henson

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does anybody know if there are any plans or kits out there or if anybody knows of someone building one my grandpa flew one back in WW2 sometimes there also called vigilant or vultee any help would be great thanks Patrick

rcflyerfl

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The L-1 was a Vultee if memory surves me right. Stinson had an L-5.. There is some relatioship between Vultee and Stinson in later years.

There was a Vultee L-1 somewhere in Arkansas waiting to get rebuilt.

There is some L-5 plans around..
Good Luck

henson

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is it a full scale or r/c that is in Arkansas

henson

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did some quick checking it started off as being Stinson O-49 then later switched to Stinson L1 Vigilant

I have lots of pictures and documents on the plane so I would love to do a scale model of the plane

khodges

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Correctamundo. I would also like to find plans or a kit. Big dang airplane, even a 1/5 scale would have a 10 + foot wingspan.

Full scale was 50' 11" wing with 329 sq. ft wing area, cruise speed was 108 mph, stall speed only 31 mph (slower than a Cub, but the L-1 had flaps and leading adge slots). Extremely good performance, but had weak landing gear , was very thirsty, and difficult to maintain in the field without a lot of support equipment. Not many saw service in Europe, but were used in Alaska, and was one of a very few amphibious planes to see service, with a set of specially designed Edo floats with retractable gear.

Yeah, this would be a great plane to model.

rcflyerfl

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Full Scale in Arkansas.
Jim

Lake Flyer

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A really ugly airplane, so it took me a couple days to remember plans were avaliable . There from Model Airplane News. Go to www.thercstore.com . Click on plans then search for Vultee L1. That should bring it up. Good luck.
OK for some reason my link won't work. Just put The rc Store in google, that should work.

khodges

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Yeah, one of those complex "mergers and acquisitions" things, kind of a neat story. From my resource:
"In 1921, Eddie Stinson bought a Junkers, all metal cabin monoplane, flew it from Chicago to New York. Started charter air service out of Detroit in 1922; designed the Detroiter in 1926, first plane with combination of features like cabin heat, wheel brakes, and electric starter.

Horace Dodge (Dodge Automobiles) called Stinson to charter a plane to Washington, D.C. and Stinson agreed to fly him on condition that Dodge would buy a Detroiter. He did, making the Detroiter one of the very first corporate aircraft. In 1929 Stinson moved his production to just outside Detroit and produced 121 aircraft that year; it drew the attention of many investors, including E.L. Cord (owned Cord, Dusenberg, and Auburn automobiles). He bought a controlling interest. Stinson produced a trimotor airliner, considered the finest of its day, and Cord and Stinson started Century and Century Pacific Airlines, which were later sold to a holding company and became American Airlines. He also sold these planes to a small airline we now know as Delta.

Because the Depression decreased airline travel, Stinson started building smaller planes for private use; one of these is the Reliant. In 1938 at the National Air races in Cleveland, the German Luftwaffe was invited to display some aircraft. One of them was the Fieseler Fi-156 Storch, which impressed US Army personnel so much thay wanted a plane like it, and after the routine build-offs, contracted Stinson to build the Model 74, which became the L-1.

In August 1940, Cord sold Stinson Aircraft Division to Vultee Aircraft; their parent company was AVCO, who also owned Lycomiing Motors. Shortly after, Vultee merged with Consolidated Aircraft to become Consolidated-Vultee, which was shortened to Convair, and then became General Dynamics.


I guess if you look at it a little cock-eyed, you could say that there's a tiny piece of Stinson in every F-16

henson

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hey Lake Flyer thanks for the info just what I was looking for would like to blow them up alittle to maybe 1/4 scale

the plane is definitly different but my grandfather has told me so many stories about the plane I feel I have to build one, the L1 and L5 was the only planes he really flew over in Burma,the L1 more so than the L5

Khodges it sounds like you have the same book as I do called L-birds great book lots of detailed info, Ive seen your L4 in other posts beatiful plane Thanks again for all the info Patrick

khodges

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Yeah, that one and a bunch of stuff culled from the 'net and libraries over the last ten years or so. Aviation from WWI on, especially '20's and '30's fascinates me.

henson

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Khodges agree with you 100% grass roots aviation is where its at, just ordered the plans for the L1 whats the best way to get the plans blown up to 1/4

khodges

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Those plans are 1/8 scale, 1/4 would be double the size........... you sure you want to build a plane with a 12 -1/2 foot wingspan? Kinko's, or similar place that does custom copying can probably enlarge them for you. You might have to cut the plans up so they can get it on standard 3 foot wide paper.

