The Jim Walker Interceptor was the first folding wing glider by American Junior Aircraft

History of the A-J Interceptor
Jim Walker's Folding Wing Glider

American Junior Classics Home PageFolding Wing Glider Patent PageJim Walker's Military Catapult Launcher for the Interceptor Folding Wing GliderJim Walker Workshop for Inventions and Experiments in model aviationContact Scott Griffith at American Junior Classics

During the 1920's and 1930's many a young man designed and built folding wing gliders. One of these men, Jim Walker, saw this as an opportunity to turn model aviation into a lifetime career. Jim invented, designed, and tested his new creations, and by 1938 he had finalized his design of the Fireball, the world's first gas powered U‑Control airplane.

While Jim was busy developing production tooling for the Fireball, he was also developing several new ideas: a motorless Whip Power model, flown by a fishing pole; the American Junior Bomber, a 5 cent balsa glider based on the Martin B-10; the new Coast Guard V-315 Glider with a metal motor pod and metal propeller which turned free wheeling in the wind; and a folding-wing glider called the A-J Interceptor.


The Bell Airacobra provides inspiration for the A-J Interceptor

P-39 Bell Aircobra was the inspiration for the Army Interceptor by American Junior
The XP-39 was the original inspiration for the Army Interceptor. It had side-mounted air scoops to feed the mid-mounted Allison engine.
The P-39 Bell Airacobra Pursuit was later redesigned with the side scoops replaced by a single top scoop.

Also in 1938 Bell Aircraft of New York perfected their stunning new P-39 Airacobra Pursuit plane. It was unique in engineering and design with its new 12 cylinder Allison V-1710 engine located behind the pilot. At the same time, Grumman Aircraft was building the Navy F4F Wildcat with wings that folded back along the fuselage to assist storage in the limited space of an aircraft carrier.

Navy F4F Wildcats on the deck
of the USS Enterprise.

Jim was so impressed with these designs that he developed his new glider in the style of the P-39 with the F4F's folding wings. It was all balsa, with a fuselage length of 11 ½" and a 19 ½" cambered wing that unfolded to the correct dihedral for flight. Since the P-39 was an Army plane, Jim called his new model the Army Interceptor.

American Junior Army Interceptor a folding wing catapult launch glider by Jim Walker
Here is the 1939 Army Interceptor - notice the styling inherited from the Bell Airacobra.

Jim introduced the Army Interceptor in 1939 at the New York Toy and Hobby Fair, and it wasn't long before almost every five and dime store in the land was selling the folding wing glider from American Junior Aircraft.

Jim was a master at marketing, which he combined with his love of parades. When a big parade was scheduled in New York or Chicago, Jim would go to a tall building and launch the gliders as the parade passed below. He also launched the Interceptors at half-time at ball games to "wow" the crowd, then sold the planes at the gate when the game was over.


The Army Interceptor was more than a toy. During World War II, it was used by the military for target practice. Gunners at military bases around the country improved their skills as hundreds of thousands of Interceptors were shot out of the sky. (See the military launcher in action.)

After the war, the P-39 was retired as the Jet Age began. In 1947 the A-J Army Interceptor was also retired and a new plane with jet styling was introduced as the A-J "404" Interceptor. It still had the folding wings and the famous long-distance glide - retaining its ability to find a thermal of warm air and fly out of sight.

The last production run of orignal Army Interceptors was completed by Frank Macy in November, 2004.
Using original American Junior Factory stock, these are very unique model airplanes.

 

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