Sterling model company

A quick look at the Sterling model company, a maker of wooden model planes, boats and ships.
I built Sterling AT-6 kit recently and it was a train wreck. Got the gear to work ONCE! I have a video about the build • Sterling AT-6 Balsa ki...
Annoying music by the guy who sings your name.

[@petetimchal1908]

My dad was his partner, and designer of all the early models. My dad had falling out over who was not pulling their weight. . My father packed up the family and moved to margate NJ and bought a motel at the beach.

[@maxsmodels]

wow

[@Edubarca46]

Did your dad designed my favorite Sterling kit, The 58" wingspan Piper Tri-Pacer? A wonderful flyer and very attractive model.

[@ogPETEtv]

@@Edubarca46probably grand father was a genius

[@phantomblott1]

Just found this site on Sterling models. A couple of short stories here. I still fly control line today, and belong to a small group of old controline geezers called, "West Michigan Smoke Rings. One model I built and flew back in the mid 1960's was the Spitfire, kit S-19 powered by a Green Head Torpedo .35. My mom and dad had a cottage on a lake and there was a soft ball field near the beach. My sister and brother in-law were helping pit. I had put up 2 or 3 flights, and noticed 3 or 4 horse and buggy's stopped, and there were several Amish families that had gotten out and were watching me fly. They were the nicest people and were so interested in what my hobby was about. I even let one Amish man with a beard, hold the handle with me and helped him fly that Spitfire. He was just so happy, and so humble of a man to have had a chance to do something really different. Another story, a few years before, I had just moved up from 1/2 A control line planes to my first .35 size that was the Sterling T Square kit S-11, it was powered by a Fox Red head Rocket .35. I just flew the wings off that T Square, it so impressed me, that I bought 2 more T Square kits around the same time. Several years ago I finally built the last T-Square, and today I still have a blast flying it with a Fox Stunt .35 mounted on it. I had so many good times, along with the best memories from that era of flying control line from the 1960's, Our small control line group tries to fly on Wednesday evenings along with a hot dog cook out 1/2 way through. Great video you did, I for one sure do miss all those great kits from Sterling and the others that have long left us.

[@karltauschen9561]

I'm 77 years old, As a youngster, I built several Sterling model planes, including the Ringmaster Jr. w/ a Fox .15 engine. Then built a full-size Ringmaster w/ a K&B .29R. Also built a P51 Mustang, powered w/ the K&B .29R after the Ringmaster crashed beyond reasonable repair. Finally built a Circus King (very similar to the Ringmaster) w/ a ENYA .35. Still have the Circus King & Mustang hanging from flower pot hooks in the lanai of our home. I absolutely do not remember having extreme difficulties in separating the balsa wood pieces or in assembling the planes. Also had a Jim Walker U-Reely back then. Don't have it anymore, but ironically still have an old BB-tube with several Glo-plugs. How the decades have flown by (no pun intended!!!!)

[@scrmonterey]

Bought the Missouri kit back in 1972. Built it,installed rc, added some lights. Still have it today on a Mantle retired. From america,s hobby center NYC. For $25 .Have the catalogue too.

[@hankramos8663]

Late to the party but fascinating story.. I remember when my Dad worked at a hobby business in Los Angeles called Maxwell Models Dist. And he used to bring home Sterling kits of the rubber powered airplanes for me to build. Great memories!

[@prsearls]

I built and flew Ringmasters and other planes back in the mid-1950's. Model building was (and still is) a great hobby. You only needed a few tools and the process taught following instructions, hand-eye coordination cutting and sanding parts and most of all, patience. As I got older, my interests changed more into model railroading. Those basic skills were really helpful. I'm in my 80's now and don't model railroad anymore but use these skills in woodworking. I still enjoy making things with my hands, something I learned a lifetime ago. The "instant gratification" required today for most projects is a shame. I'm glad I grew up long ago; it taught me many important lessons that are still applicable to many activities today. I can see in my grandchildren too much emphasis on electronics. Take away their phone or tablet and they're lost and bored. They don't know what they're missing.

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

I built quite a few Sterling kits as a boy in the 60s and 70s. Big, heavy, and destined to be thrown around the back yard. The Sterling Peanut scale Waco SRE turned out to be the first rubber powered airplane I got to really fly well. It met it's demise under a softball in the back seat of the '72 Pontiac... Great video. Thanks!

[@dennisdurrant7077]

I built the Sterling Chris Craft Catalina about 35 years ago and still have it on display. It's set up for radio control and still in good shape!!

