Complete A Pac Kits

[Dean]

Hi all

As a sideline to my other post asking about Warbird kits I found that CAP kits from Anglia Model Centre do a 60" Stuka.

Having carried out a search on google there is not many positive comments about the kits the main thing seems to be that they are old style kits making them heavy.

Has anybody had any recent experience with these kits?

Would it be possible to try and build it as light as possible? ie using balsa instead of ply in low stress areas?

 

Thanks Dean

[ken anderson.]

hello dean...dont know about the recent version of the CAP kits...but they have been going for a few years now and ...... i've built a few......unless they have changed i think you will find that they tend to be slightly over engineered...worth the money and normally decent flyers.....

 

 

ken anderson ne..1. CAP dept.

[Bob Cotsford]

Dean, i've only got experience of one CAp kit, the Gladiator.

As Ken says, they are not lightweights, but I found them frustrating as regards the places they overspecified components, such as using carved block where planking would be better, spars that I thought too thin and the wrong grade, softish ply etc., etc.. This was an extremely old kit though, maybe '80s?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Seamus O'Leprosy]

I built the skyraider ages ago and my memory is of balsa shavings every where but it flew well.

I have a CAP Dauntless and Swordfish in the to be built cupboard

[Alan Cantwell]

i have flown lots of them, but built none, the stuka is quite aerobatic, it does suffer from a bit of dutch roll, i think that the one i flew had a tad too much dihedral, but, it flew well on an old HP61, the dauntless mentioned i simply LOVED, it was heavy as hell, but did not suffer because of it, i lost it when the cylinder head of the laser came loose, and jammed the valves, i gave the damaged wreck away, its still flying,

The swordfish is also excellant, but a pain in the but to rigg, it also needs oodles of nose weight, i turned up a stainless steel front end for the torpedo--sorted that problem out, old school, but good models,

[Frank Skilbeck]

I bought the Jungmeister 20 years ago and started building it a couple of years ago (must get it finished), they are pretty old school and quite a build, but not bad VFM.

Not a lot of ply on this model, only the bulkhead and the formers where the upper wing cabane struts fit and undercarriage is secured. Rest of formers are all balsa and fuselage structure is all balsa stringers and planking.

Cowl is a pretty substantial fiberglass mouldling.

[Dean]

Thanks for the input i was looking in perticular at building a stuka and they seemed to be the only place that made a kit after a lot of thought i have deceided to go the whole hog and build from plans!!

Although the CAP Fairy Swordfish looks fantastic, maybe one for the future!!

 

Dean

[Rev.Dr. Richard Davis]

Hello.

I am looking for Complete A Pac kits and plans.

Cannot seem to locate any here in the USA

Would love to acquire a Gladiator and a Sordfish wither a kit or plans.

Thank you

Rev Dr Richard Davis

Tok Alaska USA

[Pete B]

Hi Richard,

Welcome to the forum! CAP kits have been out of production for some time but not infrequently they do surface on Ebay UK.

There is in fact a Tiger Moth on offer right now. Many UK sellers restrict their postage to the UK only but if you contact the seller when you find something that interests you, they may be prepared to make an exception.

I'd suggest that you set up a search on Ebay using terms such as CAP, Complete-a-Pac, etc and when a similar item is listed, you will get an email notification.

Equally, you could leave a wanted advertisement in the classified ads section here.

I'm sure if any forumites have any further info or suggestions, they'll be along soon...

Pete

[Bob Cotsford]

I'm pretty sure the plan rights are with Traplets, for the plans that the CAP kits were based on both the Gladiator and Swordfish appear to be the £18.99 versions. They also list a Gladiator by Brian Taylor, again at 56" span, which is highly rated and probably easier to get as a laser cut part kit.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 24/12/2013 21:50:43

[Rev.Dr. Richard Davis]

Thank you Pete and Bob

I will check this out.

This is a great site you folks are very nice to someone from across the Pond

I will try to figure out the Ebay from England.

Thank you

Happy Holidays

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Richard, www.ebay.co.uk should get you there.

We have a number of contributors from your side of the big water!

BEB

[Rev.Dr. Richard Davis]

BEB

Thank you very much I will see if I can open a ebay account in England that way I can send the person with the Tiger Moth Kit a message and see if shipping by your Postal service is possible to Alaska.

