Bowman Model Kits Database

[Roy Thompson]

Over the last couple of years I've found myself back building a couple of old Bowman Model Kits from my past.

 

This has started an interest in their range of models & preserving as many of the plan as possible. I now have several Plans & a kit lining up for their turn on my building board to keep me busy!  In order to keep track of what I have I started a list, this has now expanded into a fall on list of all the information I have on Bowman Model Kits range. It's not a complete list by any means. A few of their kit plans are now on a couple of the sharing sites & Sarik Hobbies. I thought I would share it.

 

I'd love to add any information you guys may have, or if you see something I've got wrong, that to. Furthermore, I would also like to know a little more about the company, I remember some of their history form back in the day, but it would be great to find out more.

 

My Fleet so far!

 

Bowman Model kits.pdf

[leccyflyer]

The only thing I could add is that the Hurricane was also available with a built up balsa and ply fuselage, as per earlier discussion of the model in this forum.

[Rich Griff]

I had a mini skyman many many years ago and would love to make an other one. I even bought a new Cox black widow to power it, thinking I had the plan and templates in the loft.

 

I have searched high and low for it) them but no success. Even the high boy and other templates seem to be lost.

 

I only have an internet phone which does not want to open the PDF file in your thread.

 

How can I get hold of a plan for the mini skyman please.

 

All help in this quest greatly appreciated.

 

I have had a look on sarick but no success.

[kevin b]

24 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

I had a mini skyman many many years ago and would love to make an other one. I even bought a new Cox black widow to power it, thinking I had the plan and templates in the loft.

 

I have searched high and low for it) them but no success. Even the high boy and other templates seem to be lost.

 

I only have an internet phone which does not want to open the PDF file in your thread.

 

How can I get hold of a plan for the mini skyman please.

 

All help in this quest greatly appreciated.

 

I have had a look on sarick but no success.

 

 

Here you are Rich.

 

https://outerzone.co.uk/search/results.asp?keyword=mini+skyman

[Roy Thompson]

1 hour ago, Rich Griff said:

I had a mini skyman many many years ago and would love to make an other one. I even bought a new Cox black widow to power it, thinking I had the plan and templates in the loft.

 

I have searched high and low for it) them but no success. Even the high boy and other templates seem to be lost.

 

I only have an internet phone which does not want to open the PDF file in your thread.

 

How can I get hold of a plan for the mini skyman please.

 

All help in this quest greatly appreciated.

 

I have had a look on sarick but no success.

I had the same with the Spatman the plans evaporat over the years!

Thinking of having a go at the skyman myself as I've a bee looking for a home.

See the link in Kevin B post.

 

[Rich Griff]

Oh brill thanks so much Kevin, brill.

 

I like the mini skyman, buzzed about ok on an old Cox 049, fitting the Cox td09 was a mistake, vertical performance till it ran out of fuel, far too fast and the port wing tip "twisted down" due to speed resulting in a very violent reaction, but I never crashed it !

 

I will really enjoy that little model from start to finish and will fly the socks off it !

 

I crambed std futaba 27 meg radio gear in it but modern stuff is smaller and lighter, so an RC Cox at some point.

 

Thanks again.

[David Ashby]

I have a friend who will be lending me the Super 100 plan as soon as we're allowed to meet when lockdown ends. I aim to copy it so can get extras produced if anyone wants one. 

[GeeW]

Roy

I have a Simpleton NIB, having had a couple of Bowman plans fade away I had the plans copied when I bought the kit so should still be good. Will dig it out next week.

[Roy Thompson]

Dyeline prints  don’t you just love them ??

[Roy Thompson]

Can't believe the price this Sailman kit just made on E-Bay £151 ?

Anyone still got a Bowman kit in the loft?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bowman-Models-Simple-Sailman-High-Performance-R-C-Sailplane-Glider-Kit-110-/154392075037?nma=true&si=24%2Bd9ZiAlssqGDNW4x0Bz0gCofQ%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

 

 

[ron evans]

After sitting in my garage roof space for 20yrs, my Bowmans Simple Stuntman is now very mouldy and mouse eaten.

Built in the early eighties it flew for many years on a Fuji 19,a real sweet flyer even on this lower power. When that motor finally died I fitted a 40 which somehow spoiled it a bit.

The model still has Futaba 128 servos fitted, and they look like suitcases compared to the servos we use now.

Although the airframe looks sound enough, I doubt if it will be refurbished.

