Exploring the Wen Mac Corsair

Yes, that one piece body was an economic plus, no attachment points necessary for the wing etc.  The wheels, bell-crank, and elevator were snap-in's.  Assembly must have taken about a minute from parts.  Even the motor, three machine screws not four. The simple body also does not exhibt the wing/tail warpage so evident in other brands especially Testors Fly-em series that tend to turn into pretzles.

The throttled version box and applied art are just so-so.  A little beat-up it won't take me long to repair it.  Came with a new Perfect fuel pump, instructions, a Wen Mac glow plug clip, control line, handle, a burned out glow head, a piece of chalk, and a toothed gear that I cannot ID.

This thing has been sitting waiting for me to finish the Silver Lining.

It was all the economy of scale, that made the Wen-Mac Corsair cheaper to produce, as you note, Bob. The 3 screw beam mount system used by them avoided the hard to get to screw "hole" (actually a slot) underneath the needle valve. The chrome finish, although it did not do well with nitro laced Castor fuel, was like a shiny magnet.

The box art is fictitious because the cowl does not go completely around the bottom as the drawings show. Even Cox did not show the actual product appearance in their 1967 catalog, only showing painted artwork. I imagine it was the toy catalog teams of Sears, Penney, Montgomery Ward, etc. that took photos to include in their catalogs.



However, the Spitfire was indeed a thing of beauty to behold, I kept it on top my dresser for a number of years.

Regarding the ring gear, it looks like it may be from a slot car rear axle, driven by an electric motor.

Agreed on the gear George.

Box is in intensive care, but the prognosis is good.



Put the gold stripes back on the other one.



And................

I have been looking at this for over a week now. Don't want it, had to have it. BIN, didn't even try to bargain. Cheap as they run considering what is included.

Another color and a fourth different prop. Single blade white. Couldn't resist.

Again you amaze me Bob, first time I have seen a yellow Corsair, looks like a very early one because the Wen-Mac engine is a prized one for free flighters and for early half-A CL. Since it does not have the Rotomac starter, it is lighter in weight, a big plus.

GallopingGhostler wrote:Again you amaze me Bob, first time I have seen a yellow Corsair, looks like a very early one because the Wen-Mac engine is a prized one for free flighters and for early half-A CL. Since it does not have the Rotomac starter, it is lighter in weight, a big plus.

Well George, you continure to educate me, I was afraid that the owner had pried off the starter.  

Wen with another gold stripe.  Contacted the seller. Told him if he had the box top to include it regardless of condition.  I'm hoping that the canopy is loose in the box, but probably it's sitting in a field somewhere or under his workbench.

rsv1cox wrote:

Bob, now that I can fully see the engine, I think you may be right, it looks like that the person could have modified it, but could have been supplied that way by Wen-Mac. It has a standard prop thrust plate versus salvaging the Rotomatic front disk thrust plate. I am really not familiar enough with the RTF line or earlier engines to really know. May be @Ken Cook or @Mark Boesen may know more.

Here is the engine I was referring to, from 1953 Airtrails magazine:

http://sceptreflight.com/Model%20Engine%20Tests/Wen-Mac%20049.html

I have that engine with both tanks, regular and copper an ebay buy.

Funny story.  When I received it I posted about it here with a picture.  Mark Boesen responded saying that he had been interested in that engine also. I can't remember if he had made a bid or not.  Year's later I thought about it and put Marks name on it.  He will get it someday, either before or after if you know what I mean.  Mark has helped me a lot with information regarding Wen Mac's.  



It's the nose of the plane that's the give-away, made for the "Rotomatic" starter I would think.  No matter, I have replacement engines with the starter.

Great thread Bob! Some of these old toys are like looking at Ramblers, not Mustangs or tri-fives (Cox) but very neat in their own right!

Wen-Mac was a big seller in the gas powered toy business and for a while competed neck to neck with Cox in total sales.

The neat thing about Wen-Macs is you can ID the engine version and year(s) made pretty easy due to all the production changes. In 1959 Wen-Mac started referring to their spring starter engine as a 'Rotomatic' and the cheaper nonstarter (no pun) as 'Hustler'  The engine above was a MkII made in '59 and known a 'one and half lug' engine.

This also helps ID the plastic model, if you know what year the engine was that kinda pinpoints the model, however a lot of the Wen-Mac models they changes the wing stipes about ever year or so as well.

Pretty neat. I have a couple of those engines.

I've picked up a couple different sized O-rings and best i can get engine to do is flip over once maybe twice.

The Wen-Mac Corsair had a pretty good run appx. 10 years, new in 1957. Here's some different colored Corsairs, the beige is really rare as is the green, which is probably blue plastic mixing with yellow.








One of the last, right before Testors acquired from AMF, c. 1966  

The beige wears very well, perhaps the better looking of the series.

I have O ring assortments both SAE and Metric. Length and diameter is quite critical. It has to be long enough to fit over the pin and provide some expansion, but it also has to fit through the holes on the backplate. I went though a bunch of these to find the correct size before I found something acceptable. Now I have to do it all over again as I have forgotten which size it was.

Mark Boesen wrote:The Wen-Mac Corsair had a pretty good run appx. 10 years, new in 1957. [...]


One of the last, right before Testors acquired from AMF, c. 1966 [...]

Mark, thanks for the history lesson. I show your all chromed one, because that is the one that my younger brother had back in Christmas 1966, it came bundled with the 1957 red Chevy dragster, sharing the engine between the two. It came with black 3 bladed props instead of red. I guess it was the one of last of the Wen-Mac products, although not the plane after it you show, but perhaps they did differently in their bundling?

Interesting engine.

Has a case relief for passage of the fuel line like the rubber band starter engine but without the starter.  There is no attached riveted bracket. Probably a Mk II but I have not removed it yet. Curious.  Ideas?

Cleaned up the engine.  Yes, it is a MkII.  No starter.



Lot's of back and forth flipping to expel the Berrymans/water, compressed air, fill the crankcase with Remoil, more flipping to expel, compressed air until dry. Common pin through the NVA to clear the goo, Remoil spray through a straw.





I'm not sure which pre-dated which, but W/M went from self-tappers into plastic to using knurled brass inserts and machine screws to mount the engine or visa-versa.

Bob, though you may be interested, I found this, Walt Musciano's book, Corsair Aces: The Bent-Wing Bird over The Pacific
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=Walter%20A.%20Musciano
Hardbound, cost + shipping $5.


Abe Books photo.

Thanks for that link George. I did not know that Walt authored a book about the Corsair. Very inexpensive, I will have to sign up and get it.

I buy most of my books through Challange Publications (Air Classics magazine.) I like supporting them.

BTW - to all those here that I have given subscriptions to............I keep getting renewal notices for you. If you want to continue receiving magazines, it's on you to renew.





BTW X2. I have given up buying (ebay) motors/airplanes etc. I let one of those Wen Mac Corsairs get away last week and that broke the chain.

Got to leave a few for the younger generations.

RENEW? ?? That's my first name and inital! ReneW

I don't recall getting a notice from them, I'll have to check so I don't missa issue..

Marleysky wrote:RENEW? ?? That's my first name and inital! ReneW

I  don't recall getting a notice from them, I'll have to check so I don't missa issue..

That's because they keep sending those notices to me.    Mailings have got to be eating into their profits. I get five (including mine) individual envelopes from them about once a month.  They bill early and often.  

The magazine is excellent but their billing/subscription department is in disarray.  Took me forever to straighten out Chancey's subscription.  BTW, where is Chancey. Maybe the mosquitos finally got him.    roddie too, (sent him a subscription) he still hasn't opened the PM I sent him over a month ago.