Model airplane building has been the introduction to aviation for countless youths in years past and continues in a much lesser degree today for the younger set. Model airplane builders used to be youthful enthusiasts and essentially WERE the market - now the model industry is adult oriented and caters primarily to radio control from giant scale down to park flyers.
CollectAir has vintage wood model airplane kits for sale, both flying models and solid display models, aimed at the serious collector. We also have special exhibits of old wood kits, completed models, ignition model engines, and rare model airplane catalogs dating back to 1912. The Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) is an international organization which carries on the tradition of flying old timer models, primarily those designed prior to 1943; many flying activities and contests are held in the U.S. and many other countries. The Flying Aces is another organization which is involved in flying scale, rubber-powered models built in the fashion of the 1930s and 40s.
Do you currently fly old timer models? Do you remember the old climb and glide routine? Would you like to become involved with radio controlled vintage model flying? Do you reside in the Central California area? Would you like to have a flying site that is devoted to R/C vintage models (i.e. no mufflers)? Would you like to belong to a vintage model club?
First, vintage fliers should belong to two organizations: The Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). SAM is an international organization of vintage fliers and holds a national competition each year (SAM Champs). The AMA is an all encompassing model flying organization with many special interest groups - the main purpose for vintage fliers to belong is the insurance coverage for our flying, whether club flying or competition meets. Local chapters of SAM require that members belong to the AMA and recommend SAM membership if they intend to fly models at club sites.
SAM Chapter 26 is the Central Coast organization which fosters and promotes R/C vintage model flying through informal weekly "fly" sessions and several contests during the year. SAM 26 has a flying site (not suitable for free flight) available on Saturday mornings and has a dedicated group that tries to fill the air with old timers - including ignition engines, glow engines, gliders, and electric powered models, each trying to find that elusive thermal. Many of the modelers drive 50 or more miles to attend the weekly fly.
Neophytes to old timer building and flying are more than welcome. Experienced club members can provide guidance and assistance to the novice flier. Younger model enthusiasts who have been exposed to ready-to-fly R/C models are encouraged to build old timers - many small businesses now provide kits and parts aimed exclusively at the old timer. The old engines are readily available through eBay or swap sheets such as MECA - virtually all of the old model designs (originally free flight) are available by plan or kits. Some modelers enjoy competitive flying while many others enjoy pure sport flying - SAM 26 members have a wide range of interests.
Here are the organizations and SAM 26 individuals that would enjoy talking with you - if you have that urge to fly something different and would like to have a vintage model plan pinned to your building board, then contact our club officers. SAM and AMA both have websites.
SAM has a terrific old timer newsletter, SAM Speaks, which contains ads for many of the old timer suppliers. The SAM 26 newsletter is an informative, monthly tome which is equally valuable to the novice and experienced flier.
Academy of Model Aeronautics
http://www.modelaircraft.org/
http://www.modelaircraft.org/
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
http://www.antiquemodeler.org/
http://www.antiquemodeler.org/
SAM 26 President
Dick Fischer
215 Arabian Way
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
805-489-4078
dick.fischer@mac.com
Dick Fischer
215 Arabian Way
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
805-489-4078
dick.fischer@mac.com
SAM 26 Secretary/Treasurer
Jim Bierbauer
519 W. Taylor St. #381
Santa Maria, CA 93454
805-928-0918
Jim Bierbauer
519 W. Taylor St. #381
Santa Maria, CA 93454
805-928-0918
SAM 26 Newsletter editor
Bob Angel
1001 Patterson Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455
805-937-5145
samrcflier@verizon.net
Bob Angel
1001 Patterson Rd.
Santa Maria, CA 93455
805-937-5145
samrcflier@verizon.net
The Anderson Pylon model shown below is another example of the type of model flown in SAM. This model is an "Antique" design but has been scaled to 75% of the orignal size to accomodate a smaller engine displacement. The engine is an Ohlsson & Rice 23 (1947)and is mounted on an original O&R mounting tank. This engine has spark ignition.
