The Flat Cat was a favorite boost glider design of G. Harry Stine, designed and developed in the mid 1960’s. Numerous examples were built and successfully flown by his YMCA Space Pioneers NAR Section in 1967 and onward.
Stine’s original Flat Cat plans and photographs remain in the unprocessed portion of his archive so we won't be able to see those for a few years. We hope the current rate of processing changes, but at the current speed it could be a long while. Maybe we can find a way to change that.
In August 1969, Model Rocketry magazine published detailed plans, a building guide, and history of the model in Stine’s monthly “Old Rocketeer” column. That column is still one of the best introductory boost glide construction ever written.
Model Rocketry Magazine, August 1969
At the end of the piece mention is made that Model Rocket Industries would soon be releasing the model as a kit. As it turned out Flat Cat would be released as a kit, but it wouldn’t be by MRI. The MPC buyout of MRI would change all that.
Flat Cat was intended as an easy to build model that a beginning modeler could assemble without need for airfoiling or difficult trimming prior to flight. The model abandoned the earlier V-Tail configuration of Stine’s Unicorn B/G design which could be challenging in the hands of a beginner.
Flat Cat made its first appearance in the Fourth Edition of the Handbook of Model Rocketry. The model pictured here very closely resembles the model shown in the Fourth Edition. Note the "flat cat" cartoon Stine has drawn on the raw balsa looks identical to the 4th Edition kitty.
This second model is the first production MPC Flat Cat from Stine's collection. Note he built it without airfoils or rounded surfaces as 90 percent of the builders likely did also. The wing planform has been also been reversed from the model shown in the 4th Edition (thanks for pointing that out Walt!).
Stine included a hand written tag identifying the significance of the model.
The MPC retail packaging of the Flat Cat kit.
Here's what you got inside the Flat Cat box. What percentage of kids today would be able to do this build?