[@timothyhays7889]

the Ringmaster was a wicked little plane in the right hands

[@scootergeorge9576]

I built a Stirling "Ringmaster" and powered it with a Fox .35 stunt engine. A very nice kit and it flew great!

[@RMJTOOLS]

A perfect combo. Had that myself as a teenager and my friends had the same. Still have Fox 35’s NIB sitting in my hobby den.

[@scootergeorge9576]

@@RMJTOOLS I have a profile version of the Nobler stunt plane with a Fox 35. Also a Baby Flight streak with cox TD .051. And a spare Fox 35. Used to have a couple of Fox .36 "Combat Special" engines and a K&B 6.5 rear rotor engine but sold 'em over the years. The Combat special would power a "Voodoo" combat plane to almost 100 MPH! 25% nitro and pen bladder "fuel injection."

[@RMJTOOLS]

Scooter George Yes I remember that Nobler. Used to fly combat on the east coast back in the 80’s. Had Mk3, Mk4, and Mk5 Fox Combat specials. The best was running my Mk3 on Fox 40% nitro. Would crackle like frying bacon. Still got lots of Fox engines. I miss those days.

[@2LV855]

I do remember the voodoo it was designed by Riley Wooten and the plans were published in a model airplane book however the name escapes me

[@radarecho57]

@@2LV855 I built a Voodoo as my first plane ( not bright I know). It covered a lot of sky before it's sudden disassembly. I used food coloring to make a camo design on the silkspan, I was beautiful and I will have to try to preproduce that someday.

[@randyherbrechtsmeier4796]

I always liked Sterling. Was a cut above Guillows. I have a few MIB. In the 60s all the kits where Die Smashed!!!

[@billg7205]

I first built the P26, and the Citabria which is on outerzone. You need to take your kits out of the box and attempt building them. I thought Sterling was higher end, until I built the P47, P40 (both featured on outerzone), Spitfire, and currently the 24" Corsair. Terrible scale inaccuracies, along with most every part requiring rework, some up to 1/4" off size from the plan drawn parts. Seriously, that bad. Of course sizing the parts to plan won't necessarily get you anywhere either. At least the die-cutter seemed to understand that if you're not going to make accurate dies, then make the parts oversized. The Spitfire came with 2 parts sheets of 3/32" wood which were not equal in thickness. Topping it all off, they included 2 parts sheets that were cut from 1/32" wood, which was supposed to be 1/16". The Spitfire and P40 required considerable former tweaking in the mid fuselage/cocpit area to remove dips and bulges, and properly resolve the area for a decent canopy fit. Canopies in the real world opened rearward, on parallel rails. At least get those features reasonably correct, as Guillow's has. My P47 only looks like the box art, due to a radical rework of the otherwise baseball bat fuselage plan profile. The 20" Stuka is so horrible that it will be built from and enlargement of the 16" Guillow's Stuka, with Sterling plastic parts. Guillow's kits can be built out of the box, with a few parts here and there requiring a minor tweak, for good results. There are not terrible off-scale errors, unless the kit was intentionally simplified, such as the built-up kits. Built more of them than I can count, and can produce build threads and video links if necessary. Scale deviations should be made for practical reasons, and not like the P47's fuselage profile, which is so far off there is no valid reason for it. Note that the later and slightly larger Estes version had been corrected somewhat. Some of my Guillow's, as well as Sterling models are on my YT channel, and others on my other YT channel unintentionally created when they forced us to re-register in order to upload videos. My Guillow's Rumpler biplane is featured on outerzone also. I enjoy building old kits, the challenge of getting good results from them, and in many cases having as far as I know, a 1-off electric rc flight flying version of the model. That said I've enjoyed building the Sterling kits as I have most all models, and promote building of vintage kits. If I had to give an unbiased Sterling review however, I would have to say that a number of the kits are komplete garbage. I don't enjoy saying that either, as I had higher expectations after building and flying the Citabria and P26. Some kudos I can give them is that the can fly well (just like Guillow's kits) when built properly by an experienced builder, for the specific application.

[@billg7205]

Forgot to add the Sterling Fokker D8, which at least is a great flyer with a video on my channel. The plan however was sized to 18", for a 21" model. Totally unacceptable error. I looked at enough open box sale images to confirm that at least a number of the kits came with this less than workable situation. I must have got the plan from somewhere other than outerzone, as I was just looking for it there. My Eindecker is on outerzone however. Easier to scale and print the plan from a plan site like Hippocket, than scan and paste sections using my flatbed scanner.

