In 1989, I bought a Royal Chipmunk .40 ARF from the Antique Barn in Wilson, NC. That was a popular and very well stocked hobby shop. I always loved going there and browsing, I couldn't help but buy things every time I went :-) . Anyway, this was a BEAUTIFUL ARF, although somewhat heavy. ARFs of that day were not what they are now, they were typically heavier than kit built stuff, but it was hard to be the finish! This had a wooden structure, but was covered in some sort of foam with a preprinted outer plastic skin. It made for a very durable finish, with a high gloss and vibrant colors.
It was quick to build. I fitted a Royal .40 (a copy of the ball bearing O.S. .40 FSR ABC engines), and a Mac's muffled tuned pipe. Boy, would that baby scream!! It was built to accept retracts, but I used the supplied fixed gear. This thing flew GREAT, was very fast, and great for short runways. I had to come in a little hot, but it was easy to get used to that. Like many of my earlier birds, I don't have pics of my own version. Here's a couple from the web to give you an idea of what it looked like...
