Sky King's "Song Bird"

Thanks for your advice, Bill.

Greg

 

 

1943Mike

"I've never ordered from eBay before but there is a first time for everything, no?"

Greg, are you kidding? If not, it's a place where I find stuff that's no longer in production (usually for whatever price the market will bear) and I use it sparingly. Make sure to read all the information you can on the site .. product specs, etc. Read carefully, and if you're not sure of something you can usually email the seller with your questions.

I usually go for the "buy it now" offers since I'm too impatient these days to go through the bidding process. I've done it many times .. just doesn't do it for me anymore.

In a nutshell: Caveat Emptor!

 

 

 

 

Hey Mike,

Nope, I'm not kidding at all. I'm a big 'ol grump when it comes to games, and auctions and ordering from folk I don't know both qualify.

But as I said, there IS a first time for everything, this may just be it, and I very much appreciate your helpful tips and advice! Thanks again.

I especially agree with you it does seem to be a great place for discontinued items and I will follow your lead and look for the buy it now buttons and skip the auction process.

 

It amazes me how often folks complain, "the price was really cheap, but the shipping was a rip-off". Doh!

Well, the Squadron/Encore Bamboo Bomber arrived today. The box was damaged but the contents are OK. The kit does look pretty nice. The decal sheet indeed has the marking for Sky King's Songbird. The Songbird is what I'll be building, of course. There is some resin, like the engines and propellers for the Songbird and some resin for the interior. I don't know when I be building the kit. It's going to sit on the shelf for a while. When it does get to the bench, I'll do a full build report.

1943Mike

"I've never ordered from eBay before but there is a first time for everything, no?"

Greg, are you kidding? If not, it's a place where I find stuff that's no longer in production (usually for whatever price the market will bear) and I use it sparingly. Make sure to read all the information you can on the site .. product specs, etc. Read carefully, and if you're not sure of something you can usually email the seller with your questions.

I usually go for the "buy it now" offers since I'm too impatient these days to go through the bidding process. I've done it many times .. just doesn't do it for me anymore.

In a nutshell: Caveat Emptor!

 

Hey Mike,

Nope, I'm not kidding at all. I'm a big 'ol grump when it comes to games, and auctions and ordering from folk I don't know both qualify.

But as I said, there IS a first time for everything, this may just be it, and I very much appreciate your helpful tips and advice! Thanks again.

I especially agree with you it does seem to be a great place for discontinued items and I will follow your lead and look for the buy it now buttons and skip the auction process.

According to Scalemates the Comet/ Aurora Cessna 310 was 1/62 scale.

ARDVARK003

Fotofrank, Aurora made a 1/48 Cessna 310 kit, I know cause I was bidding on one the other night and fell asleep just before the bid closed. Boo hiss! Their almost impossible to find. AARDVARK

 

I suspect the seller had a misprint.  I built all those kits back when they were new and there were no 1/48 310's  I bought them all at Woolworths in the 50's with lawn mowing earnings.  Most were in Comet Boxings and then reboxed as Aurora but mostly the same kits.  Aero Commander 560, Cessna 310, Beech Super 18 in two scales, and Piper Apache.  Later on Aurora did some more like the Aero Commander 1121 Jet Commander and the Cessna 337.  Some were 1/72 but most were box scale.

"I've never ordered from eBay before but there is a first time for everything, no?"

Greg, are you kidding? If not, it's a place where I find stuff that's no longer in production (usually for whatever price the market will bear) and I use it sparingly. Make sure to read all the information you can on the site .. product specs, etc. Read carefully, and if you're not sure of something you can usually email the seller with your questions.

I usually go for the "buy it now" offers since I'm too impatient these days to go through the bidding process. I've done it many times .. just doesn't do it for me anymore.

In a nutshell: Caveat Emptor!

fotofrank

Greg, I just sent a PM with the link to the kit. It comes from a dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

Got it, complete with a working link! Thank you, kind sir. I've never ordered from eBay before but there is a first time for everything, no?

Greg, I just sent a PM with the link to the kit. It comes from a dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska.

fotofrank

Back on topic for a moment. I just received an Ebay notice of a Squadron Encore Models Bamboo Bomber for 20.99. No Sky King decals, just military markings, but still...

OK, I just ordered the kit. From what I can determine from various places I looked, this kit has the Sky King decals as well as USAAC and USN markings. We'll see next Monday.

 

Oh oh, you just prompted me to check Squardron. Looks like I waited too long, don't see a trace of the Bamboo Bomber there. I think you made a good buy, Frank.