Model airplanes are a true nostagia item proving that there's some kid in all of us. The old model kits are a reminder of simpler times for youth. Consider, for example (and there's many of them) that Juan Trippe (1899-1981, incidentally Trippe was born the same year as the late Paul Garber of the Smithsonian), founder of Pan Am origins in 1927, flew rubber-powered model airplanes in New York's Central Park as a child. Own an old model kit and imagine what astronaut or fighter ace or aircraft designer may have gotten the flying urge from that box of wood and plans. It's a shame that today's youth are bombarded with stuff that comes out of the box looking like the final product. They're missing the thrill and personal satisfaction of turning that box of (what looks like) scrap lumber into a real flying airplane. If you enjoy models, you will appreciate the fine "bread and butter Typhoon" detailed in the "Articles" page along with a discussion of the history of solid wood kits.
As some of these kits are sold, I'm leaving the pictures on this page because I believe many of you will enjoy seeing the pictures and contents of these vintage models. As a number of kits have been sold, I will be posting many new kits, both flying scale and solid, during the coming months. A word of caution: Many old kits show up on eBay. I have been disappointed with the condition of some kits purchased on eBay auctions. I try to give you the true condition of kits that I offer with an honest appraisal of box condition (scale of 1 to 10 where "10" would be fresh out of the factory never opened - not many 10s around) and contents along with suitable pictures. Keep in mind that these are not new kits; they are all vintage items ranging from 40 years to over 70 years old so they usually show some patina of age and signs of shelf wear. The kit plan sometimes experiences acid-yellowing in areas caused by contact with wood and a plan can have splits along fold lines and may have tears - I try to describe these common defects as accurately as I can.
Be sure and check out the additional model kits on the Vintage Kits Annex Page, Vintage Kit Annex 2, Vintage Kit Annex 3,Vintage Kit Annex 4 and particularly Vintage Kits Annex 5 page which has all of the Cleveland scale kits shown in the Cleveland 1955-56 catalog.
NEW BOOKS IN STOCK A new book, Flying Model Collectibles and Accessories, by James C. Johnson is a Schiffer book for collectors and includes a price guide - 627 color photos in 192 pages. This is an absolute necessary volume for the model airplane collector.
This is a superb book for anyone interested in old model memorabilia. The back cover states, "The dream of flight has been a rite of passage for more than three generations of boys, and model aviation continues to be one of the most wholesome and engaging activities in modern culture. This wonderful collector's book explores and identifies hundreds of fantastic items related to model aviation. More than 600 color photos illustrate engines, kits, radio control accessories, propellers, books, magazines, and other important model aviation memorabilia. The history of model aviation is documented in an engaging text full of facts and background information. Captions include detailed information about size, vintage, and current market values. At long last, treasure hunters, antique dealers, and all who have ever dreamed of flight have a clear, concise, and easy-to-use guide to model aviation memorabilia that has, until now, remained solely within the modeling community." Jim has had to omit a few subjects for reason of space, not importance. RTFs, solid wood scale, Jimmie Allen items, Jack Armstrong, and Jetex, are a few of the significant model items not included.
I believe this book is both a walk down model-memory lane and a good guide to what's out there. U-control is nicely handled as well as publications of the modeling world: catalogs, magazines, books, etc. I recommend this book for all who wander onto this page of vintage models. Priced at $29.95 and you can order from your favorite seller such as Amazon or Alibris. The cover and title page are shown below.
AVIATION'S GREAT RECRUITER - Cleveland's Ed Packard by H.L. (Herm) Schreiner. If you are a vintage model kit collector or were a youth in the great model building era of the 1930s through the 1950s and once assembled a Cleveland scale kit or dreamed of doing so - or if you are just interested in family businesses - this new book by Herm Schreiner must be on your library shelf. Herm has traced not only the accomplishments of Ed Packard and the Cleveland Model and Supply Company, but has laid the foundation for the model airplane industry from its infancy. Turn in your "collector's badge" if this book doesn't thrill you - guaranteed that you will learn things new and interesting. Herm first started working on this history in 1971 for several articles in the AAHS Journal and continued to be in contact with Ed Packard until Packard's death in 1992. The book is a fantastic work and I've thoroughly enjoyed every word. A few slip ups which aren't all Herm's fault - for instance, the terrific Cleveland Model display at the Air Force Museum, shown on page 280 is no longer there (as of June 2004). Page 119 has a caption for some race planes but no picture.
