Flying Paper Scale Fw-190

[Wyvern]

I remember these from the early 90's in the PMI Catalog; an FPS Hellcat was an early paper model purchase for me. It's capability as a glider was minimal, despite the "real airfoil for performance" touted on the header card, but it was a quick, fun build, and pretty to look at. When I saw some of the others in the series show up on Ebay, I bid away, as much out of nostalgia as anything else.

You get two sheets of diecut, well-executed parts, thorough build instructions, and a machined-wood nose weight (usually a fuselage nose-former block and/or the spinner), along with some wire parts and wooden wheel discs.

So far, I've scored a Spitfire and this Fw-190. I'll document the Spit in due course, but wanted to share some pre-build photos of the 190. I hope to get a P-40 and another Hellcat.

Here's some fuzzy pics of the Fw-190 parts. My cat Checkers kindly consented to hold down one page of parts (note the feet on the upper port wing surface) and assist with focus by suddenly grabbing the camera's lanyard.

Wyvern

[Don Boose]

I have several copies of the old PMI catalog rubber-powered flying F4U (which looks like a Corsair) and look forward to seeing how this build (and the subsequent flight) turns out.

I am going to start counting the number of paper modelers with cats. There seems to be a pattern.

Incidentally, the best gliding paper model I ever had was the Jack Armstrong Fairey Fulmar, with which the grandsons have logged hundreds of smooth flights from the hall into the living room.

Don

[KCStephens]

It's always better to have the cat step on the model before it's built!

[Gixergs]

This looks,and I'm sure Checkers agrees,Interesting,I look forward to seeing the first flight as indeed I'm sure does Checkers!. Nice when you can involve the whole family in a hobby.

[Wyvern]

It's been awhile since I updated this thread, but the Fw-190 DID get done, and does get a decent short glide. Not the greatest pic; taken with my iPad's camera. I painted the spinner/nose weight with a quartered black-and-whte design for some additional visual interest.

Wyvern

[Don Boose]

Looks terrific. You and G1 take the current honors for the flying model category (with Boats always in the top tier).

There is something atmospheric about the covering that really is appealing.

Don

[Wyvern]

I've managed to acquire examples of all of the other FPS models- P-40, Spitfire, Hurricane, Me-109, Hellcat, and Ki-46. My intent is to start an FPS thread and document all of them. They do look their parts, though the fuselages tend to be squared-off. Still, as they were intended to be realistic gliders rather than high-fidelity scale models, that shouldn't be considered a negative point.

Wyvern