Airplanes and Rockets' history & copyright Google search American Modeler Air Trails American Aircraft Modeler Young Men Hobbies Aviation Flying Aces Saturday Evening Post Boys' Life Hobby Distributors Amateur Astronomy Engines & Motors Balsa Densities Silkspan Covering Comics Electronics My Models Model Aircraft Articles Plans Model Boat Articles Plans Model Car Articles Plans Model Train Articles Plans 1941 Crosley 03CB Radio Model helicopter articles & plans Crosswords Model Rocket Articles Plans Restoration Projects Photos Peanuts Collection Model Aircraft Articles Plans Sitemap Homepage Hints and Kinks Amateur Radio Archives of the homepage R/C Modeler Electronics About Airpleans and Rockest, Disclaimer, Terms of Use Model Topics Please Donate to Airplanes and Rockets Parole Plaza, Annapolis, Maryland Hobby Items for Sale Airplanes and Rockets Hero Graphic




Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Plans Service - Airplanes and Rockets

"Killer" Combat Kites
July 1954 Air Trails Hobbies for Young Men

July 1954 Air Trails
July 1954 Air Trails Cover - Airplanes and RocketsTable of Contents

These pages from vintage modeling magazines like Flying Aces, Air Trails, American Modeler, American Aircraft Modeler, Young Men, Flying Models, Model Airplane News, R/C Modeler, captured the era. All copyrights acknowledged.

The object with these stick and tissue fighter airplane shaped kites is to use the sharp-edged sand that is glued to the kite string to saw through your opponent's string until it breaks. Part of the trick is that there is a long section of rubber in the kite string so that the kite is continually zooming back and forth, up and down. This provides the sawing motion needed to cut the string. The original plan calls for a single string, but it might be possible to work out a dual string control so that the kites can be maneuvered, thereby allowing more aggressive combat action. 

"Killer" Combat Kites

"Killer" Combat Kites, July 1954 Air Trails - Airplanes and Rockets

Ever flown "killer" kites? When these semi-scale profiles are aloft you'd swear a MiG-19 and F-100 were in mortal combat! Object is to cut your opponent's kite string. Using 50-50 mixture of cement and dope, glue model railroad ballast sand to the 50' of line nearest kite. Glue 2 feet at a time; glued string picks sand off newspaper, shake off surplus.

Preparing a kite for combat - Airplanes and Rockets

Both sides of all surfaces and fuselage are "dry" covered with Silkspan. Glue paper to balsa with dope; don't dope the finished kite. Remove warps.

Start flying with line in middle loop on bridle string. If calm, move string toward rear; windy, toward front. If you don't get enough "climb" bend adjuster-elevators up. As wind increases move hook forward and bend elevators up. Rigged and balanced for kite performance, model can't glide forward, so when string is cut it descends as if dethermalized.

Ready fr simultaneous launching of kites - Airplanes and Rockets

Rubber-Tow Kite Flite provides plenty of fun when the wind's too strong for R/C or F/F activity. As towline you use T-56 flat 1/16" rubber. Let kite out from hand in nose-up attitude, playing out rubber "line" as fast as wind velocity permits. When line begins to stretch-h-h-h let kite go downwind as you hold rubber tight. When rubber stretches to capacity kite will zoom overhead. Then play out more line, kite again goes downwind. Hold line tight, kite soars overhead when rubber tension overcomes drag. Altitude depends on background obstacles; rubber will stretch about 5 times its length.

Killer Combat Kite Plan #1 - Airplanes and Rockets

Killer Combat Kite Plan #1

 

Killer Combat Kite Plan #2 - Airplanes and Rockets

Killer Combat Kite Plan #2

Full-size construction drawings for both the semi-scale F-100 and MiG-19 combat kites are available from Hobby Helpers, 770 Hunts Point Ave, New York 59, N. Y., as part of Group Plan #754 (50c).

Notice:

The AMA Plans Service offers a full-size version of many of the plans show here at a very reasonable cost. They will scale the plans any size for you. It is always best to buy printed plans because my scanner versions often have distortions that can cause parts to fit poorly. Purchasing plans also help to support the operation of the Academy of Model Aeronautics - the #1 advocate for model aviation throughout the world. If the AMA no longer has this plan on file, I will be glad to send you my higher resolution version.

Try my Scale Calculator for Model Airplane Plans.

 

 

Posted October 11, 2014

About Airplanes & Rockets 

Kirt Blattenberger, Webmaster - Airplanes and RocketsKirt Blattenberger

Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)

Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This site has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, MD ...

Copyright  1996 - 2026
All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the Airplanes and Rockets website are hereby acknowledged.

Homepage Archives  |  Modeling News Archives

Webmaster:

Kirt Blattenberger

BSEE - KB3UON

Family Websites:

RF Cafe

Equine Kingdom

Academy of Model Aeronautics Government Advocacy Coalition - Airplanes and Rockets



Model Aircraft Museum, AMA - Airplanes and Rockets

Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) - Airplanes and Rockets

Academy of Model Aeronautics

Tower Hobbies logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Tower Hobbies

Horizon Hobby logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Horizon Hobby

Sig Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Sig Mfg

Brodak Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Brodak Mfg