If things work out, some more great Ballistic Pattern kits may be available before long. LA-1, Cursor, Eclipse (Piorun version), Summit III, and the SPA legal Phoenix 8 as well as others could be ready in a couple of weeks if there is interest. I'm trying to find out how many people would like to have one of these in a fiberglass/foam kit. If none of those grab you, what others from that era have you been searching for? Answer here or email me directly if you prefer.

George T

How about that!! Some Good Lookin' designs you mention there!!

How would these guys do YS .61 power plants??

I have "seen pictures" of most of these in the past...But I can't say I'm very "familiar" spec wise with any of them...I'm just going by looks..he he

I saw a beautiful LA-1 on eBay...It was powered by a OS .61RF-P...It was really gorgeous...I wished I was rich..he he...It finally sold though...Oh Well

So I figure the LA-1 may be a candidate for the YS .61/Hatori Pipe set-up...I like the looks of that one for sure...My other favorite judging by looks would be the Summit III...Is it a YS .61 canidate???

I have a few YS .61's on the shelve is why I'm asking...

Anyone out there fly these in the past?? Any input?? I suppose they are all "good"...Just different...huh

Thanks...

Chuck

All of these except the Phoenix are between 800 and 900 square inches of wing area. These were some of the last of the great 2 stroke airplanes (IMO) before the 4 strokes began to take over. The YS 61 was the engine of choice for these guys in their day and would still be an excellent choice today. I'm sure there are a lot of us who wish we had a few YS 61s on the shelf.

If I didn't want to mess with a pipe, I think a Jett 90 or 100 with the Jett muffler would make a really nice modern engine combination. I am very curious as to how an OS 91 FX or 120 AX with a Jett or Ultrathrust muffler might work on an LA-1.

George

Man, I'd take an LA-1 if the price is reasonable. I bet the 91 and 1.20 choices would work pretty well, if you could stand the muffler poking out. I seem to recall that the LA-1 and Eclipse were fairly under-powered at the time, even with their YS super engines.

Eric,

We think we would be able to sell LA-1 kits for about $250 plus shipping. That would include primed in the mold fuse and belly pan, wing and stab cores, plans, and instructions. PAC made very nice kits, I always felt the price was a bit high but it is difficult to make a living in the kit business.

I don't think the LA-1 or the others are too much plane for a good 61. Like most fliers, I'll always take more power if I can get it in the same size engine.

George

I would be interested in an LA-1.

Peter
Fort Worth, TX

Wolfgang Matt's Atlas and Arrow were two of the best classic pattern aircraft ever.
I would really like to get an Arrow and put a good piped .60 on it.
Another great design from that era was the Vertigo II which may have been a Don Lowe design.
I had one and it was an excellent 'ballistic' pattern ship. With retracts and a piped Rossi, we clocked it at 135 on police radar.
Best Regards
JC

me to I had am arrow

JC
I recently checked, the owner of Hobby Barn (Tucson I think) still has molds for the Arrow and Atlas, Curare and others I believe. He is not interested in selling them and told me he still has the rights to them. I would rather not get in a conflict with anyone over something as ridiculous as that so it'll be up to someone else to kit those. I actually have an in the box Vertigo II. That's a Bob Reuther design and it seems like there may have been as co-designer. Bob was owner of Hobby World in Nashville and was a pretty capable racer and pattern flier. Those molds were Skyglas and I imagine they are in the package purchased by the owners of Wing Manufacturing. I don't know where they stand on kits. I agree, those are some great designs.

George

The oft-overlooked MVVS .91 ABC is configurable to a RE arrangement (as long as you do it before running the first time), and is timed to make max torque around 9-10k RPM, IIRC. It is considered a real stump puller as 2 strokes go. As a bonus, it is compressed for low to no-nitro fuel. It is physically no bigger than an average .61, and is probably lighter than some.

I just happen to have one NIB, waiting to go into a NIB Geoff Combs LA-2 sitting in a corner...one of these days.

Rick

You are correct that the Vertigo II molds are owned by Wing Mfg. On a visit there once, I saw it as one of the planes he was considering producing, (along with the Phoenix 5 and 6). I don't know just where they are with producing the kits, but I believe the project is now on the back burner--last word I got was that due to time constraints, Dan would farm production out to someone else--don't know who.

If BPA is successful, the demand for these kits might bring them back to the "front burners" again--hope so.

Personally, I would LOVE to see a Blue Angel produced. Back in the 80s, there were a series of "knockoff" fiberglass/foam kits available sold through Muchler's(sp) Hobbies---the Curair, SBA, (I had one of those and it was a wonderful flyer), and others. I have been trying to talk someone into producing the Blue Angel/SBA for some time now. The very long thread on the "Blue Angel Build", and the MK kits survey from a couple months back both support the potential demand for that plane.

I hope you look into and consider it--I'd love to know who holds the legal rights to the fiberglass SBA, and if bringing the kit back is a possibility.

Thanks for the thread!!!

Duane

I might be interested in a Phoenix 8

I would be all over a Phoenix 8 kit, I'm with kingaltair on that one.

Mark

I want a Summit III, just not $375 for a set of foam wings, and fuse. I got my Illusion for $165 from Kitty Hawk Models some years ago, and that was very reasonable.

I expect we can do the Summit III for $275. I want to be able to cut about $100 off the old PAC prices if you have those. I'm afraid anything around $165 is not realistic these days.

George

Realize that $165 you paid in, say, 1984, is closer to $322 in 2006 dollars using a Consumer Price Calculator to adjust for inflation. Therefore, $275 in 2007 for the Summit III is actually a SAVINGS over the older price...

and as a corollary, $165 in 2007 was $85 in 1984...

Would definitely be interested in a LA-1!!

$275 is a bargin!!!! At that price you are not making anything if you consider your time and effort, cutting wing cores,laying up the fuse, seeming the fuse, doing a minimal amount of body work, 25- 40 hrs of work depending on your ability to do good fast work, if you pay yourself a meger $10 an hr + materials rubber gloves, epoxy brushes,mixing cups,wax for the molds, yada yada yada!!! It must be a labor of love because at the price you said up there its not a labor of profit!!!!!

I have done this type and more complex layups and it is not a fast process or a money making one!!!



gary

Yes, a new LA-1 in the hanger, sounds great to me

Update? Any progress on new kits?

We have had one setback but we are very close. Got my laser cut wing templates today and I am very pleased with the service I got from Alex at AK Models. I have the LA-1 and Phoenix 8 molds ready to go and we have already pulled fuses from them. The others are not far behind and about all I'm waiting on now are boxes to ship fuses in.
http://aztecair.net/

George T

Looks good,
Let us know when you get more done as I will be looking for a Summit III