The Planes

Over the years Dale has built and flown many different planes. Here is a collection of just some of them.

(Click on images for a larger image)

1953: 4th V-Tail stunt plane "Class A Stinger" Dale has made. This one was built while Dale was stationed in Germany. It was built with a forty-five inch wingspan and was powered with a K&B .19 Torpedo (green head). Flew great on fifty-two foot lines.

1954: World's first jet powered speed plane to set an official AMA record of 154.98 mph. Flew it using the Stanzel "Speed-Master", mono-line control system. Powered by a "Dynajet" pulse jet engine that ran on white gas. Plane was flown on a seventy foot by 0.024 diameter steel line.

1955: Left to right - Dale Kirn, Sam Beasley, and Jim Clem. This is the three man "Speed Team", that flew several speed planes at the National Model Airplane Championships held in Los Alamitos NAS, California.

1956: Polish Fighter - This plane was made from a Sterling kit. It used the new Stanzel mono-line control system (class B speed master unit). It was powered by a Fox .25 and was flow on a sixty foot by 0.020 diameter steel line.

1957: Thunderbird - Dale built this stunt plane in early 1957 and installed a ABC Stunt-Master Mono-Line control system. In 1957 and 1958 Dale flew this plane in various cities all over the United States. From March 1955 to September 1958 Victor Stanzel sponsored Dale and Bill Murray to tour the U.S. and demonstrate this new way to fly control line model airplanes. The Thunderbird was made from a Veco Kit, and powered with a Fox .29. The plane was flown on a seventy foot by 0.028 diameter steel line. 

Dale with the Thunderbird in Whitter Narrows, California at the first Vintage Stunt Championships in 1989. It is now on display in the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum in Schulenburg, Texas.