Now here's one that's not talked about much on RCU. I just picked up one of these
fine kits. Would like to know if anyone has any info (pros or cons / do's or don'ts)
on this kit and how well does it fly?

Thanks,
Ron

Hi Ron,...

I had the same thoughts as you,... I wanted to use a Hammer 40 (or even enlarge it to 60 size) for pattern competition. A fellow club member had the Hammer 40 and raved about how nice it flew. Having never flown the plane myself I had to take his raving with a grain of salt. Don't get me wrong,... I have no doubt the plane flew nice; however could it be competitive in pattern??

In any case,... I enlarged the plans to a 68 inch wing span and I was planning to stretch the fuselage six inches or so to balance the weight of the OS 91 Surpass that I was going to install in the front. However the project never materialized.

Let me know how you make out with your Hammer 40. What engine are you planning to use?

Sincerely,
Steve T.
Monson, Massachusetts

Steve, I laid a set of US 40 plans over the Hammer plans and both planes
have basically the same layout. The Hammer has a thinner airfoil but more
area, so it may fly about the same as the US 40. Just hope that someone here
can give some info on it’s ability.

As for which engine I may use. I’ve got this thing about adjustable engine
mounts, so I may move the firewall back some, install on of these mounts and
play the switch engine game. I may go with my old OS 50 FSR, a Magnum 53
or just for overkill a MDS 58. I have a couple 4 strokes I want to try also.

I was thinking the same as you, as soon as I looked the plans over. This
would be a good plane to up size or even rework into a new or older design.
As it is, with a little of this and that it could easily be modified into a number
of the older designs and stay with a 40-45 size engine. I was thinking about
something like a 45 size Tipo, a want to be Brushfire or one of the Phoenix
myself. Being that you said you had already enlarged the wing, I also laid a set
of Bridi Escape plans over the Hammer plans. You could come up something
real nice using the Escape measurements. But a 60 size Hammer with enclosed
pipe sound’s real good too.

Ron

Hi guys. I saw this thread and just had to dig out my old pics of my "Hammer 40". This plane flew very well and I would rate it right up there along the Koas and the Kiwi which I also ran an OS .50 FSR on. I ran an OS .50 FSR with a pre-tunned pipe designed just for this engine. I had about 20 flights on it when it went in. I lost the plane in the sun straight out from me and thats all it takes. Sorry for the quality of the pics but they were very old and not in real good shape.

Zippi, Thanks for the info and photos Your input is just as I thought about it's flying abilities, given it's design layout. That's not a bad looking airplane you had there. How was it in a knife edge? Did/would you make any mods to the kit? Maybe someone else can add some more info and a photo or two also.

Thanks

The plane is very solid which means more weight but back in those days that's the way most of the planes we built were. The rudder is not all that big and the best I can remember you need all the throw you can get and keep the speed up for KE. If I was to build another one there is one mod that I would make. Lighting holes in the slab sides and top to reduce the weight. I'll bet it would really fly nice at a lighter weight. Where did you come across this kit and who was the manufacturer. It's been so long I can't even remember. The "KIWI" that I use to fly was a little smaller but would fly circles around the "Hammer 40". Here is a couple pics of the "KIWI" I use to fly also with the same engine and pipe set-up. That's my son in the pics and he is now 21 years old.

Zippi, I got the kit off ebay for $75. The kit was made by Champion Model Aeroplane Company in N.J. They put out a real nice box of wood for this kit. I like how you did your Kiwi, that Wild Thing look really works for the Kiwi. I'm sure your son is going to be real happy about one of his kid photos being on RCU. LOL

i have one of these kits i plan on putting a OS 46fx on eventually. i have heard these fly just like the US 40. another thing is that the company that made these no longer exists due to a fire at the plant that they made them in. heck if you have it might as well build it.

I have a Hammer 40, new in the box, for sale if anyone is interested.

This kit was sold back in 2005.

It' s exactly why is called HAMMER it weights just like one plain old school building , but working on it you can take off some oz 's , it flies very nice.

Z send you pm

I believe the company that use to kit them was Davey Systems. I still have one that I built from plans about ten years ago. I can't really say how well it flies since I only flew it about half a dozen times. I did lighten up the tail on mine, but that canceled out when I made a foam core wing for it. I also built it as a tail dragger , just because I prefer the look. I think maybe this year I'll repower it with an up to date engine and have some fun with it.



Maurice