[Old Geezer]

Good morning Richard - completely off-topic but - Happy Christmas - from across The Pond.

[weasel]

Hello Dean,
My friend Peter built one of the complete A pack Stuka. This build with pictures can be found if you search Build Blog & Kit Reviews Page 12, 11 down.
P.S the model fly's well fitted with a Magnum 60 the kit says a 40-to46 engine but due to the weight of the plane I think these would be slightly underpowered.....
Regards Weasel....

[Rev.Dr. Richard Davis]

Just acquired a new Mosquito kit this looks to be newer than my other CAP kits as parts are bagged and the box is white.

I do not see a date on any of it.

I am also after the old Japanese kits from the 50s and early 60s KYO ,Eureka, and MK kits of the World War 2 aircraft.

If anyone has any of these ot a partial kit and or plans I am a interested buyer.

[richard smith 9]

Hello, I just joined and I just scored a C. A. P. P-47 about 61 inches WS, Kit partially assembled (a long time ago) at my clubs swap meet. I have the plans, although they are a bit fragile, but I am missing the control surfaces in the built up parts. It has Wing lead-screw retracts with shock absorbing gear legs, and a nice glass cowl. Also a retracting tail wheel gear, and nice pilot figure. Pictures to follow.

I plan to complete this model and fly it with a Saito 120 FS.

Can anyone tell me more about Complete A Pack and specifically their P-47?

Thanks you very much.

Sincerely, Richard

[robert white 2]

I also built a stuka and flew it on an os40 fsr and flew excellent in fact flew so well it didn't want to land glided for ever my friend flew one on a 60fsr was prone to ground looping

[barry cloete]

CAP models are incredibly durable. I built a SE5a in the mid 1980s . I crashed it many many times and it is still flying as well as ever and still looks good.

[Terence Moore]

Have been gifted a kit for the Handley Page Harrow, and would like to hear from anyone with previous experience of this model.

[Don Fry]

CAP kits were nice, well designed aircraft kits of their era. Yours will be rare. It will fly, they all did.

So ugly, worth admiration. Lucky boy.

[Andrew Mawman]

i built an old CAP Piper Cub, about 70", flew very nicely with a Saito 45 up front. it seemed to be nicely designed and not too heavy even when covered in Solartex and built L4 esque.

[Jon H]

Posted by Terence Moore on 04/12/2019 11:38:12:

Have been gifted a kit for the Handley Page Harrow, and would like to hear from anyone with previous experience of this model.

My Dad has one of these and its still hung up in the garage.

My biggest recommendation is build it light. His ended up very heavy for its size (11lbs) and it flew too fast for scale. It will also tipstall like no other so take great care when landing. Its a model that wants to 'parachute' down on its flaps using power to adjust the descent and leaving the elevator well alone. If you try a long approach with the nose up in the air its going to end in tears.

The fins/rudders are small so with an engine out you need to fly as fast as possible on the remaining engine to maintain control. My dad used to nail the other engine to full chat and then it would fly ok on the remaining engine but it was more of a powered glide than anything else. It wasnt going to climb on a single OS25. It will not glide so cutting the other engine and trying to float it home will not work as it will come down like a brick, you just have to fly it out of the problem by hand as it wont look after you.

The undercarriage supplied in the kit is also too short for scale so it would easily trip up and bash its nose on the runway on takeoff. This did little to aid acceleration and i would recommend making the gear longer. if you do make it longer make sure you get the tail up on the takeoff roll to prevent a tipstall as it will go the instant you leave the ground if you takeoff in a tail down attitude.

Once in the air the model flew really well but all the way through it was hampered by its weight. If you can build it to about 9lbs It will be much much better. You could also cheat a little by adding an inch or two to each wing tip and increasing the chord slightly with larger leading/trailing edges to give a slightly increased wing area. A shade of washout might be a good idea as well.

[Sean Senbruns]

Hi guys.

I am currently building a Complete-A-Pac A1H Skyraider.

I was looking for some information on the company and designer and found this forum.

To respond to the original Post, yes, I am building the No.11 A1H Skyraider at the moment.

Build log here

**LINK**

If any of you know more about the origins of Complete-A-Pac or the designer David R. Taylor I would be interested to hear.

Good to hear this model will fly, but I am going with Eflite retracts so I have some modifications to do.

Happy flying!