GoldenAge

Hello all,

Many years ago, I was given this old kit made by a company named Joy Model Products.
It was partially built when I got it and the guy did a terrible job on the wing and fuse.
I had to practically rebuild these two components and replace a lot of wood in the kit since it lived in my attic for nearly 20 years[:@]

The wingspan is 72" and I have an old OS .35 in it, but when I fly it I will probably use my Saito .40. I'm very pleased with the way it came out and she's very light as well, even with the Super Coverite and two coats of Sig Lemon Yellow Butyrate dope.

You definitely don't see many of these at the flying field[8D] Any one ever build one?

Scott

Jim_McIntyre

Sweet!

I built a free flight C3 many moons ago and was reminded of her last summer when I saw a full size at the Tillsonburg Airport during the F4C championships.

Are the plans in good enough shape to scratch from?
Would you be interested in parting with a copy?

GoldenAge

Hi Jim,

Thanks! I built a Sterling Models 36" wingspan C3 back in the late 60's and flew it as a control line job with a Cox .049 engine. It flew very well. I've always liked these little airplanes since I built that first one.

As far as the plans are concerned The fellow gave me the kit and the wing section of the plan was missing. I just had his crummy built up wing which I had to do a lot of work to. I couldn't complain though, since it was a freebie. Otherwise, I would be glad to send you a copy of the plans. Sorry about this.

Scott

R101

I built a C3 from the Denis Bryant plan about 20yrs ago. It was a great flyer, but had a frightening spin capability which proved to be it's undoing (in front of the judges and too low).
It had a Enya 35 FS for power

springer-RCU

I built a C1 about 10 years' back. 72" with a strangled Merco .61 up front. Flew an absolute treat for many hours. Viceless machine built from a free plan in one of the UK model mags...Phil Kent' design, I think.

Anyway, it's still going strong, but in other hands.

Springer

GoldenAge

R101,

Sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident. I stalled my old Pietenpol Aircamper
doing a slow flyby approx. 20 ft up. Put it straght in. I was lucky as I came away with
a dirty engine and a cracked wing leading edge. I still have this plane, it's the one
in my avatar

That old two cylinder engine has a nice sound which reminds me of my old Harley
Shovelhead with straight pipes. Thanks for posting the pic!

springer,

Wow, I have a Merco .49 which I thought was too much engine for this plane. The Saito .40 should be just right as light as the plane is.

Scott

The PIPE

Dear GoldenAge:

The PIPE Here once more-and I've even got the Smithsonian book on THEIR Aeronca C-2, which was the VERY FIRST ONE produced... it's entry there on the Web is at http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero...ft/aeronca.htm !

Before I had my very first PC to practice CAD at home (to keep in practice for the day I actually started WORKING as a CAD operator) with in late 1992, I even started up a set of hand drafted Giant Scale (1/4th size) drawings to actually build one, based on a set of Paul Matt drawings of the C-2 I photocopied in the NASM Library in downtown DC when I last visited there twenty years ago...the WING panel drawing got rather "finished", but not very much more was ever done with it...and I still have everything that I got done on it! GOTTA get that one transferred to DesignCAD before too long!

That VERY EARLY one, with the aluminum disc covered WIRE wheels, right up against the fuselage, a la the Lazy Bee, would be a REAL HOOT to fly as an RC Giant on Saito FA-90T power (either the real old version OR the more modern one) for "smallish" Giant Scale fun!

Even OLD RHINEBECK AERODROME has a flying Aeronca C-3 in their collection, shown at http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/aircraft/aeronca.htm (one of the last versions produced of it)...and I'm sure an RC Giant version of the earlier C-2 would look GREAT there during the annual RC Jamboree as well!

At least its "Cub yellow" and orange color scheme couldn't be easily ignored...and doing the multicolored 'Aeronca Wings' decal on the fin, with one of those Epson Stylus Photo printers on white decal paper (the original decal DOES have a white background, with an "Antique Olive" lettering font for all the lettering, I think)...now THAT would be impressive, with a Saito 90 twin in its nose!

Got to consider diggin' that OLD set of my own C-2 plans out for CAD transfer before too long!

Yours Sincerely,

The PIPE!

GoldenAge

Hello PIPE,

That sounds like the C2 Scout, I think that's what it was called. I actually thought about buying the Saito .60 Twin to put in my plane, but it only has a 6 oz. fuel tank in it and the engine price is a little steep too[:@]

It seems as though there were a number of changes made to the fuselage of the C3 over the 6 years or so that it was made. Mine must be one of the early versions and it is called the 'Collegiate'. The plane in the Rhinebeck image has the rounded 'turtleback' fuselage. Mine is called a 'razorback' with the single spar from the wing TE to the Rudder.

I hope you build the 1/4 scale job! Love to see pics of it one day.

Take care,

Scott

Here's an image of the very simple instrument panel in my plane

PT21Flyer

My Feedback: (1)

Here is a picture of me running up a full scale C-3. My Dad rescued it from a farmers field in Murfressboro, TN and flew it to Tullahoma after another pilot had a forced landing because the oil drian plug came loose and lost all the oil. We were running it some more to make sure the engine wasn't hurt.

Jerry

GoldenAge

Hi Jerry,

Man, that's great! Yours looks like the exact same plane that mine was modeled after.
Looks like the guy shut the engine down quickly after losing oil pressure.

How did she fly?