[@billg7205]

On molded parts, the fit and mold finish quality are not up to par with Guillow's. I've done a lot of bodywork on Sterling molded parts, such as the P47 cowl. On some kits like the Guillow's B25 and Mosquito with challenging molded nacelles, the fit and shaping are nothing short of excellent. I have both of these kits shown as flying rc models on You Tube.

[@Sleepy_Alligator]

I recall back in the 70s they had a nice RC trainer called "Fledgling". Anyone recall "Flying Models" magazine? The first magazine I ever subscribed to. I recall a guy named Nick Ziroli who was a regular contributor, built some gorgeous scale models.

[@CrazyPetez]

I built several Sterling models. Ringmaster U-Control stunt airplane. Two Chris Craft boats, the last a 42’ Corvette cabin cruiser. Still have it 90% complete.

[@RMJTOOLS]

Boy that brought back lots of memories. Ringmasters were one of my favorite CL planes as a young teenager. Do remember how bad the die crunching was and didn’t really know any better. At some point I want to build every version of the Ringmaster.

[@mgpmbass3616]

I remember Sterling "Die Crunched" kits quite well. I remember having to return a .35 size Ringmaster kit to the hobby shop because the balsa sheets were so badly crunched, they were unusable. They checked their other kits and they were all the same way so they returned them to their distributor and they quit sticking Sterling kits afterwards and would only special order them for customers who really wanted them.

[@dungtrumpet5490]

I have to say that I am so glad I subscribed to this channel, as it brings back a lot of fond memories of building these kits. But having said that, my feeling are also leavened with the anger and frustration of the memories of taking these kits out for a flight and having them turn into kindling as they corkscrew right into the ground. Or, with the Guillow's Cessna 180 kit, have the entire port wind fold into the fuselage as I launched it. Happy days.

[@aerostaraircraftsanctuary604]

The Sterling kits seemed to be everywhere in 1967, I built an .049 Baby Ringmaster, and the Big RC Super Cruiser. We called the balsa "die crunched" although it wasn't that bad and with a sharp Exacto you could build a good airplane. My favorite kit was the single channel "Mambo". It was built and flown and re-built many times, but finally learned to fly RC without crashing. Probably bought 2 or 3 Mambo kits. The last one was modified for elevator, throttle and rudder control, having enlarged the rudder from the 1" by 2" one shown on the plan. All the Sterling RC kits flew excellent. Eventually built the Tri-Pacer also. it was the first airplane I could perform touch and goes with. Ended up selling it to another club member. Should have kept it.

[@joevalentine2048]

Thanks for the quick upload of the Sterling story. I built and flew... mostly crashed... their profile planes. It was the 36 inch Ringmaster that became a favorite. It sits in the basement and built in the early 70’s its way too old to fly. Thanks for taking us down memory lane.

[@danielcarlson7002]

Sterling had some interesting kits. I LOVE that Citabria (Kit #E5) that they made. BEAUTIFUL early-‘70s scheme.

[@jims6323]

My dad, brother, and myself built alot of Sterling airplane kits in the last century. The later kits were what I called "die smashed"! I would very much like to find plans for their 0.15 ci. P-40 kit, my first "big" control liner.

[@chuckpippin8415]

Great video on the history of Sterling Models. I just wished I had watched it 2 weeks ago...as that is when I started on my Piper Cub Super Cruiser PA12 model. If I had known you wanted one I would have gladly made it yours. Now that it is almost complete, the best I can do is send you a pic of it when finished. Hopefully it will turn out alright...first one I've built in over 50 years...fingers and eyes aren't quite as nimble now as back then. Old planes and old men making new memories.

[@phineasrumson3116]

I remember these models from the very early 60's; my aunt and uncle lived in Philly and we used to drive by the place on the way to their apartment. My uncle was a mode boat freak, he was working on the USS Constitution by SM back in 64. He died suddenly, and I don't know what ever happened to his collection. It's a shame that those pieces are lost to history, they were some awesome builds!

[@davidbaldwin1018]

My very first model kit was a Sterling P-51 I completed with my dad. I was 9 years old.