"This book was not written - it was assembled. It is a vehicle for the long overdue recognition of the spirit that lived within Master Model Engineer Edward T. Packard, since it was that indomitable, resolute dedication to providing 'wings for everyone' that created a lifelong hobby for so many of us, a hobby that made it possible for us to dream dreams of flying - of building or flying our own planes, of being test pilots, or of serving in the military. Dreams are the fabric of which Ed Packard was made. Had he not had dreams, there would never have been a Cleveland Model and Supply Company, and millions of us would never have experienced the satisfaction of the accomplishment of model construction and the euphoria of flight, one of the great joys of life." - from the Preface by the author.
"Aviation's Great Recruiter looks at an immigrant family whose oldest son's initiative and fascination with aircraft and flight led him into his career path at the age of thirteen. This cottage industry enterprise came to occupy his entire family for the next 77 years. It is a paean to the incubation of aviation, to the social and political atmosphere that accomplished it, and to Cleveland as the nexus for its germination." - Sidney H. Budd, Board of Directors, Crawford Auto and Aviation Museum, Cleveland, Ohio.
The soft cover book has a whopping 322 pages devoted to the model airplane industry. A listing is given of 289 of the C-D Scale Model Plans that Cleveland produced. Sixteen full color pages are included along with numerous black & white photos taken throughout Ed Packard's life. Here is a listing of the Parts and Chapters. Part I : The Birth of a Successful Cottage Industry. 1. Origins. 2. Destiny:Aviation. 3.Building a Nest Egg in the "Soaring Twenties." 4. The Lindbergh Phenomenon and the Pachasas. 5. The SF-1, Springboard to Greatness. 6. The Legacy of the War Birds. 7. C-D Takes Off. 8. The Era of the C-D "Giants" versus the Pylon Polishers. Part II: The Lorain Avenue Move and War Clouds over Europe. 9. The "All American Carton" and Gateway to Lorain Avenue. 10. The Playboy Family Takes Wing. 11. C-D Goes to War. 12. Postwar Dilemmas. Part III: Transition: The New C-D Era. 13. The Origin of the Volunteer Model Engineers. 14. The Reincarnations of the Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis. Part IV: Recognition. 15. The AMA and the Renaissance Man. 16. Showcased and Honored. 17. The Changing of the Guard at C-D. Epilogue. Appendix A. Listing of C-D Scale Model Plans. Appendix B. C-D Stock Prospectus and Evaluation, 1932. Appendix C. National Air Race Winners and the C-D Model Kits. Appendix D. Cleveland Model Supply Colunteer Model Engineers. Appendix F. Modelers Who Made It. References.
Sure to raise a few hackles, there is a lengthy description on pages 182-184 of how the Playboy Senior was designed by Ed Packard, not the "boy draftsman", Joe Elgin, who Ed directed how to draw the plan - the sequence of events was attested to by Cleveland designer/artist Jim Powell. This is not a technical, kit by kit, descriptive compendium - it is the story of Ed Packard and his company with its ups and downs, successes and failures. It is a fabulous book for our hobby of vintage wood kits. The price of this work is $39.95 and can be ordered from your favorite bookseller.
