Friday 28 January 2011

Mike's Super 60







The Keil Kraft Super 60 is 50 years old this year as it was first advertised in the Aeromodeller in April 1961 at £4-17-6. That's four pounds seventeen shillings and six pence. I could not afford one in December 1962 so I bought a new Junior 60 kit for £2-18-0 plus an ED Racer for £1.10.0 and a Macgregor 'Terrytone' receiver for £5-19-6 and a second hand transmitter which needed a 4.5 volt LT battery and a 90 volt HT battery! Peter Bruce hand launched the much admired plane at the club site last year and Dave was impressed how slow it went!

Imagine my joy last year when I won a Super 60 complete with some radio gear for £26! However it turned out to be a' basket case' that had never flown and needed a complete rebuild which apart from the wings is now finished for 3 channel operation with the 49 year old Junior 60 wings. Photos attached. Video is by Peter Bruce and the Clangers!



6 comments:

slipperywhenwet said...

Well done Mike,your memory is amazing when it comes to prices!
Can you tell me how much were,,, enya No 3 Glow plugs in 1901 and what was the cost of a metre of fuel tubing in 1939 ?

mike etheridge said...

Slip,

Not easy questions as my Aeromodeller magazines only go back to 1961.

But I guess a glow plug made from a candle would cost TUPPENCE 3 FARTHINGS in 1901 and a metre of fuel tubing made from cat gut in 1939 would be about a HAPPENY

slipperywhenwet said...

Can I have 6 yards of fuel tubing, small bore and a card of enya number 3's please....

mike etheridge said...

Slip,

I assume you want to apply 1901 and 1939 prices?

Unfortunately my 'guessimated' prices were based on the following:

1. The 1950 selling price of 4 Black-Jack or Fruit Salad chews at 1 penny.

2. The 1950 trade price for a partially sucked 1 penny gob-stopper with only one colour change.

3. The 1950 labour cost only (Exclude materials) applied to 6 old pence worth of entertainment from a call girl based in Soho.Exclude also any subsequent travel costs associated with trips to a special clinic.

As the true cost of your order is unknown I feel unable to process it and suggest you approach another sucker!

slipperywhenwet said...

Mike,
Thanks for the update on the sweets, That call girl based in Soho have you kept in touch, were her prices in Aeromodeller as well !
What was the "special" clinic you went to all about ?

mike etheridge said...

Slip,

Item 3 was included only for the benefit of former and current members of Her Majesties Armed forces who as part of their training would have received information about the dangers of liaisons with girls or men of ill repute. I have only been approached once by a 'working girl' in Commercial Street London and simply explained to her that I was not interested as I was an aeromodeller!

My dad was a bacteriologist and as such dealt with patients of 'special clinics'and passed on lots of useful information to me about how to conduct one's life to avoid the clap!