Let me know how the plans look when you get them; I'd be interested in buiilding the plane at 1/8 scale if they have the L.E. slat details.

OldArnie

Hi Henson.

I was surfing the Internet and found this fantastic web site. I see that you have ordered the plans for the Stinson/Vultee-L1. I hope they have corrected some discrepancies that I found on the plans plans that I purchsed many years ago. I stored the plans away with the thoughts that some day I will have to "fix it".

Over the years I have gathered, off the Internet, many good photo's of the L1. I have a good three-view sheet that came with a small moulded plastic kit of the L1. I also have a batch of photo's that I shot of an L1 at the Kermit Weeks Air Museum that was located in Tamiami Florida. That plane was serverly damaged by hurricane Andrew in 1996 !! I believe it is now being restored at Kermits new place, Fantasy of Flight, at Polk City Florida. Do a Google on Kermit Weeks and be prepared to stay awhile.

One of the problems that I found with the plans, are the number of stringers (not counting top & bottom) on the 1/2 bulkhead pieces "H" (6) and "J" (8) ! ! Fuselage side view shows seven stringers on "H" - "I" & "J". The draftsman must have been really distracted by something ??

Other things that I found, IMHO, were the outline shape of the verticle fin & rudder and also the wing tip curvatures. These just did not look correct when compared to the information and photo's that I have. There are a few other things, but I won't get into now. I have redrawn all of the above, but I am a long long way from cutting any wood.

I have a copy of the Model Airplane News, March 1985, that contains the construction information for the L1 model, and could provide copies of same.

OldArnie 06/21/06

henson

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OldArnie thanks for the reply I just recieved the plans about a week ago, they look pretty good I was going to start right away but Iam going to take on a bigger project like a 55% cub, so the L1 got put on the back burner I would like to get that article if at all possible let me know and I will send you some money for postage and to make copies, thanks Patrick

RyanShort1

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Hensen,

You mentioned having lots of photographs of the L-1?Are they just collected, or do you have access to more photos not available online?
I run www.lbirds.com and am always looking for more sources of L-1 information.

Sincerely,
Ryan

henson

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Ryan,
I do have some pictures and info on the L1. My grandfather who just turned 92 last month flew the L1 in the China Burma India theater.
He has so many stories of that plane, he really loved it. During the late 60s or early 70s my grandpa drove down to Guatemala to pick a old L1 up. He made it all the way back up to the us border with it but was not alowed through.The Mexican border patrol would not let him through even though he had gotten permission from the Mexican consulant in Chicago. Even with the right paper work he was not allowed to cross the border with it. So he drove it back to Guatemala and left it. The plane did make its way back to the U.S years later and is now at a museum in Ft.Rucker Alabama. I still love to listen to all the stories he tells me about the L1. He was interviewed for a couple of books and magazines that did articles on the L1 over the years. Your website is really nice. I will be in conctact with you when I get all the pictures and stories pulled out of storage.

Thanks,
Patrick

RyanShort1

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Very good!If your grandfather is still alive (I presume from what you said in your post)it would be extremely valuable to get more of his memories recorded. Also, and comments he has on the photos would be useful. Do you know what units he was with?

Ryan
[email protected]

avia199

Hi Patrich and all others L1 fans. A few days ago I got a 1/72 kit L-1 Vigilant made by MPM. And also got a 1:8 scale plan of Vultee L-1-A.The plan was showing how to get the Slats and Flaps working in unison and it also show how to make the trim for the elevator(Fantastic).The Wingspan is 76 1/2" and I bulding it in 1/4 scale.The plans can be found at Air Age Store.com.I admire your Grandpa the man is a Hero.And when I read the story about him trying to get that plane home and the Mexican border patrol I started boiling I really feel for him.If I was with him I would tell him to take the plane to a small remote Airport put it together get it in the air and swoop over that border patrol and release that 50lb bag with Donkey Poop and just head North.
Thanks Herman.