INTERESTING PICTURE I ran across this 1941 news photo at the LA Antiquarian Book Fair. The Dartmouth student is unimportant but the model is intriguing; I cannot find a 1930s kit that exactly corresponds to this model. The model is of the one-off, supercharged Consolidated Y1P-25; however, the ailerons don't match (the wing appears to be the YP-24), planform is close, cockpit sort of corresponds, supercharger and color scheme correct, prop and spinner arrangement is correct - the four guns on the wing, however, are fanciful. The closest model kit would be the Berkeley Consolidated P-30 with a 25 3/4" wingspan which came out around 1935, yet it is not the same. The Y1P-25 crashed in January,1933 and was superceded by the P-30 which went into production. This model airplane is very nicely constructed with sheeted leading edge, lots of stringers, movable control surfaces and elegantly covered and painted. The span would be around 24 to 30 inches as a guess. Detroit-Lockheed built the one-off YP-24 which crashed in 1931; the company failed and the engineers took the design to Consolidated. The design was updated to metal wings and with some minor changes in fuselage shape and became the one off Y1P-25 and an unsupercharged one off Y1A-11. Shown below is also a view of the Y1P-25.
The illustration below is from a 1937 Comet Models ad in Model Airplane News. So, in keeping with this inviting scene,"Come on in kids and browse the neat and swell kits that I've got for you!"
Ordering information is available at the bottom of this page.
More kits are offered on the Vintage Kits Annex Page. Click here to view additional old model kits at the Annex.Also, the Vintage Kit Annex 2 Page offers additional items. Click here to go to Annex 2. More vintage kits have been added to Annex 3 which can be accessed by Clicking here, and to Annex 4, accessed by Clicking here.
These links are repeated at the bottom of the page and in the list of page links in the left margin.
Berkeley Model Supplies was started in 1933 by William "Bill" Effinger in the basement and garage of his Brooklyn home while he was attending college. Starting with classified ads in Universal Model Airplane News, Bill began display ads in March 1934 and by November 1935 had an ad for six kits in what he named the "Master Models" series, all flying scale with a 20" wingspan. His very first scale design was the Consolidated Fleetster. This series continued until 1941. The Berkeley name came from his address in 1933, 53 Berkeley Place, Brooklyn.
Bill became known for his 7 1/2 foot wingspan, Brown Junior-powered Buccaneer free flight gas model, designed in 1934 and was put out as a kit starting in 1935, possibly being America's first gas model plane kit. A smaller Buccaneer Standardwas offered in 1937 and the Super Buccaneer was a sleeker version of the large 7 1/2- footer. This design won many contests and set many records. It was one of the earliest gas models to be kitted and it is still popular today with those modelers flying vintage designs with the Society of Antique Modelers. The large, 9-foot Cavalier (1938)and Custom Cavalierwere also early Berkeley successes. The "new" streamlined Super Buccaneer is pictured below from a 1937 Model Airplane News as the "improved version of the 1936 contest winner at NAA Nationals".
You may click here if you would like to see the Super Buccaneer catalog page from the 1941 Berkeley model catalog. Use back arrow to return.
Armed with a Mechanical Engineering degree, Bill found that Berkeley Models provided a better chance of employment than scarce engineering jobs during the depression years around 1938 so the model kit and supply business was his bread and butter until WWII came along. During the late 1930s, the young rubber model designer Henry Struck became associated with Berkeley; Struck designed the American Ace, Flying Cloud and the Sinbad glider. The AMA has a biography of Effinger on-line which you can access by clicking here.
Bill served as an Naval Aviation Engineering Officer during the second war and his dad continued the model business for the duration. A nice selection of kits existed throughout the war, including some civilian "Tactical Solid Demonstration Models", also presumably contracted by the Air Corps. While serving in Guadacanal, Bill and other modelers kiln-dried locally grown balsa and continued model building in off-duty hours.
The pseudonym of "Bill Berkeley" appeared at the top of the Berkeley Models advertising column in "Model & Hobby Industry" magazine. This 1952 ad for dealers states, under Bill's pen name, that "Our new building addition was ready May 1. This means an increase of one-third in our production potential and will shortly mean better service for everybody." The ad claims that "Berkeley models are sold through 85 distributors and 4,500 dealers."
