Hello,

I came across these control line planes at a local auction and can't find any information about them online so I was hoping someone could give me any info on these airframes. I don't know if they were commercial built and bought or if they're kits.

The blue/green one has three wires extending from the port wingtip versus the typical two. Would the third wire be for a throttle control?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The blue green model appears to have an RC carb on the engine so some sort of throttle set up is probably a good guess. Wing spans and engine brands/ sizes would help for looking up the models. Which side of the Atlantic you are on may also make a difference as there were different companies selling kits on either side of the ocean. I ask because one of the engines is a diesel. They aren't unheard of in North America but are much more common in Europe.

mgnostic,

Thanks for the reply. I measured and inspected the planes and here's what I've found.

The red and white airframe:
Wingspan: 19.5"
Length: 12"
Motor: OK Cub

The USAAF plane:

Wingspan: 23.75"
Length: 19/75"
Motor: Webra 1.5

Blue/Green:

Wingspan: 42"
Length: 31"
Motor: It looks like it says ORONE in raised letters in a vertical line. It also had the number 6730 stamped on the engine block which I assume is a SN.

These all belonged to the same person here in the Southeast. He was quite a collector and I have no idea where he sourced these. It would be interesting to find out their origin and if they're vintage, antique, or just something he put together with various parts.

The red and white plane is probably a Jim Walker Firebaby that has been repainted. The plane in the USAAF marking is probably a Testors Freshman 9. I'm drawing a blank on the blue green plane. It could be a scratch build or a modified kit or even just something I haven't ever seen.

Thank you so much for the additional information Matt. That gives me a good starting point to do some more in-depth research. The blue green one is completely sealed up. The only thing that's removeable is the engine cowling. The entire wing and fuselage is sealed so if there are any repairs to be made you'd be out of luck without a major structural rebuild.

I'll let you know if I uncover anything interesting.

Any idea on the engine with the "ORONE" marking. Googled it and didn't get any returns.

Hi Matt,
It looks like your sleuthing is spot on. It's hard to believe that those planes were produced in the 40's and 50's, over 75 year's old!

There was a "Drone" brand of engine where the stylized D could be mistaken for an O but they were primarily diesels. They had a distinctive cone shaped cylinder head. As far as the green plane being sealed up that is the way is was usually done. No radio gear to access, small enough to toss in a car in one piece and the control line gear really didn't need much maintenance.