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Stinson SR-6
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MKelly
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Comet AYA-1 Glider
| Comet AYA-1 Glider |
| Description: |
Back in 1940, before America entered WWII, Comet Models came out with a series of five model airplane kits for the AYA program. AYA stood for Air Youth of America, and it was an organization that encouraged youngsters to build and fly simple balsa wood model airplanes from 1940 to 1941. The AYA-1 Glider was the first model in this series.
I first heard about this 13" span all balsa chuck glider back in 1993 when I got a copy of the original plan from a friend. The plan was missing the flat pattern for the wing, so I used the wing’s front and side views to derive the true flat pattern of the wing, which I then added to my copy of this plan.
I built a couple of these outdoor chuck gliders and one day in the mid-1990s I flew them at a local park called 60 Acres. I got one of the gliders to transition nicely from the high-speed launch to the low-speed glide. As I was throwing the glider and watching it glide, a boy of around 10 came up to me and was very interested in what I was doing. I showed him how to launch it and after a few tosses he was able to launch it perfectly every time.
After flying the glider for an hour or so, he came up to me and told me that he had to go home for lunch, so he handed the glider back to me. I told him that the glider was now his to keep. He was a bit surprised, so he took the glider back, thanked me and walked away one happy kid. I never saw him again and often wonder what ever happened to him.
Now that my arm is losing its ability to throw hand launched gliders with sufficient altitude, I need to build another AYA-1 glider modified with a wire catapult hook added near its nose and a 3/4” long sandpaper covered fuselage extension added aft of its rudder to act as a hand hold. In any event, the AYA-1 glider, when properly trimmed, is a good way to introduce youngsters to the wonderful hobby of free flight aeromodelling. |
| Keywords: |
Glider, AYA |
| Date: |
11.02.2026 02:11 |
| Hits: |
39 |
| Downloads: |
2 |
| Rating: |
0.00 (0 Vote(s)) |
| File size: |
4.0 MB |
| Added by: |
higgphanx1 |
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