C-121J SUPER
CONSTELLATION SNOOPY
Photo provided by Tony Broyles | broylesna@gmail.com
TONY BROYLES (Fleming Island, Florida) built this Pat Tritle-designed Dare/Brodak Super Constellation kit throughout a 10-month period. The kit was old-school balsa construction with laser-cut parts to add a modern touch, and was designed to be a lightweight park flyer, operating on four-channel simplicity without retracts and flaps.
Tony chose a U.S. Navy design scheme to match an airplane that he flew as a new Navy pilot while going through training in 1970 with squadron VXN-8 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, in Maryland.
The 60-inch wingspan model is powered by four RimFire 400 motors, four 12-amp ESCs, four 8 x 6E propellers (two are pusher propellers), and one three-cell 2,200 mAh battery. The three-blade propellers are for display only. A Spektrum DX8 transmitter and AR620 receiver combo links with four servos: two for the ailerons and two for the rudders, nose wheel steering, and elevator.
The Connie was covered with light silkspan and three coats of dope. Design Master Floral spray was then used for the top color coats. Tony wanted a light and airy finish to see the design structure through it so that he could identify with every piece of balsa that he fit and glued in place. Callie Graphics provided the custom decals. The total weight with the battery is 45 ounces.
The full-size plans in the kit were good, but Pat’s detailed instructions posted on RCGroups were invaluable. Purists will note that Snoopy’s windshield is not quite
scale; however, the slightly larger windowpanes offer better visibility for the aging eyes of a more “senior” flight crew.
The Connie’s maiden flight took place in February 2022, before adding the color coats and decals. After months of construction, Tony wanted to see it fly. He wrote that he was nervous, but his RC club, Clay County Flyers in Middleburg, Florida, was supportive. He stated that the model basically took off on its own. “It needed very little trim and was a real stable flyer—just like the real Snoopy,” he noted. “With the sun highlighting the Connie’s beautiful lines, it also looked great in the air.”
One photo shows the full-scale Connie sitting on a snow-covered tarmac at NAS Patuxent River more than 50 years ago, and the other photos are of Tony’s modern-day Snoopy replica.
