Jimmie Allen Air Races and the "Bluebird"

The early 1930's was an era of adventure and excitement for aviation with barnstorming, air races and flying circuses. Lindbergh's Atlantic crossing was fresh in everyone's mind and a part of this exciting period in aviation history. Radio was the entertainment media of the day. In Kansas City a new show was born: the "Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen" about a teenager who was learning to fly. The show, sponsored by Skelly Oil, was an overnight success. Youngsters who persuaded their parents to stop in the local Skelly gas station were rewarded with various free and low-cost rubber-powered airplane models as premiums. The Jimmie Allen Flying Club was founded by Skelly Oil and a series of "flying lessons" given away as premiums from the gas stations. It was reported that sixty thousand JA ROG (rise off ground) models were produced by the Country Club Aero Supply (KC,MO) to give to those completing the lessons. The young listeners were called flying cadets. In 1933 the first 'Air Races' for Jimmie Allen Bluebirds took place down in Tulsa before a crowd of ten thousand spectators. A week later twenty thousand showed for a contest in Kansas city, followed by twenty-five thousand at Denver a week later followed by thirty thousand at St. Louis. Immediately other sponsors jumped on the Jimmie Allen bandwagon.

The BLUEBIRD (right) was the first model designed for the Jimmie Allen Air Races (model contest in 1933). It was based on the Country Club Aero's SKY CHIEF design. It is an excellent flyer with it's 38 inch wing span. The Bluebird was also the name of Speed Robertson plane on the radio show that he used in National Air Races. Speed told Jimmie that his BlueBird could do over 250 mph. The Skelly Oil emblem was displayed on the rudder and sides of the model. The model design is a Parasol. The wheels are 3.25 inches in diameter. The models were originally packaged in a mailing tube with blue prints of the model displayed on the outside of the tube. In 1933 it cost $1.55 for the kit from Aero. A portion of the original plans are half scale (wings/fuselage). Today full size plans may be purchased from Old Time Models for $4.00.