ORIGINAL: DougC1
Regarding Banshee variations, from what I understand, the Eureka short kit is a exact replication of the original kit produced by J&J Industries in the early '70s. In comparing the J&J plans to the FM plans, two things jump out at me; 1) a difference in the airfoil, and 2) the length of the fuselage being longer from the leading edge bulkhead to the nose on the J&J kit. I would speculate that the airfoil was changed on the J&J kit to allow for ''standard'' strip aileron stock to be used in the kit (the thicker airfoil on the FM plans does not transition into what I found available for aileron stock), and, the longer nose on the J&J kit makes it easier to install the fuel tank and retracts.
Actually, placing retracts and a fuel tank into the FM layout would probably cause me to develope a twitch.
You got to see Jersey Jim put on a demo! Just too cool. I understand that he's capable of being quite the showman.
I still have my ProLine single stick, but it will probably remain on the shelf a bit longer.
Doug</p>
I have built wood kits, fiberglass and foam and have even designed my own scratch built models from time to time. I never found the hobbyshop's aileron stock to be of any use, and always ended up buying thick sheets of balsawood and drawing up the ailerons on the rectangular sheets. I'd rough out the ailerons using my little Dremel Table Saw. After that it was whittling and sanding to get them to shape. Make two identical ailerons was tough at times, but I did it. I didn't have a choice. The aileron stock available at the hobbyshop was always too small in the places where it counted. Had I to do it all again today, I would make built-up ailerons instead of using heavy sheets of solid balsa, sawn, cut and sanded to shape.
I saw Jersey Jim Martin flying exhibition flights at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in NJ. He was a master showman and an unbelieveably good pilot. That was back in 1970 or 71.
Ed Cregger