COX Space Shuttle America

Has anyone have experience with this model? Any 'gotcha's' to watch out for?

The gliders are pretty heavy for gliders, and come in pretty fast. I have banged up the nose of my blue one on asphalt, so preferably fly over grass, and dirt. Otherwise, it flies fine, not real high, and no great glide duration's.
Just my 2 cents.

mikeyd said:

The gliders are pretty heavy for gliders, and come in pretty fast. I have banged up the nose of my blue one on asphalt, so preferably fly over grass, and dirt. Otherwise, it flies fine, not real high, and no great glide duration's.
Just my 2 cents.

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I agree with Mike. I had one in college about 4 decades ago. The gliders are heavy. The basic design is clever and the separation is always good. Mine came with a lot of decals that really enhanced the model. I would think that this model would be very difficult to find.

Great fun.

There are some more pictures here.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?32829-Cox-Space-Shuttle-America-(-5200)-Gallery

Thanks for the replies.

Mine seems to be from 1993 or 1994 with yet another different decal set. I especially like the white canopy decals on the white main body... NOT

So I take it a C6-3 is the only motor option for this bird?

I'm not sure which came first. Here is a link to the plans for Space Twins. It's the same concept with standard paper tube and balsa construction.
https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/eirp_41.htm

The Space Twins plans were published around 1966 or 1967, if I remember correctly. Might have been the first published design for twin boost gliders.

I remember seeing the MPC Lunar Patrol twin BG model kit in model shops in 1970.

https://plans.rocketshoppe.com/mpc/mpcR-215/mpcR-215.htm

So I take it a C6-3 is the only motor option for this bird?

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Yes, the model may not look big or heavy, but it is heavy enough and draggy enough that it needs a C6-3. I wouldn't fly it on anything less.

BTW did you buy it on an auction? Are there anymore left? I always liked the looks of it and it was easy to fly. I think it has a motor clip in it, so just take the old motor out and repack the chute and gliders and it's ready to go. For me the gliders did something like a pancake mode of gliding.

Thanks.

I purchased the kit from a chap in Great Britain. It was sealed but I want to fly it and it will go nicely with my other Cox models.