8 to 10 inches of global warming.

My balsa order came in yesterday and I dug right into it. I finished the wing today and sheeted the hollowed out fuselage . I drilled motor mount holes and the Enya .35 sits nicely in the nose. I have to put a cheek piece on the side opposite the engine to help with vibration. Then sand the corners round and start the finishing process. I decided to get a Gold medal ringmaster kit from Pat Johnston and Dee Rice. I plan to build it as an ARC and sell it. Pat suggested making it a take apart as no body makes that version. He said lining the wing opening in the fuse. with 1/64 ply that sticks out a bit on each side will hold the wing. Plastic electricians tape wrapped around the joint. I don't think it will work in this case as the exhaust coats the wing and the tape wont stick that good after a few flights. But the same ply lining with a dowel in the wing leading edge butted against the fuse. and maybe a nylon screw at the trailing edge would hold it in place. The stab and rudder sit on top of the fuse and will be easy to make removeable. We will see what happens. It started snowing about 9 this morning and just started to stop at 4 pm. The wind is gusty and blows the snow all over me when I'm using the snowblower. Real misery. When I came home after coffee I turned into the drive and slid onto the lawn.

Slow progress.

The weather has been windy but lots warmer. The snow is all gone and that's good. I ordered some balsa from a supplier in Mass. I saw them once long ago at the WRAM show but never got balsa from them. My normal supplier burned about 6 months ago and I had no choice. I ordered some cheaper wood that is stained but usable. I'm supposed to get notified when the order is shipped. Nothing yet.I had enough on hand to almost complete the new wing for the Magician I'm scratch building. I need a 3 footer to finish it but I'm out of it. All that's left if the fuselage as I've made all the other parts. I've been running the Enya .35 to test venturi sizes. I think it will fly well with the opening in it now.

Snow storm part 2.

I finally stopped snowing yesterday. 3 days of snow. It's the longest period of snow I can remember. Well over a foot fell and there's a foot on the ground now. Temps in the low 20's with rain for Tues. night into Wed. Selling of ebay is going OK. I have another non payer, this time from Hawaii. I contacted the next bidder and offered him 4 of the 5 items Dave Miller didn't pay for. A lot lower price and free shipping. I sold my JR century 7 radio and I put a 4 channel Futaba I got from somebody up for .99 cents. My grandson gave me a red bag that has "you've been naughty" on it. Inside are three lumps of coal. I got the new dash ready to go in the El Camino. I had to repair several mounts for things that were cracked and wouldn't hold a screw. I'm waiting for better weather and the new heater unit from Vintage Air. After the new year they said. This could get ugly. I did find a dead mouse in the stock heater. Maybe I can put it on ebay, the heater not the mouse.

Snow storm.

We got at least 10 inches of snow last night. Another inch or two is still falling at noon today. The temp. was 30 last night and 16 this morning. It's only 20 at noon. I tried driving to East Hartford but turned around less than 5 miles from home. State roads are real bad but town roads are much better. Winter's here a day early.

Tried a new flying spot.

The temp. got into the low 40's today so I grabbed the Magician and went to the Shepard hill rec area. The spot is a hard ball field and is close to 300 feet square. i stood next first base and launched the plane from the warning track near the dugout. The base paths are still muddy for the heavy rain of last weekend. Being 90 foot bases I had tons of room. Not good in the summer as it's used for baseball and at odd times the sprinkler system comes on. I'll have to use the softball field then.

Ebay is getting greedy.

I've been listing items on ebay and not getting any extra things that cost me more money. Ebay lowered my rating because of "excess shipping charges" and wanted me to give free shipping for the holidays. I called ebay and complained. I figured that all the stuff ebay wants costs more money and they are not making enough off me. I listed some old King videos as buy it now free shipping. Total cost is $0.45 up from $0.35. I hope ebay is happy. It took 45 minutes to finalize the listing as I kept remembering things that would make me loose money. Like no bidders outside the US. I didn't see the lowered rating page pop up this time either. I checked the Senior Pattern site and my ad for planes isn't there. A senior moment at the Senior Pattern. Maybe it's only for members but it doesn't say. My laslistings on ebay went well except one buyer hasn't been heard from yet. This one is from Hawaii. I gave the "black spot" to someone from Italy on Tues. for not paying. So I know how to do it. I'll send a reminder on Friday and if nothing by Monday I'll flie a complaint with ebay. The first flight on the Magician showed a right wing high upright and low inverted situation. Meaning a warp in the wing requiring a tab. I prepared a tab but before adding it to the wing I put the incedence meter on the wing and found the inboard (left) wing slightly twisted. I took the heat gun and twisted the wing against the warp and re shrunk the covering. I got in a flight last Sunday and the wings are level. I'm happy. The plane feels good in flight too. I haven't done any thing fancy but I'm on the right track. Too much wind. Someone has chained the gates at the dog track so I can't use that any more.

Remembered the Senior Pattern group.

While discussing selling some of my r/c planes I remembered this group and went to their web site. I took some pictures of the pattern planes I have left and put in an ad. I should have read the directions as the pictures don't go in the email. Poo. I put in a plug for the stuff I have on ebay while I was at it. They are right in that era.

A different toy.

Uncle Roy stopped by last night and brought a engine powered R/C car. I got to it this morning and loosened the engine with some fuel, decent compression. I checked the glow plug and it worked. I flushed the tank and lines of the residual oil and the thing started first pull. It has a pull cord starter. I think the engine is a .25 and it has a tuned pipe exhaust. I put on new tires that came with it and washed some of the oily dirt off the internals. The radio works fine too. There is a half gallon of 20% nitro fuel with it but I mixed it 1 to 1 with the 5% plane fuel. It's been snowing all day and melting so I can't get the thing outside to try it out. 4 wheel drive too.
Six items ending on ebay around 3:30 today and I have 13 more to put on to end next week. I can almost see the wall of the storage room now. The last item I have is the big box of balsa pieces I've collected in the last 30 years. About 9 pounds of wood.

First flight report.

After some reworking to get new wheels to fit right and some engineering to get a needle valve and spray bar to fit the Fox .35 I ran the engine on the picnic table. The new valve seemed to work well. I hemmed and hawed for a couple hours as the wind came and went but then took the plunge and headed for the dog track. The wind was just about perfect for me and I added 60 cc's of fuel and fired it up. It flew quite well but needs a tab to get the wings level. I removed the heavy APC prop and put on a Top flite wood to get the balance closer. I think it's too nose heavy. I only got in one flight but it was encouraging. Moving the stab back 4 inches didn't ruin the way it flys anyway. The .35 only has a "stuffer back plate" but I have the hemi head coming. There was enough power and the engine ran steady.
I found a source of the leak on the El Camino. The oil filter needed tightening a bit. I thought only the master cylinder was leaking but it was two things.

Pictures at last.

The UPS truck came this afternoon and I applied the new decals and wheels. I lightened the lite flite wheels even more. They are flat like a drag slick and made of a foam material. I put them on the belt sander and rounded the tread like a motorcycle tire. I had soldered some washers on the axles and they have to be moved back a bit so the collars will be on all the way. I ordered a hemi head from Fox for the .35. I have the hemi kit on another .35 and it works well. Test flight soon.

No new pictures.

When the roundel w/star insignias get here I'll take some final pictures. I got some wheels coming too.

Ebay rules.

I spent the morning yesterday carbing up for my items ending on ebay. I ordered the emblems for the Magician from Tower. The plane is a bit tail heavy thanks to moving the stab. back 4 inches. I put a heavy hub on the engine and with most all stuff installed the balance is close to the plans. Weight is under 35 ounces so that came out right.
I put all my items on ebay with in an hour and they ended in a flurry. I spent 4 hours getting the cheapest postage and the listings said US and Canada. So I had buyers from Brazil, Canada and Italy. The tectonic plates are moving faster than I thought. Any way 6 big ones richer. I have several other r/c engines to put up along with some NOS parts for YS engines and 3 tuned pipes and a Super Tigre header. Plus some Cox 049 glow heads. And my big box of balsa scraps and sticks. More room for more planes.
The El Camino brakes are in limbo but I think I found the problem. I put a rubber boot on the end of the second master cylinder and it jammed the push rod which held pressure on the brakes. It's been raining lately so I haven't been able to test it but the wheels turn now when the pedal is released. NAPA didn't have the right part so I had to re install the one I had. I hope it don't leak like the first one.

Magician turns itself into a PT-22.

As it sits without an engine, tank or wheels and the clear coats it's 23 ounces. I moved the stab. back 4 inches without touching the fuselage. The original was that far forward. I used blue for the glare shield because I didn't have any flat black or olive drab. I still need the round star emblems for the wings.

