Seahunter
Active member
Many years ago in 1958, (telling my age now), I was on my last year of a 3 year tour with the USN in San Diego, I was on a bus on liberty and spotted an RC flying field and got off the bus to watch. One of the club members spotted me and invited me for a lesson on his airplane. If you are familiar with RC history, you will remember that at that time we had only single channel transmitters on carrier or tone modulation and rudder only control, no servos but used a rubber band powered escapement to move the rudder. I was instructed on how everything worked and then he demonstrated a proper hand launch. He got the plane up high and gave me his transmitter for my first ever RC flight. I was hooked from then on.
After my Navy tour was over, I dreamed of building an RC plane, but couldn't afford the equipment cost, so continued my free flight and control line fun. Finally in 1963, i got an ACE transmitter and an escapement, and found plans for a plane I liked in an Air Trails magazine, enlarged the plan and started the build. I installed a .25 OS 2 stroke. Its never been run. I had it almost finished except for covering with gear installed and working when I made a choice to join the USCG. and Lil Arcy got put aside never getting to fly.
About 2003, I got it out, converted it to a shoulder wing four channel FM and installed all necessary electronics. Didn't finish covering wing.
[
]
Lil Arcy then became a hanger queen as my wife selected it for a display hanger and didn't want me to finish and fly it, she loved the ribbed wing showing, and snoopy pilot, his head turns opposite the rudder so he appears to look where hes going.
I cut the scale 50% and did a foam build so I would be able to maiden it and finally see it fly
Its ready for paint now. So will continue this soon. Unfortunateiy my wife was following this build with great interest, but she passed away on July 10th. The original Lil Arcy will hang there in memory of her for the rest of my flying/building days. More to come
After my Navy tour was over, I dreamed of building an RC plane, but couldn't afford the equipment cost, so continued my free flight and control line fun. Finally in 1963, i got an ACE transmitter and an escapement, and found plans for a plane I liked in an Air Trails magazine, enlarged the plan and started the build. I installed a .25 OS 2 stroke. Its never been run. I had it almost finished except for covering with gear installed and working when I made a choice to join the USCG. and Lil Arcy got put aside never getting to fly.
About 2003, I got it out, converted it to a shoulder wing four channel FM and installed all necessary electronics. Didn't finish covering wing.
![G0070139.JPG G0070139.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377280_2dc40c1d576092eea667efe9e37f8af7_thumb.jpg)
![G0050132.JPG G0050132.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377282_c944e88ac7f21d4c9f19434c5246828d_thumb.jpg)
![G0060136 (1).JPG G0060136 (1).JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377284_14a1a4aa593d92660ecf06f6f0560e64_thumb.jpg)
![G0080140 (1).JPG G0080140 (1).JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377286_e61487521d1b0eb1eaff4a12072fd832_thumb.jpg)
Lil Arcy then became a hanger queen as my wife selected it for a display hanger and didn't want me to finish and fly it, she loved the ribbed wing showing, and snoopy pilot, his head turns opposite the rudder so he appears to look where hes going.
I cut the scale 50% and did a foam build so I would be able to maiden it and finally see it fly
![GOPR0694.JPG GOPR0694.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377306_be382c8df76ba1d76405ebedd728203b_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0695.JPG GOPR0695.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377308_518b45afb397cede659dfb2947bc02b0_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0697 (1).JPG GOPR0697 (1).JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377311_0489f8de98e87478c518ceb0ae31974c_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0698 (2).JPG GOPR0698 (2).JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377312_5c8e825b13e6b57ade1f1811ae33f7e9_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0699.JPG GOPR0699.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377314_d643ac210d2fe0b97287ce38bac4e6b4_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0647.JPG GOPR0647.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377318_9e085766356035266f9a6687ed5f54cd_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0648.JPG GOPR0648.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377319_1d718ec6a74dc4245e17db4ebfeca523_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0649.JPG GOPR0649.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377325_06026a1fffa677d136464595349da687_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0651.JPG GOPR0651.JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377304_3a5019ca12b0db4d3245c1193847b9e1_thumb.jpg)
![GOPR0650 (1).JPG GOPR0650 (1).JPG](https://ftforumx2.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/08/377303_d525813c5eafea0c22635abdf16a79a5_thumb.jpg)
Its ready for paint now. So will continue this soon. Unfortunateiy my wife was following this build with great interest, but she passed away on July 10th. The original Lil Arcy will hang there in memory of her for the rest of my flying/building days. More to come
Attachments
Last edited: