billmod12

My Feedback: (1)

Out of the attic after 54 years!! Thought I would share this with you before its final disposition. Original plans were to use a Forester 99. It just proved to be to big to handle at the time. Just don't see them anymore. Cheers!!

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

That was sort of a big airplane. Still am surprized that a F99 was chosen. Unless it was hot and ready the A/C would become a floater. Usually the new owners chose an even bigger powerplant.

Wm.

Stickbuilder

What's the final disposition of the kit going to be?

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brother #1

jjscott

I'm also curious. Disposition = dumpster?, build?, sale?, donation? The old Flying Models had a "get wet" column that sometimes pictured the Privateer. It was a big, beautiful bird.

If I remember the Forster 99 didn't really put out much power. It was a 1930's engine. At the time it was the only big engine available. I think it was Bill Northrop who tried one in his Gypsy Moth in the early 1960s. He missed the Nats because it wouldn't fly the plane. It was swapped for a Fox 59 which probably had twice the HP. MECOA was reproducing them. Maybe with today's better materials and tolerances, it's a better engine.

Jim

billmod12

My Feedback: (1)

The plans show a Fox .59. My Dad and his friend, who has the plane at this time, from there experience felt like a Forester 99 would be the ticket. They bought it in 1954 and were starting to build it. Part of one side was laid out and tac glued. They had been building and flying Live Wire Trainers so this was quite an undertaking and a big demand on shop space. They were using a room at the Civil Air Patrol building and when the CAP moved they lost there space and dismantled the partial side. I am doing the forensic work now laying out the partial side loose parts to see what is missing. I saw it yesterday for the first time since I was 4 years old. The guy who owns it took it out of the attic and showed it to me and wanted me to inventory the parts. I have been working on it this morning and it looks like the only parts taken out of the box were the formers for that one side. Which are to brittle to be used. The rest of it is in mint condition.

clocknut

My Feedback: (6)

I sold the same kit on ebay (for a friend) a few months back for around $1175.00 He was hoping for $300.00 who would have know. The guy that buought it says he is going to build it and fly it.He is a older guy that is retired so I think if I had it I would build it and fly it.
clocknut

billmod12

My Feedback: (1)

I feel like it will probably go to Fleabay. I just sold a Morton m-5 for him about a week ago. They are both 81 and mess with electrics and helicopters. I am not interested in building it there is just to much airplane to store and haul around let alone space to build it. I'll stick to restoring 65" and under. Here is what it takes to build it. Try toting this around!!

planeman40

For any of you who would like to build this plane I can offer a restored high resolution .PDF plan that I can e-mail back to you. No charge. This plan is from the magazine that published the model as "McGovern's Monster" that was later kitted by Berkeley in the mid-1950s.

For the moment my e-mail isn't working (trouble with my new DSL provider) so please wait a couple of weeks (around the middle of Feb. 2009) and try e-mailing me. My e-mail address is [email protected]. Be sure to say "McGovern's Monster" or "Custom Privateer" so I will know what plan you want.

Planeman40

8178

My Feedback: (17)

There was one hanging in the Seattle U Village hobby shop back in the 60s and 70s and it was a monster. I'm surprised the kit only went for $1200.

billmod12

My Feedback: (1)

My airplane car is an 89 Ford Crown Vic the last full size station wagon Ford built. I was looking at it yesterday trying to figure how you would even carry a 9.5 foot wing. The owner decided he wanted me to put it on "The Bay" so that's where it is now. We'll see!!

Trisquire

You'd have to modify it with a two piece wing and removal power pod and tail surfaces.

Tom

8178

My Feedback: (17)

Wow, no bids on it yet. Looks like our recession has moved into a full blown depression.

billmod12

My Feedback: (1)

8178, I thought it would draw a little more attention than that. Only 130 people have looked at it and 22 people have it on their watch list. It will either go crazy in the last 25 seconds or who knows???????? If it don't sell I'll run it another week then put it back in the attic. I thought having to make those formers might scare the novice builder off but just the size and intimidation of the build I'm sure bothers some. I even thought about cutting the formers out myself for the next offering. We will see in about 3 hours. Cheers! Bill

jjscott

Bill, if I may offer some observations. I am a pretty avid watcher of "collector" kit sales on ebay. There has been some lowering of prices, probably because of the economy. Plus, a lot of stuff is coming out of the woodwork as people convert their holdings to cash. The true kit collector may have little interest in your kit because it has been started, so the likely buyer is someone who wants to build it. That person has to work out the tradeoff between buying a 40+ year old kit with dried out wood and some required changes in construction to make it better for R/C versus getting the plans and going through the effort to scratch it. I think I've seen the plans for free in pdf form on the internet. The wood would probably be in the $100 range (a guess) and certainly under $150.

I was one of the watchers, curious to see if it would sell. It is certainly is a classic airplane that needs to have someone build it.

At the end of the day, all it takes is one buyer. We've all seen some really high prices as well as some bargains. You've got nothing to lose to list it again with your starting price.

Jim

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Well, I would certainly like to build it....alas, with a Son-in-Law layed off from his job and my older daughter looking at possibly being layed off from her job, guess where my extra modeling money will be going? I dearly love the older planes and there are some nice ones coming into view lately. On one hand it is a real shame to have to sell a much loved model kit (been there a couple of times) and, on the other hand, a great opprtunity to purchase that hard-to-find kit that rarely shows up. In the past I've sold a few of my favorite kits (think '80's) and have yet to replace a couple of them. Either the kit doesn't show up or is way too high in price for my retired pockets. I hope someone gets the Privateer who REALLY can appreciate and build the kit the way it's meant to be built.

Soft landings.

JBS

Hi Bill:
Is the Berkeley Custom Privateer still for sale?
Sincerely,
Jon B. Shereshaw
Gladstone, New Jersey