Oh shit; update

I tried to install the new calipers on the El Camino but one of the 'banjo bolts' was worn beyond use. I tried to get one from Woods but he didn't have any so I went to NAPA and they had to order them. They were in on time and got installed. I have to bleed the brakes and test the system out. I'm afraid it may be the second rebuilt master cylinder causing the trouble. NAPA has two new ones in stock if that's the case. I went to the dog track this afternoon and got in 2 flights. No more engine runaways but I did have the tank installed 90 degrees off. I cought that before the first flight. The Magician kit I got off ebay is nearing completion. I have it painted and just need to ad a couple clear coats and it's done. Weight now with a Fox .35 and tank sans wheels is 31.5 ounces. Nice and light. Final weight should be close to 34 ounces.

Another 'oh shit'.

I went out to throw some horseshoes and figured I might as well throw the turn as I am having trouble with the flip. I did OK now if I mess up I can blame it on the turn shoe. The weather was pretty good so I figured on going to the dog track for a flight or two. Almost there the El Camino started working hard to move. I thought the tranny might be crapping out so I turned around and stopped at Woods' for a look see. Before I got there I could smell hot brakes. The front calipers wern't releasing. I got a pair of rebuilt ones from Woods and headed home. I changed them and one of the banjo bolts that hole the brake line to the caliper needed persuaion and I couldn't find a replacement. Woods didn't have any and NAPA should have two in by Friday. I got bids on all but two of my things on ebay. I spent two hours wrapping those things for shipment.. I have three more engines and a box of old fuel tanks for the next round.

Onwards and upwards.

I didn't do that well at horseshoes again. But I did manage to get 11 things on ebay. I found one engine this morning that is in great shape but too big for the control line stuff. It's an OS. 46 AX. I'll put it on after this stuff ends. I have another Fox .60 to go too. I also found 2 Fox .35's I forgot about. One is ready to go but the other needs a wrist pin clip. I'll probably use it for parts.

Another change of plans.

As I was rounding up the leftover monokote, about 24 rolls, I decided to get rid of some old r/c engines. 11 in the first wave. I took pictures and got them ready to put in the ads. I have several more that I used for c/l that will go in the second wave. I figure with the 4 day weekend coming a 5 day post will be enough. It looks like Tuesday horseshoes is a go finally.

The best laid plans of mice.......

I found a partial roll of yellow but it was cub yellow and the paint I have is plain yellow. Bad match. After a call to Tower I have a full roll of cub yellow econokote and a can of cub yellow spray paint coming. Now to put all the partial rolls of covering on ebay. I made 71 bucks with some car parts on ebay yesterday. One was an MSD distributor for a small block ford that I found in the dump in the original box. Looks like I'll start work on the El Camino while waiting for the stuff from Tower. Should be warmer today and through the week.

Still cold and windy.

I am in the final stages of the Magician. I decided on a paint scheme from a WW2 trainer the PT-22. It has a silver fuse. with a black glare shield from the nose to past the cockpits.. Yellow wings and tail with red and white stripes on the rudder. Mainly because I have the paint and only need the monokote. I snagged some more solid lines off ebay and a new OS .25 control line engine. I figured I needed it when I was having trouble with the other .25's. I was quite surprised that it is a c/l engine as it wasn't mentioned in the description. Less than half price though. Back to the Magician, I was looking at the latest c/l ARF the PT-19 and kinda liked the colors on it but needed something different. I never heard of the PT-22 before. I guess all trainers of that era had yellow wings and tail.

Cold and windy, the building season is here.

I added the nose tripler today. I had to install the landing gear first as the tripler covered the spot where it sits. I got the wing to fit and it's a loose fit in the front but a shim snugs it up nicely. I think I'll use a Fox .35 on it. I drilled the mounting holes for it and also added holes for an aluminum universal mount just in case. Of course I didn't have any aluminum of the right size so I ordered 6 feet of it from MSC. I'll be able to drill and tap into the alum. and screw the engine directly to the alum. which will be bolted to the extra holes in the plane. I applied a coat of thinned epoxy to the fuse. and then sanded it some and applied a coat of filler/spackle. A couple more go arounds like that and it should be ready for final assembly. I have to cut a path for the elevators to fit through as they are wider than the stab. slot. That isn't much of a problem. I have to make a wing tip weight box and keep forgetting to do it. I have been remembering to do it right after covering the wing. Too late now. I figure the weight should be in the mid 30 ounce range. A preliminary weight was 27 ounces bare. I just weighed again and at this point it's up to 30 ounces so mid 30's is a realistic target. The plans say 32 ounces but that isn't being built with kit wood.

Cool but flyable.

I got in several flights swapping engines on the Ringmaster. The 20% oil fuel worked very well. I had added way too much oil to the other fuel and the engines didn't like a bit. Luckily I only had one quart of the heavy oil fuel left so I didn't ruin much of it. I dumped a quart in the container on the flight box and poured the tainted fuel into the 20% container. Thet should raise the oil percentage to about 22% so it should run well also. If not I have more 20% fuel coming and can dilute even more. I bought an OS .25 NIB off ebay. $35. Less than half price so I'm happy. It may find it's way into the Primary Forces or the ringmaster. I also got more solid lines too.wont run out of them buggers any time soon. Too bad they're 110 feet long each. I have to measure each line and hope for a 120 footer. The Magician kit is coming along. I made several changes to the plane. I cut most of the fuse. out back of the wing to lighten it. I added some stringers to replace the balsa and sheeted it with 1/16 balsa. The stab. is way up the fuse. so I moved it back 3 inches. Its still up the fuse. but should have a more powerful elevator arm. The kit motor mounts are 3 inches long so I made new ones 10 inches long. Better vibration control. I'll also put on a balsa tripler opposite the engine from the nose back past the wing leading edge. Again for vibration control. The plywood doublers for the nose have a wing cutout that isn't even close to the wing shape. Will probably take a day to get the wing zero'ed in. Engine, wing and stab. are installed zero to each other. Is that 'coplanar'??

Too windy to fly.

I've been trying all kinds of things to get the engines running right. The only thing left to try is a different fuel. I have been adding oil to the fuel and may have gone too far. I have a gallon of 5% and 20% oil. That should do it. I won a kit of the Magician that was kitted by Midwest many years ago. I started building it today. I also won a NIB OS .25 to replace the bad running ones if the fuel don't work.
I shipped an item to Australia today and the postage was $10.00 compared to ebay and the USPS web site which was $22.00 and $32.00. These sites are not with the program.

Back to the old school.

After my morning coffee break I stopped by the old school to check on the flying field that has been locked since construction went sour. The prime contractor didn't bother paying the subs so they left and nobody worked on the school for some time. Work is going again and I have access to the field again. I returned with a push mower and carved out a circle and got in some flights with the .25 powered Ringmaster. Strange engine runs. I set it on the ground at a fast 4 cycle and as it started to move the engine would go wide open and stay there for the flight. I richened it more and more each flight but nothing changed. I went to the dog track today with it and the same thing happened. I richened it a turn and for 2 minutes it ran rich. Too rich to do anything but then it went lean again. I removed the tank and installed a plastic clunker. There isn't any way to to add a uniflow tube but then I figured it out. I poked a hole in the end with an awl and jammed a pipe in. I set it above the engine c/l and will test it next time out. The winds today are light and variable. Not at all good for control line flying. Any way the Fox .25, that I got off ebay, seems to be more than enough for the Ringmaster. I want to try it on a Primary Force when I get it running right.
I sold 9 items on ebay yesterday. 2 left to ship.

A good horseshoe tournament.

I went to the dog track Friday and tested the solid lines on the new plane with the old wing. The engine run was very good this time and it flew quite well. The lines didn't break but the inside wheel came off when it landed. Elastic stop nuts are not perfect with vibration and the wheel turning to loosen. I flew the P-51 with a .40 on it and got real good results. The .40 will stay on.
On Saturday I went to East Hartford to play horseshoes at the indoor site. I started off with a 30% game and then a 23% game. Just like old times i figured. Then I went back up and each successive game I got better finishing with a 37% game for a 29% average for the day and a first place win. It's my first win in two years.
When I got home I had an item ending on ebay and put a bid on it and won. It's an old original kit of the Midwest Magician. Like the one at the BR contest. I remember these old designs when they first came out and I couldn't afford them. They are good for classic or old time or P-40 or any stunt contest for that matter.

Rainy day.

