Seventy years ago this week

In 2006 I met Currell Pattie along with Walt Musciano and Larry Rice of Black Hawk models. Our club was hosting a Musciano contest in Walts honor. Many things were talked about during the course of the day, one of which was of the Little Bipe. It could have been brought out in 1949 or early 1950. Some pictures of it show a much longer fuselage in it's earliest form. Currell had information on the early Little Bipe that it seemed to have a wing span of 16 in. with a total of 96 in. sq. with an OK Cub engine to .099 for power. The name of John Friscoli sr. was brought up as being the owner of Scientific Models of the time. The paper thin profit margins of the day led to constant adjustments in wing spans and air foil thickness and the hollow log shortning in order to stay in the financial black. In a 1952 M.A.N. magazine artical, it stated the Little Bipe having a 13 in span and 78 sq. in. of the time. Finally what we see today is a 11 3/4  span with 70.5 sq. in. and a Cub .074 for top power. I have never seen an early Little Bipe kit with the 16 in. span for sale. mine is the 11 3/4 in. span and the very short hollow log body. For me, it is a real challange to stay in the air and nothing short of a lawn dart when the engine runs out of fuel. The Scientific Little Bipe, is a curioisty of it's time. When new idea's generated meager profits for another idea. Such was the Scientific model plane era. Eddy

Thanks George and Eddy.  Seems like the Little Bipe evolved over the years.  I wonder how many are hanging in attics and garages.  Probably many more in landfills engines and all.  

Scanned it again.  Easier to read.




While searching Blackhawk models on ebay, this popped up.  BIN or make an offer which I did and was accepted.  New one on me.




George and Eddy - Do you have pictues current or early of your Bipes?

Thanks, Bob for the plan scan. Yes, that is the kit plan I built my Little Bipe from in high school, may have been 1969. I saved the plan to my archives. My brother built the 18" Little Devil, same fuselage and elevator. He painted it with enamel spray can. Later gave it to me. I stripped the Navy blue paint off, finished it in orange and green dope.

@Eddy , the 16" early version would have been similar in proportions to Carl Goldberg's profile Little Bipe of same wingspan.

I read a write up by Walt Musciano shared by Joe Wagner in the late 1990's, in his PDF newsletter blog. The sizing of the kit pieces was to maximize the use of the available balsa sizes at the time. 18" wings meant a sheet of 1/8"x3"x36" could supply two kits. The 12" Little Bipe Wing (11.75" because of losses from sawing) could supply one and a half kits.

The hollow log fuselage was 1" thick for fuselage width, a standard block size. The triangular tail wedge was to make up for the 6" length of the fuselage forward section. Again were sized to maximize the available standard block size.

By using the same sub-assemblies across several kits simplified assembly line production operations.

I still enjoyed the cost advantage of all the competition. Kits were extremely affordable for a kid. Even though the wood was not optimal, it still made for a successful flying model. That was their goal.