Simple Gliders

Regarding elliptical (or semi-elliptical) versus squared wings, I remember that the North Pacific gliders and rubber powered cheaper ones were squared. The 5 and 10 cent gliders had squared off tips with edge slightly rounded. The 15 cent Skeeter rubber powered had squared wing tips slightly smaller than the 25 cent Sleek Streek, which had rounded wing tips and slightly larger wings with more wing area. (These were mid 1960's prices retail in Biloxi, Mississippi.)

However, allowances didn't go far, so I learned that I could salvage the landing gear on a very hard used and broken Sleek Streek on the Skeeter, which came without landing gear but flew fine as ROG (rise off ground) when landing gear was added. The Skeeter at times was my go-to plane, because it was 10 cents cheaper than the Sleek Streek.

I kept these planes as best repaired as I could, using the model airplane cements of the day for balsa wood, Pactra, Comet, Ambroid, Guillow, and etc.

The sheet balsa surfaces were easily mended with glue and extended their flight worthiness. Thus, what only lasted a couple days for some kids would last for weeks with me.

Also I did some experimenting by taking two crashed Sleek Streeks and halving the elevator, used that as wings. It flew faster with the smaller wing area, but it flew.

ROG was a lot of fun and could entertain for hours during the calmer morning and afternoons in the Gulf Coast school yards and friend's house yards.

During windier weather, I flew the 10 and 15 cent North Pacific paper and spruce stick kites. These had the images of the Korean War jet fighters like the F-86, F-90 series, Grumman Navy Panther, F-84, Mig-15, and etc. in pastel colors with black screen print, light red (pinkish), orange, green, blue, and etc. (As far as I recall, you didn't know what plane you had until you unrolled the kite.) The kites required a tail for ballast stability, but they were easy to fly, relatively foolproof. Fun was affordable.