I got the brake master cylinder changed and it seems to be fine. We bought a digital scale for the kitchen but it also fits in my hobby room. I weighted the P-51 and found it close to the Pathfinder in ounces. Pounds too. I have an Enya SS.45 on it and a OS.40 on the pathfinder. I figure a .40 will pull the P-51 nicely. I removed the Enya and installed one of the Fox .40's I have laying around. With a .40 I can use smaller dia. lines which means less drag. I'll have to try it next time out. I won some solid lines on ebay. Solid lines can be .012 dia. for a .40 but .015 for stranded lines for the same engine. I made up a set 62 feet long and pull tested them with 30 pounds and they held up. We got a bunch of stuff on ebay and so far 6 of 11 will sell. Everything started at $1.00. One guy bid a dollar and then retracted it. Times are hard all over.

Trouble shooting.

I've been having poor engine runs on the Pathfinder. I tried lots of things but nothing was working. I had the same type of engine on another plane and I was going to use it instead. I went to clean the needle valve asm. and screwed the needle in to see where it was so I could place it back where it was when I finished cleaning. It screwed in 5 turns. Way too much. I checked the other engine and it screwed in a litle over 2 turns. I reset the other to 2 turns and changed the tank as the engine cut off is weird. I went to the dog track today and the engine ran very well. It still had trouble stopping though. The only thing I can figure is that the fuel pickup is too close to the end of the tank. I shortened the pickup 1/2" and will try it asap. I opened one of my homemade tanks and shortened the pickup on it also. I'm bringing a camera tripod to assist me in resetting the plane after a flight and the plane stops away from the start point. I hook the handle on the top of the tripod and walk the plane around to the start point holding the lines off the ground. It works well. I lay it down when I'm flying so it's out of the way.
The El Camino has been leaking brake fluid from somewhere and I found it today. The new master cylinder is defective and will be replaced tomorrow. I have refilled the back resivour twice but couldn't locate the leak until today.

A good outing.

I got to the dog track yesterday and the now back to stock Fox .35 with the hemi kit installed ran like it should. The weather was mid 40's with gusty winds so I didn't fly more than once. The Fox ran in a 4 cycle when level but went into a 2 cycle in maneuvers which is what I'm looking for and how it should run. The engine is quite powerful in the 2 cycle mode and the plane gains speed in the maneuvers. Time to get back the the plane for the Brodak contest. I believe you get 10 points extra if you fly a Brodak kit that's why I bought the Pathfinder. I have to test the Fox .40 I put new bearings in also. There shouldn't be any problems there.

Fox .35 saga.

After many flights and tank changes the Fox kept running at a 2 cycle and wouldn't go back to a 4 cycle in level flight. I remembered that I had done some hop up tricks to that engine about a year ago. I removed the hemi kit and put it on the other .35. I ran it today and it behaved like it should. I tried it in all the attitudes it will see in flight and it gave me the 2-4 break like it should. The other .35 now has a high speed crank I can't really use. I took out the parts from a damaged Fox .29 and the cranks looked alike. I removed the modified crank and put the .29 crank in. fit and stroke are the same. I installed it on the other kit built Primary Force and readied it for testing along with the second .35 powered PF. Cold and rainy today so I'll have to wait to test the engines.

Test flights

I got to the dog track yesterday and flew the hemi .35. It gave me trouble and I finally found that the tank was moving down after some maneuvers. I put in the supplied head shim before finding the tank problem and can't decide to remove it or not. The engine will run good in inside maneuvers but wont break into a 2 cycle in outsides. I have moved the tank up a bit but the wind is too strong today to test the change. I got the right front bearing from Fox and assembled the old .40 and ran it on the bench. I removed the $20.00 Fox and installed the old .40 to see how it runs. I opened the combustion chamber with a half inch spherical carbide burr. Should work. Looks like next week before the weather calms down for flying.

Update.

I have flown the Pathfinder and it flies well. I still need to get used to it. I just returned from a visit to LA, Nice weather and lots to do. I got in some flying with the Primary Force and won my class at the annual contest in Baton Rouge. I also helped my son solo a control line plane. All he has ever flown is R/C stuff but the transition went better than expected. I never touched the controls as he was doing well from the start. Three successful flights.
On my first flight I bounced on takeoff and shortened the prop a bit. It flew pretty good but not that good. I didn't have a prop of the same size and had to get one from Gil. I ordered 6 from Tower hobbies and took 4 home. The bearings in the Fox engine on the PF were making noise so I decided to replace them when I got home. I had one for the rear but had to order the front one from Fox along with a Hemi kit for the .35. The stuff came in today, barely a day after ordering, and the front bearing wouldn't fit. Fox is sending me another one, I hope it fits. I put the Hemi kit on one of the .35's and ran it to see how it runs. I'm surprised at the sound and performance. Just like the big boys now.
I put the Fox .25 on one of the kit built Primary Force models and flew it yesterday at the dog track. The engine isn't right yet. The plane flew very well in spite of the engine. Luckily the .25 and the .35 have the same mounting hole dimensions. I added some head shims to the .25 to calm it down and next time out I'll bring the hemi .35 too. Yesterdays weather was perfect and today it's high 40's 20 to 30 mph winds and spitting rain now and then. Maybe tomorrow.
Gil gave some head shims to put in the PF's .40 and it helped the run considerably. He said I should put in another. I have some spherical carbide burrs and took the head button and opened up the cavity the glow plug is in. This should take the place of the extra shim. I have heard of other "big boys" doing this to calm their engines a bit and decided to give it a try. I have some planes with similiar engines mounted so I can try it out in flight some day soon I hope.

Wet Sunday.

I just about finished the winter project and it stopped raining long enough to get in some ringmaster flights. The dog track is 4.7 miles from home and is used by several r/c fliers.

Rocket man.

A couple of years ago I found a model rocket with all the goodies. I bought some engines for it 2 weeks ago and went to the dog track to shoot it off today. the wind was blowing from the turnpike so I angled the launcher into the wind and up it went. It deployed the chute and landed a couple hundred feet away. I sent it up again and this time it landed on the huge pile of rubble near by. The wind kept the chute open and that kept the rocket from falling down the pile. I climbed up and got the thing and slid back down. Enough of that. The carb change is going well. I went and got a coffee the other day and it ran well. The hot rod needed a tweaking as it was starting hard. I changed some vacuum hoses and that did strange things to the carb. It started up normally today.
This weekend is the Ringmaster fly-a-thon. I should be hearing from others who will come and fly at the dog track. If not I'll fly mine alone and take a picture of the planes for posting.
I got a box of support stuff to send to LA for the contest in 2 weeks. I'll ship that out tomorrow.

Carb. change.

I've been wanting to try the Edelbrock carb. on the 350 for a while. Last week I took it apart and cleaned it out. A lot of dirt and gunk build up. I bought a hand choke cable at NAPA and put the thing on. It took a while as I had to re route some lines and make some new fittings but it finally was ready to go. It started and I tuned the idle mixture a bit to keep it running while it warmed up. I took it for a short ride and it ran well. The throttle response is much quicker than the Holley but with the hand choke I can control the fast idle better during the warm up period. That's the main reason I wanted to try it. It does require a different starting technique and I have to learn what it wants. So far so good.

Back to square one.

I had trouble with the heater in the hot rod. I figured it was a weak vacuum signal and couldn't get the carb. port to do it's job. I put the car under the overhang I built and put the El Camino in the garage. I went out today tofix the vacuum problem and the hot rod was wet. I put a fitting into the manifold and ran the heater vacuum line to it. It took some doing to start the car but it started and the heater worked. I drove it out and took the El Camino out and put it in the third stall and the hot rod in its stall. I warmed it up real good to cook off the water. The Saturn is back outside.
I loaded up the rebuilt plane with the $20.00 engine and went to the dog track. It rained on the way but not when I got there. On the second flight it was a light sprinkle. On the third flight it was raining. I packed up and headed home quite wet. It has been raining on and off all day. It should stop early tomorrow. I'm getting ready for the Gil's contest.

Fun across the street.

When we got home from the street rod show Sun. there were people digging holes around a property line across the street. There has been a feud over the house owners parking on the barn owners property all summer. 3 times police came and had the house owners move their cars off the others property. A few weeks age the barn owner dug a line from the road towards the river. Now he has had a black chain link fence erected parallel to the road and down the big dig along the property line. The barn owner also owns a rental property on the other side of the barn and also bought and rebuilt the house is question after it burned many years ago. The present owners of the house were tenants of his until the house went up for sale and they bought it. There is some kind of problem of how they moved out of the apartment that is fueling this argument. The house owners have kept me awake until 4 a.m. several times this past summer so I root for the barn owner.

3 for 4 on ebay.

We had 4 things on ebay that ended today. 3 sold and one got re listed. No money as 2 went for $.99 and the other wasn't mine. I went to the dog track today too and got in 4 flights. Still tuning the engine, I put on another tank and still couldn't get the lap times in the range I wanted. I tried some maneuvers anyway and found that the plane flies quite well at the slower lap speeds. The engine picks up and keeps the plane flying in maneuvers. I was happy with the way it went.
The day started by getting up at 3 am. A trip to the airport and breakfast at Denny's at 5. They should change their name back to Sambo's.

