San Diego area. Are you sure he was British.

Ray


Sterling produced a c/l stunter, 52 1/2" and .35 power (kit S-19). The George Harris design was originally published in AM as Ray mentioned. Sterling picked it up for a kit. 64" span .45 power. George was a transplant to the colonies.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/21/2009 1:13 PM   
Walt Thyng


 

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Status: offline 		$27.50 for a 64 inch kit?????? Who says the ole days weren't good! On the other hand if you adjust for inflation, it's probably comparable to today's prices if not a little high.
Walt

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/21/2009 11:48 PM   
RFJ



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Using a Consumer Price Index calculation $27.50 in 1962 would equate to $195.67 today.

Ray

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/22/2009 5:10 PM   
freydell


 

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Status: offline 		Bob Frey here. That definitely looks like the Sterling Spit, and they are terrific flyers on a good 60. I would be happy to help in any way. I also can provide a copy of the RC Scale Modeler article I wrote on it's modifications and construction.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/23/2009 2:22 AM   
spit1687


 

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Status: offline 		Thanks for all the info guys! A bit of general fabrication and some work on the fit and finish, and this baby will be ready to go! I want to keep to the original as much as possibile as I think that this will be a GREAT learning experence for me. Ive done some work on full scale Bellanca/American Champion aircraft, so the dope and fabric end of the project should be at least a little familiar for me. One thing I would like to include in this build is retracts, and poss. include split flaps. This seems to me to be a bit too ambitious for my current skill level because the most building skill I have is repairing the ARF's Ive crashed! I gotta learn sometime, but is this the model to learn on? I'll leave that up to the more experenced folks to let me know

Bob, Thank you Sir!! Yes, as this is my first model from this era, I could use some help! I want to do this model justice, and info from someone who knows this model is great for me! Whatever you need from me to get any articles out to the east coast, please let me know! I'll send a ups box to you with a return sticker if that will work, or even if you have them able to email, that would also be fantastic! Please let me know if at this point, are there any concerns that I should have while Im still in the re-finish/re-build stage?

Thanks again for all the input guys, your the best!

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/23/2009 5:01 PM   
otrcman


 

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Status: offline 		Hi Bob Frey,

I sure would be interested in having a copy of the articles you wrote on upgrading the Sterling Spitfire. If you could send me a note with the costs involved, I will be happy to pay in advance. dick(dot)fischer(at)mac(dot)com


I read and re-read the AM article by George Harris (still have the magazine) and as soon as I got out of college in '64 bought a kit and built it. First powered with a K&B 45 (not enough) and later by a SuperTiger 60, it was an easy and safe flier. First radio was an Ace (Kraft kit) 10 channel reed set and later a Kraft propo. On one occasion I fluttered the elevator and broke the pushrod connection. Flew it down with no elevator control at all and the only damage was a broken prop and a scraped spinner.

I've recently acquired a new Spitfire kit off ebay and intend to build it, this time with retracts. The new kit is a later edition, with nylon bellcranks and revised plans showing proportional radio. Unfortunately, the wood in the newer kit feels more like oak than balsa. Probably use most of the kit wood as templates.

I did check the link posted above in hopes of finding a fresh canopy (mine is smashed on top). The site came up OK, but I didn't see any reference to a source for the canopy. Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Dick

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/24/2009 2:03 PM   
Walt Thyng


 

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WT

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/25/2009 12:21 AM   
freydell


 

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I'll send you an email regarding the SRCM article and the cost to get it to you. It will be a color copy of the original mag.

Yes, the Sterling Spit is one tough bird. We were doing a warbird gaggle at an Albuquerque Fly In circa 1980 and a guy we didn't know wanted to join in flying a Sterling Spit. I was flying a twin 60 powered Royal P-38 which was way faster. We had about 8 fighters up and the guy with the Spit kept cutting across to catch up. On one pass he hit me and took about 10-12 inches off my right wing. Fortunately both engines on the 38 kept running, and I was able to land without further damage. When I checked out the Spit later, there wasn't a scratch on it other than a broken prop.

Also, all the sterling kits a characterized by rock hard balsa. Some parts can be used certainly but anything that has to be bent to shape should usually be discarded and substituted with some realistic medium soft balsa.

With a few minor changes, the Sterling Spit will be one of the very best in terms of scale shape and outline. Harris did a fine job of designing it with the correct flat shape at the top of the forward fuse. Only problems are that the stab is a little big and the fuse aft area is slab sided where it should be more rounded. These issues and a few others are dealt with in the SRCM mag article.

As I recall the gear installation on my model was an easy mod. The gear is shown in the proper location on the plans, and you just leave out the slotted fixed gear bearer and replace them with hardwood gear mounts and rib doublers. When I send you email, I'll see if I can attach a photo of my original model from the 80s.

Not sure you'll want to go to that length on a rebuild, but certainly on a new kit they should be considered. Once you get it all done it just drips of being a Spit and at a nice size too. Best I did with it was 4th place at the 81 US Scale Masters. Not bad for a model originally designed with rubber band on wings.

Once again, I'll be glad to keep up the communication and help out if I can.

Bob



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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/25/2009 2:19 AM   
Michaelj2k



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Status: offline 		I think one of the Fleecebay plan recopiers is selling a set of the American Modeler plans there. If you get a copy of those plans, you can reduce the weight considerably with proper wood selection. As far as canopies, the Royal Spitfire canopy may work. That can be found at the same place.

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RE: Some info on a yard sale spitfire? - 9/25/2009 11:19 PM   
I-fly-any-and-all


 

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Status: offline 		I know who made your spitfire. By simply looking at the wire gear, the williams bro's tires, the wood mounting rails, and the block with w16 stamped on it that is in your wing you have a .60 sized Royal/marutaka spitfire. also inside the fuselage the lack of a servo tray and the way the wood formers are constructed are also obvious signs of this being a royal kit.

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