Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Hi,

I would like to know if anyone has any info/pictures of the Wen Mac Challenger .049 plastic ready to fly airplane. I had one for my first gas airplane in 1959 and remember it vividly..but...I cannot find a picture of one. There is a picture of a Wen Mac Challenger on Skylane 42's website, but, I don't think that is correct. My plane had a canopy placement like a Gee Bee and tricycle landing gear, had a green fuselage and yellow wing. I think it sort of looks like a Wen Mac Aeromite as far as the "cockpit" location.. but my plane did not have swept wings and did definitely have tricycle gear. I may have the plane named incorrectly, but I doubt it.. I can still see "Challenger" on the box. If anybody has any ideas or a direction to point me in , I would appreciate it. By the way... the plane lasted less than 30 seconds.. my Dad's best friend did a wingover and didn't pull out... on asphalt!!!.... but Dad got me another one... and I have succeeded in rebuilding my first r/c plane and have the plans/components for his... and I would like to find my first plane. Waxing nostalgic again.... anyway.. if you can help, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks very much,

Deadstik......[8D]

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Deadstik:

Not to question your memory, but your time era doesn't add up.

I seem to remember Wen-Mac getting with the pre-fab controlliners about 1961 through 1965, not in the era you mentioned.

Now, Wen-Mac did have engines out there at the time. Maybe the A/C you flew was called a Challenger with the W-M up front. However, maybe the airframe wasn't made by W-M too. I just cannot find such an A/C being advertised in that era.

Did the Wen-Mac engine have a wind up starter? These were not available until the 1960's and were installed in their own controlliners, but not in others.


Wm.


Wm.

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

William,

I may be off by a year or two..... and it just dawned on my to raid the old "videos" of Christmas and perhaps I can find that year and have a picture of it.... but.. The plane did have a spring starter....I appreciate the help.. and I have searched thru my "archieves" and can't even find an ad for wen mac....where did they advertise???? As always, thanks for the help.

Deadstik....[8D]

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I have a host of those old newsprint quality A.H.C. catalogues dating back to the early 1960's. If you placed an order, they included one in the return package. They showed off stuff that was not in their magazine articles, nor on special.

For some reason, Wen-Mac did not post a regular advertisement in each magazine. I think much of their sales was through toy stores, department stores, more than hobby shops, thus maybe the change in advertising tactics.

I have an aluminum delta wing controlliner made by Eddy Pope and powered by a K&B Sky Fury. Never saw an advertisement on it either. This was one of the lines that K&B was associated with for model A/C much as the Allyn Craft boats.

Wm.

Sport_Pilot

Pretty sure Wen Mac's started in the early 50's, in fact they started before Cox.

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Wm.

I remember those AHC catalogs so well !!! I used to hide them in my schoolbooks and just imagine all the planes I could buy in the 5th grade !!! Wish I still had one of those because, as you said, they put a lot of stuff in those catalogs that they didn't advertise in MAN. They would be an excellent reference source for what was for sale at the time. I'm going to get those videos (8mm Kodak home movies) out today... let you know if I can find a picture.

Dan

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

I believe the plane you are describing was all red, chrome or yellow, mostly, and had the canopy set back. If so, then you are talking about the Aeromite. It had more of a racer look. The Challenger looked more like a jet with wingtip tanks. The pics on my site are correctly labeled.

Dan Vincent

For a little history on Wen-Mac stuff, the original Wen-Mac .049 was designed by Bill Atwood.

Bill designed the 1949 Wasp .049 with Bob Holland. They also made B&B timer tanks. When they split up in the early '50's Bob Holland took the Wasp name and created the Holland-Wasp.
Bill Atwood started a separate company to produce his Atwood .049 & .051 engines.

Bob Holland later made the Holland Hornet .049 & .051.

Before the Wen-Mac Aeromite plastic C/L model had a Wen-Mac engine they were made with OK Cub .049, Wasp .049 and Baby Spitfire .045 engines. They all had a brass single point mount on the rear of the engines.

Here are some pictures of the various Aeromite engines.

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

Just re-read your original post.. green fuse and yellow wing... the only planes I can come up with are the WenMac Bonanza and the Cox Pt- Ryan..????