Street Rod show.

We spent Fri. and Sat. in Burlington, VT. It's our yearly trek to the street rod show there with our rod. The weather was great and I didn't get any prizes so we headed home early Sun. morning. Instead of the usual ride down rte. 91 into Springfield, MA we stayed on 89 into Concord, NH. The roads are smoother and we didn't hit as much continuous traffic which is the case on 91 from central MA to Hartford or down the Mass pike to Auburn,MA. I always figured it was shorter but never proved it until today. 10 miles less. I did close to 70 all the way so I made up for the gas saving shorter mileage. The weather at home is great also.

Boned in Rhode Island.

We took a ride to Jamestown today and took in the sights at Beavertail. Nice day a little windy a good day for what I thought to be topless sun bathing. I came across a couple kinda hidden but not quite. I didn't bother them and we went around further down the shore line. Still in sight and now heavily engaged the couple were enjoying the day under a blanket.
We took a detour through the downtown area on the way out and followed the signs for the mainland. Balls. Two dollars later I was headed for Newport. Turned around and two dollars later we are headed for the mainland. RI signage sucks.
We stopped at a Dunkin Donuts for a snack and then waited in line at a Hess station for cheap gas. One of us didn't want to wait so we headed home. $.30 a gallon more at home. Balls.
I figured I would mold a leading edge for the new kit I'm building. I had bought some balsa and it looked good and should bend after soaking in water. Nope. I got another piece soaking now. The fuselage is a profile and it has a lot of wood in back of the wing. I checked the plans for another model that has the fuse. cored out and did the same to this one. This mod. I'm not worried about as it worked on the other model. I'll put in a frame and sheet it with 1/16" balsa, after it dries out.

Hard work.

I finally washed the motorcycle this afternoon. It was filthy not being used this season. I had a battery charger on it while I cleaned it and tried to get it running. It took about a half hour of squirting gas in the carb. and kicking before it started. Then it ran out of gas. I put a gallon in it and ran it some more around the yard. The carb. isn't quite right yet but it runs above 1000 rpm. The idle needs some running time to get cleaned out.
The house across the street is getting cleaned up but slowly. The owner had to have his brother evicted as the house was being trashed slowly. It's a mess but looking better.

Test run.

I just finished the test on the K&B engine and it went well. It held a steady 10200 rpm and was a little rich with an 11x4 APC prop. It got one minute 15 seconds per ounce of fuel which should give me enough to do the entire AMA pattern. I'll have to bring it along next time I fly the Twister.
There is some method to my engine swapping madness. 40 size engines can use .015 size lines. Larger engines need .018 lines. This creates extra work to fly the different size engines on the same outing. I only have two planes with bigger than .40 engines, the Ringmaster 576 and the P-51. I can take those together and use the same lines thereby saving time and energy. Oh puke, I think I'm going "Green". I'll burn a tire today to make up for it.

Engine swaps.

It all started when I looked at the P-51. I had removed the Fox .45 and installed an Enya .46 a year ago of more. I took the Fox off the Stunt Pupster and the Enya off the P-51. I had to use a nut plate to get the Enya to fit the P-51 and the holes were too close to the Fox holes so the Fox would no longer fit. I put the Enya back on and now the Pupster was without an engine in it. I had built it for the Fox .40 and switched engines with the red Pupster long ago. I grabbed a .40 and with a couple of blind nuts installed it in the Stunt Pupster. To equal the weight of the .45 I added a stock muffler and called it a day for that one. On the modified Twister I had built it around a Fox .35 and then switched it for a K&B .40. I mounted it with a plate that used seperate holes for engine and mounting. I removed it and made a plate for the other Fox .40 and attached it to the nose without having to drill more holes. Now I have all but one plane with good engines that I haven't made venturis for. I got the K&B on a test board to see how it runs. Maybe I'll try it on a plane again some day.

Still trimming.

I prepared the Stunt Pupster for a flight today. I brought the regular plane also as I had made some changes to it. I added a half ounce of weight to the tail and shortened the prop, mainly because I hit the ground with it on landing and crunched the tip on one blade. I also added a third layer of nylon over the venturi. All went well but the flight times were shorter for some reason. Maybe the prop is letting it turn faster in the air. The Pupster flew well too. It has flaps and turns a bit better than the other one. The tank is home made and didn't last that long. I replaced it with a 6 ounce plastic one. The winds were very light and that gave me trouble in some of the maneuvers as I kept hitting the wake turbulance and upsetting the plane. I have to move back more under those conditions when maneuvering. I prepared the P-51 mustang I built last winter and flew a couple times. I got an Enya .46 on it with a homemade venturi. I don't know if I ever ran it. Next time out I'll bring along.

Right on schedule.

UPS brought my tonneau cover and the stuff I ordered from Tower hobbies. I put a quick coat of clear dope on the plane and went to tackle the tonneau cover. It took longer than I figured but in the end it fit. The clear dope, however, clouded over due to the humid conditions today. I'll have to wait for a dryer day to spray it again. I did get the wing covering on and shrunk down.
I went to the dog track and the winds were doing strange things to the plane. I came close to the pavement twice in the first flight and called it quits for the day.

Moving right along.

I started cleaning the replacement dashboard and it has a lot of separate assemblies. I have to be careful to keep the screws in place when I take a part off. After cleaning I replace it so it don't get lost. The dash has a layer of clay dust that is hard to remove. It just spreads around when wet.
I moved the divider wall under the lean to so I have 6 more feet of parking space for the winter. I got the El Camino transmission shifting about where I think it should. It's running well also. The tonneau cover should arrive today too. The Herculiner really holds things in place, you don't want to kneel on it though.
The old time model I built from enlarged mag. plans got painted last week and is out gassing waiting for the clear dope and monokote to arrive from Tower hobbies.
I have been practicing the complete stunt pattern lately and it's a bit raggedy so far. I hold a call card and look at the next maneuver while doing the two laps between maneuvers. I also figured out how to stop the plane from bouncing on landing. Just as it touches down or slightly before, I give it down and plant the wheels on the ground. It makes for a nice tail up wheel landing. And with a full 4 ounces of fuel I can get the whole pattern in with enough time left for a second 4 leaf clover. The $20.00 ebay Fox .40 is coming along nicely.

Getting things done.

I was left alone today with a few orders to do. I wanted to go flying earlier than usual because of the rising temperature and wind. I also needed to get the grill bottle re filled and an extra key cut for the El Camino. Not to mention my morning coffee break. I loaded the plane on the El Camino and headed for the coffee shop. Nothing much happening there. I went to the dog track and got in two flights. I tried the outside square loop that starts at 45 degrees up and noses over at the ground. Made it. Then I tried the horiz. sq.8 and got through that. I added a vert. 8 and got through that one too. Those are the only maneuvers, the squares, that I haven't tried. I need to get enough fuel to do the whole pattern, 5 minutes, with a 45 sec. min. cushion. I have a 4 ounce tank and three ounces gives me 4 and a 1/2 minutes. I'll try a full tank and see how much time I have. 6 and a 1/2 minutes will be perfect. I put a plastic tank on the plane after yesterdays session and the inverted engine run is much improved. Lap times are in the 5.0 something range, just right.
On the way home I stopped at the nearby NAPA store because brother Roy said they cut keys. I haad one cut and it worked well. I put it on my key ring. I loaded the gas bottle in the car and went to T&S and got it filled. I switched cars and headed for Groton for lunch with my wife and grandson. Picked up 6 jugs of table wine and came home. The temp. is up so I'll just watch the owner of the land across the street clean out the place. He dumped a lot of large wood there several years ago and is clearing all the weeds and wood up. The Hoyts have moved out, now if they will clean their yard the area will be half decent to look at.

Stupid computer.

Anyway, I went flying at the dogtrack today and on the second flight there was a car not too far away. It turned out to be Dave Miller and his father. They were working not to far off and heard the engine and came to investigate. I had talked to Dave last week and he said he never saw a c/l plane fly. Today he did. He flies r/c a bit at the track also. I heard him talking yesterday about a drag car he painted for $10,000.00 that crashed at Epping, NH over the weekend. The owner had insurance on it so it won't be too bad a hit. I figured out how to stop the plane from bouncing on landing. Just as it touches down I give it down elevator and it sticks. I haven't tried it on grass yet. It may nose over.
I ordered a tonneau cover for the El Camino today. It's vinyl with an aluminum frame and it lifts up like a fiberglass cover. The new bed liner works well, it has a lot of traction and things don't slide around. I also tweaked the vacuum modulator to raise the shift points and that worked out OK. The fast idle cam on the carb. sticks a bit on cold starts so it needs some re working too. I may try the other carb. for the heck of it.

