Glites, Gliders, and North Pacific Products
When I was a freshman in high school, I remember picking up an odd paper kite at Walgreen's. It was called a Glite, and was billed as a "gliding kite." I was intrigued, and as it might have cost as much as 35c, I was willing to try it. The instructions indicated that even on a completely calm day, you could pull it aloft on a string, let the string ( Read more... )
In the '60s, the "Strato" cost 5 cents. Its wings and tail surfaces had red printing. The only thing printed on the rudder was its name.
The next one up was 10 cents, called the "Stunt Flyer". Its horizontal stabilizer had printing on both sides. One side read, "This side up for stunts." The other side read, "This side up for long flights." The wings and tail surfaces had red ink, the fuselage had blue ink.
Both were THE BEST money could buy, as were the rubber powered planes.
The "Skeeter" was 15 cents, which was a rubber powered plane without landing gear. Its wings and tail surfaces were printed in blue.
The "Sleek Streek" was 25 cents. It's wingtips were rounded. The printing on the wings and tail surfaces was red. It was absolutely the best rubber powered plane available. I bought a brand new one when I was 30... 26 years ago... made exactly like the "old" ones and flew just as well. I've kept it in pristine condition ever since. It's stored very carefully. I'm sure the rubber band is rotted, but everything else is as tho' new. I should put new rubber on it and fly it for my 10 yr old daughter.
I think the next level up was called the "Star Flyer". It cost 50 cents, was larger than the Sleek Streek, had squared-off wingtips, and in my experience, didn't fly nearly as well as the Sleek Streek and Skeeter.
About 16 years ago I was at a model train show and found some of the old North Pacific planes for sale, still in their plastic packaging. I bought several for what I thought was way too much money... but I really wanted them. No, I haven't opened any of the packages.
I've seen the planes marketed under a slightly different name, made offshore (of course) and bought one just to see. It sucked. That was about 20 years ago, I think.
The Guillow's planes never flew as well as the North Pacific planes.
I had a "Glite", too!!! Like you, I found that it worked better as a glider than as a kite.
Here's a true story about an experience with a "Strato" from somewhere around '67 or '68...
We didn't have money, so every now and then I was allowed to spend 5 cents on a Strato. One hot summer day in Dallas, TX, I bought one. A friend bought a rubber powered plane by a different maker that cost ONE DOLLAR! We headed to the local elementary school. His was much more complicated and he broke it trying to assemble it. I got mine ready and we went out onto the "blacktop" to fly it. I threw it once... it went up like it was going to do a loop, then righted itself at the top of the circle. There was no specific wind direction at that altitude (maybe 15 feet), but there was an updraft from the hot blacktop. The plane pointed in many different directions like a crazy compass needle as it was lifted straight up. When it reached somewhere between 50 and 100 feet (guessing), it got into the flow of the wind and was blown about a hundred yards downwind... and came to rest in the top of a tree that was 40 or 50 feet tall.
I got to throw that Strato exactly once... and it was gone. Still, it was worth every bit of the 5 cents I'd paid for it. I think about that day almost every time I'm in the old neighborhood and driving down the street beside the school. They were great times. I wonder why NO ONE makes good toys anymore...?! And if they did, would kids even know what to do with them??? I doubt it.
I still have the cardboard box full of the remains of all those balsa planes. I bet it still has parts of all of the above mentioned planes in it. I'll have to check the next time I'm in Dallas. I should bring it out here so I can play airplanes with my daughter.
I played with American Bricks, Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, model trains, road race sets, Motorific Torture Tracks, yo-yos(USA made!), BIG & little gyroscopes, small magnifying lenses, HUGE lenses, gas powered model airplanes and cars... and all the things that were the great and wonderful toys of the '50s & '60s. We learned valuable lessons and skills from our toys. Now it's Gameboys and Angry Birds. I wonder what's next.
I'm really glad you posted the thing on the Strato and the Glite. Cheers!
JKM, East Texas
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