[@DEeMONsworld]

I built a few of their kits in the 60's as a boy. They were the what I considered at the time large 36"-48" span kits, the ones that were actually designed for control line but they advertised them as radio control also. The die cutting was a mere suggestion as to where to cut the parts with an exacto knife. But these kits helped hone my skills as a builder having to re manufacture parts and do a lot of hand carving on solid balsa blocks. The two early ones that I remember are the Polish fighter with the gull wing, and the giant Piper cub, which took me 25 yeas to finish. (time out for high school, college and early marriage) These were very primitive kits with accessories out of woolworths or the local hardware store. The cub actually had a stamped metal cowl. In the 1970's I built one of there new line of light weight similar to Guillows kits. It was the Diamont sailplane. I had a plan to enlrge the wing and make it my first R/C sailplane. I wrote Sterling and they provided me with an extra st of wing ribs. I built it with a span of nearly 100". there were no micro R/C components as there are today so I made my own push rods frm light cable and plastic tubes. I was my first ever somewhat successful |R/C sailplane and it hooked me forever.

[@larrydee8859]

As Always; Great job, working with what you have, for Sterling, Max. Thanks for doing the Sterling video. In the early 1980s I remember purchasing, and building the Sterling Spad, with the real ( heavy though) rubber tires. Nice decals. I also bought the DVII, with the rubber tires, and rockets., At the same time. (I never built the DVII). While visiting The Old Rheinbeck Airodrome, as late as 1996, I was able to purchase one of each again. This with a new idea of later building them when I retire, but still on hold. I'm wondering if Sterling, ever produced the DH-4, as I remember building it in 1985. I converted with a CO2 motor. (I know I saw a Dumas one, much later on in the early 2000s). Thanks again for sharing!

[@MrAeronca100]

First let me say I absolutely love your series of reviews on all the Model companies I grew up with, Sterling had a line that not only were designed and built well be were great flyers, the Mambo series being my favorite, Mambo, Mini Mambo, Mighty Mambo, Mambo special, I still have a 40 + year old Mambo on my shelf that still fly's today, it is one in a long line that I have built, the first I had was in 1962, Sterling is a company you need to do more research on, I am sure it's out there as so many of our generation built and flew so many of them...

[@KensAeroden]

I learned to fly r/c in 1977 with a Sterling Fledgling .40 and K&B .40, Aerosport 4 channel from Hobby Shack. Still have the engine and radio. I also attended the IMS show in Pasadena every year until it ended. I still have a Sterling decal and patch from a show in the late 70s.

[@MegaWildweasel]

the fledgling was a great flying plane. I had an early fox .40 rc engine in mine. best idling rc motor I ever had. (the one with the exhaust valve)

[@radioflitercairplanes1715]

My first R/C kit was the Mini mambo. That was about 1980, my uncle gave me a massive collection of old kits from Sterling, Carl Goldberg & midwest , for some reason I picked the Mini mambo to build first. I had very weak modeling skills but it came out nice and flew great as a free flight. Fuel was provide via an eyedropper and I built in a bit of right rudder. It flew The newly acquired Mambo will be 4 channels.

[@roberthill3207]

Excellent video have a great day.

[@rundoetx]

Great video. Thanks for posting

[@rwl8150]

I was just doing some minor repair this week on the Fokker tri-plane that I had built in the 80's, a bit dust and needs new skin on the wings but still in good shape for as old as it is.

[@xtalvt]

Hmmm ... In the 90's I was busy moving from Canada to the US (SC) ... in the 2000"s busy running my little business ... 2010's ... moving to VT and building a house ... this year building a shop ... I really need to take some time and build some models! Every time I watch your videos, I remember another model I have put in storage for "some day". After watching this video, I looked up Strerling models online ... sure enough, I have a Flying Fool with a brand new Enya 29 in my storage trailer. One interesting thought ... I feel much better about my experiences with flying models after I hear about yours. With the exception of 049 u-control kits, I don't think any of my rubber powered kits really took flight .. they more flopped. Even the 049's took me a few good crashes to learn. I remember getting dizzy to the point of falling over and watching the plane do a nose dive. I tried RC twice ... the first plane went into a light pole on the first flight (was flying in a large parking lot) ... second plane went out over the lake too far and just kept going (tried flying at a beach with the second plane). I was in college and money was too tight to try a third time.

[@Mannock]

Really interesting video. Shady deals abound here. Now, though, I have that DAMNED STERLING SONG in my head and I can't get rid of it! Thanks, Max! >:(

[@Mannock]

Thank you, Max!