Back on topic for a moment. I just received an Ebay notice of a Squadron Encore Models Bamboo Bomber for 20.99. No Sky King decals, just military markings, but still...

OK, I just ordered the kit. From what I can determine from various places I looked, this kit has the Sky King decals as well as USAAC and USN markings. We'll see next Monday.

FotoFrank -

Put me in the straight tail league too, they just look more like the old classic designs. Once at a mid west airport I saw what was cunfusing me for a minute, a two place cessna tail dragger, that made me think it was a really clean 140 at first. But the vertical stab and rudder were squared off and swept, not rounded.

Then I realized it was a new 150, that had been converted to a tail wheel version. I asked around a bit, someone knew the airplane owner, he said there was a kit for completing that conversion. I thought that made for a really good looking airplane.

Patrick

A review of the Aurora C-310 kit: http://www.internetmodeler.com/2000/july/kit-corner.htm

Most of my two-seat time is in late C-150 (M) and early C-152. My favorite that I rented from AirOrlando was a C-150 "Sparrowhawk" with a 110hp Continental. On a hot day here in Central Florida it would still get above 3000 feet with two onboard and give you an honest 100 knots indicated. Most 100hp 150/152 aircraft were only good for 90 knots +/-. As for the straight-tail, I just like the look. With a 150 hp Lycoming, the airplane would be a rocket ship!

Aurura did a Cessna 310 in 1/72 nd scale. Wheels up (no landing gear) and no interior. As best I can recall the kit was from the late 1950s, or early 1960s. Note the Cessna 150 is nice, but the 152 is more stable and more forgiving to fly IMHO.  

I was just reading last night that Mike Wallace, the TV news anchor, was the announcer for many of the radio broadcasts of Sky King.

Don Stauffer

 

 

fotofrank

I just looked at the kit on the Squadron website. Kinda pricey. Still, I'd enjoy building the Songbird. The Sky King TV program was part of my falling in love with airplanes. Another cool build would be Sky King's straight-tail Cessna 310 Songbird.

 

 

 

 

Sure wish Minicraft would do a 310- it is my favorite Cessna.  Minicraft does do 1:48 lightplanes.  While their early ones were so-so kits, the more recent ones are topnotch.  They have not done twins yet, but it is about time for that!

 

 

Why do I remember a Cessna 310 kit from when I was a kid? By Aurora maybe?

GMorrison

Is this recent? Had not noticed before.

It has been a while since I've had trouble with the hotlink functions. But it didn't start with the big forum remod a couple years back, it is more recent than that, Bill.

I've checked two other browsers, still no joy. 

fotofrank

Greg, I've always like the old straight-tail Cessna airplanes. They just seem to have a lot more character than the later swept tail planes

Guess I never looked at it that way. You have a point there, Frank.

And yep, I AM old enough to remember those older straight tail 150's. Fondly.

Nope, no joy, Bill.

Now you have me wondering if I might have a browser problem? You've made me realise nobody is griping about this but me.

I'm going to check some other browers. I'm using the latest Firefox.

Greg

PS, I'm sorry to keep whining, but this inop hotlink is really getting on my nerves. It's not just posting, it's a pain trying to follow the hotlinks of others that are not hotlinking.

I know this place is free to us and I haven't lost sight of that and I appreciate it. That said, .............

 

Is this recent? Had not noticed before.

Greg, I've always like the old straight-tail Cessna airplanes. They just seem to have a lot more character than the later swept tail planes. If I was flush with cash, I'd have me one of these:

Look what I just stumbled upon, an old post about the Czech Models T-50 in Songbird Scheme.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/m/online/1343968.aspx

And Ardvark asking about the kit, 2 years ago. Is this the same Ardvark, Ardvark3?

PS, I'm sorry to keep whining, but this inop hotlink is really getting on my nerves. It's not just posting, it's a pain trying to follow the hotlinks of others that are not hotlinking.

I know this place is free to us and I haven't lost sight of that and I appreciate it. That said, .............

Aardvark, I've almost ordered Squadron's Bamboo Bomber many times. It's nice to know that the songbird decals are included. Thank you for your post.

Frank, I love the pic you posted of that old 310. Wow, even I never I never flew one that old.

fotofrank

I just looked at the kit on the Squadron website. Kinda pricey. Still, I'd enjoy building the Songbird. The Sky King TV program was part of my falling in love with airplanes. Another cool build would be Sky King's straight-tail Cessna 310 Songbird.

 

Sure wish Minicraft would do a 310- it is my favorite Cessna.  Minicraft does do 1:48 lightplanes.  While their early ones were so-so kits, the more recent ones are topnotch.  They have not done twins yet, but it is about time for that!