Berkeley Models virtually exploded after the war with a wide range of new kits ranging from rubber powered scale, gas free flight - both contest and sport, powered scale, control-line stunt, speed and scale, solid models, boat kits, gliders, etc. Berkeley ads during the late 1940s and 1950s were prominent and featured a whole line of intriguing kits for modelers. The Berkeley kits were very complete and well designed by model "experts" - not only Bill, but also Henry Struck, Dr. Walt Good, Don McGovern, Woody Blanchard, Benny Shereshaw (Custom Cavalier), Paul Plecan (Minnow), Dick Korda (Powerhouse), and Stan Hill (who lived here in Santa Barbara), just to mention a few. Effinger developed a unique system of enlisting the design services of top model competition flyers. By 1957, Bill Effinger was reported to have estimated that Berkeley had produced 2 million kits, covering a very wide spectrum of modeling interests with an emphasis on scale flying models. The company was located in the famous aviation area on Long Island, West Hempstead, on Railroad Avenue. The Berkeley line ceased as an independent company because of bankruptcy around 1960 as it was taken over, or partnered, by Arkansas engine-maker Duke Fox who tried to rescue the ailing company. Beginning in 1960, Berkeley kits were featured in the same, familiar ads but with an Arkansas address, the same as Fox engines. By 1962, the Berkeley ads disappeared and a few of the kits were still offered in Fox engine ads; at first the kits were identified as Berkeley but some were put on sale at 1/2 price in June 1962 and the Berkeley name vanished. Subseqent ads in July featured some kits under the Fox name with no mention of Berkeley, so I use that date as the full demise of Berkeley kits, over 40 years ago. The melding of Fox and Berkeley just didn't work out. The kit line, in part, was picked up by Sig.
The January/February 1963 issue of American Modeler magazine has an ad for Reginald Denny Hobby Shop which features "Last of the Boeing B-17 'Flying Fortress'" - the large Berkely kit. From the ad: "Fox closes Berkeley plant...sells all stock...only limited quantities left."
Berkeley Models Inc. published a "How to Build Model Airplanes" Handbook in 1959; the book featured images from many of the plans for kits being manufactured by Berkeley. This excellent booklet, B-104, is shown in several pictures below.
Berkeley kits are very desirable collector items today inasmuch as they were one of the finest and most complete kits being offered during their run in the business. Some Berkeley kits will be presented here for sale as availability permits. The newest Berkeley kits that were marketed have to be over 40 years old by now; most are around 50 to 55 years average. Indeed vintage.
MODERN INTERNATIONAL FIGHTING AIRCRAFT - FOKKER D-17
The kit shown below is one of the earliest Berkeley scale flying models that I have found; it is a 24" wingspan Fokker D-17 fighter. The box is intact although somewhat discolored from age. The plan is dated Novermber 1934. A complete kit with everything necessary to fly including rubber and dope. Note the nifty dope bottle plainly marked with Berkeley. The plan is in excellent condition considering it is over 70 years old!
CURTISS XF13C-1 NAVY FIGHTER
This 20" wingspan kit is from the early Berkeley Master Model series which made its entry into the market around 1935. The plans are dated August 1935 and list the type as an "X" version. The flap-type box lists the kit as a F13C-1.
The Master Models series is pictured in the following page from the 1941 Berkeley catalog, the last year for this series.
The box measures 4 1/4" x 19" x 1 1/2" deep. The condition of this old box is about a "6"; it has a small date stamp of "DEC 15 1942" on the box front. This kit series was discontinued in 1941. The model plan has a few splits and tears on the lh side which have been repaired with archival document repair tape on the backside. The plan was drawn by "W.E." or William Effinger; he provided only 1/2 of the wing with instructions to use carbon paper to transfer the wing pattern to the backside of the plan. Contents and details from the plan are shown below.
This historic Master Model series was really the foundation for Berkeley kits, sales of which convinced Effinger to stay in the model kit business instead of venturing forth as an engineer. Bill's engineering background is evident in his drawings. This kit, around 60 years-old, is available for $110.00.