[@RichadTheLionHeat]

I need to see the music sheet to help me remember all the lyrics😉👍🏻🎹🎺🪗🎼

[@tenlittleindians]

Maybe it was because Sig was right here in Iowa that we built more Sig models? Many of the Sig models had the pieces practically fall out of the cut balsa is what I remember. We could drive to the Sig factory and buy kits right off the shelves.

[@mbryson2899]

We sold a fair number of their kits, the buyers were fine with the weird cuts- to those hardcore builders it was a challenge they welcomed. And great song, BTW. :)

[@FastSports-ScaleCarGarage]

Very interesting story, very well done!

[@redr1150r]

Another Sterling story. Back in the early 80s I took some time and built a Sterling flying model of the Me-109. It was the 24, or 28 in wingspan version I believe. If anyone has ever done this, you know it's difficult to get them to fly right. This was an exception. On rubber band power it was excellent. I took it out into the field in behind my house and was doing some flights and my cat had followed me outside out of curiosity. On about the 3rd, or 4th flight she jumped up and snatched it right out the air and crushed it against the ground, then of course took off. She was quite a hunter. I watched her snatch a dove and a couple of black birds out of the air, so I should have known better. I was in the Navy at the time, and the guys asked me to bring it in and fly it in the hangar again, as this is where I had test flown it. When I told them what had happened to it, they were rolling on the floor. Another great model aviation story.

[@maxsmodels]

well that is a new one, shot down by cat....maybe King Kong had the right idea.

[@redr1150r]

@@maxsmodels She was quite a hunter. She was very interested in it as I was flying it and she would follow me out into the field to watch me and run over to it once it had landed. It had crossed my mind that she would try try something like that , but we were both having fun watching it fly, then she did it.

[@johndonlon1611]

I am over 70 and still remember the Piper Apache kit I totally wrecked as a kid. I've built plenty of balsa wood planes since then and would like just one last crack at that kit.......maybe in the next life.

[@sebastianmarconi2855]

That Great Lakes is beautiful! I'll be on the lookout for one of those on eBay...

[@cllaurit]

Die crush is what we used to call it

[@MrJest2]

SRD and wood do *not* play well together. Basically, the dies have to be replaced so quickly it's not worth the effort to make them. Even on vacuum-formed plastic (probably the most common use of SRDs that I'm aware of) they wear fairly quickly, but will still give many thousands of accurate cuts more than you'd get with balsa wood.

[@cllaurit]

@@MrJest2 Sterling was by far the worst, I have been in model building (mostly R/C Planes) for over 40 years and I have had a Sterling kit or two. I had the Pt-17 kit and built it years ago, had to toss 70% of the wood in the kit because it was so bad. Some were warped, some had the weight of brick just overall very bad.

[@brbob4934]

Sterling was king of "die smash" but there's no arguing the nostalgia value of Sterling.

[@michaellong6605]

I loved em. Still have a half dozen or so kits to build.

[@radarecho57]

I built two of the Jr. Ring masters. One kit was short on the sheeting. Both kits had a flaw that had to be corrected, I don't remember what the flaw was but it was significant and I was kind of disgusted that they produced it that way. The are pretty solid and fly well. The engine could be set back a bit to help with the nose heavy balance I had on both planes.

[@flyswryan]

I built a Sterling kit once...ONCE! What a lot of work getting the parts cut out, without splitting them, their dies were wicked dull! I built the SNJ you showed, but finished it as the RCAF Harvard Mk IV that belonged to a friend, and gave it to him as a present. He was quite tickled with it, especially the oil streaks on the belly, just like his had. I never had any use for profile models either: it seemed like cheating, or short-changing myself, and I snobbishly looked down my nose at them as “models for dummies” (is that book out, yet?).

[@rogerrabt]

I'm currently building a Sterling PA-12, but I laser cut the parts off the plans. So far, the parts are pretty good this way. Was looking for what year the model came out, but you're right - very little about Sterling Models history anywhere.

[@steveperry1344]

i had some sterling profile planes back in the early 60's and they were good control line planes. i also had some free flight that i think were sterling also. i still have a sterling crop duster stearman complete kit in the box since about 1980 and not sure if i will ever get to it. i built a lot of guillows also when i was a kid but lost interest when i got a job, a car and a girl around 16 yrs old. i'm now 74 yrs old .

[@spottydog4477]

Thanks very much..love these little stories!!

[@robertschuler6825]

i miss Sterling.my favorite was the crop duster. used talc powder for dust. although like all their models being heavy with c grade balsa, it barely flew 20 feet but when your a kid that might have been a mile.

