Wing repair.

One find day, or night, the plane slipped off of it's hanger and fell down onto a hand truck handle. That made a big dent in the wing leading edge. I set it aside until I could figure out how to repair it. This is what I came up with. I trimmed the damaged wood away and replaced a 4.5 inch piece of leading edge. Then I glued inside the wing sheeting pieced of balsa to make a bed for the final layer of balsa so that it would be at the same level as the original wood. Some spackle to fill the viods folowed by a layer of silk span doped on. Several more coats of dope then two coats of color and it's done. As far as I'm going to take it anyway. I put the engine back in and got in two flights with it and the repair held up. The plane is a dog because I built it way too heavy. At least 12 ounces over what it should be. Even with a .60 in the nose it's not what it could have been. I took the engine back out and hung the plane up in the garage.

Changes to the changes.

I built the last two planes for the Super Tiger .51 engine. I tried to change the bearings but I couldn't get the crankshaft out. i called and sent it to the person who re worked it in the first place and maybe he can get the crank out and new bearing in. While waiting for the engine to be returned I tried two methods of installing the beloved OS .46LA engine in the planes. The motor mount is wider than the OS engine and had to be shimmed closer for one trial and i used 3/16 pads for the second method. Both required the installation of threaded inserts into the wood mount beams. The smaler engine pulls the plane through the pattern with authority so I'll prpbably keep the .46 in the plane. I may have to as I had to use blue loctite to keep the bolts from vibrating loose and falling out in flight. The newest new plane, a loose copy of the Oosa Amma/Stunt Machine/Statesman in profile. The original designer built three copies and the first didn't have a name, the second was named by a magazine publisher as it didn't have a name either but needed one for the article and the third was called the Statesman. I can't think of an oppropriate name for the profile so it will stay without a name also. I did copy the paint scheme as best as I could from a magazine black and white photo.All i know about the wing is that it will fly. How well and how long remains to be seen. It's was a raffle prize. Today I hope to spray on the clear coat as the humidity is down for a few more days.

USA AMA (almost) profile.

I won a built and sheeted wing at the local contest in October. I had a magazine size plan of a plane called Stunt Machine but bettter known as USA AMA or Oosa Aama. It had the letters on the wings in huge type that just begged for the other name. Which the designer hated. Bob Hunt built a copy in honor of the designer and published the plans in a magazine centerfold with a scale. I used them to come up with a profile fuselage shape and the twin rudders on the stab. ends.The wing shape isn't right but it's what I have. I'm planning on using the Super Tiger .51 engine on it. That engine is on the New Plane now. I'm also figuring on using an O.S. .46LA. It may be light enough when done.

Another new plane.

This is the one I made from the extra set of ribs that came in the J D Falcon kit. The fuselage is a copy of the Mo'Best as the ribs are close to ones from that plane. I got a short window of low humnidity today and the temp was right so I took the oppurnity to spray the urethane clear. I puty all the pieces on the scale and it should end up at 53 ounces. I won a complete wing with flaps in the raffle in the Zacharyt contest last month. I drew up a fuselage for it based loosely on the old Stunt Machine design. I need to get some 1/2 inch and 3/8 balsa to get that one started.

Something bad, something good.

I had installed an OS .46LA into the Dixon Ringmaster Excel last week. It had an Evolution .52 or an Evolution .60 in it and they just didn't work the way I figured they should. At the park I was flying the Ringmaster and something happened to the control system and the plane hit the ground. Not fixable at all. I think the bell crank pulled out but I can't say for sure. The wing broke in half at the glue joint without much damage to the two halfs. They had good balsa sheeting and it is usable if I can get the foam off it. I was planning on harsh chemicles to melt the foam but then I remembered the foam cutting bow I have. I threaded the wire through the wing and turned the heat up and cut the foam from the balsa giving me some nice usable sheet balsa. I painted the new plane with a white base color and it sits waiting for a color scheme to appear in my mind.

Another find.

I got tired of looking at the new not quite a Mo' Best plane and started to paint the base white. When I was done with the first coat I found that you can't sand Poly Span covering against the grain. No matter how light you try. After the white cured a bit I gave it a light sanding with the grain and the fuzzys were cut off. I have to get another can of white to finish the base coat. I also got tired of the Evolution engines I had put in the Ringmaster Excel. I weighed it as it was and got 52 ounces. I removed the Evo engine and had to epoxy some shime to the motor mounts so the O.S. .46 would fit. That went well and I spent a good hour installing the "T" nuts under the wood mounts. After getting it back together it weighed 48 ounces ready to fly. I went to the park this morning with the Ringmaster and it flys quite well as the new weight is well within the capabilities of the O.S. engine. 48 is the weight I shoot for when building a plane for that engine.

Progress.

We went to the contest at El Dorado, Ar and didn't get any kits in the raffle. It's the first time in over 10 years that I've been skunked in the raffle. I didn't make out very good at my own club's raffle either. I did get a first, second and a third place finish in "Old Time, Classic and Profile" stunt events. The new plane is coming along nicely. I ordered two rolls of covering and then found the two that I had but in the wrong place. I was able to cover the wing and other parts with only one roll so I will have three rolls when the order arrives.