Letters To The Editor
Great Lakes Trainer
I would like to call your attention to an error in the April issue which requires correction for the benefit of scale modelers, golden-era buffs, and others who might be confused by the caption beneath the top photograph on page 36. The photograph is of a nice-looking (modified) Great Lakes Trainer, and the caption states that a new engine has been installed "... instead of the original inverted, in-line Menasco engine."
Almost any amateur aircraft historian could have told you that almost all of the original engines installed in the Great Lakes Trainers were in-line American Cirrus engines, and they were installed upright, not inverted. An inverted, in-line American Ensign "Hi-drive" engine was available as an option, but I don't believe there were too many of these installed. (Both the Cirrus and Ensign engines were called "American" because I believe they were designed in England and built in this country under license.)
A number of the Great Lakes Trainers which survived the Thirties did have later engines installed, since the Cirrus/Ensign had only 90–95 horsepower. Perhaps the example in Mr. Meyers' photograph did have a Menasco in it at one time, but it was certainly not "original."
The Great Lakes Trainers were manufactured in Cleveland, OH from 1929 until 1933, only about 250 in all. The 2T-1 was introduced at the Detroit Air Show in 1929, and the 2T-1A came out in 1932. The -1A had a more streamlined cowl, but otherwise they were not much different. They were designed by Charles W. Meyers, who later designed the Waco Taperwing.
The Great Lakes Trainer has been very special to me, because my very first flying model was a 20-in. Cleveland Models kit of the 2T-1. The kit cost 10¢ in 1938, including rubber, orange and black tissue. It was a great flier. About 10 years later I enjoyed a ride in a full-scale 2T-1A, and as a student pilot I was allowed to handle the controls. I have also flown a Stearman and a Waco UPF-7. The Great Lakes was like a sports car as compared to those larger biplanes; it was the best-handling airplane I have ever flown.
You can appreciate why I was motivated to call this error to your attention. Generally I have high regard for Model Aviation. You have high standards of model journalism and should be an example for the modeling press.
Ralph Morris Costa Mesa, CA
Old Hobby Helpers Plans
About the request for information on old full-size plans in the letters column of the March issue: Dick Gleason, 1106 10th Dr. S.E., Austin, MN 55912, has Hobby Helpers/Air Trails plans in his catalog, which can be obtained for $2.00. He also has many of the plans from American Aircraft Modeler/American Modeler. For example, he carries my Fletcher FU-24 which appeared in the September 1971 issue of AAM. Dick also carries a lot of three-view drawings. Incidentally, the last survivor of that branch of the model magazine tree was the tabloid called RC Sportsman.
Claude McCullough Montezuma, IA
Eagle = Colonel!
I thoroughly enjoyed Roger Smith's article, "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles," in the June issue of Model Aviation magazine. It was one of the most interesting articles on novel uses of RC I have seen in a long time. As a former Marine Corps sergeant I feel compelled to point out one error on page 95. The caption reads, "Above right: A Marine staff sergeant is controlling the Pointer UAV . . ." The Marine in the photograph is a full-bird colonel as evidenced by the silver eagle on his collar lapel. A Marine staff sergeant has three stripes up and one rocker down.
I enjoy the informative articles in your magazine. Keep up the good work.
D.C. Cox Baraboo, WI
Keith Rider R-4
In the April issue Tom Nallen had an excellent article on the Free Flight Rubber Keith Rider R-4 / Schoenfeldt Firecracker raceplane. Please extend my congratulations to Tom for an excellent article and model. I always wondered how good a flying model of that one would really be; now I know.
I owned the full-size Firecracker for several years when I lived in a Los Angeles suburb and worked on the Apollo space ship (invented, designed, engineered, and test-flew the Pilot's Manual controls; patents to suit). My friend Paul Oonfrey had purchased the remains of the Firecracker many years previously. When he ran out of storage space I bought it from him, stored it in my shop, and measured everything. I'm enclosing a set print made from that old drawing.
The Firecracker had been stripped and cut into pieces by Tony LeVier for use in his Unstable Mable high-speed glider. The tail surfaces had been cut off the fuselage and the wing sawed into three pieces. The tail and outer wing panels, on the glider, were at Maloney's Air Museum. After I made telephone arrangements to go out there to measure the pieces, I arrived to find the guards refusing me admittance—hence the lack of detail in those areas. I sent copies of my drawing to Bob Hirsch (we worked together on the Apollo) and also to Art Hall for aid on his fine drawing; Dustin "Dusty" Carter already had much detail information at that time. Glad to see them all get credit for their work.
I am also enclosing an interim copy of my current plans list that shows various full-size, including home-built, plane plans I have available. These are originals as they came from the factory or original designer; they are not anyone's imaginings. You may be interested in comparing my Mono-Wing patent and detailed construction plans with Lockheed's Stealth fighter, especially considering their strange attempt to acquire my patent when I worked for them in the late 1960s on advanced concepts of advanced design.
Gordon Codding 3724 John L. Ave.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