Dave has never seen a control line plane.

Dave has never seen a control line plane.

Good labor day.

The labor day party went well. I moved the cars out of the garage and the El Camino starter didn't work properly. When I moved it back a few days later the starter acted up again so out it came. I got and installed a new one yesterday.
I got in a couple flights yesterday also and I took a tank off another plane that was working right and put it on the one with the $20.00 engine. Big difference. The engine started and ran very well until the fuel line fell off the spray bar nipple. Of course the plane was close to inverted and having learned about trying to bring the plane to upright in this situation I kept it inverted and landed it on the canopy and fin. A little balsa loss that's all. For the future I put wire skids over the damaged spots.

Bedliner installed, $400.00 cheaper

I followed the directions and bought some acetone and rubber gloves before starting the process. The first coat was thin, I didn't have to do anything special to get it thin. The second coat filled nicely and the third coat really did the trick. I bought an extra quart and it was enough to do the third coat and the touch up. It's drying and will be usable in a few days.

J. C. Whitney to the rescue.

The Herculiner cane in today. I have to get some xylene for the cleanup and thinner and wipe down before applying the coating.
I got some shelving from Wood's Auto, it will help clean up some of the clutter in the garage.
The 'Easy ' is coming along. I've figured out how to get the fuselage together. I got the bellcrank in the wing. installing the pushrod will be another problem as the bellcrank will be hidden when installed in the wing. I'll probably use a straw as a guide for the push rod as it threads into a fitting on the bellcrank.
We found out that ATT never set us up for the fast service when we ordered it. The repairman said our service is slower than the slowest ATT offers. We should be getting a rebate check for the difference. He matched the computer with and ATT service and were back in business.

Almost everything is here.

I installed the seat covers yesterday and I had to go back and re read the description on ebay. The covers are for a seat with the fold down arm rest but don't come with a cover for the arm rest. The picture on the box shows a blue seat with the covers installed but nothing on the arm rest. Oh well, for $4.99 it was a bargain.
I washed the bed with Superclean and then with dish soap then wire brushed the whole thing to get ready for the Herculiner that is supposed to be here today.
The 'Easy' is coming along. As usual I didn't get enough balsa to finish the wing but I can get some more tomorrow. I think I'll extend the fuse. an inch or so for balance and flyability. Nothing matches on the plan so I'll make it 'look' right. Dickiepoo should be ashamed of this drawing. I think he copied it from the old magazine verbatim. The 6 inch scale is oversize the wing is oversize and the fuselage is undersize, way to go again Dick. It really is a full fuse. model except the engine is side mounted like a profile. The fuse. is two pieces of 3 inch sheet with no canopy or anything. The rear tapers to a point and that's it for style. The rudder has a sub rudder that drags on the ground for a tail skid. I think I'll incorporate a wheel somehow.

Back to Explorer.

We had to go back to the old server as Norton kept messing Mozilla up. Several hours of running cleanup programs and we seem to be back in business.
In the latest issue of Model Aviation Dick Sarpoulos did an article on an old time stunt model. The 'Easy'. It's a profile almost. 50 inch span. Good for the engines I have. Anyway I started to make parts for it yesterday, all the ribs and I had to change the leading edge airfoil a bit to make it more blunt. I went to Staples and had the page size plan enlarged to full size. My calculations were correct in that the parts on the plan were not the same size. The wing at 530Percent is an inch and a half longer and the fuselage is a bit shorter than it should be. Way to go Dick. The strange part of the old design is the fuselage is 1 1/4 inches thick. Normal profiles are a half inch thick max. It's a straight 3 by 1 1/4 box 34 inches long. The plans show practially nothing as how the construction goes. Dickypoo's article must have been edited into oblivion as he generally is quite thorough. He built his model using r/c style techniques as it came out at 44 ounces. 1/8 inch ribs, 1/4 inch fuse sides. I'm using 1/16" ribs and 1/8" sides. Should come in below 40 ounces. The fuse. is hollow from the c/g point back to the tail. He also used 1/4 inch for the stab, and elevator, I'm using 3/16. This will replace the plane I gave up on as an old time stunt model.

Stupid computer.

I posted yesterday and stupid mozilla and microsoft had updates and yesterdays stuff is gone.
The seat came in and it was in pieces for shipping. I got it back together and cleaned up in a few hours. The buckets came out, I found the bolt holes and bolts for the right seat and plopped it in. Looks good and will fit when the darker seat covers arrive. $4.99 on ebay.

In the ball park.

I took the rebuilt plane to the new school in Sterling and got in 3 flights. The first was way too fast. I slowed the engine down to 10700 rpm on the second flight and it was still too fast. 10200 rpm on the third flight created a usable speed. I did the pattern and timed the extra fuel and got 45 seconds after the last maneuver to engine stop. That's 3 ounces and should bet better as the engine gets more time on it.
I took the Nobler to the dog track yesterday. The inverted engine was trouble to tame down. It took 3 flights to get it slowed down enough to be usable. It does fly nice, slows for landing more that any of my other planes. Wings were level but the handle spacing is too narrow. I took the engine out and put it back in the first Primary Force kit I built. It's next in line after the Primary Pupster. Which flies very nice. I need to try the outside squares as they create the most carnage in my mind. The whole pattern has several in it. I want to practice them over grass but the old school field is locked and I can't get in. Grass creates less engine damage when you hit it.

New carb. set up.

I've been looking for the carb. that came with the $20.00 Fox and after two days I found it. I installed it on the engine and locked the throttle open. The venturi is the same dia. as the c/l venturi but the needle valve is a lot smaller. I went to the dog track this morn. and got in 4 flights. The new carb. runs better. I clipped the pavement on the third takeoff and split one blade in half radially and trimmed the other a half inch or so. 3 minutes of kinda slow laps. With a new prop it was back to speed.
The plane I gave up on is back on the gave up on list. I built it using r/c practice and it's too heavy and tail heavy on top of everything.

Baton Rouge contest.

Oct. 18 and 19. Where is "Brunet's" rest. Gil says the group goes there for eats and drinks Sat. night.
I found some screws loose on the $20.00 Fox .40 yesterday. The coverplate screws were loose and one fell off just as it fired up. I replaced it and the one that was lost. I also replaced the tank and the engine run was much better. I'm using 3 inch spacing on the handle, up from 2 3/4" and 1/8" shorter elevator control horn for more control movement. I'm working on a plane I gave up on last year.

Found the source of the confusion.

I remembered having seen something on the takeoff and level flight question someplace and I finally found it. I looked at the sample score sheets I got off the PAMPA (Precision Aerobatics Model Plane Assn.) web site and on the "Old time stunt" score sheet is Take off on one line and Level flight on another. This is the one cited by the judge. It amounts to the same thing as the AMA rule but the AMA rule can't be used for Old time stunt flying. 5 laps vs. 6 laps. Old time stunt and Classic stunt are not part of the AMA contest rules but are flown at sanctioned AMA contests. It's mostly a PAMPA thing them being a special interest group to the AMA for c/l aerobatics.
Any way on Sunday I didn't heed the advise of Red Green and failed to put some tape where the cut was going to be. Fiberglass prop plus bare finger equals cut finger.

Envelope please.

And the winner is,,,,,// Me. Two stunt contests this year and two wins. I finally did the proper complete beginners pattern on my last flight. I didn't realize that the take off maneuver consisted of two parts. Takeoff which is one complete lap and level flight which is two level laps for a total of three laps. Then two more laps between the takeoff and level flight maneuver and the start of the wingover. The judge told me that I should do six laps with the third and forth lap being judged as level flight. That didn't sound right but I didn't make a fuss. I checked the rule book on line and it said different from the judges interpretation. I asked a question on the stunthangar forum and got the right answer. The first three laps are judged and the second two are the get ready for the next maneuver. Two of the biggest names in the business helped out on my question, Brett Buck and Ted Fancher.
I went to the dog track this morning and weed wacked and painted a circle. I took the plane I built from the wreck at Wrentham and the new Fox .40 engine I got for $20.00 on ebay. I got in four flights and the needle was turned in more and more each flight. Still breaking in I guess. I got some trimming to do on the plane, handle spacing or tail weight as it turns too slow. It will do the beginner pattern but not good enough for the complete pattern.
The ARF Nobler is coming along, engine is mounted and the nose is stiffened. Cowl is cut out and drilled fuel tank plumbing is next then glue it together. OS .40 for power.

Moving along nicely.

