Thimblenose Drone L4 Grasshopper??

Back in the early 1970's while still in high school, I bought a Cox turtle deck P-51 new parts plane from Gem department store in Waipahu, Hawaii. It must have gotten vandalized, I bought it in their tent sale. I think I got for less than a dollar. It was missing the fuselage back underside and elevator. Had a rubber banded on wing. I made an elevator out of balsa and mounted it with cloth hinges. Completed the fuselage with sheet balsa. Completed the balsa parts with sanding sealer and dope.

Depends how genuine you want it to be, or just restore it to a flier, which I did.

And BTW I had one of those or a Stinson L-5, can't remember which. It met a short death, a half lap in the 15 mph tropical breeze and figure nined into a bunch of plastic shards. Ended up with another red postage stamp back Cox 290 thin cylinder donor engine.

Hello to all whom kindly replied,

I have added a few pictures to my album and hopefully add more as `her` restoration progresses. Most of the dirt and debris has come away with careful application of a jell hand and paint brush cleaner, soaking for a couple of hours and then rinsing it away. Sadly paper decals have not stood time well and just disintegrated. The SM? logo came away but its only a partial decal. The U.S.ARMY decals upon her upper wing surfaces survived well and there's still a yellowness in the script, still beneath some accumulated dirt, but just how far dare I go?

The model as I believe, as I previously mentioned was rescued from the bin, down at the Claymills Victorian Pumping Station where I volunteer my labour and skills learned over forty years as a fitter/turner in mostly a local brewery.

Her airframe and all plastic bits I will restore, somehow, the engine has gone to a friend whom `dabbles` in anything that has an engine, he`s just restored a Locus `kit car` to running condition, so a small Cox Glow plug is no challenge as he has already `freed` the Glow plug engine by soaking it with fresh fuel, clean as a whistle inside even after thirty years in a dusty garage.

Anyone any ideas, if any replacement parts are available still?
As I do require : Her tail fin, rudder and tail plane control surfaces, two wing struts and if possible two new wheels, know doubt there is someone out here who produces the relevant parts? All cost I will meet plus any postage too.

The engine well to be truthful I'm just not really interested in internal combustion engines, the only engines I admire are powered by STEAM and then its another question.

At present I'm into overhauling a single cylinder 4.5" diameter piston steam powered Weir Feed pump for Lea Wood a heritage site up in the Peak District, near Matlock, Derbyshire. And I know I said I'm not into internal combustion engine but am assisting in a rebuild of a Ruston Hornsby 2VTH diesel engine for a fellow volunteer who will, when completed donate the Pavement Roller (RH engine powered) to our site to assist in maintain the yard and path ways. Along with long term assistance in the renovation of a Gimson Compound beam engine from 1885, we have just completed a total rebuild (sadly a 100%) brand new of its governor and its pedestal base.

The Paper clock progress too, in fact I secured `another` upon which to when the build starts, add a few refinements' and build in a different progression as to that in the instructions. Because if following the instructions some parts, such as bearings and pivots are very difficult to position and secure squarely when behind cross beams and pillars. However this is nothing new as I have always found a `first build` is always a tester and upon which one can develope new skills and sort out hiccups not mentioned within the instruction sheets.

Well, I hope I have not bored you too much, if so I apologise and will attempt to concentrate more upon `her` that is to fly again, I`m going to call her `Sheila` after my lately departed partner. Who was also a `Glamorous Lady` and very deeply missed.
Thanks again for all the response.
Regards to all.