In Box Review of Williams Bros. 1/48th Scale
Corben Super-Ace Sport Plane
Golden Age Series
Kit no. 48-3191
By Ray Mehlberger
Available on Amazon for $29.95
Kit no. 48-3191
By Ray Mehlberger
Available on Amazon for $29.95
HISTORY:
During 1935, Popular Aviation magazine published a series of articles concerning this attractive single-seat sport-plane, intended for construction by amateurs. A Ford Model A automobile engine was used for power, and it too was the subject of an article describing modifications and needed accessories.
The Super-Ace was designed by Orlan G. Corben, who had also produced other sport planes such as the Baby-Ace and Junior-Ace, praiseworthy for simplicity and economy.
The Super-Ace incorporated similar straight-forward construction philosophy combined with readily available low-cost materials. Its exciting appearance and spirited performance made the Super-Ace an intriguing proposition as did the dynamic full-color painting by Herman R. Bollin, printed on the April 1935 Popular Aviation front cover.
The same issue featured a charming rubber-powered stick-and-tissue flying model of the Super-Ace by Paul W. Lindberg, famous in his own right as a model designer. By September of that year, the Imperial Model Aero Supply Company of Brooklyn, New York was advertising a 36 inch wing-span Super-Ace kit.
Over the years, other models, ranging from tiny wooden "solids" to large radio-controlled examples, have helped keep the Super-Ace familiar to legions of aviation enthusiasts. This seems appropriate, because Orlan Corben himself had been a model builder.
Lightplane authority John Underwood estimates that at least six full-size Super-Aces were constructed. Four of them prior to 1940.
SPECIFICATIONS;
The prototype Super-Ace spanned 25 feet, but according to its designer, extra area was added "in favor of the fellows who live at high-altitudes". The span addition amounted to two feet, although slight variations exist in published dimensions.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wing span: 27 ft. 3 1/2 in.
Weight (empty) 569 lbs.
Fuselage and tailplanes: welded steel tubing & sheet metal wing, spruce spars & built-up wooden ribs.
Covering: fabric, except for sheet metal cowling areas.
Engine: modified Ford Model A automobile power plant
Max RPM: 2000
Engine weight: 219 lbs.
Top speed: 100 mph
Cruising speed: 85 mph
Landing speed: 32 mph
Take off run: 200 feet
Economy: 25 miles per gallon of fuel
Not too shabby, even by today's standards!
During 1935, Popular Aviation magazine published a series of articles concerning this attractive single-seat sport-plane, intended for construction by amateurs. A Ford Model A automobile engine was used for power, and it too was the subject of an article describing modifications and needed accessories.
The Super-Ace was designed by Orlan G. Corben, who had also produced other sport planes such as the Baby-Ace and Junior-Ace, praiseworthy for simplicity and economy.
The Super-Ace incorporated similar straight-forward construction philosophy combined with readily available low-cost materials. Its exciting appearance and spirited performance made the Super-Ace an intriguing proposition as did the dynamic full-color painting by Herman R. Bollin, printed on the April 1935 Popular Aviation front cover.
The same issue featured a charming rubber-powered stick-and-tissue flying model of the Super-Ace by Paul W. Lindberg, famous in his own right as a model designer. By September of that year, the Imperial Model Aero Supply Company of Brooklyn, New York was advertising a 36 inch wing-span Super-Ace kit.
Over the years, other models, ranging from tiny wooden "solids" to large radio-controlled examples, have helped keep the Super-Ace familiar to legions of aviation enthusiasts. This seems appropriate, because Orlan Corben himself had been a model builder.
Lightplane authority John Underwood estimates that at least six full-size Super-Aces were constructed. Four of them prior to 1940.
SPECIFICATIONS;
The prototype Super-Ace spanned 25 feet, but according to its designer, extra area was added "in favor of the fellows who live at high-altitudes". The span addition amounted to two feet, although slight variations exist in published dimensions.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wing span: 27 ft. 3 1/2 in.
