Conference vmszoo::rc

I called them regarding their Airknocker kit.  After asking
around I've heard that their kits are basically a box of balsa
and a set of plans.  Anyway, the lady on the phone answered my
questions and was very nice.  I didn't buy the Airknocker for
other reasons. 

    I've heard good and bad. My first trainer was the bud nosen 
    rookie forty. Three channel, flat bottom wing, and a nice flyer.
    The thing that impressed me was the color coded sticks. If the
    step called for a 36" 3/16 x 1/4" it would also mention in brackets
    (red) what color was on the end. I've seen a few kit's by them.
    The Mr. Mulligan, The P-51, and the Citabria. Al Caseya wrote me
    once about the P-51 and talk it down due to it being not sturdy
    enough for the larger engins which are required to lift a plane
    it's size and I think he mentioned the flight performance being
    poor. Hope fully he'll chime in again to this note and add some 
    comments cause I myself have more than once thought about getting
    that kit even after his advice (It didn't fall on deaf ears Al, I'm
    still holding your opinions in reserve, I just want to collect more
    before I make a final decision). I've seen alot of nosen kits in
    the mags too, like the cessna 310, Mr Mulligan, Gere sport and I think
    the cub.

    With Nosen's kit(s) it's strictly a matter of expectations: if you
    expect a precisely/totally prefabricated kit with detailed plans
    and explicit instructions, forget it!  Nosen kits are, as John
    mentioned, largely a box of balsa and some plans; very little is
    done for you.  The .40-size model mentioned may be an exception
    but the _very_ large models, i.e. Mr. Mulligan, P-51, P-47 all fit
    the description above.
    
    Then, there's the matter of scale...they aren't very!! (Scale, that
    is.)  You should also consider that these kits were designed _way_
    ahead of the availability of suitable power plants...even the Quadra
    wasn't around yet.  They were designed with an ultra-light, minimal
    structure and were intended to be flown (just barely) with a .60
    2-stroke engine pulling a giant prop via prop-driver (usually a
    belt/pulley reduction system).  Of course, there's now a plethora
    of suitable power plants  but the Nosen birds' structure is _FAR_
    too light to handle them without _considerable_ modification/beefing
    up.
    
    So, what you end up with is a too big, very heavy, not-very-scale
    airplane that, even with lots'a power, doesn't really "sparkle"
    in the performance department...and, just TRY to find suitable retracts
    for your 35+ lb. creation.
    
    If yer' into a lot of creative re-engineering and don't much care about
    the looseness of the scale fidelity, go for it but I must volunteer
    that _all_ those Nosen -51's and -47's I've seen constituted little
    more  than an expensive, unimpressive balsawood overcast.  

      |
      | |      00	 Adios,      Al
    |_|_|      ( >o
      |    Z__(O_\_	(The Desert Rat)

    Al,
    
    	Thanks for the input. I call the A&A folks and asked some questions
    about the kit. They weren't much help. The person I spoke with was very
    much with the one word answers.
    
    	So I guess I have to look else were for a good quadra size kit.
    
    
    Norm
    

     I currently have the 40 size Citabria from A&A. As stated by Al and
    one of the other replies, its a box of color coded balsa sticks and 
    some balsa blocks with a very so so set of instructions. It does not
    come with a cowl. Instead, it describes how to carve the balsa blocks
    into the desired shape, or you can order a fiberglass cowl. Some
    photos are also printed on the instruction sheet showing different
    stages of construction. 
     I opened the box, took one look, closed it, placed it on the shelf
    and decided that maybe someday I'd take the time, but not now. If
    anyone out there is interested, I may be willing to part with it.....
    I also have a small brochure from A&A with all the kits, parts & prices
    that I would be willing to photocopy and send out to anyone that may
    have an interest. There is a minimal amount of info in the brochure
    and the one I have is about 2 yrs. old so I'm sure the prices have
    changed.
    
    Bernie

    I have the Champ (small version) from A&A.  The sticks in a box
    descriptions in previous replies are accurate, however, in defense
    of the plane it is an excellent flyer that is very true to scale
    in the flying department.  You can do excellent slips with it and
    there is room in it for your radio and both hands.  The wing, at
    65" weighed in at just under one pound covered!  The price per square
    inch ratios make it a bargain if you like building.
    
    My 2c worth
    
    Will

    This past weekend I got to see a large Bud Nosen model fly. It was the 
    8' gere sport bi-plane. The fuse on this thing is enormous. It looked 
    as though the guy was running a supertiger 2500 or similar which pulled
    it around rather realisticly. I asked about the kit as far as quality
    and easy of assembly and he mentioned some wood that was kinda bowed
    but when have you seen a kit that was perfect? This guy also mentioned
    he's about to build the big trainner. I have now seen three of the
    large Bud Nosen models fly and fly quite well. The Gere sport and two
    citabria's. I'll soon get to watch a Mr. Mulligan fly also.

    I'm not sure if anyone is still interested but as mentioned in my 
    last note, I would soon get to see a Mr. Mulligan fly. Well, yesterday
    I got to watch this bird take to the air. I've seen alot of big planes
    fly and once there in the air they kinda look like everything else,but,
    when this Mulligan flew, it stayed big. It was one of the more
    realistic large planes I've seen.

    Getting back into R/C and thinking about the Nosen Trainer.  Has anyone
    built and flown this kit?
    
    Ollie

    A good friend of mine is in the process of building the Bud Nosen
    Cessena 310 which is a 10-foot wingspan, twin engine plane.  Some
    details remain unclear at this time.  He would like to make contact
    with someone with previous experience buliding, powering, and flying this
    airplane.
    
    Do any of the noters in this file have any experience with this plane,
    or do any of your club members fly it?  If so please send me names and
    numbers so I can get them in touch.
    
    Many thanks,
    Joe