Chuckeb

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I just aquired this huge aircraft , I was told it was a travelair biplane , it has a 103" wing span and has what looks to be a quadra 60 in it.. This plane is just HUGE!! Im just wondering if any of you guys might have any info on it.. I know its very old as it has all Kraft servos in it.. , but the detail work is very nice . Let me now if anyone may have some info on this plane, like what it is, or ideas on if its a kit , anything like that would help a bunch.. Thanks.. - Chuck

Chuckeb

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here is another pic of it from the back.. the detail work on this plane is fantastic..

BMatthews

Well, it's certainly a Travelaire. The Kraft servos and Quadra put it in the 1970's vintage to my mind. That's about when the Quadras first showed up for quarter scale and that was the last hurrah for Kraft around that time as well. Can't place it any further than that. I don't remember any of the magazines with a large Travelaire either. Model Builder had a Travelaire design a long time ago as a construction article but I don't remember it being this large. May have been though.....

RCPAUL

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The Model Builder plan is much smaller - 40 size maybe - I have the plan. I think one of the big-plane plans suppiers of that period - like Baron - had a big Travelaire.

RCPAUL

jetranger-RCU

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Kraft closed in 1985 so that means the plane could be from the 80's also Krafts are still being flown so the plane could be from the 90's as for the engine that does not mean a thing as to the age of the plane. Old engines are still flying, So you can not base the age on the radios or engines used, the plane may have been built 3-4 years ago, who knows???

Chuckeb

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Yes, jetranger that is a good point, but take a look at this fuel tank , looks like something my grandfather would have come up with back in the day.. Im going to try to get this baby running here in the next few days..

artster44

I think you have a Travelaire 2000. It appears to have "elephant ear" ailerons which wrap around to wingtip. Can't tell you whose kit it might be but mine (which upper wing spans 108") is a wonderful flyer with a Enya R-120 for power.

Art

widgeon

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HMnnn- Could be a design done by a fellow named Jerry Behrens, currently living in central New York. Widgeon

dennis

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A very good guess on the Jerry Beheren's Travelaire. That is exactly what it looks like. Jerry had quite a few of his planes at our fun fli's over the years,but haven't seen him in a few years. I know that he had a few health problems and they might have kept him out of the modelling scene. Hope not he was an interesting fellow. Dennis

widgeon

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Hi Dennis, Jerry Behrens now lives in central New york; he's remarried several years ago and is very happy. He seems to have most of his health problems solved. By the way, by central NY i mean East of Syracuse , in the finger lakes region. Jerry is a great designer and modeler and I learned a lot from him. Regards, Widgeon

flicka5

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Central NY is mostly west of Syracuse, eastern NY is east of Syracuse, somewhere. The finger-lakes are west of Syracuse. Syracuse is pronounced "sir-ra-cus". Long Island is not very long and so on! The gas tank in the Travelaire looks very appropriate to me as large plastic tanks were not readily available back in the 1970's. Many 1/4 scale tanks were nothing more than 1 qt. tin cans with screw caps (remember them)with the appropriate brass tubes soldered to the cap or can sides. They worked great and you could retrieve your "clunk" by unscrewing the cap. I have an acquaintance who still has a set of 1920's wooden skis that fit the real 1929 Travalier and he used them in the winter because he owned the real airplane at one time in the 1930's. Image attached is of a Sunderland depth charging a German sub in one of the finger-lakes during WW2! Ok, they are just two RC models.

Taildragger

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Man, What a plane! I love old bipes! Especially Travelairs, Waco's, Stearmans, Fleets, WWI jobs etc etc etc. I hope you get her flying again.

Cliff_h

Hi! That is a TravelAir 2000 and it looks like Jerry Behrens plans. Built one several years ago. Behrens also had plans for a Fokker DVII and a couple of others I think. Have the Fokker plans and pre-bent wires, may still have the TravelAir plans. Will try to find a photo of the mobel to post tomorrow.

probably not interested but the reason the cowl looks that way is the 2000 had an OX-5 engine in it.

bIGBIRD2002

Are you sure that isn't a surge tank? The way the line goes back into the firewall indicates that there might be another tank in there. Just a thought. Bigbird.

Cliff_h

I have seen photos of the 2000 with a radial engine but I think the original came out with the OX-5 and that is the version the plans show. They have the radiator hanging out under it.

Here is another interesting bit of history on the plane:
The Travelair 2000, was built with horn balanced control surfaces that were copied from the famous Fokker D-VII from World War I. Because of the resemblance, it was used in many war movies made in the 1930’s and was known as the Wichita Fokker.

Here is a photo of a travelAir 2000. Still looking for the photo of my model!

John Cole

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Hi Cliff and all,
I ended up with this model from Chuck, it`s not been flown but looks like it should do well. I`m going through it right now, there are some interesting construction details, and I`m having some trouble figuring out whether some of the techniques used will prove airworthy or not. Seems like it was built by a very good modeler, and this person knew what he/she was doing. Some of the details are very well done. But some are not, so I`m guessing this plane has 'been around' for a while, perhaps several different people have added to this project through the years. I`d guess it was built in the early `80`s. The steel can is in fact the fuel tank, which will not be used. My intention is to restore and fly it. I`ve not run gas engines, so I`ve got some learning to do. I`ll keep you all informed if you would like to hear about it.

John

flicka5

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Did he copy this real one at Sun & Fun 2002?

buck1856

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selling a freinds collection from his dad who passed away. came across this info.i have an ad for behrens plans from 82,they sold travel aire 2000, 105 wing span,23 lbs. plans 22.95,partial kit 98.50,full kit 198.50. i probably have the plans. my freinds dad built all big and a lot of scratch.10 ft ws stearman,7.5 ft d7,siux coupe 7.5 ft,flybaby bipe 7to 8 ft, sopwith pup and a camel 108 inch, ect.... wich i could post pic, fills front yard, 50 planes.selling items, if anyones interested send email. will not ship, live around phoenix, az. or call 520-689-2121. matt