For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"!

Kim on Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:40 am

Hey Mauricio!

The plane in my profile photo is an "Electromic Super Flash". They were marketed in the 1950's--70's.

The plane is powered by a motor in the handle that runs a flexible wire drive in a plastic sleeve out to it's propeller. Two "D" size batteries are in the handle, with a simple on-off button for control.

It's another of my childhood toys that was a great Christmas present back in 1959, and the first of it's kind for me.

The same company also sold a small helicopter using the same drive system.

For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"! 2_119

For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"! 4_118

For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"! 3_34

For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"! Electr10

getback on Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:02 am

Kim in Korea ?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9chrqDHcvz4 lol!

Kim on Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:21 am

getback wrote:Kim in Korea ?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9chrqDHcvz4

There I am!!!! Complete with post-flight-fancy-footwork!!!!

GallopingGhostler on Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:01 am

Kim wrote:The plane in my profile photo is an "Electromic Super Flash". They were marketed in the 1950's--70's.

Kim, they were being sold in the late 1980's. I bought my son one then while in Long Beach, California. I think I picked it up from the Toys R Us store.

With all the photos available including your straight on in flight shot of the full fuselage profile, someone could actually make a reasonable facsimile of it either .049 or Pee Wee powered.

MauricioB on Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:27 pm

Hey Kim !! ... thanks for placing these photos. The photo where you are with your loved ones at Christmas is beautiful!
I like the lines of the fuselage, it really is a nice model, cheerful, tender, fun, its lines are beautiful .... a model of these designed in wood for a cox .020, would be a great project ...
I think I've seen some toy store in my country some time, some model of these, in its box ... but it must have been many years ago because I have doubts if it is a memory or a dream of a child.
I'll take your photos, put them in "pending" and at some point I think I'll draw lines to build a radio control!
Thank you Kim !! ... big hug for you!

MauricioB on Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:32 pm

getback wrote:Kim in Korea ?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9chrqDHcvz4

Eric! ... that video is great ... I enjoy watching the happy boy fly the model!
Thanks for sharing the video friend!

For Mauricio: The "Electromic Super Flash"! Boy11

Oldenginerod on Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:38 pm

Looks like you can still get the same type of thing, in India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68YySZOhrUI

NEW222 on Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:22 pm

GallopingGhostler, I would say you are right about the late 80's, and possibly early 90's. Although they were a bit different, mostly th ehandle from what I can see. Mine was the same blue, but cannot remember the wing colors. Dark red colored handle and powered by 2 'D' cell batteries I believe. It too was purchased on a trip to the United States, probably Grand Forks, ND. If memory serves me correct as well, it was Toys 'R' Us as well.

GallopingGhostler on Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:53 pm

NEW222, my son was around 5 years old when I got him one. May be early 1990's, may be 1991 as we left Long Beach in January 1992.

It was a short lived plane. Our cat got curious seeing my son fly it in the backyard. It then jumped up to grab the plane, cable got wrapped around it's body when it caught the line with its paw jerking the handle out of my son's hand. The plane circled the cat several times until cat was wrapped a couple times with the plane attached to is body. Then it took off like a scalded cat, jumped our backyard 6 foot fence into the neighbor's yard.

We didn't see the cat until about a half hour later, this time without the plane. That was the last of that.

andrew on Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:54 pm

Back in the day, there was also a "whip" model. It was essentially a glider attached with a line to a short pole much like a fishing pole. To fly, you would swing (whip) it around your head. Wasn't as sophisticated, but you didn't get dizzy. Jim Walker marketed one that had a movable elevator, but I don't remember ever seeing one fly.

GallopingGhostler on Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:03 pm

andrew, regarding whip CL models, I have a book by Walt Musciano on building and flying scale model airplanes. One of the first build articles is a Bell X-1 whip CL model. It was a 1/2-A CL glider, one used a fishing pole to whip the model around with a control line handle I believe fastened and hinged to the pole so you could operate the plane's elevator. If I get a chance, may later show photos of the plans and the model being flown.