The Cox TD-3 - a Bridge too far? Did Cox win the sales war ........

Bob, this is a throwback to the Lanier RC ARF kits back in the late 1960's to late 1970's. I had their 3 channel Pinto for legacy .25-.35 power. It was formed similar to your TD-3, except a bit more substantive. I can see why the TD-3 was discontinued, as you pointed out, although lightweight, it is fragile (why Halloween masks were short-lived too). But, you and others own a bit of history about Cox so it's RTF legacy lives on.

Wow! That is some serious damage to the bellcrank mount.
This one doesn't show that, in spite of other signs of use.

Ok, I'm going to have to eat some of my words here!

I got to thinking, the seller did not mention any damage in his ebay description.  So, I just went back and checked his pictures and found this:



No damage around the BC pivot.  Can't be travel damage, he packed this thing like it was going to Mars and there was no crush damage to the box.







But, looking closer, he packed it too well, lot's of packing above and below the plane, then when he closed the box he must have compressed the packing around the wing pressing the bottom up and forcing the pivot through the top of the wing.  Doesn't excuse the fragility of the material.  

I am not going to complain, the seller accepted my offer and the shipping was free, I gave him positive feedback.  I still would not cross the street to buy another, but if someone dropped a freeby on my front doorstep..................................

I have a fix in mind but it's still going to stick out like a sore thumb.  

Funny, my TD-1 arrived damaged too and I have another on the way.  Crossed fingers!

Only repair that I can think of without destroying the plane. Angers me a bit now that I think of it, casual damage to an otherwise perfect airplane that was avoidable.



But, Mark showed up today with this made in China Sopworth Camel. Has about the same material covering as the TD-3 but less brittle. At first I thought it was a Proctor model, but more like Hobby Lobby stuff.








Airfoil wing, controlable surfaces. Mauricio could install a radio and an engine and fly it.

That’s really too bad Bob the packaging was done so poorly damaging what looks like an otherwise pristine example…..I’m sure the weak plastic the plane was made from is probably why not very many have survived….. I bet at least made it light weight though….. Cox was still a young company when this was produced and probably still in a learning stage themselves…. I remember the Stanzel electric motorized planes that looked like they were made of a similar plastic….. If they were ever stressed it would leave a mark in the crease and usually develop to a crack later….. I think the whole plastics industry was still very young at the time…..Anyway, You still have a very nice, colorful example of I’m guessing a pretty rare bird

Robert

He may have packed it okay, but the shipping companies sometimes seems to employ guerillas who put heavy items on top of it, crushing the box exterior, putting force on the internal structure. I look at the photo of your shipping box as received, Bob, and it does looked like it has experienced some crushing from heavier objects placed on top of it.

I've had double boxed items from Musician's Friend with a smashed instrument inside. TLC handling is often lacking, unfortunately.

This almost wants one to go to one of their Guitar Centers nearby, order an item through them, let them QA it prior to receipt. Sad, but seems to be very typical these days.

Well, the box is beyond repair, so that's why I'm going to repair it.  I should send it to Charles!

Top isn't bad, seen worse but the bottom will have to be replaced.  Presently it's loaded with mouse/cockroach droppings and sports a fungus that should be investigated by the NIH.  Did someone say Hunta virus.  





Found a home for the camel, screwed it to the wall. Just had to repair one guy wire.  Heavy oak base.  Nieuports, Guillows.................





Second TD-1 due today via FedEx,  double fingers crossed.

rsv1cox wrote:Top isn't bad, seen worse but the bottom will have to be replaced.  Presently it's loaded with mouse/cockroach droppings and sports a fungus that shold be investigated by the NIH.  Did someone say Hunta virus.

Bob, I was working for the US Public Health Service when the Hanta Virus outbreak occurred on the Navajo Reservation. Our sanitarians were capturing mice, lopping their heads off and shipping them to CDC packed in dry ice. That is when they discovered the virus. It's a virus, not a fungus.

However, there is also a dangerous fungal condition called histoplasmosis caused by the fungus histoplasma capsulatem. It may be found in bat and bird feces. If one becomes ill, for a healthy person with good immune system, it comes and goes like a case of the flu. But for those with weakened immune systems, in advanced disease stages, the person appears to have symptoms similar to tuberculosis. Person is administered strong anti-fungal medication to overcome.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/histoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20373495
https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/histoplasmosis/index.html

Back in the mid 2000's, we had several small abatement projects where we had birds roosting in facilities and on rooftops of government buildings.

Hanta Virus, information we were given is that is it a virus that doesn't live long outside a host (animal or human). It was believed to be propogated by those who came in contact with fresh urine or feces of the mice. A 10:1 water to bleach solution definitely kills the virus. Was told that even sunlight kills the virus. Some links:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/outbreaks/seoul-virus/cleaning-up-pet-rodents.html

If a person came down with the virus, the treatment was simple. They put the patient into an induced coma, their body's immune system could concentrate itself on fighting the virus. There was something like a 50-50 percent survival rate. If one's defense system overcame it, they would bring the person out of the induced coma. If they didn't, then ...