Ron

 

[GONZO]

You may already know this but there is a lot of similarity between some of the Bowmans kits and the Galaxy models kits of the same era. Specifically the Bowmans Simple Skyman and the Galaxy models Escort. In fact there was a legal battle over copyright which Galaxy lost. Flow both in the past as 3ch and 4ch models and couldn't tell the difference. Got the Galaxy models Escort plan stashed away somewhere and an almost complete Escort GT, a version that had a semi symmetrical built up wing for 0.40cu in motors.

[Roy Thompson]

 

1 hour ago, ron evans said:

After sitting in my garage roof space for 20yrs, my Bowmans Simple Stuntman is now very mouldy and mouse eaten.

Although the airframe looks sound enough, I doubt if it will be refurbished.

Ron

 

She looks like she been well loved. I must admit Id never seen one in the flesh before, it has a bit of a slec funny look to it. So big question what what are thinking of doing with her?

[Roy Thompson]

23 minutes ago, GONZO said:

You may already know this but there is a lot of similarity between some of the Bowmans kits and the Galaxy models kits of the same era. Specifically the Bowmans Simple Skyman and the Galaxy models Escort. In fact there was a legal battle over copyright which Galaxy lost. Flow both in the past as 3ch and 4ch models and couldn't tell the difference. Got the Galaxy models Escort plan stashed away somewhere and an almost complete Escort GT, a version that had a semi symmetrical built up wing for 0.40cu in motors.

Yer I had read that somewhere, but didn’t know any details about the case.

[ron evans]

Hi Roy, having another look at the airframe, my original assessment of the condition may have been a bit optimistic.

There seems to be quite a bit of fuel soaked wood in the fuz and around the wing centre section, with some damage too.

Not impossible to fix I suppose, but a lot of work.

You can also see evidence at the rear of the canopy of a repair when I got shot down ( honest gov )

You would be welcome to the airframe. but as I said, it's a lot of work.

I live in S Wales.

Ron

[Piers Bowlan]

Ron, if you re thinking of just binning her if beyond saving, you could always disassemble, measure and carefully produce a set of plans and submit to Outerzone for posterity! Definitely a job for a wet, non-flying day. Include your picture of your old model, someone somewhere will surely feel moved to build one from your ‘reversed engineered’ plan. In fact you could build a new one yourself and probably less work than refurbishing your fuel soaked/mouse eaten one. Looks a very simple design.

[Roy Thompson]

Hi Ron, It sounds like the airframe has seen its best days, although there is the temptation to have a go. It's sad I know, but it always pains me to see an airframe come to the end of its life, even when I know it had it.

 

As Piers points out it could still have use as a paten and the wing looks complete, so I am tempted to take it off you at some point if you're happy to hold on to it until a bit later in the year. S Wales is less than a couple of hrs up the M4 from me, so not imposable to do when I have free time later.

What would be good is if somewhere somebody still had a copy of the original plans, and they haven't faded out!. I've not come across any yet or very much about the stuntman at all come to that. 

[ron evans]

Piers, as it has a foam wing a new fuz drawing would be easy, but putting it on OZ, not a clue.

When I do my own stuff, drawing is usually limited to formers, the rest being drawn on to the wood or foam, then I fly the plan.

For now it's back in the mouse larder, the little beasts come from the farmers field ( handy in the lockdown ). Once they bit through a bottle of PVA which ran down into a box of power tools.

 

Roy, the model isn't going anywhere, so unless I bite the bullet and fix it , the offer is still open.

If you do build one don't fit a 40, mine flew best on a 19 with no extra nose weight. It needed tail weight with a 40, and was not as nice to fly.

Ron

[Piers Bowlan]

if a plan was drawn up from the model it would just need to be scanned to a PDF file (about £3 at a local print shop) and emailed as an attachment to [email protected]. They do the rest. Alternatively someone with CAD skills could just email the cad file to Outerzone as there are plenty of old-timer plans re- drawn in cad now.

[Roy Thompson]

 Hi Ron, I’m thinking this would make a good autumn, winter project if you don’t do the business first. 

If I do put a new one together, don’t be cross but, I’ll be converting it to ? electric. ?????possibly ! 

 

[Dwain Dibley.]

Less than £15.00 for a kit, those were the days.

D.D.

[Roy Thompson]

85p P&P ??

[Dwain Dibley.]

I know, plus I was only 16. 

D.D.

[Roy Thompson]

Snap and 27p a pint ? ? 

[ron evans]

Hi Roy, anything I build now is electric.

I learned to fly on a slope soarer in the sixties, and it was always my main interest, power flying only occasionally.

when E power came along that all changed, I think the old Stuntman was the last wet powered model I flew.

Kit prices do look good back then, but the flip side is radio. A servo for my Skyleader set was £20 in 1972, probably about £200 now.

We've never had it so good.

Ron