[@gregorydahl]

I built the B17 . It used stringer Loongerons the long way on the Fuselage . So the fuselagge formers were smaler to allow not notching the notches on lots of model brands . I put a model arplane engine on. The nose in the bomber nose . I used sprapaint and it got heavy . So i pplstereaad it anad sanded it and made a non flying scale model in. The eend .

[@ghrey8282]

I had an American Scout, C2 [ I think ] freighter kit. My brother got the Yacht America..... the kits made considerable demands on the builders, and the instructions and parts marking were sometimes confusing. Quite buildable but, pay attention, and dry fit literally everything. I'd like to take another shot at those kits, Ebay may be...

[@lancerevell5979]

Interesting you mention Carter's Sporting Goods in Tallahassee, Fl. My home town and still my residence. I talked Dad into buying me a few model kits there back in my youth. Then they closed, and the building has been many different businesses in the following decades. I switched to The Little Folks Store on the then new Northwood Mall for many years, til they closed. Their model section guy, Tom, opened his own hobby shop on Tharpe Street in town, til he was forced to close when the road was widened, taking the little strip mall's parking. There are a couple newer hobby shops, one north and one east of town, while I live south of town. Age and health issues make it difficult to get there, so I order my hobby needs via Amazon or from hobby websites. I do fondly remember those early days at Carter's.

[@maxsmodels]

Ah the Northwood mall. WOOLCO'S carried models too.

[@lancerevell5979]

@@maxsmodels As did the second Sears store, on the corner of Apalachee Pkwy and Magnolia, as well as the old TG&Y store on the Southside. I used to ride my bicycle to them.

[@bluetopguitar1104]

Interesting. What a drag. How about Carl Goldberg? I had a few of their kits. Thanks for the memories. I had a lot of control line models and some small radio control models.

[@buzzawuzza3743]

That Mono Coupe in the box looks like a fun build.

[@andrewerickson6089]

In the late seventies the dies were probably getting tired, I built alot of Sterling models and the first thing you had to do was to finish cutting the parts out, or you would snap off the little corners (especially on the fuse formers and wing ribs) when the grain worked against you. Still great kitchen table memories.

[@richmelillo9637]

Sterling models were a great stock in hobby shops. Guillows was there, but mostly rubber band powered. Sterling's kits wee made to FLY! Whether free flight or U control --they were winning aircraft kits! Theire ships were very well done for the times and technology available. $ value was there for sure. They even had props and shafts to merely add motors or engines ti. Last I heard Estes was going to changeover to LASER cut parts. Then WHOOPS, Fire took everything-Oh well then the line was gone. WAY BAD!.

[@redr1150r]

(NAS Glenview SNJ) My Dad was stationed at Glenview when he first joined the Navy. His job was stripping WW2 aircraft of instruments, radios, radar and helping to remove engines and propellers, then passing them on to the civilian crew that was cutting them up. I built some of the larger Sterling profile flying models. I had acquired a large version of a Sterling Profile P-38 that was really old back stock from the Base Hobby Shop in Norfolk Vrginia . I went to sea on the USS Forrestal and my kids got into it and shaved it all up with my exacto knives. :-)

[@2LV855]

I was with v f 74 and did the 78 med cruise on the good old Forrest fire.

[@redr1150r]

@@2LV855 I was there too, in VA-85 and AIMD HYD shop

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

Good video. I've got the sterling B-17 that I'm slowly building into an RC bird.

[@ghrey8282]

I just picked up two nice kits on Ebay. The USS Missouri, and the American Scout, C2 freighter. Still looking for the Yacht America. Still working on the online model photo album. Ghrey

[@saabjunkieSPG]

I built the Waco SRE peanut scale and it was a great flyer. It had a little compressed air motor I bought and that thing flew forever. I still have another sterling Waco/Cadet kit! I plan to build that Waco again. This time it’ll be electric.

[@liamwilson1058]

My favorites were the Super Ringmaster and the Grumman Guardian for navy carrier.

[@rd4in37]

Been waiting for this one......I bought a mint in the box Sterling Fokker DVII about 14 years ago....its in the stash still but will be built....itz the " Rocket" firing version....good ole #bay....

[@radarecho57]

I also bought a DVII (the 32") to replace one that I had as a kid. I built it but it got smashed before I ever flew it. I hope this one will fly. I'm thinking of putting a twin cylinder K&B .15 in it.

