RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

This last weekend I came across the website for Jack Stafford models. [link]http://www.jsmodels.com/[/link] I like the look of several of their kits (especially like the Twin Comanche and the Mooney Ovation), but wanted to see if anybody has any feedback on these kits. These definately aren't cheap kits, so I'd like to find out if they are worth the money. So, what does the RCU building community think of these kits?

Thanks in advance for any help.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I built the Ercoupe. LOVE IT ! I have two Commanches in thier boxes. I was nearly heartbroken when they went out of business.

I say grab all the Stafford kits you can. They are scale scale ! The instructions on the Ercoupe were lacking in my opinion. But I learned more building that airplane than I did from the 25 or so that came before it. It was a trip. My Ercoupe defies logic. It is big and fat with a 63 in. wing. I have a forty OS on it. It outruns almost everything !! It also slows down very well. I wish I had a digital picture of it. I am very proud of that plane.

Only one company has the molds for the Stafford kit cowls. Precision Fiberglass , Ed Kunne, 865-984-1102

staggerwing

My Feedback: (5)

I've built the P-39, modified as an Airabonita and the Ercoupe. Both were challenging kits but flew well. I did buy some of the left over stock when the Michigan company was closing. Have another P-39 a couple of Ercoupes and a B-24 to be built as a PB4Y Privateer. I hear good things from the new company in Indiana.

Rich

DVI

I built the single engine Commanche, I think approx 10 years ago. Up until that time I was use to kits going togeather at a good pace.
I did like the kit but was not prepared for the difficulty that I had during assy. Putting one of Jack's kits togeather will make a thinker out of you!
I did not fly the airplane after I finished construction, But sold it to a guy at the local airport who owned a full size Piper Commanche and wanted to scale it to his aircraft.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Yes indeedy. I forgot to mention that. These kits are difficult. I agree DVI about that. Its been five years since I built the ercoupe and the trauma has passed.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Yep, they are 'old' timers...lots of wood and take a while to build. BUT that's what you want isn't it....a builder?

Jerry

F4U Corsair-inactive

RC Ken,
I am currently building a JSM Cessna 120/140, I am scaling it after a 140 version. The kit is great, I love to build and this is a kit that you definatly get to build, lots of wood to carve into shape. The directions are a little to be desired, but the are sufficiant. I have talked with the new owners and they are going to be updateding the instructions as they can. I think that will help. I think the kits are well worth the money. If you want to see some of the progress, go to my thread: [link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Jack_Stafford_Cessna_120%2F140/m_2392315/tm.htm[/link]. I feel like this kit is going together as well as any other kit that I have build in the last several years. If you have any questions about the Cessna I would be more than glad to help you out. Best of luck with the one you choose.

Mike

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I am currently building the L-19, which leaves a lot to be desired. I have paid almost the price of the kit over again in buying new balsa as nothing fit's, and I do mean nothing. I have the fuselage almost complete and I am working on the wing, which has been an even bigger challenge. The supplied spars were to short, so more wood. I have not yet figured out how to do the flaps on it yet as all the kit gives you is 1 inch square piece of balsa that you are supposed to cut in half and make half moons out of it. I have not been able to find a balsa supplier that makes balsa shaped like this. I just hope it flys after all this work.

DaveB

Dave Agar,

Your comments sound very familiar to me. My friend and flying buddy also built the Jack Stafford L-19 and his comments were similar to yours. He did finish the plane and powered it with a 4 stroke 70. It did look good when completed, but it was heavy and flew like a "lead sled". The plane is now a hanger queen.

From the comments above, I get the impression that other Stafford kits are fine.

DaveB

Mr_Scale

My Feedback: (7)

My Jack Stafford Models L 19 is going well. It is not an arf, but I knew that going in. The framed up weight at this point is right at 2 pounds, very light in my opinion, that is without the motor. I have used every piece of wood in the kit, replacing none of it and not having to purchase any additional. I am going to change the flap design to more of a sport scale design which should be easier construct, see attached picture, please excuse my sketching abilities.

wws

My Feedback: (6)

I built 2 Twin Comanches and 1 regular Comanche, and still have one in the box. They flew well and I used them for contest work back in the mid 80s. Jack had some inovative ideas for washout in the wing during construction. that proved to work well. A chalenge to build,
the kit was one of the best for scale at that time.
I built 2 Aerotech Mooneys, also for contest work and I think they are closer to scale with a laminar flo wing. Aerotechs Mooney is a semi kit and is shown on there web site, aerotechmodels.com

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

I built the L-19 about 7 years ago. It was a challenging build from the design standpoint and also from the poor die cuting standpoint. There are some things that you need to redo. The "half moon" shaped part you allude to I remember well. I got mine to shape by cutting, carving and a ton of sanding, an enormous amount of work for a part that any other kit would have either machined for the builder or designed differently. I like to build, enjoyed building that one. Unfortunately, it flew like a dog. I see others comments that they had good flying kits. This is the only Stafford kit I have built, and I don't expect I will build another. Good looking airplane, though, maybe it should be a hangar queen, only, for those who want that.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

wws,
I've been leaning toward the twin comanche. Since you've had the plane, how did it fly? what size engines did you use? retracts? I wanted to know how they built as a kit, but I'm also interested in how it flys.

thanks in advance

hattend

My Feedback: (20)

Dittos. Building a Stafford kit makes you use your brain more than other kits do but they build into very nice flying planes.

