L4 Grasshopper

That's a great find.  From what I recall that plane flies well too.

Shades of déjà vu, in high school with my after school job on a poultry farm earning $1.25 per hour before taxes, bought one exactly like it in early 1970's.

Flew it at a beach park in Maile, Oahu, Hawaii with a coworker as pit crew. With 15 mile per hour (25 km per hour) Tradewinds blowing (typical for the island year 'round), made the traditional half-circle into a wing over by the breeze into the typical Figure-9 nearly all kids of the era experienced while learning. (I didn't have someone to teach me, and didn't know about Cox recommendation to not fly when winds exceeded 10 MPH.)

It hit the ground so hard on its first flight, that I had parts scattering in all directions worthy of an NTSB crash investigation.

Just like that nasty humorous song we used to sing while marching in Army Basic Training called The Yellow Bird with a Yellow Bill, I now have the donor Cox .049 190 product engine (trophy bird's bill after smashing its little head) to "remind me of my greatest kill!"

@bottomgun, thanks for sharing!

Congrat , it is a nice plane.

I have a chance to find one like new, few years ago

They're here!! Callie Graphics did a great job as always. I'll put them on tomorrow and get pics up.

I ordered 2 times from Callie Graphic , they make a good decals

Mine ;

Looks Good , the new decals will spruce it up . Always like that plane but never got one Congrats on it .

Got them on this morning. I'm very satisfied with how they turned out. Now to put everything together.

That turned out very pretty, Good job

I agree Robert, @bottomgun did a very nice and accurate restoration on perhaps one of the nicest versions of this Cox C/L Piper Cub RTF as the Army's L-4. Back in the late 1960's, early 1970's, they were a site to behold in the various department hobby stores, and all others that sold them.

One thing I do miss of the old days was that your "mom and pop" stores, these small stores, if something did not sell that year, it was still available next year until it sold. We weren't so concerned about getting the latest and greatest, whatever met the need and hit the spot was perfectly acceptable.

I also hope that bottomgun didn't mind my warped sense of military humor. These older Cox 190 "postage stamp" back product engines were still fantastic performers. The Goldberg EB-1 engine mount made it easy to mount on balsa kits, just add a suitable separate fuel tank and they worked just fine.

It's done Put everything together today. Went through the motor and put in a new reed and gasket, and new NOS 6 o'clock position spring starter. I'm satisfied with how it turned out.



Galloping Ghostler, enjoyed the experiences you shared. Anyone of us that had these models during that time would have similar stories to tell. I had a Stuka that I got in Xmas of 1969. Following spring I did the maiden flight and did the wingover of death. In the spring of 1971 I bought a PT 19 with my paper route money and successfully flew it. On one occasion my friend launched it and he failed to get out of the flight line while his back was turned to it. I had the plane at eye level and it came around and hit him in the back of his head. With a combination of him having a thick mullet type haircut (and skull) and the rubber nose cone he wasn't injured. He got sarcastic and said it felt invigorating. I told him I can do it again if he'd like. He declined.

That's a GREAT LOOKING little model!!!

I agree Roddie…. A beautiful polish on the L4…. Excellent photography as well

bottomgun wrote:It's done Put everything together today. Went through the motor and put in a new reed and gasket, and new NOS 6 o'clock position spring starter. I'm satisfied with how it turned out.


Galloping Ghostler, enjoyed the experiences you shared. Anyone of us that had these models during that time would have similar stories to tell. I had a Stuka that I got in Xmas of 1969. Following spring I did the maiden flight and did the wingover of death. In the spring of 1971 I bought a PT 19 with my paper route money and successfully flew it. On one occasion my friend launched it and he failed to get out of the flight line while his back was turned to it. I had the plane at eye level and it came around and hit him in the back of his head. With a combination of him having a thick mullet type haircut (and skull) and the rubber nose cone he wasn't injured. He got sarcastic and said it felt invigorating. I told him I can do it again if he'd like. He declined.

Wow, you've returned it to showroom condition!

And, that is really a funny story! Sort of reminds me of the time when I was in 4th or 5th grade, my younger brother in 2nd or 3rd. My father broke apart firecrackers from a big roll, gave each of us about 20 in a lunch size paper bag. Then lit two punks, one for him and one for me. In the backyard, we were lighting off fireworks.

My brother decided that the punk was good for burning holes into his paper bag. After he burned about a dozen holes, accidently lit one of the firecrackers. Then in quick succession, about 10 of those firecrackers popped, one after the other. He was so scared, that he turned his back and let the rest of his firecrackers pop off in quick succession!

He didn't find that amusing, but I certainly did.

I learned after that balsa flies better, and had many successful flights with Sterling's Beginner Eindecker and new Babe Bee engine for starters.

We usually rapped and secured a pack around my sister's barbie dolls and let it rip. By the time it was over it looked as though she walked through a mine field. Didn't sit to well with my older sister. And your right, balsa does fly better. I got an original CG Lil Jumpin Bean about 6 months ago and plan to build it this winter. Long ago I built a Midwest plank balsa flyer and it did perform a lot better. I had a golden bee on it and plan to use the same motor on this one.

How do you do the glossy finish ?

I use a product that has been around many years. Johnson's Paste Wax. It can polish a variety of surfaces and plastic is one of them.