[@Happy11807]

Have a Sterling Spitfire,with a 35 SuperTiger,still flies Great ,Built 53 years ago!

[@rcdogmanduh4440]

Your hitting the mark with kit manufactures. How about Lou Andrews, Joe Bridi, Northeast Aerodynamics?

[@josephnonemaker-fu4cc]

I loved their models, ALL of them From back in the 50s &forward. The president of our model airplane club, Tommy Haldis went on to work for them until...? Our club was The Philadelphia Flying Tomcats.

[@ShortBusScotty]

I just bought a vintage sailboat of Sterling, So I thought I'd learn a little about them. Google history of Sterling models and you come up. Thanks for posting.

[@farpointgamingdirect]

I have that Titanic model. Even though I'm an avid cardstock modeler, I have yet to build it. I have a cardstock Gemini 4 spacecraft with a full interior

[@BigLisaFan]

Tried to build their "America" racing yacht Basically scratch building in a box, much like Dumas kits. Was moving and it didn't make the cut to go. Might have made a nice static model though.

[@michaelqendro9825]

My first jump into the R/C world was a Sterling Puddle Jumper. I had quite a bit of fun with it, but it was like a gateway drug to R/C stuff.

[@Happy11807]

Have a Sterling U Control Spitfire 35 Super Tiger beautiful plane and great Flyer Built in 1969!

[@CAPNMAC82]

I bought (built, not so much) many of the Sterling boat kits back in the day. There's long been an accusation that Lindberg, ahem, borrowed the dimensions of one or more of the Sterling Chris-Crafts kits for used as plastic kits. The number of changes probably passes the IP "smell test" though. Unlike how Frog managaed to turn out a kit made by Model Shipways so close the parts nearly interchange.

[@peskybobcat]

Wow I have one of the sterling battleship kits I have been gathering trumpeter parts to incorporate into the build I did build this kit in the 1980’s

[@raoulcruz4404]

Built the Sterling Eindecker. I would say the kit was on par or slightly better than a Guillows. Never flew it. The solid rubber tires were hideously heavy. I never got around to making lightweight wheels and tires. The plans had information to build a rubber escapement mechanism. Which I think automatically controlled the rudder.

[@john_in_boston]

Raoul Cruz Yes!!! I noticed those heavy wheels and tires as well. Built that model in the late 1960s.

[@aeromodeller1]

The escapement was for the RC version. Three position rudder.

[@jamesburns2232]

I built a Baby Ringmaster with an .049 engine. Then I built a Ringmaster with a Fox 19. Then I built a Super Ringmaster with a McCoy 35 engine. All of them flew well and could do stunts like wing overs, loops, and inverted flight. 🙃😉😊

[@rcdogmanduh4440]

I have a Stearman 63" i believe might build next winter or of Covid19 hangs around maybe sooner.

[@Paladin1873]

The Piper PA-12 was the first plane I ever remember going up in. It belonged to the CAP in Quincy.

[@maxsmodels]

I rode in it too

[@Paladin1873]

@@maxsmodels I think it had a 105 HP engine and cruised about 90-95 MPH.

[@bigcharliesmodelgarage296]

Cool. Thanks for sharing

[@MarioIArguello]

All I can add is that I obtained an Sterling Waco kit from a co-worker in the late 80's , he's excuse was he did not have time to put it together. When I started building the kit, I found out the real reason, perhaps, was that the kit suffered from severe bad die cutting in the balsa wood pieces, maybe this was too overwhelming for him, but I managed to build the fuselage and partial wing, with a lot of painstaking re-cutting the pieces, sanding. During some recent storage clean up, I pulled this model out, still half built, since the time I got it, and have been trying to decide whether to finish it or toss it. I've never been fond of balsa wood models, because they do not survive in a crash, but there is that bit of nostalgia and reason why I kept this kit. I have built many Guillows kits which were much better die cut.

[@muskokamike127]

That fokkker triplane, I wanted to say in the guillow's video I made one but now I'm thinking it was the sterling version. The poor die cutting rang a bell......it turned out pretty nice even so.....I'm a visual person so what also triggered it was the box art......

[@Siren851]

Another enjoyable video. I built the C/L Crop Duster/PT-17 in the late 60's - well I finished it in 70 after a stint with Uncle Sam. I thought it was a real decent kit, far superior to the "F-ing" Effinger stuff.