Oh , and there was the Cox Big Commanche.. 15 size plane. There is one on eBay that was just listed .. MIB. After only 8hours the bid is up to $660.00

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

skylane,

Thanks for your information. I have just started going over my family 8 mm films and haven't found that particular "Christmas" movie yet. I am certain it wasn't a Cox big Comanche...(amazing what the prices on those are) and given I remember the fastback canopy that sort of puts the Bonanza out. The Aeromite certainly looks like it except mine had tricycle gear. I appreciate your research and the other kind folks going thru their archieves for me. By the way... I just acquired a really nice Cox Rivets. Airframe/motor and all appearance are very good to excellent... but.. I have a decal on the port side that is torn. I emailed Shawn about possibly having a repo decal set for the Rivets but haven't heard from him. Is he still doing that, or do you know another source for repo Cox Decals??? I need a set for my Rivets and I also have a new Cox Centurian with the burgandy/cream decals that needs a new set. Although the Centurian is new and never seen fuel, the decals are all rippled. Is there a way to correct this and still get the decals back on the plane? Or ... if anybody has a set, I would be happy to buy them.

Thanks again for the help.

Dan

aka deadstik ...[8D]

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Hi everyone,

Tonight, as it always seems to happen, my original Wen Mac C/L airplane showed up on EBAY !!!!

As I remembered, it had yellow wings and a green fuse and tricycle gear... now... WHAT WAS THE NAME OF IT???? In my earlier post I could have sworn it was called the Challenger. Skylane said his picture on his site is correctly named and I could certainly be wrong. But, now, here is the picture so I ask all you guru's of all things that fly... what is it????

thanks, and yes, you better believe I'm going to bid on it...

Deadstik...

aka Dan

Ultranet

I was the Marketing Manager at Wen-Mac in the 1950's.

The Wen-Mac Challenger was an overall name for the retail package which contained
a variety of the Wen-Mac airplanes. The package contained not only the airplane
but also the battery and fuel. So it was a "ready-to-fly" airplane. So there was a Challenger package for the Aeromite and for the Turbojet and for the Bonanza. The plane you describe as yellow and green with a tri-cycle gear was the Bonanza version of the
Challenger. This package was primarily developed for sales by Sears Roebuck. It was
displayed in their catalog. It was also sold at hobby departments of department stores.

Wen-Mac had an .049 engine with spring starter called a "Rotomatic". It was feaured
on the Turbojet but not on the Aeromite or on the Automite race car.

Bob Strock.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Welcome Bob [8D]

I recently bought a mint Wen Mac P-26 (my 1st "gas powered" airplane was the P-26 back in the mid 60's )

I recall a thread in the 1/2A forum:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_58...n%2CMac/tm.htm
You might be able to add to it too? [sm=thumbup.gif]

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

I had one of those too. Soon replaced by a Scientific Mustang with a Cox RR1 around 1965 or so.

build light

Ah yes, the Scientific 'hollow logs'! Those bring back some memories...

HP, you wouldn't have a picture of the mustang somewhere?

Robert

build light

BTW Dan, did you win this plane?

robert

gcb

Years ago I bought what I thought was a red Aeromite at a yard sale. The engine is a Wen Mac Mk. 2 with the "Rotomatic" starter. It was in a box at the time, but I remember very little about the box. It did have a fuel can in the box, with a top that can be used to seal or to fill. I have no idea if it was standard or had been altered. The spinner on the engine was a long open-ended one with threads and a screw embedded in the front for removing the spinner from the engine.
Perhaps it is the Turbojet and not the Aeromite.

George

fredscz

My Feedback: (47)

Green fuselage and Yellow wings. I had a Testors mustang with those colors back about '58-'59. There has been a few of them for sale but the auctions went nuts to the tune of over $350 with some over $400. I would love to have one for old times sake but not at that price.
Fred

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

I wish I did, but it was painted with silver dope and largely looked like dried Tester's cement. Every flying session ended with the need to glue the firewall back on.[]

Fortunately a series of Flite Streaks, Magicians, and a Goldberg Shoestring powered by a G21-35 replaced the half A models.

stuntflyr

You guys might enjoy this Yahoo Groups site, 049 Collectors which is devoted to 049 engines and RTF's of the 50's through present.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/049Collectors/

Chris...

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Robert,

No, I didn't win the auction. It was really nice to see Bob Strock's comments so I could finally get a grip on the "Challenger" name.

Since that time I have seen two more of these planes go across the board but neither was in good enough shape to purchase or bid on.

I live by the rules that there "is always another one" on #bay and I'm sure that someday I will find another.

I have been able to recreate/reclaim all of my early R/C planes and now just need some time to get them in the air. The Wen Mac Challenger remains the one that I'm really searching for.

As always, I appreciate any help and information.... nice to see this thread resurrected after all this time.

Dan
Carolina Custom Aircraft

build light

Dan, thanks for the reply.

I can appreciate you persistance and also your patience! You are right, there will be another. I hope you get yours and revive this thread to display it for us!

Robert