BERKELEY PRIVATEER SUPER 15 AMPHIBION KIT 19-4
Berkely was based in Brooklyn until the early 1950s when the company moved to West Hemstead, N.Y. A huge Privateer amphibion was designed earlier, followed by a 1/2A Privateer flying boat with a 36" wingspan and Henry Struck's "Sea-Cat" with a 68" wingspan, both of which appeared in the 1955 catalog. The Privateer Super "15" amphibion, kit No. 19-4, came out in 1960 after Berkeley merged with Fox and moved to Arkansas. See ad below. The "15" is a fabulous kit with a 60" wingspan, designed for either R/C or free flight and may be flown off water or land with manually retracted gear. The kit has a spun metal cowl for the engine, die-cut parts and lots of balsa; a large plan sheet is very detailed. Although this is a delightful collector's kit, one of the last designed by the Berkeley team and engineered by Bill Effinger, it is a kit which screams to be built - it looks like it would be a superb flyer with lots of wing and a long tail moment. The box rates about a "7 to 8" and the kit appears to be complete. Price of this 45-year-old box of balsa is SORRY SOLD.
CHECKOUT THE BERKELEY SBC-3 KIT NO. 7-3 ON THE VINTAGE KIT ANNEX 3 PAGE. KIT IS COMPLETE WITH A 1949 TORPEDO "SPECIAL" .29 GLOW ENGINE. ALSO SEE BERKELEY KITS ON THE KIT ANNEX 4 PAGE, INCLUDING A P-26.
Thousands of youth got their first modeling interest by assembling StromBecKer solid model kits in the 1930s and 40s. The early YB-17 kit C2 was my introduction to airplane models. The kits were absolute wonders with carefully milled and contoured pine pieces which could be crudely assembled by a 7-year-old (and actually look like an airplane) or finely crafted and painted by an adult to create a handsome display model. These were the cream of the solid model kits for kids. In the pre-WWII period, starting in about 1934, StromBecKer also made ship kits and various train kits (their specialty) as well as artillery pieces and a light tank. The dozens of pre-WWII kits are hard to find and very expensive. A history of the Strombeck-Becker Manufacturing Co. and their line of great pre-carved wood kits can be accessed by clicking the StromBecKer page here. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Six 1:72 kits were made during the war for the identification program and the post WWII kits became more detailed and elaborate as competition started coming from plastic. The B-24J and B-29 were very nice 4-engine kits, all in 1:72 scale. A picture of a B-24J kit is shown below as an example. Several other StromBecKers are offered on these kit pages, including the B-24J.
Some lightplanes (Swift 125 - with and without floats, Piper Cub Super Cruiser and Seascout, Bonanza) were included in the post-WWII product lineup along with some civil airliners such as the Convair Flagship, Douglas Super Clipper, DC-3, and the American DC-6. The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the only postwar twin reciprocating engine model of a military airplane - a very nice kit C33. Several small missile kits (Regulus and Matador - early design) were made and a number of post-WWII jet fighters (6), the D-558 Douglas Skyrocket, the Lockheed XV-1, and only one jet bomber, the B-47 Strato-Jet, kit number C45 which is being offered here. The XV-1 and the missile kits began incorporating many plastic parts as StromBecKer transitioned into the all-plastic field during the later 1950s and eventually dropped out of wood models altogether. The first all-plastic StromBecKer kit was the Navy XF2Y-1 Sea Dart, kit no. D25, which came out in 1955.
The B-47 kit is dated 1952. The box lid, as pictured below, measures 3 3/4" x 12" x 1 1/2" deep; the general condition is a strong "8.5+" making a very nice display box - only slight creases at left end, but very bright and crisp.
The kit contents are in excellent condition and complete with all parts - the decal sheet is mint. The model has a wing span of 13" and is marked as a scale of 1/9"=1', sort of a "fit the box" size - shown below with the September 5, 1949 issue ofNewsweek featuring a B-47 on the cover and a short story inside about the B-36 controversy with the U.S. Navy.
This 1952 kit of the B-47 Strato-Jet is available for Sorry Sold.
A seventy-year-old solid balsa kit in amazing, near-new condition. The Model Builders Guild Boeing P-26A, kit plan H5901, has a large 14 3/4" wingspan and is equipped with an electric motor to drive a scale aluminum prop for display. The company was located at Hempstead, New York, near the home of early aviation on Long Island near the site of the old Roosevelt Field (check out the Matilde Moisant page for details of the Hemstead Plains area).