Thanks for posting that nice image-BTW!

Scott

PT21Flyer

My Feedback: (1)

Scott,

My Dad flew it to Tullahoma. He said it flew about the same as his J-2 Cub with a continental A-40. The two cylinder Aeronca engine of 37 h.p. was real close to the same power. You're right, the guy must have noticed the loss of oil pressure really quick, because there seemed to be no damage to the engine. The owner picked it up here and flew it on to Florida. Will post a pict. of the J-2 also.

Jerry

GoldenAge

Jerry,

Now _that_ would be a nice plane to build! The J-3's are nice, but you see so many of them. I like the uncommon aircraft like the C3 or the J-2 and there are many many others as well.

Looked like a very nice flying plane.

Thanks for the pic,

Scott

r1morris

My Feedback: (1)

A number of years back Balsa USA had a C-3 kit She was good sized and took a 120 four stroke to fly it. The thing was slow and alot of fun to putt putt around the sky. Even put one on floats. To bad they stopped making the kit.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

I had a Joy products Aeronca C3. These were magnificent kits of a quality that was a lot better then what was generally available in the early 70's. They also made a sport plane that looked like the old Palmer Mars, I had that but can't remember the name and they also had a Jenny which I also had built.
As to the fate of the company it was bought and became Balsa USA. so now you knpw where that larger 1/4 scale model came from. That also was a great flying model, but a little fragile in the rear. Dennis

GoldenAge

Dennis,

I remember Joy made a Jenny too. Never saw one though. There were some excellent materials in this kit such as the turnbuckles. They looked like Proctor's. I'll bet that Jenny was a beauty[8D]

Wow, didn't know that! BUSA has some nice kits. Thanks for the interesting bit of trivia,

Scott

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

In reply to Jim McIntyre,
Model Airplane News has 2 plans available. There's a C1 from 1996 and a C3 from 1966. Plan numbers are FSP06961 (C1) and FSP10661 (C3) both are approx. 60" span and mount a .15-.20 2-stroke or .26 4-stroke.
I've got the C1 plans. They're from Phil Kent and look like a pretty easy build. Both plans are available from www.rcstore.com.

papermache

Jim_McIntyre

Thanks.

I was inspired to dig through some old boxes I had lying around and came across the 36" Sterling plans I built from some 30 years ago!

I'm going to build this as a park flyer and, if I like her as much as I used to, likely scale her up to 1/4 scale (I saw one in Tillsonburg during the worlds I could document, I also have reasonable pics from Rhinebeck but, any excuse for another visit [8D])

rob v

My Feedback: (74)

Gentleman
Just seen your threads on the aeronca c-3. I just purchased some planes. one of which is the large aeronca c-3 . I don't want to sell the os 120 ft that is on it but would be will to sell the airframe to someone interested. I don't want to
crate up this beauty, would rather have it as a local pick up. inquire if you need pictures sent.
Thanks
Rob [email protected]

desilejf

My Feedback: (20)

I have been trying to determine where the C3 I am finishing came from and it is a Balsa USA kit. I have had the thing for years in bones and decided to finish it up. Lost the plans in a move. Anyway if there is some interest I have this one nearly ready for a US Scale Masters qualifier. Waiting on 2/56 1/2 inch long socket head screws and some Robart clevises so I can replace the wires I did with the correct flat wires. Flat wires are from a clock sprigs and I got them from Proctor Ent. This is a scale model of PT21flyers bird shown above. Bob Banka supplied me with three views and a photo pac

NELSON HOBBY

FlyBy8

My Feedback: (1)

Nice exhaust, Desilejf.

Care to share the details on the source for that setup?

Here are some pics from last weekend, to try and revive this Aeronca C3 thread. Come on, I know there are more pics out there.

gene6029

Man if you had a pilot in that plane, some of those pics would be hard to tell if it were FS!...Gene

ARUP

Here's mine built from 1/6 Cleveland plans.

desilejf

My Feedback: (20)

The exhaust: I cut down the OS FT120 stainless exhaust and then used brass tubing for the balance. To get the pipes properly set up I built a jig the bolted to the drive washer with an oak spacer so I could silver solder without worrying about movement. Once the y was tacked I used larger tubing to build the connection and then still larger for the down pipe.
Once that was all together I turned the top of the carb air box on the lathe and then drilled it to slip fit the pipe. The can was just a bigger piece of brass, I did build a lip on the turned piece so the can also pressed on, didnt want to use too much heat at the end and have things come apart.
Finally I sprayed the header with automotive exhaust h-itemp paint. Then I waited for my wife to be out of town and baked the setup in the oven.
Bird is for sale in the Chicago area at this moment with polished stainless flat flying wires. Actually the wires are clock spring stock but that isnt available from anyone that I know of I bought the last from Proctor.

teambreen

A Friend of mine Sent Me a link to this thread and I am really glad he did. Really impressive projects guys . ARUP, if you don't mind what Motor are you using? I have been trying to identify it from the pictures and am just curious.
We are finishing up a C3 Master On Floats . We have 2 flights on it now and have a few more graphics and a pilot to add.
TeamBreen

bogbeagle

Oh, I'm so jealous. I'd dearly love to fly off water; especially with a cute thing like the Aeronca.

Nearest decent venue for IC waterplanes is 150 miles away, though ... simply cannot justify it. Could fly electric locally, if I could commit myself to the "dark side".

I don't suppose that you have some video, do you?