I e mailed the seat person and he said it was being shipped Friday the 15th. I got in touch with the dash guy and it will be shipped very soon. He didn't believe I would pay the shipping as he don't have an account with anyone for large items like the seat guy has. Anyway I convinced him and he got me the price and he's paid. The dash pad came in Friday and I did a buy it now on some seat covers a few minutes ago.
I removed the carb. from the weed wacker and took it apart. It looked clean but I hit all the holes with carb. cleaner anyway. I put it back together and no change. I took it apart again and was going to change some gaskets when I found a gasket I hadn't removed the first time. Under it is a screen filter and it was clogged with mush. I cleaned it out and changed the filter and put it back together and it ran quite well.
A model airplane contest tomorrow, Sunday, in Lee MA. That's off exit 2 of the Mass pike. Pretty close to Lebanon Valley drag strip.

El Camino gets used.

With the softball field messed up I went to the old dog track parking lot to fly. Weeds have grown up through the cracks in the asphalt and needed to be cut. I loaded up the plane and equipment and the weed wacker. After a few minutes of running the engine started losing power and I ended up pulling most of the weeds out by hand. I have to take the carb. apart see what's going on.
I got the Fox .40 I won on ebay and had a time getting it started. It did start and I ran several ounces of fuel through it. Sounded good at 7 pm. Smoked up the bugs in the neighborhood too.
The seller is having a time getting the dash shipped. I suggested rolling it in some cardboard like a burrito and sending it that way. It will probably taste better. Still waiting for the seat and dash pad too.

New instruments.

I won the bid on a complete dash assembly for the El Camino. Probably from Radar O'Rielly. It's located in Ottumwa IA.

On the road again (up yours Willie)

For the first time in over 8 years the El Camino is road worthy. I've put about 60 miles on it since getting the temp plates and permanent plates. It has a different feel than the new cars. The power steering is more powerful, a light touch turns the wheels. The suspension gives a nice ride not like the firm rides we get with todays cars. There's still a lot of tweaking to be done to get it the way I think it should be. I made a plane carrying board for the bed and tried it out with a trip to the Central school in Plainfield. There is a large field that is just right for flying all kinds of planes. I noticed that one of the engine holddown screws had broke off right below the head. I replaced it with a different kind hoping it will be stronger. I also noticed that the flap and elevator were out of alignment. It took three turns on the clevis to even them out. That may mess up the way it flies. I got the K&B back in it and it's running pretty good. A contest next Sunday in Lee MA. I have to get a flight or two on the Primary Pupster to make sure it's running right. No fooling around this time. I don't like repairing planes for stupid reasons. Although the last repair job produced a better plane. Crashing is a blessed event.

An even better day.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny here in CT. I was up at 0600 and got ready to do battle at the Putnam DMV satellite office. I arrived at 0730 and was second in line. The door opened right at 0800 by my watch. The lady who waited on me asked questions and luckily they were answered by the lady who waited on me Wednesday. I walked out with new Early American plates and $102.00 poorer. I didn't complain.

A good day.

I went flying this morn. and had two good flights. When I got home I found the aluminum pads under the engine were cracked. Off with the K&B and on with a Fox .35.
At 1330 hrs. I went to Townline Auto for the front end alignment and VIN check. When the person checked the VIN he wanted two places on the car. Luckily he knew where to look and after scraping off layers of paint the second location was found. I was worried to say the least. On the ride home it rained quite hard and the wipers worked well on both high and low speeds. Then to top off the day I won the bid on a never run Fox .40 engine on ebay. This morning I did a buy it now on a dash pad and am waiting it's arrival. I haven't heard from the seat people yet and I'm getting concerned. I still have a dash assembly to bid on. It's the same as is in the El Camino now and not the SS style.

First ride.

I took the El Camino out on the road Thurs. morning. Other than the steering wheel being close to 90 degrees off everything went very well. The car stopped straight with no 'pull' to a side. Kinda noisy with the flowmasters and a few rattles but a great first ride. I did a buy it now on ebay and got a new dash pad and I'm watching a dash assembly. The original has been cut up for a radio and age has weakened vent outlets.
I went to the school and found the infield had been scarfed up for softball playing and is now unusable for a runway. No weeds though. I went to my second choice the new school in Sterling with the paved track. Got in two flights with the new Twister. The K&B needs tuning as the lap times are in the high 5 sec. range. I may have to change engines but I'll try a bigger prop first.

Houston, we have temps.

I went to the school this morning and mowed the infield. That should stop my lines from snagging on the weeds. When I got home I checked the mail and the insurance card for the El Camino came in. I hurried to the Putnam DMV and waited in line for an hour and came away with temp. plates. I called a close by garage and service center and used car lot who also does emission testing and VIN checks. The El Camino needs a front end alignment so I scheduled it along with the VIN check for Friday. The DMV gave me a paper that had the names of places other than the DMV who can do the VIN check. For $20.00 plus the alignment it's worth it not to be in line for several hours at the Norwich DMV. Possibly by Sat. or Wed. the El Camino should have plates.
I installed a Fox .35 on the newest Primary Force and an old K&B .40,converted to c/l, on the stretched Twister today. Weights and balances are in the ball park on both planes as built. I ran the K&B yesterday and it ran well. I had to shave a tad off the sides to get it to fit but it worked. Test flights coming up.

Got it.

I just won the bid on a bench seat with fold down armrest. This kind of seat came in the fancy packages. SS,GS and so on. $150. plus $95 shipping from WI. Now I can get the right seat covers for the stock seat and off we go.

I found one.

I chanced to check ebay for bench seats and came across one for the El Camino. It's in WI someplace and is shippable. It ends around 11 tonight and I'll hit it hard. Still waiting for the insurance card. I can't figure out what the red lights in the rear bumper are for. Stop lights for sure but it has some in the rear corners already.

Another close call.

I took the new plane to the field this morning. The grass had been mowed recently but the whole infield is dirt. Small grassy weeds are growing all over it. I set up and started the engine and took the controls. I pulled the release the plane started moving and the lines snagged on a weed. The up line of course. The plane got airborne and came in on me in a climb heading back out of the circle. I gathered up some line and the plane reached the end of the lines before hitting the ground. The impact of the plane reaching the end of the lines wasn't bad so I continued to complete the flight. I remembered that upon landing yesterday the lines hooked into a weed and turned it around. I didn't think about it until after the incident today. I checked out the new school in Sterling and the old school in Oneco both are usable until The weeds are taken care of.

Next week comes early.

In my last post the plane missing a piece of it's wing and flying inverted is the one hovering above the blue pool in the bottom picture.
Anyway I went to the school with the new plane and got in two flights. All went well. I put in 2 3/4 ounces of fuel in the 6 oz. tank and did the beginner pattern on the second flight. The engine runs were too fast and didn't want to slow down. I made a change to the handle spacing and opened it up to 3 1/2" from 3. I also changed tanks to a 4 oz. from the 6 and removed the spinner. The new weight is 38 ounces. Right where I planned it to be. A perfect day for flying too, bright sun and a little wind from the NW. Perfect for the softball field I fly in as I use 3rd base line to start and take off towards first. The plane has a nice glide and touchdown but in the grass it wants to nose over as the grass grabs the metal gear legs.

Big toys for big boys.

I went to see a model show at a nearby airport today. I didn't know what to expect. Some kind of giant scale show was in progress when I arrived. These planes are 40% or bigger and are way overpowered. Control throws are extreme to say the least. The people flying them are very good at it. One of the tricks was to dunk the planes tail in a wading pool on the other side of the runway. I didn't see what happened but got a shot of one of the planes flying around with half of one wing missing the other on the runway broke all to pieces. Many thousands of dollars down the drain.

Over and done with.

I finished painting the latest plane today. In between working on lawn mower engines I applied two coats of blue and the black canopy. I final assembled it and the weight with spinner is 41 ounces. Without is 39 so I met my goal of high 30's.I'll let it dry for several more days before a test flight. Balance is a bit nose heavy but that is good.

A couple of things.

My die grinders on off switch finally failed a week ago. It is a little thing that has to be installed through the motor stator. This means the grinder has to be taken apart. I did it once before and barely remember how to do it. I bought a switch from Ace True Value and it was too big. While at the auto parts store I asked just for the fun of it and he had one that fit. I figure I can use the larger switch to turn off the fan motor in the El Camino. I believe back then some cars had fans that ran all the time on low. There is no off position on the heater control panel.
I started painting the latest plane and it's drying. I have to let it set for a day or so to be safe. I plan to use Krylon over Rustoleum and sometimes the two don't mix. I tested a patch and it didn't ruin the white so I'm giving it a go. I also trimmed the landing gear down and removed the wheel pants for a weight savings of 1 and 1/4 ounces. Probably the same weight as the paint I'm adding. I still can drop an ounce or two with a tongue muffler instead of the stock one. It'll be a day or two before I can take pictures.
We called the insurance and got the El Camino on the policy. They are mailing me a card. They did show their lack of how CT DMV works. They said if I go to the DMV and have the DMV call them and give their fax number they would fax the card to the DMV. The clerk would have a one word reply to that request, Next!!!

