Free Bird

Very interesting pics Duane. Thanks for posting them and to Helen for providing them. It's interesting to note the aileron control horns are on the top of the wing. It alos appears that the ailerons are top hinged. Can anyone shed any light on this?

FB

kingaltair

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I've seen aileron horns on top in one other instance. For practical purposes, I don't think it makes much difference regarding function. I think they are usually underneath for looks purposes only. Nimbus 1 flew back in 1961, when pattern plane design was in its infancy. There wasn't as much "convention" to follow back then. It could be the horns were put on top primarily for ease of adjustment.

The plane to compete against at this time was the Orion. Tom's designs were very sleek in comparison...probably the slickest, most streamlined to be found anywhere.

Duane

UStik

Hi Duane! Actually it looks like a push-pull-linkage with thin wires. It seems too thin for a pushrod and I don't see something like a clevis either. Just a thought...

kingaltair

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Great to hear from you again...wie ghets mein freund???!!!

You are probably 100% right on...there is probably an identical tab on the bottom.

Do you have the same e-mail address? We have some things to discuss about the Simla, and the Simla simulation. Building a prototype Simla is the next big (literally) project.

UStik

Can't wait to see it! Same e-mail, just wondered if you tried the simulation.

RFJ

Might be a similar aileron drive system to that shown on the Orion plan: a combination of rigid push rod and flexible cable.

Ray

Michaelj2k

What is the winged bullseye decal on the left wing?

RFJ

That would be this

Ray

kingaltair

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The video Chuck Winter made shows the "official" white jacket with the RCCD logo on the back. At one point, the video shows a full screen of the logo, (the back of a jacket).....then it gets smaller as the person in the jacket walks away from the camera. The person modeling the official jacket was Helen Brett.

Tom had the same logo on Nimbus II, and the "Beast" models. I don't believe Apogee and Perigee sported the RCCD logo, probably because they were built for the FAI championships. Those plane carried the NUSA, and US flag emblems.

Duane

Michaelj2k

Thanks, that's what I thought it was. It's a nice touch.

Free Bird

I was wondering about that emblem. Now that I have a good example of it, I can get some made for future projects.

FB

Michaelj2k

Or you can get it here. http://www.rccd.org/

kingaltair

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Ray...

Here is the latest...part of an e-mail from Helen Brett.:

I wrote a letter to Stuart Foster this morning. Will take it to the post office in the morning. Hoping to hear good things from him, health and plane wise. Thanks to Ray for getting me in touch with Stuart.

I told her it's funny how one thing tends to lead to another in these threads.

Duane

CHARLES WINTER

Hi Guy's, This is the Detroit Club Patch on the back of Helen Brett. I extracted this from my movie. I keep in contact with Helen and I am still working on additions and updates on my original movie.
Col. Chuck Winter

kingaltair

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Chuck,

Re:Post #334

I was hoping you might post that for me.

Duane

Free Bird

Just thought I'd let you guys know that my restored Perigee took 1st place in vintage at this years WRAM show. A special thanks to Tom Brett for designing a timeless model with a very attractive trim scheme! Any many thanks to Kingaltair for supplying me photos of Tom's model that's hanging in the AMA musuem. I couldn't have done this without those pictures! Here's a couple of pics from the show.

FB

kingaltair

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HOW ABOUT THAT!!!! Very nice to see it all done, and congrats on the award. I have a Perigee kit I'd like to build someday...too many projects for too little time, but at least I have the kit. Your plane is an inspiration to the rest of us. I wish we had more new photos and other documentation to add to the thread, but it looks like we are close to finished here. Great to see your finished model. What better tribute can you give to Tom than to want to duplicate as much as possible his most famous plane. I'm sure he'd be proud that after 48 years, people are displaying new or restored Perigee models at a show.

F.B.Thanks for your post since I never formally concluded the thread, (but I'm sure there will be at least a few more posts reacting to your model and the award). This post gives me the opportunity to properly conclude the thread, (at least for now), and to thank so many great people.

I must thank first and foremost Helen Brett for all her help. She has been so gracious to me, allowing me in her home and access to all of Tom's prized birds and drawings. This thread wouldn't have even happened without her. Tom and Helen's daughter Sheryl was a big help as was their grandson Brett. Everyone in the Brett family was so very helpful, and I'm as appreciative as I can be.

I'd also like to thank Chuck Winter, and his video....not only for the tremendous video itself, but also for the not-so-subtle chance to approach Helen with an offer to hand-deliver it, (I was hoping for the response I received).

Willie McMath....the historian for the RCCD was also a big help in providing information, and in his communication with Helen early on.

Through this study and thread I feel like I came to know Tom a little better through his drawings, the descriptions of others, and his models. You can learn a lot about a person by reading what they have written. Jackie Shallberg at AMA provided me with copies of both his articles which also was a huge help. Tom was a gifted writer as well as everything else, making the reading of his articles a real pleasure.

Thanks to everyone who has shown interest in this thread by "hitting" on it, and for those who have contributed to it. Frankly there have been a lot more "hits" than I would have thought when I first started it. I hope new photos or other documentation will surface and can be added to this thread in the future. Until then thanks again, and I'll see you later.

