4 Ship Formation Flyer
03-21-2004, 06:42 PM
#1
4 Ship Formation Flyer
I am ghoing to try and scratch build an unusal project. It is a 4 ship formation all tied together to be essentially one aircraft. The formation will be in a diamond shape. Each individual plane will have a control control function , such as aileron for each out board plane, elevator for the rearmost plane and throttle and for the nose plane. The problem I think I might have for this plane is how would I figure the cg for this plane? If anyone has the plans for this which showed up in a magazine some time back, that would help. Thanks in advance.
03-21-2004, 07:46 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
Tony:
I remember the "Blue Angels" kit, and I think the planes were Panthers, the F9F. If I'm right, that would date the kit to the mid or late 1950s, perhaps early 60s. Again, memory says it was a Goldberg kit, don't recall it in a magazine.
Good luck finding one.
Bill.
I remember the "Blue Angels" kit, and I think the planes were Panthers, the F9F. If I'm right, that would date the kit to the mid or late 1950s, perhaps early 60s. Again, memory says it was a Goldberg kit, don't recall it in a magazine.
Good luck finding one.
Bill.
03-21-2004, 08:29 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
Tony:
If I'm right on the age it was almost definitely a control line kit, and it is entirely possible someone later built an r/c version, had it published, and I just missed it.
I have memory of seeing one hanging in a hobby shop in the past few years, but I can't say if it was here in Florida or in Maryland. If here, it was in Radio South, the only shop I visit locally, if in Maryland (more probable) it was either in Laurel or Burtonsville. Don't remember the names of those shops, but a visit to the on-line yellow pages should get them, you can then call and ask.
Bill.
If I'm right on the age it was almost definitely a control line kit, and it is entirely possible someone later built an r/c version, had it published, and I just missed it.
I have memory of seeing one hanging in a hobby shop in the past few years, but I can't say if it was here in Florida or in Maryland. If here, it was in Radio South, the only shop I visit locally, if in Maryland (more probable) it was either in Laurel or Burtonsville. Don't remember the names of those shops, but a visit to the on-line yellow pages should get them, you can then call and ask.
Bill.
03-21-2004, 09:16 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
Ken Willard did a Blue Angels version for RC in the late 60's or early 70's for RCM. Don't remember any closer than that but it was powered with a 15. But you're right Will. It's shown up under different guises at different times. I may be wrong but I THINK his was the first. I'm pretty sure it showed up in an English magazine in the 80's. And I think there was a third one as the Thunderbirds in the late 70's or early 80's in Model Aviation.
03-21-2004, 09:19 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
I think it was Ken Willard or one of the other old pros that had one in M.A.N in the early 70s. Had the engine only on the front one, ailerons on the outer ones and the whole rear plane tilted up and down for elevator. I think thats how it worked. Getting a little overdrawn at the memory bank.
03-22-2004, 09:23 AM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
Geez, you guys....do I hafta do EVERYTHING for you? 
It was in fact Ken Willard in the Dec. '78 issue of Model Aviation. As I recall, they were Grumman Tigers and the project wasn't as easy as it looked; even master design guru Willard had problems getting the incidence angles and CG of the planes correct. It was a really neat story; he told about launching it (them) a little distance away from the site at a large model meet and the announcer said something like "Ladies and gentlemen, we were lucky enough to get the Blue Angels for today's show, and here they come!" Ken flew it high enough you could barely hear the little OS .10 (I think) over the noise of the crowd and everyone believed it for a little while.
I got this cover pic off the Member's Only link at the AMA website. If the search site ever comes back up, AMA members can download the article itself. I have that issue stored away in my archives I think.
It was in fact Ken Willard in the Dec. '78 issue of Model Aviation. As I recall, they were Grumman Tigers and the project wasn't as easy as it looked; even master design guru Willard had problems getting the incidence angles and CG of the planes correct. It was a really neat story; he told about launching it (them) a little distance away from the site at a large model meet and the announcer said something like "Ladies and gentlemen, we were lucky enough to get the Blue Angels for today's show, and here they come!" Ken flew it high enough you could barely hear the little OS .10 (I think) over the noise of the crowd and everyone believed it for a little while.
I got this cover pic off the Member's Only link at the AMA website. If the search site ever comes back up, AMA members can download the article itself. I have that issue stored away in my archives I think.
03-22-2004, 02:54 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
ORIGINAL: G-man-RCU
Our club is having a contest for strange and unusual planes and I want to blow some minds.....
Our club is having a contest for strange and unusual planes and I want to blow some minds.....
03-23-2004, 06:41 PM
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RE: 4 Ship Formation Flyer
Not to get into this conversation too late but here is a link to what you are looking for:[link=http://www.oktv.se/hemsida/tmfk/ek.html]Formation fliers[/link]. It's not in english but you might get some ideas from it nontheless.
JESTER
JESTER
