Does this book interest anyone?

I've been interested in it for years, although with the internet and now Outerzone I don't need a hard copy, the books intro says it best:

"The basic urge to create a graceful structure capable of winging off into the high blue sky on its own power remains unchanged. The satisfactions of craftsmanship, the companionships of the flying field, the excitement of experimentation, and the challenge of competition still intrigue the active mind."

Admin, thanks for the offer!

Nothing like having the real book in hand. For now because it's available I downloaded the PDF.

That's good to know that it's available online.

Marleysky wrote:I've been interested in it for years, although with the internet and now Outerzone I don't need a hard copy,  the books intro says it best:

"The basic urge to create a graceful structure capable of winging off into the high blue sky on its own power remains unchanged. The satisfactions of craftsmanship, the companionships of the flying field, the excitement of experimentation, and the challenge of competition still intrigue the active mind."

That intro is something to copy into a signature line! That's exactly what intrigues me in this hobby.

Thank you Jacob for the kind thought, and Thank you Lieven for pointing us the pdf

Impressive man and career both in modeling and outside of.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Laumer

My computer is a POS and just lost my post in a page recovery Any way I like the Flea-Whiz http://www.outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=834 .020-.049 and can be made bigger lol I think full bodys fly better , but are a pain to repair if that time comes.

It’s funny. I was a Keith Laumer fan for 4 decades before I found out that he designed model airplanes, too.

The Compartmentalized Mark

April 2013, I provided Steve with a revised Keith Laumer Push-Up plan with complete elevator and top view.

Outerzone: 1960 Push-up FF by Keith Laumer



Originally .020 Pee Wee power, it would make a nice mini-electric. Double the size and an .09 - .15 would power it nicely. Doubled, a throttled Medallion .09, .074 Queen Bee, or ThunderTiger .07 would power it nicely, too.

Back in 1965 while in grammar school, I scratch built this,
Outerzone: 7-in. Pipsqueak HL Glider



I was amazed, being used to the North Pacific dime gliders, it was a decent flier. Back then, I checked out Keith's and Walt Musciano's books many times as a child. I just loved to read those. Keith's book was particularly interesting because we didn't have Internet then. His book explained how to accomplish repairs, along with inspiring upgrades. Both books explained model construction techniques. About 30 years ago, I bought Walt's book new on building and designing scale model aircraft. Can't remember specifically but I think I bought it from Peck Polymers, or could have been America's Hobby Center.

I was so glad, as Walt's designs have always been among my favorites. I was looking for Keith's book, but was glad Outerzone came up with a digital copy. Prior to PDF, it must have been 10 years ago, I printed out the HTML chapters as PDF and saved them to my hard disk.

Good stuff George! I was a late-comer to aero-modeling (early 1990's) and an even "later" comer to computers. My first (pre-internet) research was done through searching the library for publications. As you can imagine.. they were very limited. Two books that I was able to find were "Bill Dean's Book of Balsa Models" and Dick Sarpolus' "Building and Flying Control Line Model Aircraft. The latter really helped me when it came to designing my own small 1/2A control line models.. but the Bill Dean book has some very cool plans in it. Several gliders.. and some Jetex models that are really neat! I photo-copied a few of the plans back then.. but that was only a small portion of the 62-page book. There were actually four Jetex models..

One being the "Space Scout" tether-line rocket!



http://archivesite.jetex.org/cja/pages-more/article-space_scout-dean.html

and another being the "Swordfish" stepped-hydro!



http://archivesite.jetex.org/cja/pages-more/article-swordfish-dean.html

There are so many cool little models that can be built in an evening's time!

My dad built me that Jetex spaceship. It was my first introduction into Jetex. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. It worked incredibly well. It did burn the model to some degree. That model is still around somewhere in my dad's stuff. With it is also a Jetex tether car which I would love to find again. I have a fair amount of fuel and wicks not to mention screens. I would love to give this stuff a go once again. I had a book that was all Jetex models, I recall it being skyblue in color and I can't find it. Ken

I never played with the Jetex stuff, however the Estes Rocket motors made their way on to several projects other than rockets

Like getting a tether car to really zoom

The boat above reminds me of my little brothers very cool Pop Pop boat... Basically a similar shaped boat but the motive was a coil of copper tubing you filled with water and heated with a small candle went very slow and made a cool Pop Pop sound ...he took the longest baths playing with it

for a while I was deep into blowing stuff up with firecrackers

Dang it was fun when I was 10 years old

I love how these threads spark long forgotten memories

Ken Cook wrote:         My dad built me that Jetex spaceship. It was my first introduction into Jetex. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. It worked incredibly well. It did burn the model to some degree. That model is still around somewhere in my dad's stuff. With it is also a Jetex tether car which I would love to find again. I have a fair amount of fuel and wicks not to mention screens. I would love to give this stuff a go once again. I had a book that was all Jetex models, I recall it being skyblue in color and I can't find it. Ken

Ken, probably many of those designs in the book you had can be found HERE

My Bill Dean book had a X-21 Firebird (General Motors) profile tether-car model plan for the Jetex. You can find that plan as well as another more "scale" model in the above link. There are other tether-car designs there too.. so you might find the one you're looking for.

Here's  a photo of the "Real" GM gas-turbine powered X-21 Firebird vehicle..



Here's what the Bill Dean design looks like..



And here's a photo of the more scale-like version built from plans found at that same site.



The build-link is below.. and details how easy it was to make the canopy.

http://www.modelflying.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=78765

I've wanted this book for a long time! "Do You Speak Model Airplane?".. By Dave Thornburg..(also the author of the "Old Buzzard's Soaring Book") $90-new, through Amazon.. YIKES!  



Amazon link

"Old Buzzard's".. is also available through Amazon.. but in used-condition only.



Amazon link

That's the tether car my dad also did for me. Somewhere I still have it just as your picture presents it, Jetex clip and all. I remember we were gluing aluminum foil onto the side of the car to prevent burnig. It wasn't impressively fast, just cool to see it go. Ken

Ken Cook wrote:              That's the tether car my dad also did for me. Somewhere I still have it just as your picture presents it, Jetex clip and all. I remember we were gluing aluminum foil onto the side of the car to prevent burnig. It wasn't impressively fast, just cool to see it go. Ken

Ken, I was able to capture these drawings.. in case you feel like carving-up some balsa this Winter!

Bill Dean's "profile" X-21..






And the other more "scale-like" model.. (did you check-out that build thread?)



Either build would be an "ultra-cool" project for sure!!! Bill Dean's could probably be "pumped-out" in a couple of evenings!

Here's "Bill Dean's" Space-Scout rocket that your dad built for you. The way you described it.. makes me want to build one! Back in those days.. they used asbestos-paper to guard against searing the balsa from the Jetex's propellant-blast. Surely something could be substituted today.. that would work as well.. if not better. I hope that you find your engine for the fuel-pellets/fuses that you have. If you check the .org website.. you'll see that there is a webmail address for more info. regarding the procurement of materials.. and possibly engines.