This kit is an excellent example of solid balsa kits of the mid-1930s; it features profile-cut parts and a nicely detailed plan in the full, 1:24 scale. The addition of an electrically-driven propeller is unusual for a solid kit - I have no idea whether the motor is functional. A 4 5/8" x 12" leaflet is included which promotes the movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, by having a model contest for Bounty models made from the Model Builders Guild kit. A detailed synopsis of the movie is on the flip side - starring Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone. Also included is a detailed instruction sheet , 8 1/2" x 14" describing the steps in building the P-26A. The title block of the 17" x 22" plan is shown below along with a detail from the plan.
The Model Builders Guild published many ship model plans and kits in the mid-1930s. Does anyone have further information concerning any other airplane kits by this firm? The box contents are pictured below. The large, 7 1/2" x 12 3/4" lid-type box is in great condition - a near "10" - surprising for its 70-year age.
This superb, 1935 solid model kit is available for sorry sold - a rare example. American Airlines baggage stickers were used on the ends to seal the lid to the kit bottom - the sticker reads, "American Airlines - Mail - Passengers - Express". A sticker half is shown below.
The following is from the leaflet enclosed with the kit.
"Ever since the epoch making flight of Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh, the youth of America has been 'air minded.' The imagination and fancy of all are in the conquering of the air. Boys! Young men! Build and fly model aeroplanes. The world of the future will be on wings. The model aeroplane opens the door of golden opportunity to you. Learn the elementary knowledge of the science of aeronautics by experimenting with model planes.
"ACE ARROW MODEL AEROPLANES are the result of many years of experimentation by one of the world's pioneer aviators. They are built to really fly and are so durably constructed, that no longer will it be necessary for you to spend hours of time constructing a model, only to have a complete 'crash' on your first few attempts to fly it.
"Glueless wings that take only three minutes to assemble, equipped with protecting wing tips. Tube fusilage construction with provision for using a winding device, Flexible elevator wing supports, giving automatic stability. Adjustable rudder control. Wings and rudders that are released when plane strikes objects, thereby preventing breaking. These, with many other features, are incorporated in ACE ARROW MODEL AEROPLANES.
"ACE ARROW MODEL AEROPLANES are named in honor and esteem of three pioneers in flying.
"The 'Beachey Stunt Plane' is rightfully named after Lincoln Beachey undoubtedly the most daring stunt flyer of his time, if not of all time. Beachey, the flyer who startled the world years ago by making an indoor flight in an armory.
"It is only fitting that the endurance flyer of the Ace Arrow fleet be named after George T. Tomlinson, the pioneer endurance flyer. - the first man in the world to remain in the air over night, and this, in a balloon, over thirty years ago. Tomlinson who built and piloted balloons, - who built and flew dirigibles and, lastly, aeroplanes many years ago.
"The Baldwin Tractor named after Captain Thomas S. Baldwin - the granddaddy of aviation, who was one of the earliest developers and operators of parachutes - who built and piloted balloons - who constructed America's first dirigible and, lastly, built and flew an aeroplane as far back as 1910, when he was then well over sixty years old."
This is an example of a kit from around 1930 featuring pre-built and pre-formed parts (partly finished). This kit was originally sold for $5.00 at San Francisco's City of Paris department store (Nieman Marcus currently on site at Union Square) and the price tag is still on the wing (marked down to $2.50). All parts are constructed from a harder wood similar to basswood. A pair of intact,and in excellent condition, celluloid wheels are still tied to the box bottom. A roll of red silk covering material is included. The pre-built parts and construction material have not been removed from their original tie-downs. The only items that appear to be missing are the Ambroid glue and dope can mentioned in the instructions. It is not evident where those items would have been fastened in the box as there is no obvious place for them. Perhaps they came as separately packaged items. The wing is on a raised cardstock platform but there isn't sufficient room underneath for the liquids. Two glassine envelopes have small parts within. Note that the original rubber motor is included although it is "petrified" (photo above).
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