Duane Wilson

CHARLES WINTER

Hi Free Bird, Great job. Your Perigee looks BEAUTIFUL. I'll encourage Helen Brett to look at your post. I was very fortunate to know Tom in the 60s. His Genius is finally being acknowledged. I keep plugging away at my updated movie with more of Tom and his other airplanes. Thanks again for your post.
Col. Chuck Winter

kingaltair

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As I said...thanks for "getting the ball rolling" for this whole thread. One thing many times leads to another. If you hadn't mentioned your home movies in the Ed Kazmirski's Taurus thread, and put them on video for us, none of this would have happened. Visiting Helen and seeing their memorabelia was the fulfillment of a dream for me.

Please keep me in mind when you have the "new and improved" video completed, and let me know if I can help you in any way.

Duane

Free Bird

Thanks for the kudos Col. Much appreciated! Since I was a kid I've had a "thing" for the Perigee. I remember a couple of them in the club my Dad belonged to way back when. Getting this model and restoring it, is a high point of my modeling endeavors. Next will be flying it in the spring. I've enjoyed watching your DVD many times and look forward to the next one!

Duane,

Because of this thread, Helen's input, your generosity in sharing the information and other factors, my Perigee is what it is today. When I first got the model, I really didn't have a plan for it, other than to refinish it. This thread has been a huge inspiration for me to try and capture the essence of what Tom was trying to do almost 50 years ago. Hopefully I've done that with this small effort. I'm very grateful that you had the opportunity to visit Helen and for sharing those visits with us. You've brought to light a lot of R/C history that would have gone unnoticed. And as you said above, "One thing leads to another" will certainly be the case here in the future!

So, thanks to both of you guys for allowing me to live the dream!

FB

kingaltair

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I received a very nice e-mail from Helen Brett that she wanted me to pass on to Free Bird. I know you're going to want to see this:

Now to the thread.I am delighted to find FreeBird's Perigee on the thread today. It looks like a labor of love to me. It is very gratifying to know that after 48 years Perigee is still showing up and getting noticed and appreciated.

To FreeBird: Congrats on the beautiful restoration, and winning first place. Tom would be very proud. I'd love to have photos of you and Perigee for the scrapbook. The whole thread is going in, but separate photos would be a wonderful addition to the scrapbook. You did a great job on the plane and I wish you good luck and happy landings.

Also my heartfelt thanks to Chuck As you said, he brought Perigee to the attention of just the right format.

What better complement could you ever hope for than this one from Helen, and her assurance that "...Tom would have been proud..."!!! Way to go.

Duane

Free Bird

What can I say but - WOW! I'm humbled and honored by Helen B. remarks. That's way better than any award that I could ever win at any show. I'd be happy to supply some photos and I'll work on it. Thanks for passing the message on Duane!

FB

kingaltair

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Send me an e-mail if you have it or PM me, and I'll get you in touch with Helen.

You should post a picture of you and Perigee on this thread as well, plus some flight reports. Sure hope you're as good a pilot as you are a builder.

Duane

Free Bird

PM sent Duane.

The weather is starting to get a little warmer here in the northeast. Remaiden of the Perigee is about a month or so away. I will post a flight report and some shots when it happens. WEDJ let me fly his Perigee last fall, so I have a feel for what to expect. I hope flys haf as well as his.

FB

kingaltair

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TWO E-MAILS:

I received two e-mails from Helen Brett over the past week or so talking about updates to previous posts, and the announcement of a new pattern contest at the RCCD, (Radio Control Club of Detroit). With permission, here is what Helen is reporting to us:

FROM MARCH 7,2010
Just to get in touch and let you know, and to thank Ray, that I received a very welcome response from Stuart Foster. He sent back the last tape and 8mm films that Tom sent in 1962 when he was preparing for the World Champs in England, plus he sent a DVD-4 of the films, which my grandson Patrick says is not compatable with our DVD system. Probably the current problem electric current problem. I hope to resolve this situation. He returned the reel to reel tape recording, plus a copy of it. He thought the quality was poor, maybe due to being on a metal reel for 49 years. An additional surprise is a copy of the English Model Aircraft magazine from Octobet, 1962 featuring the W/C in Kenley with scads of photos and text.
Stuart was a collector of vintage aircraft and vintage radio gear. He sent photos of his HUGE collection of gear, which he has since sold, plus photos of his planes including SmogHog, Astro Hog, Uproar, Gee String, Root-Tang, SNR Falcon, Kwik FlyII, and Crusader, which have also been sold. He recently built new Astro Hog, Gee String and Taurus and half size Astro and Taurus for electric. He still flies a Nimbus II and two Taurus with Orbit Proportional gear. Thanks again to Ray for making this connection possible.

FROM MARCH 11, 2010
Another surprise todaydear friend and club member dropped over today to take me to lunch and pick up some photos from me for a flyer. The RCCD is having a pattern contest this year and naming it the Tom Brett Memorial and needed a photo. He also brought a copy of Flying Models from February 2008 with an article by Dean Pappas with Perigee with the rudder cables and a copy of Flying Models February 2009 with an article by Dean Pappas and a photo of a Perigee owned by Nic Damuck built from a short-kit made by PastTime Hobbies. Also a copy of Radio Control Modeler from September 1965 the Hobbypoxy ad on the back. A bonus inside was two photos of Tom and TBX at the '65 Nats at Willow Grove. Tom won the Hurst trophy there for best new design. All in all this has been a red letter day for the Brett house.

Thanks Helen...as always, we welcome any new material for this biographical thread of Tom Brett.

Duane Wilson