This kind of reminds me of the fun I had when looking for a different looking pattern model in the Seventies and Eighties. My favorite source for such models back then was Hobby Barn. They always came up with sufficiently good flying "knock-offs". They and another outfit or two, whose names elude me at the moment. A good friend of mine used to religiously buy Curare variants from Hobby Barn. They flew nice too, as well as presenting well on the flight line.


Ed Cregger

Doxilia, Yes sir... the fin is part of the fiberglass fuse.

Alright, I've been looking more closely at this model, and it's never been setup to fly. Oddly, the builder has an airline running into the vertical fin for some reason? Any idea why? And the nose gear is another thing I'm not familiar with. It's beam mount (horizontal) with dual air-up/air down air cylinders to either side of the strut and what seems like a 3rd dummy cylinder in the middle? They're all molded into the plastic frame. I guess this setup keeps the frame as short as possible to fit into tight spaces. What's the age of this style gear?

Tom

Your description of the nosegear sounds like you have a set of D&B retracts.

Jeff

My thoughts were that it was a Patricia? The addition of the anhedral was a common mod back in the day. It certainly has potential anyhow!

hook

Again... the Patricia is very close, but not identical. And when pulling parts from a mold, everything would be the same. I notice the wing fillets are different, the fin, the wingspan, the wing sweep, no anhedral in the horizontal stab, and so on. The wings could most easily be changed, but the wing fillets and such would be out of the question.

Well, I've canceled the auction until I can find out what model this is. I talked today to the hobby shop owner who sold this model to my friend. He sold it on consignment for a soldier from Fort Campbell. He said the guy was from California, and now there's virtually no chance of tracking him down. Man... this one is a toughie.

Is the list of pattern models on the Trenton site all inclusive? I mean, are all SPA legal pattern models listed there?

Tom

No.
Evan, WB #12.

sweet looking plane! there's nothing like vintage pattern planes

where does the exhaust exit, i cant tell from pic?

The main gear is classic Rhom air’s with Kraft wheels. The hot setup from this period. The nose gear as you describe it is not Rhom. The Rhom tanks had two air lines. Are you sure the air line going to the vertical isn’t just the second tank line that flipped to the back of the fues? Is the control valve a square aluminum manifold looking thing? Like to get some pics of the innards..

Originally for RE motor

How about a hint?

West coast manufacturer.

Black logo of a bird of prey.

April of this year one also sold on e-bay NIB.

Pitstop... whatchoo talkin' 'bout Willis? LOL

Edh... yep.. the mains are definitely Rhom Air. I'm familiar with those. I'm attaching more pics. I haven't had the air tank out and I can't reach back far enough to tell if there's another nipple on the back side. I have a good shot of the nose gear, so you can confirm your guess from my description. And, as you can see... the one airline goes all the way back into the vertical fin. And it's pretty well stuck in there. I haven't tugged on it very hard not knowing if it's supposed to be up there for some reason. From what you tell me, I'll bet it was meant to go on the back of the air tank. As you can see, there isn't an air control valve or filler or anything else. As I said before, this plane was never setup to fly.

Tom

Nose gear is a B&D retract.

Lol, Ha ha Arnold these were basically ARF’s, prepainted with one piece wing from the factory.

Air line into the vertical fin is meant for the receiver antennae...

Old Dawg

Pitstop -What were ARFs? This model that we're trying to identify? Do you know what it is???

Tom

Pattnut.... OF Course! Why didn't I think of that? Way too simple.

Dont' give up on me guys. I'm still trying to figure this out. HELP!!!

Tom

more pics

C'mon Paul, you've kept us in suspense long enough. What is it..............[>:]

Looks like a Leopard to me !! Two of them on Trenton web site !!!

Dp

I think I found it !! Take a look at the Summit III on the Trenton web and I think you will find your plane !!!
Now what did I win ???
Dp

Dave,

I don't think so - not a Summit III. Fin's off, wing rake is off, canopy high point is off, rudder planform is off...

And if Paul is right and it is an "ARF" of sorts, that would be one more reason.

David.

Lot of ID pro's here. Not trying to steal anyone's thunder, can you guys give me your opinion on this ? Guy told me it was a Curare, because it had a bent stab. Best I have found from other's, it is an Atlas. A Tipo wing chord not the same.

Crank

Just because a plane has an anhedral stab doesn't make it a Curare.

Case in point, A Dodge Daytona has a HUGE rear wing right? So if you put a huge rear wing on a Saturn it doesn't turn into a Daytona does it?

All Curare's have anhedral tailplanes, but not all anhedral tailed aircraft are Curares.

Not to mention that Curare's have a wing that is positioned nowehere close to where the wing is in that fuse plus they have the signature "S-shaped" chin entirely absent on this model. And then there is the canopy, and then the vertical, and the rudder, and the...

Vince, rest assured, if someone who knows little about classic pattern designs and is selling a classic, there is an 80% probability that the person will say it's a Curare - especially if it has an anhedral stab. I think I've come across that situation at least 3-4 times on the forum - "the guy said it was a Curare" - maybe, but they couldn't be further from the truth!

Vince, if it isn't a glass Atlas knockoff, it is pretty dang close. Take a look at the molds thread for Don's latest fuse - see the resemblance? Then look a couple of posts up at the Tipo fuses, the closest model to the Curare is the Tipo - it's cousin if you will. Note there is very little resemblance between the Tipo and the Atlas. For the vertical, you need only look at the Atlas plans (see attached).

David.

Does it have a straight wing?

It the wing has any taper or sweep I would be WAAAY OFF!

Could it be a modified later El Camino with anhedral? I believe there were 2 variants of the El Camino. I could be way off though...

Brian

Strike that...

Many similarities with the vertical, the sub fin, the wing saddle... but the canopy is wrong (I think).

Brian