Balsa WoodKits

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billrunnels

billrunnels

Distinguished Member
B-17 Bombardier
8AF, 303bg, 360bs
1,124
1,368
Oct 13, 2017
Minnesota, USA
Do any of you modelers date back to the balsa wood kits? Are they still available?
 
As memo serves yes Sir, these are. For instance, the Guillow's ones should be still available across the pond.
 
Wurger said:
As memo serves yes Sir, these are. For instance, the Guillow's ones should be still available across the pond.
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I am surprised they are available. I built several back in 1930. At that time they were simple and fun to assemble. Seldom would one fly. Always had trouble stretching the tissue paper skin with heat. One wing or the other would warp. Great memories.:thumbleft:
 
Our Memeber Charles ( ccheese ) was assembling the kind of models. The skin stretching is done today without the heat using the clear varnish. It gives a better final effect and protection to a model. Here is a link to Charles' thread with one of his assembling.

1/24 Guillow's "Fairchild 24"
 
Built several of them, all gas powered and control line fliers. My three favorites were a Fokker Tri-plane Red Barron style, an F4 Corsair (those gull wings were a REAL challenge). Both were good fliers but my stunt flier was what was called "Profile". The fuselage was just a flat piece of balsa cut in the profile of an aircraft. All the build was in the wing and stabilizers. Rudder was fixed to the outside and only the horizontal stabilizers moved. You could do several stunts like inverted flying, wing-overs, and figure-8's
As to the coverings, I used "Rice Paper" glued to the stringers tightened by hand. When all were in place the rice paper was sprayed with water which caused it to shrink. Then came the coats of clear dope, over and over maybe 5-6 coats. THEN the color dope, 2-3 coats. Tears were repaired with more rice paper and clear dope
 
The Guillow's kits weren't known here in Poland. However there were our Polish ones. I made them a lot being a kid. The skin stretching was done with the heat after the paper had been soaked with water. Later I was making my own constructions that flew well.
 
Wurger said:
The Guillow's kits weren't known here in Poland. However there were our Polish ones. I made them a lot being a kid. The skin stretching was done with the heat after the paper had been soaked with water. Later I was making my own constructions that flew well.
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What source of heat did you use?
 
Oh.. during a fall and winter time it was my mother's hair dryer but in a summer it was just sun-dried. My own kites were skinned with the tissue paper also called here the japonese paper and stretched with the clear dope.
 
Wurger said:
Oh.. during a fall and winter time it was my mother's hair dryer but in a summer it was just sun-dried. My kites were skinned with the tissue paper also called here the japonese paper and stretched with the clear dope.
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Didn't have access to a hair dryer so used living room stove heat in the Winter and sun in the Summer. Are we talking about rubber band or engine power. I never got beyond rubber band. Also in the kite business as you were. The challenge was how much string could be unrolled.
 
First I was making models that could be called "gliders: with no power unit. Later I started these with the rubber band powering. And then switched to the models powered with an engine of the autoignition type initally. All of them were of the control line models.

BTW here links to Chrles' Spitfire floatplane based on the Guillow's Spitfire Mk.Vb.

**** DONE: 1/24 Spitfire Mk.Vb Floatplane – Home Country Modern Aircraft/Spitfire GB

**** FINISHED 1/24 Spitfire Mk.Vb Floatplane Home Country Modern Aircraft/Spitfire GB
 
Wurger said:
First I was making models that could be called "gliders: with no power unit. Later I started these with the rubber band powering. And then switched to the models powered with an engine of the autoignition type initally. All of them were of the control line models.

BTW here links to Chrles' Spitfire floatplane based on the Guillow's Spitfire Mk.Vb.

**** DONE: 1/24 Spitfire Mk.Vb Floatplane – Home Country Modern Aircraft/Spitfire GB

**** FINISHED 1/24 Spitfire Mk.Vb Floatplane Home Country Modern Aircraft/Spitfire GB
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I didn't get beyond the rubber band power kits. I wonder if they had engine power back in 1935-40. Lived in a small town and bought the kits at a local drug store for less than $2.00. Only had a wing span of 10 to 12 inches. My interest changed to sports. My interest returned to aviation when a Senior in High School and I was facing a choice for military service in WWII. It continued through out my 32 year Commercial Airline career.
 
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I see.The models with the rubber powering could be adjusted to the small autoignition engines . Of course it required some of changings to the model structures but quite easy to carry out. I had an OTM "Colibre" of 0.8 cm3. It was a small engine but of enough power to propel a guite big but light models. However these of the rubber propulsion were really great flying kites and more cheap than those with engines.
 
Wurger said:
I see.The models with the rubber powering could be adjusted to the small autoignition engines . Of course it required some of changings to the model structures but quite easy to carry out. I had an OTM "Colibre" of 0.8 cm3. It was a small engine but of enough power to propel a guite big but light models. However these of the rubber propulsion were really great flying kites and more cheap than those with engines.
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Thanks for the exchange.
 
My pleasure. :) I'm very glad I could chat a little bit with you Sir.
 
Wurger said:
My pleasure. :) I'm very glad I could chat a little bit with you Sir.
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Here is my last effort - B-17G. I did this about six years ago. It does not carry the markings of the 303rdbg. 20180614_174123.jpg
 
So that's a quite big model.

Here my old PZL P-7a of 1/72 scale .

pzlp7_1.jpg


pzlp7_2.jpg
 
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