Ready to go.

I bought the new battery this morning and installed it and ran the El Camino out of and back into the garage. A mud wasp had built a nest on a rafter above the project vehicle and was hosed down and scraped off the beam before driving back into the garage.I checked all the lights and they all work. The front end needs to be aligned and it's road worthy. Insurance first though. I left the horns disconnected and will disconnect the heater motor as it runs all the time and it blows warm air. Don't need that now.
I aligned and glued the wing and tail on the new fuselage this morn. also. I promptly glued my fingers to the fuse. when the super glue ran out of the joint and onto my fingers. I didn't notice it until it was too late. I lost a little bit of skin when I peeled the fingers off the fuselage. I decided on a white wing with red and white checkerboard on the wing tips and blue stripes along the leading edge. I don't have any white or blue dope paint so I'm testing some rustoleum and krylon to see how fuel proof they are. The fuse. will be blue under the wing and a white top. Total weight to this point is 39 to 40 ounces. I will need to use a smaller muffler and lighter landing gear to make my planned weight.
I went to the school with the Ringmaster and got in two flights to test the repaired pushrod. All went well, good engine runs and clean cut offs. It still won't stay on it's wheels when it lands in the grass. It was mowed today too and just as it stopped it tipped over. Bigger wheels maybe or move the gear further forward some more. Mid 80's clear sky and light wind. Perfect for flying.

Next please.

All went well at the DMV today. The place was packed, it looked more like a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. I got the forms I needed and what I have to do next. I changed the water pump this afternoon and when I tried to start it the battery was dead. 9. something volts. I got a new one on the hook and will get it in the morning. I kind of suspect the horn relay or some part there of may be draining it but I'm not sure. I got the horns unhooked just in case. I'll probably get a new fuel pump while I'm at it. The old one seems to be fine but it's old and hasn't been in use for about 10 years. I tried a new technique on the latest plane today. I thinned some epoxy as usual and brushed it on a small area. Then I scraped it off with a freebee credit card. I was able to do the whole fuselage with one third the epoxy as before. I put on two coats this way. So far so good. Now I need to come up with a color scheme.

Next please.

Houston, we have horns and a problem.

I went flying with the Enya powered Ringmaster today. I re installed the original carb. and wired it open. I backed off the spray bar a turn and that made a big difference. Nice engine run this time. On the way home I figured I could use more line spacing at the handle. After inspecting the control system I found a loose wire in the carbon fiber pushrod. This allowed non linear movement from the handle to control surface. I re glued the pieces and added reinforcement to the joints. I ordered a pair of horns from the local parts store and installed them this afternoon. One horn wouldn't work and has something loose inside. After some testing it started to work and got installed. Push the button and toot the horn. Tomorrow I plan to go the the DMV and get the paperwork and advise to register the car. Cover me, I'm going in.

Latest blessed addition.

I just finished framing up the results of the damage done at the contest. The plane that didn't fly well has donated the tail wheel asm. I sheeted the cored out fuse. with 1/16" balsa on a 45 degree bias so the grain forms an 'X' side to side. weight as it sits with engine and stock muffler and 6 oz. plastic tank is 34 oz. Some weight will be removed when I sand the fuse. but will be added when I re do the wing tips. I'm looking at high 30's for final weight and I have the muffler and wheel pants to play with to lighten it a tad more. I forgot the propeller so add one ounce to the total.
A couple pictures of the ARF El Camino too.

To crash is a blessed event?

That's what an old guy said to the other beginner at the contest in Wrentham MA. He drove a new plane straight in from high up, 60 feet. I had wopped the ground but didn't notice the broken fuselage until after my official flight. After assessing the damage later,I figured a new fuse. would be the best bet. The wing was cut out and saved. I had another plane that doesn't fly all that well so I figured to remove its wing and mate the fuse. and the saved wing. Didn't work out. Now I have a saved wing and a junked plane that didn't fly well. No great loss. I rummaged around and found the plans for my 125% ringmaster and started building. I slimmed the fuse. down about 3/4" and now it's 5/16" thick. Should have been 3/8" but I didn't have any 1/8" to laminate, thought I did. I drew the new airfoil on the fuse. side and lengthened the fuse. 3/4" for good measure. A little band saw work and table saw work and the new fuse. and motor mounts are being glued together. I plan to core the fuse. to save weight and skin it with 1/16" balsa. I'd better see if I have any. The wing will have about 555 sq. in. when I'm done putting some kind of wing tip on. It's 545 sq. in. with out.
I checked the DMV web site and registering the El Camino shouldn't be much of a nail biter. But you never know. I have the title from TX in my sons' name so I will try a family transfer to save money. I still need to get a horn or two and an insurance card to get temp. plates. I added a fillet of urethane adhesive to the front and back windows. It will seal them real good. Made a mess of my hands when I used thinner to get it off my hands. It melted the urethane and drove it into the pores on my hands. It's wearing off slowly.

Tires are us.

I drove to Groton this morning and got the tires. I stopped at NAPA here in town and got some lug nuts. I needed 20. The things are packaged in 4s. 6 something for four. Times five. I got a second tube of urethane adhesive for the rear window. It took it all. They shouldn't leak anyway. I went to the school and tried one of my Fox .35 on the ringmaster. It didn't go well and I removed it and re installed the Enya and took the popsicle stick out and one of the head gaskets. It's back to the way it was. It didn't burp but it wouldn't run inverted either. Not to mention the thunder storm that came up just as I was going to start the engine. I hid in the dugout until it ended. I installed the seat belts in the El Camino, the horn is next. I've been told that registering it in CT shouldn't be much of a problem. We'll see.

New Tires.

I was notified today that I can pick up my new tires for the El Camino tomorrow. Now I need to get some lug nuts that fit the wheels. I finally got the Enya .35 running today. It has given me trouble since it vibrated loose twice. I did find a small metal chip in the fuel nipple and that seems to have cured it. I'm using the Ringmaster as an engine test bed. I've performed a mod. the some Fox .35s to help cure the hesitation the engine has when mounted sideways on a profile fuse. Everyone says it's because the transfer port in the engine is too big. I did the recommended fix and put a popsicle stick in the port to reduce the volume and keep the gas velocity up. I found an ARF Nobler kit on ebay for 99.99 and free shipping. The Tower hobbies price is 99.99 and has shipping added on. So I ordered one. I had built three or four Noblers from kits many years ago. I never knew what I was doing back then. Now it's 95% built and covered so all I have to do is fly it.

Beginners luck.

The weather wasn't as hot as Sat. but it was warm for the regular stunt contest on Sun. I signed in and set up for a test flight. Everything went well until I got ahead of myself and couldn't decide weather to pull out of a loop inverted or upright. I pulled out about one foot below ground level flattening the landing gear. I straightened it back out and made my flight for the judges. The plane didn't respond to control inputs like it did before the belly flop. Loops were very big and close to the ground. I finished the flight by flying level and landed when the fuel ran out. I looked at the plane and found the fuselage split behind the wing and quite twisty. No wonder it didn't fly well. I'm lucky it didn't come apart in flight. The other flyer in my class tried to do the overhead eights and lost it. A brand new model went straight in. Total loss. I thing the engine survived. I pulled out my Primary Pupster back up plane and found that I had to use the same plane I started with. Which didn't matter as I got more points for not crashing than the other guy on my first flight so I won. I did get a flight in after all official flying was done. I flew well and didn't get fancy. I found that the muffler on the first plane had broken off and got lost. It tore a mounting bolt hole away from the engine block but that won't affect the running of it. I need a tongue muffler for it now. I'm watching some on e bay. The contest site is 52 miles from home. An easy drive, easier than going to Simsbury, CT which is 67 miles.

Hot and humid again.

I got a flight each on two planes the other morning. The Ringmaster/Enya combination didn't run right. I think it was too lean as the times were 4.1 second laps. Inverted maneuvers caused almost engine flame out. The Stunt Pupster/ Fox .45 combo worked well. I put an APC 12 1/4 X 3 3/4 prop on and the plane flew very well. I had designed the plane for this engine but changed it because of weight and balance problems with another that had a .40 in it. The weather for the contest on Sunday is supposed to be as bad as today. Very little wind lately too.
I have to get some urethane adhesive to pack around the front and back windows. I have to lay it in like glazing a pane of house window glass. I'm still thinking on this one.
Fed Ex dropped off a glider swing type chair today. It's made out of recycled plastic and looks like the building material Trex. Should last a while. Assembling that, making a rope swing for the grandson, making a tongue muffler for the Fox .45 out of its broken stock muffler, emptying the de humidifier barrel onto the horseshoe pits, 10 gallons each, taking a look at the lonely motorcycle and sending a check to the hot rod insurance co. The policy isn't in effect until they get the money. They wouldn't take a credit card over the phone either the miserable pricks. I'm not at all happy with their service this season.