Weight (empty) 569 lbs.
Fuselage and tailplanes: welded steel tubing & sheet metal wing, spruce spars & built-up wooden ribs.
Covering: fabric, except for sheet metal cowling areas.
Engine: modified Ford Model A automobile power plant
Max RPM: 2000
Engine weight: 219 lbs.
Top speed: 100 mph
Cruising speed: 85 mph
Landing speed: 32 mph
Take off run: 200 feet
Economy: 25 miles per gallon of fuel
Not too shabby, even by today's standards!
THE KIT:
Williams Bros. was located in San Marcos, CA at the time this kit was released. I don't know if they still exist?
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Super-Ace flying above the clouds. It has a yellow fuselage, fin and rudder, cowling and trim are black, wings and elevators are silver, radiator is grey.
It has the white word Corben on the rudder and white serial no. 13697 on the rudder flap. This no. is repeated in large black numbers above the left wing and below the right.
One side panel has 4 color box-arts of 1/72nd scale aircraft kits that Williams Bros. manufactured: a Northrop Gamma, a Douglas World Cruiser, a Boeing 247 and a Curtiss C-46. No kit numbers are provided for these.
Williams Bros. was located in San Marcos, CA at the time this kit was released. I don't know if they still exist?
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Super-Ace flying above the clouds. It has a yellow fuselage, fin and rudder, cowling and trim are black, wings and elevators are silver, radiator is grey.
It has the white word Corben on the rudder and white serial no. 13697 on the rudder flap. This no. is repeated in large black numbers above the left wing and below the right.
One side panel has 4 color box-arts of 1/72nd scale aircraft kits that Williams Bros. manufactured: a Northrop Gamma, a Douglas World Cruiser, a Boeing 247 and a Curtiss C-46. No kit numbers are provided for these.
The other side panel has 4 color box arts of other 1/48th scale aircraft kits that Williams Bros. manufactured: a Gee Bee R-1, a Wedell-Williams race-plane, a Caudron race-plane and a Gee Bee Z.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 1 light-grey tree & a small sheet of clear plastic, the decal sheet and the instructions.
All are loose and not in cello bags.
Tree is not illustrated in the instructions. There are, however, part number tabs next to the parts on the tree.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet printed on both sides in 17" x 11" page format.
The face side has a black and white photo of the actual Ford Model A engine and a 3-view line drawing with names of the parts of the plane. There is an exploded drawing to use for assembly purposes and 2 black and white photos of the actual aircraft sitting on an airfield.
The reverse side of the sheet has a lot of text, telling the history of the Super-Ace, colors to paint it, general construction instructions and a black and white photo of a guy building a balsa model of the Super-Ace.
The medium-gray lone tree holds: fuselage, propeller, elevators, wings, exhaust pipes, landing-gear legs, wheels, rudder (25 parts)
This kit holds 1 light-grey tree & a small sheet of clear plastic, the decal sheet and the instructions.
All are loose and not in cello bags.
Tree is not illustrated in the instructions. There are, however, part number tabs next to the parts on the tree.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet printed on both sides in 17" x 11" page format.
The face side has a black and white photo of the actual Ford Model A engine and a 3-view line drawing with names of the parts of the plane. There is an exploded drawing to use for assembly purposes and 2 black and white photos of the actual aircraft sitting on an airfield.
The reverse side of the sheet has a lot of text, telling the history of the Super-Ace, colors to paint it, general construction instructions and a black and white photo of a guy building a balsa model of the Super-Ace.
The medium-gray lone tree holds: fuselage, propeller, elevators, wings, exhaust pipes, landing-gear legs, wheels, rudder (25 parts)
The small sheet of clear plastic is used to construct a windshield using a pattern in the instructions.Above it is the instrument panel I have painted.
The decal sheet and a service complete the kit.
I have assembled the fuselage halves together and painted yellow on most of the fuselage.
There is no pilot figure included. Detail is the raised variety.
Recommended.