[@stevensatak1592]

I still have the Star Wars C/L pusher kit out in the garage.... it is a Y-Wing

[@frannicolo8147]

Sterling kit of CALTEX LUMBA LUMBA man was that a sweet boat....beautiful lines she handled likea dream . It was a crew boat built to shuttle crew to n from the oil rigs off the coast of California Built for TEXACO refineries. She was my first build from a kit all balsa,realitivley a simple build, if i rember correctly she had a length of38 inches beam10.25....almost16 inches tall from keel to cross.I hada single screw drive in it.I can't recall if the static model had twin screw.I bought the kit early 70s, ran her for 8 + years. The thing that brought her down was a wet cell battery went over the acid killed her . if someone put out a kit tommorow, it would be here tommorow nite.I have nothingbut fond memories. Somebody said "YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR SAINT PAULI GIRL.its true.

[@TransAm-Jack]

Just found this channel. In the late 50s and early 60s flew Jr Ringmasters with K&B Torpedo.15 green head engines, wore out two or three. Loved the basic look of the Lumba-Lumba but did not care for the enclosed crew area in the back. Got a kit in the early 80s. Built it stock in the front but left the sides and roof off the back and Madi into a cargo vessel. Still siting 90% complete way in the back of the family room, forgot it was a Sterling kit.

[@charliemessenger6537]

I appreciate that you apologized for the music. We deserved that much. I know at 3:00 AM I’ll be staring at the ceiling. S-T-E-R-L-I-N-G...Sterling 😳

[@tooneboone3869]

IF you like life and want to see what is like, just pull out a balsa kit and build it. Let the hectic life where there is never enough time to pass gas just go on by!!! I wouldn't trade that time I spent with my son building model airplanes of almost anything now that I am 80+!! and he has passed.

[@fahb68]

Sad history at the end, great models

[@sebastianmarconi2855]

I have the Great Lakes Biplane kit from 1998!

[@Philc40]

I think laser cutting could have saved the model line, but it came to late, just tossed my Sterling Fokker Tri-plane, but still holding onto my Sterling 42’ Corvette Kit.

[@sugarhillsrr]

I have the Sterling kit of a 20' Century Sea Maid boat think I must have bought it in the mid 70"s looks like a bunch of wood and some instructions, don't think I will ever try to built it though.

[@bravobob1]

So now you need to do a video on Estes?

[@sidneycashion7817]

Sterling and Victor model yachts made some nice boat kits. Sadly both gone.

[@skipchernoff2487]

The die cutting wasn't always bad if you got a kit that was produced after the dies were changed for new ones.. I built many beautiful award winning kits from Sterling Model.

[@DickieDelouise]

Man, that RC controller kinda looks like an old pacemaker... Wow

[@johnmorykwas2343]

All I know about Sterling is the fact I still a few of their die crunch kits.

[@fpvgearhead5034]

I built a few of the there C/L models in the 80's.

[@soaringbumnm8374]

Affordable PA12s show up on occasion ... Timing is key 🗝️🗝️🗝️

[@chrissakal532]

I don't know if there's a proper place to suggest it, but did Hobbycraft of Canada ever come up for consideration for a video?

[@maxsmodels]

yes but I have no info on them

[@chrissakal532]

@@maxsmodels Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Hobbycraft seemed to die a quiet death. It wasn't that long ago that I tried looking up information on them and there was nothing. They were there... and then they weren't. I don't know what happened. They seemed to peak around the mid-90s and closed up sometime in the early 2000s.

[@Eatherbreather]

You want a song stuck in your head? Because this is how you get a song stuck in your head."

[@kpkndusa]

Have you ever done a video on Easy Built Models? I built a few of their kits a long time ago and where anything but easy, incomplete instructions and vague plans.

[@maxsmodels]

no, not yet anyway

[@kenshores9900]

You out did yourself. I never heard of the one. However I did hear about Estes from Boys Life. They got me into model rocketry. However that’s another story.

[@kenshores9900]

Susan.Palet9 Yeah since you put it that way. Many thought it was neat.

[@jrussell4711]

Thanks! I still have some.

[@williamshores7893]

Rebulding a Harco Deluxe Cruser right know, a lot of rework ans upgrading

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

I remember buying a Sterling Peanut Scale model in the 70s, when I was a grad student in need of some diversion to relax. The die cutting was poor, anne the printing looked like an old tattoo and barely lined up with the die cutting. Wasn’t very relaxing, and I don’t think I finished it.