What was your favorite cox airplane ?

The only Cox plane I had was a Stinker, it actually flew from what I remember. It must have started easy because Dad never helped, it was like heres the model, fuel and battery now go fly.
Probably gave a window of opportunity so my parents could play hide the salami!! I was about 9

I had a Sopwith Camel that I got at JC Penny's in 1974 when I was 14. My dad and I tried to fly it but it crashed pretty hard, breaking the prop. My dad was diagnosed with cancer about this time and passed away shortly afterward. Don't remember what happened to that old plane but I scored one on eBay just like it last month. Pretty special to me.

I would have to say my Chipmunk. Although I have not flown it, and the only other one I have is the F-18.

Hmmm, good question...I'd have to say PT-19, I had more airtime with mine then all the other combined, one I thought was the coolest, best looking was my Rivets!

Guess it's got to be the PT-19 for me too...got me started in all this stuff after all...

My dad bought "us" one of these back in the late 60's/early 70's. I was 9 in 69.. What year did Cox debut the Sopwith pictured below?



The model is long gone, but I may have the engine that was in it. My dad built me Goldberg Swordsman 18 and Stuntman 23 models, around the same period. The Swordsman had a Babe Bee.. and the Stuntman had a Golden Bee. I'm certain that I still have that GB.. but the Babe is a mystery. The Sopwiths' product engine was a Babe Bee. The airframe no doubt got broken at some point.. and my dad probably pulled the engine before throwing it away. I'd like to think that the original engine is amongst my parts inventory. Most all of my Cox engines are Bee's; hand-me-downs within our family and are 40-50 years old. The engine-configurations that I've assembled and ran.. don't have a lot of hours on them though. Much less than the avid enthusiast. I enjoyed an approximate 3-year window in the early 90's, when my dad showed up at my house with a NIB Cox PT19 flight-Trainer.. (some 30 years later..) and we flew it all afternoon!



That outing spawned what would become an obsession with 1/2A C/L flight for me. Cox models were still in stores at that time. I later bought a Cox "Cosmic Wind" model.



Like the 90's vintage PT19.. it had the same horseshoe back-plate .049 reed-valve prod.-engine mount.. that could be mounted on a balsa-wood airframe.. with an external tank. I bought several of the back-plate/needle-assy's direct from Cox Hobbies back then.. and designed my own small 1/2A profile balsawood airplanes for them. I'd sourced several small wedge-tanks (5-10cc's) to try on various models. Cox engines are much more capable than most of the plastic ARF models that were designed for them.. but that's ok. They made their mark.. and are desirable pieces still today.

The Cox PT-19 ranks at the top of my list as it introduced me to the world of model aviation in 1976. The model that led to the world of radio controlled flight is the Cox .049 Cessna Centurion. Without a doubt, the single most important model I ever flew, as I taught myself how to fly with it. Both hold a very special place in my heart.

Actually never had one, although I begged and begged for a PT-19. I don't recall ever seeing any other Cox model advertised. I recall that the PT-19 was $19.95 and the TV ad made it look soooo good, with a first flick start and amazing flying ability (better than reality I suspect). I got a Testors Fly-em P-40 for Christmas instead. Ironically, the first Cox engine I ever got was a P-40 Super Bee, although never knew that until recently identified. In light of all that, if I had my choice, I would probably now choose a Cox P-40 model.

I had a Cox electric control line plane which i believe was 1976. It worked very well and it yielded a lot of fun, It held my interest for quite a while. I think it was a Cessna and it was green, white, black. You placed the plane atop a 6 volt lantern battery. The underside of the fuse had two holes for the battery coils to protrude into and internally there was a strip of copper wire that the terminals rested on. After a minute of two you placed the plane on the ground and when you offered up elevator the bellcrank engaged the motor switch and you were off. Surprisingly the plane flew well not offering too much in the arena or maneuvers, but it just looked great flying around. Absolutely it has nothing over what electrics are available today. I pretty much owned most of the Cox offerings and they pretty much flew like crap which essentially left them as shelf queens. They're still sitting on the shelf here 40+ years later. Fortunately for me, my father was an excellent builder/repairman. The sticker on the balsa sheets needed no explanation "Balsa flies better". It may not always look as nice as the store bought varieties but they certainly do fly better.

Never had one as a kid, and this P-40 is the only one I have so far:



It looks nice, but I am not very confident about how it would fly, so it'll stay a shelf queen.

