jojop

You can get plans for McGovern's Monster at http://myunclewillies.com/. It was changed slightly to make the Berkeley kit, so the berkeley parts won't fit, but the outline is almost the same. Cost is $15 and you get a TIFF file from which you must have 2 9' prints made locally. I think he also has the Berkeley plan, but it was photographed poorly and is not the quality of his redrawn Monster.

sledge_78

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Any of you builders out there interested in a Berkeley Kit "Privateer Super 15" ? I have the kit, it's complete and in great shape. After all these years I decided that I'm not going to build this dream and would like to offer it for sale to a dedicated modeler who will build it. I even have the original engine I was going to use for it: Fox 15 R/c. Today's technology radio gear is so small compared to the Berkeley Aerotrol system pictured, it would be so much easier to install and operate. I think this would be a great candidate for electric power also. The engine pod would easily accept an electric engine . Anyone interested please let me know.

Sledge_78

Steve Westphal

I have a Custom Privateer and a Sea Cat still in the boxes. I will be selling them in the near future. I am trying to establish values for these beauties.

scale only 4 me

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Ebay, will determin that real fast

pweisser

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How much are you asking and where would it ship from?

pweisser

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* Once you establish a price please let me know.
* If you decide to post it on ebay please let me know when you list it.
* Would it be possible to talk with you on the phone regarding these kits?

I was involved with Privateer as a teenager and would like to create my own. I was not present when our preacher (owner) flew it but he did so from a boat and became disoriented. According to him he recovered it from a spiral only to smash directly into the side of a cottage. The plane was definately re-kitted but the cottage repair was substantial and expensive. Scratch one Privateer.

regards,
[email protected]

jojop

I recall a Custom Privateer kit on EBAY several years ago for a Buy It Now price of $450. I didn't follow it so don't know whether or for how much it sold. If you decide to sell on EBAY, let us know on this site. Recommend selling them separately.

sledge_78

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I can honestly say it is rare to find a Custom Privateer kit on EBAY. Privateer super 15 kits are more likely to appear. Even those seem to command a high price as high as $450 to $150. I believe I have seen one or two Sea cats. I do have a Privatere Super 15 kit which I would sell if someone is interested.

Steve Westphal

More than likely I will list it on ebay for bids. I will post some pictures on this site soon. It is at my brothers house a few miles away and we are getting another snow storm so I don't know when I will get there. I will post when I put it on ebay.

Steve Westphal

pweisser.....I emailed my email address to you....let me know if you got it.

planeman40

I can e-mail you - or anyone who would like one - a restored high resolution .PDF plan of the original "McGovern's Monster" (later Berkeley's "Custom Privateer") plan that is full size. Just e-mail me at [email protected] and be sure to mention what you want. I can also send the plans for the "Privateer". No charge.

Planeman

jojop

McGovern's Monster and the Custom Privateer were not exactly the same. I got a CP kit without plans and tried to build it over a MM plan, but the parts didn't fit. I think I could have eventually made it work, but elected to do something more productive. McGovern must have made some "improvements" to the design before it was kitted. The Uncle Willies Berkely plan http://myunclewillies.com/ was photographed from a not too good original and is useless. His redrawn mm plan is excellent and if the parts are cut from this plan it should build well. This plan does away with the overlays as it was published originally. It is a TIFF. The fuselage plan alone is about 3X8 feet and 16mb.

pweisser

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Thanks for confirming something I was wondering about. You are right about the Willis plans - useless. Have you build either the Monster or CP?
Thanks again for the note,
Phil

pweisser

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Correction - I will be building the Custom Privateer not the monster. Again, is the drawing you are offering one page or four?
Regards,
Philo

jojop

Phil, I have not built either and do not plan to after one failed attempt. Don't misunderstand my comment re Willie's plans though. I don't think his CP plan is good bcause of the flaws introduced by photographing, not scanning, the Berkeley plan. Even Willie admits this. The MM redrawn plan though, looks very good and I would bet on it making for a good build. You can see what the original Air Trails plan and the Willie redrawn plan look like at http://www.*****************.com/about42.html. I note that Willie is ill and may not be with us much longer. That may mean the loss of a lot of very good reconstructed plans.
Joe

pweisser

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Several years have passed since your pictures of your dad's Custom Privateer. Great looking. I am going to start construction of a very old, original, kit but I have several questions regarding size of rudder & elevater and waterproofing. Who could I contact regarding these questions?
Thank you,
Phil

Johng

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Cool. Just found this thread. I bought a Custom Privateer off a club member for a steal years ago. He couldn't get it flying even though it was built more or less to the plans. Mine looks almost like the one at the top of this thread, except the transarencies are red.

The poor guy I bought from had 2 things working against him - the fuel was in a flask in the fuselage instead of the engine pod, and the tail was built with the free-flight span overall, but the elevator was built to the shorter length. That is, the whole stab should have been built shorter for RC. Well, three things really - the CG on the plans is much too far forward for the free-flight sized horizontal tail. Take a look at the attached low-res of the tail planform to see the difference between the free-flight tail and the RC sized tail.

I'm an aero engineer and am able to calculate neutral point, CG location etc. Neutral point on this plane would be aboput 80% chord, putting CG location somewhere aft of the 60% point. The plans are marked 25%, like any 'normal' plane. That would be the major contributor to why the plane wouldn't take off. And all the weight the guy used to get the balance so far forward! sheesh. I had to peel 1/4 thick plates of lead out of the forward compartment - epoxied in.

I know I was rehabing it heavily at one time but never got it flying. I was going to move the fuel tank up into the pod. Still in my storage area. Now with this inspiration I think I'm gonna persue an electric conversion. And I believe I will string lights or glow-wire through the structure in order to make it a night-flyer as well. Plenty of fun down on the St. John's river with that...

If exfokkerflyer or Voodoofixer are still around, I'd love to hear your thoughts - and where the CG on this bird ended up for you.

Oh, and those looking for info on this bird should take a look at this page. Insteresting commentary on the plans from uncle Willie, and a look at low -res jpgs of the current plans that are available for $15: http://uncle$willies$plans.com/about42.html (take out the $'s to get the right address)

jescardin

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Here in Spain there are also "Custom Privateer" lovers!.

One shown below was built by my uncle Jose Maria (aka "Pepe") Cardín during 2010-2011 at his home in Madrid. He even actually purchased a CNC drill and cut every part before building it!. Model is covered in white an orange coloured silk with 6 dope coats.

It is powered by a brushless AXI outrunner motor and a Li-Po 6S 5.000mAh battery and it is controled with a FUTABA T7C 2.4Ghz radio and FUTABA servos with throttle, aileron, elevator and rudder controls.

By tha way and for keeping the model as original as possible, he decided for an all flying elevator as you may seen on the photos.

It has no more of 15-20 flights and most of them on "Old Timers" meetings but never have been flown from water, althougt tests on a small local pond went fine!.

Today we have done two flights of 10 minutes at my flying pits using no more of 2200mah capacity from the battery and then we put the model on store at the club hangar till next outing.

Hope you like the images!.