Does anyone know of a stick & tissue kit for an F7U-3 Cutlass? (Yes, that semi-tailless jet fighter from the 1950s, the one that looked something like a manned boomerang.)
This is the classic “favor for a friend” situation, a shut-in friend of mine has recently taken an interest in the F7U-3 Cutlass, but not the plastic kits. He is into stick & tissue construction, Guillow “giant scale” stuff and their ilk. He builds them, then dopes the tissue resulting in a translucent skin over the balsa spars and stringers. Quite striking.
He rejected my suggestion of the old Strombecker C49 kit (assuming that one could be found) because it’s all balsa and not “stick & tissue” construction. It needs to be stick & tissue or he’s not interested.
Does anyone know of a kit that would fulfill his needs? I suspect that even measured plans (vice a full, pre-cut kit) would satisfy his requirements. Failing that, does anyone have any engineering diagrams (not just 3-view drawings), something that shows the internal structure? TIA.
Go to Cleveland Model and Supply Company’s web site. The provide plans and some kits. They may have a “stick and tissue” kit, or the plans, for a Cutlass. They have a lot of neat “old school” stuff. The original Cleveland, OH company was purchased from the estate of the original family and is now operating in IN (I think). The new owners do a great job of keeping this old school aspect of model airplane building going. I have a set of 1/8 scale plans for a Lockheed Electra Model 10E that will be built in plastic with two 1/8 scale Williams Brothers P&W Wasp engines. I have 10 years invested in researching Amelia Earhart’s Electra. The service manual for a model 10 Electra cost a small fortune, but I found one for sale from a defunct small air carrier for a $100. It gives me all the detail I need. Anyways, I got the plans from Cleveland and had them redrawn to 1/8th scale. This will be a retirement project and I am estimating 5 years to complete the project…
I checked out Sterling, and Guillows (they bought out Comet). No F7U -3 Cutlass. Couldn’t get on to the Herr Engineering site. They make great stick-n-tissue planes too plus all the accessories needed for flying. Check it out when you get a chance. They must have been tied up right now. Need any other help just let me know.
Hi, Warbird Kits sells a R/C balsa kit that might work for you. Otherwise, the only early Navy Jets I can get plans for are the F9 Panther, the F4D Skyray, and the Douglas Skystreak. If you’re interested let me know.
Cleveland does have a Vought F7U, but it’s unclear as to what (balsa? stick? something else altogether?) it is. I’ve sent them an e-mail requesting clarification. Thanks.
Short Answer: No, there is no stick & tissue kit for an F7U-3 Cutlass.
Long Answer: John Jacox of Cleveland Model & Supply Company, Inc., told me (19 Jan 2011), “We sell plans, only, complete with templates. The Simplex F7U plan is for a stick and tissue model.”