If your looking for Spirits own Wayne Nenninger this winter, he can be found in his modeling lair working on his latest creation, the Carolina Custom Kits P47.
For the unfamiliar, Carolina Custom Kits could very well be the last bastion in the Balsawood Kit manufacturing sector. While everyone else seems to have all but abandoned the balsa airplane kit industry due to a greater interest in Asia Pacific born “ARFS AND FOAMIES”, Carolina Custom Kits (CCK) is dedicated to keeping the traditional modeling methods alive.
CCK is a Skyland, North Carolina company that offers several of their own designs such as their 20%, 30%, and 40% Vans RV-8’s as well as laser cut updates to some classic birds of yore. Many of you “Seasoned” flyers will recognize these classics:
- The Telemasters (Classic, Senior, 12Ft, Twin Telemaster, Telemaster 54, Telemaster 40, Micro, and Mini)
- The Estrellita and Ricky Rat EF1 Racer
- The Bridi UFO (Kaos Style Pattern Plane)
- The Stinger
- The Cessna L-19 Bird Dog
- The Chipmunk / Super Chipmunk
- The Taylorcraft BC-12
- Top Flite Giant 100″ Stinson SR-9
- Top Flite 60 Size FW-190D9 (Redesign)
- Top Flite 60 Size Zero (Redesign)
- Top Flite Giant 85″ P-51 (Redesign)
- Top Flite Giant 86″ Corsair (Redesign)
And of courese, the Giant 85″ Top Flite P-47 Razorback that Wayne is Building.
Wayne’s P-47:
According to Wayne, the P-47 is a completely re-engineered kit. The kit is completely laser cut with some major differences to the construction methods of the Top Flite Kit. It uses a box interlocking construction for the crutch for the fuselage and a similar wing construction for the spars and wing layout. Wayne has found a few discrepancies in the model that he is documenting for CCK’s to include in an update to the current model. He’s putting a DLE-55RA in it for power and is awaiting the Robart Retracts so he can finish the wing. Wayne estimates that he will have about 600 hours in the plane when it is complete.
Last year, Wayne built the Bubble Top ARF from Top Flite and it took him about 60 hours to complete “Tarheel Hal”. Wayne is a master builder and I can’t wait to see this one at the field.
Wayne says that if you want to build Giant Scale Warbirds these days, just about the only option is for a CCK version. If your interested in building your own P-47 here is the link:
Thanks for providing us with the pictures and content Wayne!!!
You too can be like Wayne and provide some pictures and a few words about your plane. I’ll do the rest
Ralph Grant – Spirits President and Web Dude.