Taking shape

I installed the new radiator with new hoses and anti freeze today. I had to make new mounts for the fan shroud. The new radiator is thicker and newer. I installed the windshield wiper rest that is below the windshield that the wipers retract onto. A tweak on the choke and it starts easier too. I tried to get the hot engine light to work but couldn't. I had changed all the bulbs earlier andheated the sender with hot water and a heat gun. Nothing. I had an old temp. gauge so I installed it. I was going to get some horns but forgot. Horns and tires and it's ready to run.
No flying today as it's 90 in the shade. No clouds either. Tomorrow morning, I have to test some changes I made to two planes before the contest Sunday.

While I was making changes to the oldest Primary Force my son in law arrived with the El Camino. The exhaust, windshield and rear window was installed. The new HD radiator is in the bed in the box. New shocks and some loose bolts tightened. I backed of the roll back and into the garage. I installed the windshield wipers and they work fine. The mufflers are 2 or 3 chamber flow masters as I wanted stock items. Oh well. Good solid pipe too.I removed the old radiator and dumped about a quart of anti freeze on the floor. I bumped the timing up a twitch and now I got a wrench on top of the tranny someplace. Two new hoses and a pair of horns and a gallon of anti freeze should do it. The tires should be ready next week or so. Richard took the car for a ride before bringing it here to test the rebuild on the trans. He said it worked fine. So far so good.

I have gotten several flights on 3 different planes this past week. Bad tanks, loose engines the usual stuff. Peter Hess set up a get together in Simsbury on Sat. (67 miles) so I packed 4 planes in the Stratus and made the journey. I had never flown control line with other control liners. It didn't pose a problem. I got in about 8 flights with 3 planes and only the loose engine showed up. I took it off and put on the engine I built the plane for in the first place. I needed some longer bolts to do the swap and had to take some from the Stunt Pupster. After that I put the Fox .45 on the S.P. as I had bolts that would fit and the plane could use the extra power, or at least that's what I figure. Too windy today to fly so I don't know how the changes worked out.
The El Camino has a new exhaust system and on Mon. it will have the back window installed and a new windshield and shocks and pinion seal. The new radiator is a heavy duty 4 core unit and is ready for me to install when it gets home. It still needs tires but that depends when the Trans Am wheels come in as I get the tires off the old rims.

Hot and windy.

I went to the school this morning with the two planes I choose for trimming. The primary planes engine wouldn't run more that 45 seconds. I put it away and brought out the heavy plane. It ran well but I couldn't get it to run the lap times I thought it needed. I need to narrow the handle spacing a bit as it's too jumpy where it is. It's stable but turns too hard for the handle input. When I got home I tried the balky engine again with a metal tank and it ran as it should. The plastic tank got taken apart and the only thing I could find was the fuel pick up was too close the the tank end. I shortened it and tried it again and it ran steady for the 4 ounces of fuel in it. When I go again I'll have a metal tank ready to install. Yesterday the plane of choice spit the spinner cone off in flight. Today the plane not of choice did the same thing. Both Goldberg spinners. The vibrations must be popping the studs out of the back plate. I'll have to get some Du-Bro spinners that screw into the back plate.
I got an e-mail from some one looking for people to fly with but he hasn't answered my reply yet. I have another willing to fly too but the other guy holds the key.

Another change.

I was reading a forum someplace last night and mention was made of a 56 ounce Nobler being the best plane this guy has had. The plane I set aside for being too heavy is about the same weight and a copy of the Nobler. I did some work to it and will give it a try. I have a larger engine ready to go in if it's under powered. I'll still bring the model of choice to try.
Good news on the El Camino. The windshield will cost less than $200.00. I broke the original trying to get it out.

Thinning the herd.

I have given up on the plane I have been trimming out. The engine run isn't what it should be and the wing can't support the weight. The airfoil is too thin and the leading edge is too sharp. I opted for it's sister ship but it's heavier and has a comparable airfoil. I then grabbed another with the Primary Force root airfoil all across and a Fox .40 engine. Weight is 40 oz., 13 or 14 ozs. lighter than the other ones and about 580 sq. in. so it should be all right. I liked the feel of the first plane but it was not consistant. The muffler broke a lug and vibrated off today. I saw it drop and picked it up after the flight. If this keeps up I may have to break into my good planes. 2 down 12 to go. The Shepard Hill elementary school is the field of choice right now. It was being mowed today.
We called the insurance co. for the hot rod today and will start running it around now that the El Camino is runnable. I don't have much to do with it in the shop and building season over. It's flying season. I could gunk down the FX too.

Off to the muffler shop

My son in law came with his roll back and took the El Camino to have the exhaust system made up, a windshield installed, a new radiator, front shocks and new pinion seal installed. I tried to buy a new exhaust system from the auto parts store but it's not made anymore. I need a pair of horns for it too.
I had thought I tried everything to get the engine of the plane running right the other day but as I was re-doing some other tanks to try I remembered muffler pressure. I hadn't thought of it at the time. It may have helped. Something to try next time out.

Another place to fly.

A couple of years ago the town of Plainfield, CT built a new high school. It's sited on a low hill close to the old school building. I never looked at the ball fields and other fields until yesterday. No wonder our taxes are high. I brought a plane and the grandson to the playground at the elementary school next to the fields. The first place I tried had not been mowed in a week and it took half a lap to get off the ground. I moved to a softball field with a 220 foot fence. 60 foot bases and 60 foot lines equals plenty of room if I don't roam too much. I got in two more flights and got some info on the trim changes to make. The hillside has been terraced in many areas to make level ground for the ball fields. The fields are fenced in so no one is likely to walk too close while I'm flying. The outfield needs mowing but works for landing. I took off standing in back of second base with the plane near third. The portable wind indicator with the spike in one end to stick in the ground worked flawlessly. And I didn't hit it this time.

Update

I checked the dome light and found a switch. I pushed it and the light came on. The previous owner must have cobbled this light in to replace the original. Anyway it works.
I forgot to mention that I have one more kit to build this coming winter. It is called Pathfinder. It's got trike gear, unusual for a control line plane. Pretty big wing at 54 inches, big because it may not fit in my car.I got it off ebay at the same time I got the Twister and from the same seller. Again for less than the kit price from Brodak. Being a Brodak kit if I fly it at the Brodak contest I get an extra 10 points. It could keep me from coming in last. I went to the Brodak contest to get ideas for color schemes. No such luck. All the planes were pastel in color. No red, white, and blue or black and white. Accent stripes everywhere. Not my bag. The only plane that attracted my eye was and ARF Nobler that was done in olive drab with invasion stripes. The finish was flat not glossy. I saw it fly and the pilot was real good on top of it. One of the Dixons I think. 11 months to build and come up with a color scheme, I should be able to get it done.

Last planes of the building season.

I have a few things to do on the red plane and it's ready for a first flight. The blue one is ready to fly. They are the last planes I will build unless I wreck several and have nothing to fly. I started to fly the second scratch built model I designed last fall. I plan to use them up in the order they were built. It's the one with a maple core in the fuselage. The blue one here is the Primary Force kit I ordered last Oct. 31. It arrived 6 months later through no fault of the kit maker. The other is a Sig Twister kit I got off e-bay for less than list price of the kit from Sig. I made changes to the kit as done by Ted Fancher in an article in Flying Models magazine many years ago. The fuse. is stretched 3 inches, a turtle deck is added to the fuse top and the rudder is shaped differently. As built both planes weight in the low to mid 30 ounce range and are powered by Fox .35's. I had a Twister modified like this before and it flew very well so when I crashed it I had to get another. I have two Primary Force kit built planes and one ARF. I have two others that were built as scratch builts that resemble the Primary Force. There is a contest in Wareham MA in a few weeks and I'm planning to compete in it. This will be my first time flying in a control line contest so I will start in the beginner class. The protocol is similiar to an R/C contest but different.
I replaced a brake hose on the El Camino that got stretched while putting the front suspension together. I'm surprised it didn't break as it stretched a lot. I'm still hoping it gets to Groton this weekend for the windshield and exhaust work. I have to trace the dome light wiring to find out why it don't work. I think I checked the bulb but will do it again to be certain. No word from the guy with the seats yet. So far all the gages are working which is good.