I had a Spook and an ME 109.  I discovered a whole new world of 049 CL stunt with these ships on 008 steel Lines!  I never had the TD 1 , but that was my real favorite.  That was the Cadillac of the skies.

I was another one of the PT-19 Trainer boys at around 14-15 we had moved to the city by then  I hated the city nothing to do NO friends and when i did find friends i got into trouble ! My Dad helped me since he use to fly as a kid , and we put it to the test  I leaned to fly but the poor PT took the punishment , late on balsa came into the seen i guess my Dad had never flown or even seen a plastic model fly and was not to impressed . The Stuntman 23 was next in line and i still have the remains (broken fuse, motor mount ect. ) Now i have other Cox Planes but have not flown them as said Balsa flys better ....  

Here's one of my favorite Cox products...i also think it was one of the last ones i got as a kid, as i was building more stuff at this time.

A Stuka in 1974 and the Super Sport Trainer in 1975. The first one belonged to a friend who crashed it and, uninterested, gave me the red postage stamp 049 production engine that I still have today. The second one was mine, not that behind the Iron Curtain it was just like you walked into the first Hobby shop (there were not many either) and selected the one you fancied the most.... COX engines and models were almost unknown East of Checkpoint Charlie...

But these 2 critters have gravitated and kept me in the COX-powered R/C plane building/flying and crashing obsession even until my matured-kid age today. And will keep for many more years, you bet....

Once again I'm enjoying a stroll down memory lane with you guys.  

I never had a plastic powered airplane until I joined the CEF and fell under the influence.  Christmas for me meant heavy clothes etc.  But one memorable Christmas when I was around 11 or 12 I awoke at 2 am went down stairs to a brightly lit tree with ice skates and skis under the tree and best of all real square tipped leather ski boots.  

My airplanes were all Sterling "hollow logs" that I built and flew.  Engines were Cox Space Bug Jr's. though.  Later there was just one Cox plastic helicopter that I flew with my son sometime in the early seventies.

Now I have a whole fleet of plastic airplanes, some Cox, some not.  Guess my favorites would be the Wen-Mac powered Air/King Cobras.  The only one I ever "flew" was a Cox PT-19, a flight that ended with both of us belly down in a field of dreams.  



Honorable mention would be my Cox Powered AD-6/A-1 Skyraiders.



Bob

My favorite was the TD-1, although I never owned one. They were $19.95 in the early fifties when many folks made ~$1.00/hour in my area. That was half a week's work.

Still...one could look and drool.

George

It's interesting; we're all concerned about the possibility of crashing a vintage Cox airplane and avoiding the thrill.. while we're putting our lives on the line, just driving in traffic these days.

Road-rash on a Cox SandBlaster or Dune-Buggy just adds character. "Road-rash" on an airplane, usually results in a broken airplane. Be sure to take photos before the flight.

Merry Christmas!

akjgardner wrote:What was your favorite cox airplane when you where a kid ? Mine was the green camo P 40 then the black Stuka.

Supermarine Spitfire in British markings with .049 Silver Bee engine (Babe Bee tank back and extended 8cc tank w/o Golden Bee stunt nipples). I had one in 1965.

My all time favorite was the Lil' Stinker that I got for Christmas !958. It's long gone and sometime I will find a decent one again.
Currently, I Have 2 PT-19's one new and one NIB, A Piper Cub, NIB, A Cox Recon RC NIB, a Hyper Viper NIB, and a Kyosho Cox Dessault Mirage III RC with an unstarted Black Widow, and a Cox Sportavia RC assembled but never flown.

Love them all.......Steve

It's late and I'm thinking slow, but I forgot to mention that I was out shopping today with my wife and at an antique flea market store and there was a NIB Cox Cessna RC circa 1977 for $125. Normally I would have tried to get it but We helped a family whose Dad was badly injured in July and unable to work. Any Cox toy money I had went to a bunch of toys for
two little girls and the fixings for a fine turkey dinner for Christmas Day. Not bragging but offering evidence I've finally got my priorities right !!
Oh Yes, not Cox, but have to add a Bratco Skybaby with a Norvel .061 NIB and the advanced Bratco Hexdrone with a Norvel .061 NIB as favorites also.....I guess they are all favorites !!!!

You did the right thing. You do have your priorities straight.

Cribbs74 wrote:You did the right thing. You do have your priorities straight.

I agree, with what Cribbs said. Priorities are in correct order.
Never seen or heard of Bratco models. Could have been named after one of my cousins?

God bless you Steve. Your heart and soul are intact!