I have an ST .51 in my Ercoupe and it could pass for a pylon racer. It's faster than you think it should be what with that fat fuselage and all.

I have the Mooney NIB. I just got it about 2 weeks ago and I have many projects in front of it but I really look forward to building it.

Don

wws

My Feedback: (6)

RC Ken
The twin flyes realy good, but remember two engines = double trouble and theres not enough rudder to correct for yaw. power back and look for a landing sight.
I used two OS 40s and that was more than enough power.
I used Rom Airs for reytracts but they are no longer in business, so I would sugest Spring Air in place.
As far as building, you will have an extensive project in front of you, but the end result is very nice. Plan on a lot of nights in the workroom.

gcojulun

WWS:
By now Im looking forward to order a Jack Stafford's Piper Comanche single, so I'm verey interesed to know some things about the kit like which scale is?, the accurate of the scale and most of all, i heard somewere that tha Jack Stafford's kits are bad, the pices do not match/fit in the plans (they 're more smaller than they are shown on the plans)
Can you help me out with some of this?

Tnks
GCojulun

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Plans always shrink or expand compared to the cut parts. That is normal. Different materials have different coefficients of expansion. So this happens with every kit.

Stafford kits are pretty accurate kits.

On the Ercoupe, the wing is built over the plans, but the fuselage is not.

Recommending a Stafford kit is a double edged sword. For those that don't/can't finish them, they hate them and say they are bad kits. But for the people that hang in there and complete them, the finished product is worth the struggle. I love my Ercoupe. And I plan to build more Stafford kits in the future.

wws

My Feedback: (6)

Gcojulun
The wingspan of the comnche is 72" or 1/6th scale. When I built mine about 17 years ago Jack was building kits along with working with full scale if I remember right. At that time I thought his product line was great. Outside of Royal, Dave Plat, Top Flight, Jemco ect. Staford kit were among the best for scale. I did not recall having any extraordinary problems then. I can not speek for the new companys product line.
If you like working with your hands, you will like this kit, if I remember corectley I believe the kit comes with vaccumed formed seats and cockpit side panels to finish off the interior. I know for sure the twin had all this nice stuf for addition scale apperence

rryman

My Feedback: (2)

I have built two Stafford kits, and am now knee deep in the third. The first one was the P-39, which at the time, I was marginally capable of flying. During the build, I was reading about how wings with sharp leading edges were trouble. Snap roll on take off, bad habits, etc., and this P-39 had very pointed leading edges. I got worried and called Jack, who at the time was working for Hughes Aircraft, according to his wife. (I forgot about the time difference to CA, and he wasn't home yet.) Anyway, we musst have talked for about 20 minutes. He assured me that the plane was a ***** cat, if it wasn't too heavy. He was right. Great flying plane, will fly slow or fast, and lands like a trainer-very smooth. Problem was, with my buildng ability (or lack of) at the time, the fuselage came out looking like a banana! (just like he said it would in his directions if you weren't careful. Standing behind the plane, it was very evident. Despite that, it still flew good.That was in the early 80's. A couple years ago i saw another P-49 kit on Ebay and bought and built it. Same good flying plane, and still have it. And got this fuse straight this time!
I am now building his B-24. If you really enjoy building, this is the kit for you! I'm about 190 hours into it, and have just fiberglassed it and have the second coat of poly on it. Still quite a bit of work left.
What I liked about this kit is that it came with the canopy nose canopy, ball turret, top turret, tail turret, and another I guess navigators bubble in front of the canopy, and all the machine guns for the turrets, which are molded plastic, which also have to be built.
I think it is a lot of kit for the money.
Randy

gcojulun

Any of you guys have any photo of the comanche?, i just wanna take a look of the whole model finished, my e-mail is [email protected]

Thanks for the info .

Giovanni

hattend

My Feedback: (20)

They are all pictured on the website: http://www.jsmodels.com/Piper.htm

Don

gcojulun

Don, do you know Any other place where i can find more comanche's pics?

hattend

My Feedback: (20)

What exactly are you looking for? You could always search RCU for "comanche" or "twin comanche" and see what pops up.

You could also search the internet using Yahoo or Google and see if you get lucky.

Don

gcojulun

I have nearly 3 weeks looking over the web for the Jack Stafford's Piper Single Comanche photo (other than they have @ their website), no luck yet!.

Another question to the owners of the Jack Stafford Piper Single Comanche: In the model How is the design of the stab, is it like in the original comanche, where the whole stab moves?

Thanks in advance!

Giovanni