CDC's instructions are sufficient, so I won't repeat what they said. One thing our sanitarians were telling us informally in discussions, that the researchers examined cases of mysterious deaths where cause was unknown. Examining the circumstantial evidence, concluded that it was possible they suscumbed to Hanta Virus. They also discovered that based on the peculiarities of these deaths, there is a good possibility that the virus covered a larger area than just the Navajo Reservation, more or less throughout the US.

Anyway, now you hardly hear about it these days, but still good background to keep in mind.

Thanks George for correcting my Hunta/Hanta virus spelling. I was too lazy to look it up. And your right, we do not hear anything about it now, it used to be all over the news, and I should have better connected the mouse droppings and the virus.

I am having a problem finding the correct heavy duty cardboard for the boxes bottom. I have a lot of double layered cardboard, and some single layered which I will have to press into service. The test piece I cut is just to find my way. I think I can cleanup and keep the dark blue bottom riser.

The TD-1's box that I have coming is a mess too, but the plane is as new. By contrast there is another TD-1 on ebay with a nasty airplane but the box is pristine.

Hi rsv1cox,
That TD-3 is beautiful ! Thanks for sharing !
I'm guessing very early ABS plastic tech...
Have no idea how the cool graphics, were applied ?
I bet the early molds wore out.
Imagine,
If they had our modern moldable plastics back then...
We would just replace props,
And the Cox PT-19,
Would not have been injected molded. !
My opinion.
Thanks for the History...
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave

Thanks Dave, Some sort of overlay perhaps. Using a fingernail there is a step between base red and the decoration and a change in texture from smooth to rough.




The repair, best I can do. Vinyl tape holds the pin well and the base is still somewhat supported by the plastic. Still, it bothers me a little more each day. Colorful significant event in the Cox history story.

Oh well, I made a second offer on this one (lower than the first) which was accepted.  Plane only nothing else.  Sent him pictures of the damage to the first one and explained to pack it well but loosely if that makes any sense.  Like, don't compress that wing.  

Be nice to have the later model with the Babe Bee and a different paint scheme.




Second TD-1 arrived intact this afternoon.  

About it for Cox..............the RX-7 needs some love.

Seller listened. Packed with foam peanuts and shipped FedEx. California to West Virginia...........

nice collection of TDs , have you all three improvements now ? 1-2-3 that box is a mess but am sure you can do a fix on it . Is the Bipe Mark got you have a real radial engine in it ?

getback wrote:nice collection of TDs , have you all three improvements now ? 1-2-3 that box is a mess but am sure you can do a fix on it . Is the Bipe Mark got you have a real radial engine in it ?

I wish that it did Eric.  But the radial is nicely done, very realistic.



Mark suggested that I toss it in the trash, but I hung it on the wall instead.  I bet if I locked the ailerons and hitched up a C/L elevator installed an Enya .09 it would fly.  It's not very heavy for the size despite the extensive detail.

The TD-3, the final chapter and the final insult!

Overall I have become quite fond of the little err......... thing.  Not quite enough to hang it on the wall but rather boxed away on or near "The Wall of Shame."

The engine is locked with castor goo and it's not coming off without damage to the airframe.  You can't apply heat with the heat gun and localized heat isn't doing much. I managed to get one engine mount screw off - too much heat will damage the plastic backplate and the plastic mounting holes.  Tried heating the case applying some MMO and rocking the prop to no joy.  It is as it is.





Gave up and cleaned the castor off with Simple Green and Alcohol then finished the box.  Sorry there too.  I was having no luck repairing the blue base from the inside so I used Duct tape on the outside.  Thought about clear, NOT! If it's a mess it's going to be a mess.  





Example inner box will have to do for now until I can find the proper cardboard.

I have been sweating this one out. Checking the tracking over days I saw that FedEx shipped it ground stopping at 10 different points from California to West Virginia. I gave it little hope.

Gave it less when I saw this:




But, all's well that ends well!





Not a shipping scratch. Top is dusty, the engine turns freely, and it shows no signs of ever being cleaned or fueled.




But it's trying to tell me something..........Get off this Cox bit and get back to work.

Great, Bob, glad to hear that it survived shipping's worst nightmare. Good to see there's nothing you need to repair, NOS at its best. And, a late maybe last TD-3 model with Babe Bee?

GallopingGhostler wrote:Great, Bob, glad to hear that it survived shipping's worst nightmare. Good to see there's nothing you need to repair, NOS at its best. And, a late maybe last TD-3 model with Babe Bee?

Yes, nice little shiney Babe Bee. Still got that new car Santa Anna smell. It is a California plane after all.........

Bob

Looks good Bob

Very nice examples of early and late models…I like both color schemes but lean toward the early one….I’m sure quite sensational when they were first released…. Amazing technology and manufacturing for their time…,Thanks for the tour of these  

Bob, just curious, but how does the Babe Bee equipped TD-3 balance? Except for a change of engine, colors and decorations, appears same as the first ones. Is it nose heavy, as Mark Boesen thought and mentioned in your other thread?

GallopingGhostler wrote:Bob, just curious, but how does the Babe Bee equipped TD-3 balance? Except for a change of engine, colors and decorations, appears same as the first ones. Is it nose heavy, as Mark Boesen thought and mentioned in your other thread?

About the same George, maybe an eighth but right at the forward edge of the wing tips with a five or ten degree nose down attitude.