Banned in Moosup.

I used to be able to post comments on the Norwich Bulletin web site. About 4 weeks ago I couldn't post anything there. I figured they had taken offence at something I called our dopey Sen. Dodd. I tried to get the bulletin to say so for a couple weeks now and no one would answer my emails. I finally got one on the line and after two days he confirmed that I am banned for inappropriate comments. Their customer service is as bad as the paper.
It snowed today and on the trip to Groton we saw over 25 accidents from home to exit 80 in Norwich. Just plain dumb drivers. One accident had 4 cars involved. Hundreds across the state. The tow truck drivers are having a Happy New Year.

Long ago and 6 miles away.

Way back in the fifty's I lived across the street from the only other modeler in the town. We never connected on anything as, I think, his wife hated me. Maybe him too. I went to school with their son and we played together. Only once do I remember him flying any of his planes. In the winter in the snow and the plane had skis. It was a Scientific Lil Devil powered by a Wen Mac .049. I remember that he used a propane torch to warm the engine before starting it. It did get off the snow and he flew it in a circle nothing else. Well that bit of information came back to me today and I had a new Fox .40 to run as a sheet of balsa soaked in the rain barrel. Now came the good part, should I use a torch as my neighbor did or something safer like a fire contained in a burn barrel? Then I remembered the heat gun I use on monokote. Perfect answer. The spot I run the engines is near the garage and there is an extension cord hanging out the window. I warmed the engine in the house and again just before attaching the battery. One flip and it's running. I ran two tanks out and headed for the house. I got almost 6 minutes from 3 1/2 ounces at 9100 rpm. Pretty good for a new engine. 2 1/2% nitro 21 1/2% castor. Home brew. Smoked up the neighborhood pretty good.
I had an e-mail from UPS yesterday that a 5 pound package would be delivered today. I have an order coming from Fox but it will be heavier than that. Another coming from MBS supply and it will be lighter than that. All right Goldilocks what's left. Tower hobbies that's what. 5 rolls of monokote, two ounces of glue and two engines. Bingo. Then moments later the mail arrived and in it was my order from MBS Model Supply. Hot Dog. Now I have what I need to continue on the new plane.I modified the stock mufflers that came with the engines by opening up the exhaust outlets to .280, a .02 sq. in. increase over the stock opening. Or close to it.
When I got the mail I removed the balsa sheet from the rain barrel and molded it around the top deck of the new plane. It's drying now and should be ready tomorrow. I covered the plane structure with Saran Wrap so it wouldn't get wet. This way I didn't have to make a mold to form the balsa. It's the first time I've molded 3/32" balsa.
Weather report for tomorrow has temps in the low 40's but showers. Maybe I can get in some flights anyway.

Even colder and even windier

At 2 pm it's 14 degrees and the wind is gusting to 40 mph. I forgot about the brass monkey, it's too late I'm afraid.
We did manage to take in a movie. Sherlock Holmes. Not bad.
When we got home there was a box next to the door and I figured it was from Brodak. It was, the Vector ARF and the other parts I need for the new plane.
I'm in the finishing stages on the Ringmaster cheek piece installation. I got a couple coats of spot putty on and sanded smooth and two heavy coats of dope. I will cover the piece with silk span which will be faster than filling and sanding. It's just too cold to do it now even with the heat on. Or is it the beer.

New charger.

I went to Sears this morning and bought a battery charger. Not the top of the line but the next one down. $139.99 plus tax. It is capable of starting a car but I need it to keep the hot rod battery up to snuff. After putting the thing together I put 50 amps into the hot rod battery for a half hour.
The temp. got into the 40's and the wind was light so I packed up and headed for the dog track. The engine ran well until I did a loop and it took off again. I tried to get in another flight but it started to rain so I headed home. I removed the engine and put it on the Primary Force that I re built and started to put a cheek piece on the Ringmaster. The epoxy is drying now. I fiddled around with one of the Fox .40's and found it would fit on the Ringmaster so I installed it and will try it with that engine. I still have to carve and sand the cheek piece and paint it but flying time is scarce right now.
I'm waiting for UPS to bring some of the stuff I ordered last week. I got a call from the place I ordered the lines last night. I told him I ordered on line and he said it would be shipped today. I have to hold up on the new plane as I need some parts before continuing.

It was a dark and stormy night. Really.

The wind and rain went on all night and into the day today. I went about my usual stuff and around noon I noticed that the wind had stopped and the sky was getting lighter. Off to the dog track we went. The rain had washed away all the snow except for what the snow plows and blowers had piled up. I brought the 576 Ringmaster and the engine started to go fast after launch again. I changed tanks, same thing. I added muffler pressure, same thing. There was bubbles in the lines so when I got home I removed the fuel system and pressure tested it under water. No leaks. It must be vibration. I took a plastic tank off another plane and put it on and went outside and ran two tank fulls through it. The engine held the rpm and there was no bubbles in the lines this time. I don't have a cheek piece/tripler on the nose of this plane and it vibrates more without it. I also changed to a 10 x 5 prop to get the engine off the vibration point, I hope. If it's not to windy tomorrow I'll give it a try.

Back at square one, finally.

The temp. got into the high 30's today so I figured I would put the bike back together. I put the original ignition back in after cleaning and lubing the advance mechanism. Then I found that the new advance mechanism that came with the points conversion kit would fit the old stuff so I used it. The original was pretty worn. I wired the module up and tried to start it. It would burn the prime and stop. I shook the bike and couldn't hear any gas sloshing around in the tank. I had forgot that I drained it to use in the mowers. I put a quart in and it fired up and ran. I shut it off and opened the door to let the fumes out. Two more things to button up and I'm back to the beginning.
The new plane is coming along well. I had planned to use a landing gear from one I scrapped but it took up too much room. I looked at the directions for the Nobler and made a set of wires that look like the Goldberg Eaglet/Eagle models. I should have put the gear in the wings but was too lazy.
The biggest design problem I had was the shape of the fin/rudder. I think that is the only item that sets the plane apart from all the others. The fuse., wing, tail are pretty much all the same shape. But the fin/rudder is always different and I think I have a different shape than all the others again. I can see it now at the field. Hey, that fin/rudder makes it look like so and so's design. Yeah? Fuck You.

You don't need no stinking drivers license

There is a character that has breakfast at Lizzy B's almost every day. A bit eccentric. He got arrested for driving without a license, no insurance, misuse of marker plates, no registration and one other charge. He gave the police the riot act and made them remove his car from the flat bed. the Police asked him where he got the plate and he said he found it two years ago. As the car was being removed from the flat bed the cop said he would take the plate. He said go ahead I have another one. Another cop arrived that he knew and he asked the other cop"where did you get this douche bag"? I guess it happened in Norwich someplace as he started in court in Norwich. He told them he was within his constitutional rights and the state can't stop him from operating a motor vehicle. The judge didn't get what he was saying and he said he wanted a jury trial. Off to New London and judge Susan B. Handy. She takes him into the chambers and asked for an explanation for his actions. He says "I don't have a license". This prosecutor can't believe his ears and starts to execute him on the spot. She says send this case back to Norwich it don't belong here. (She read the law at one time.) On his way out he tells the prosecutor "don't take it personal, asshole I know what I'm doing". At last he ends up in court in Danielson. The prosecutor asks him to say he will be a good boy get a license and register the car and the judge will be nice to you. He says "no". He gets in front of the judge and the prosecutor says he is unrepentant and recommends execution, again. The judge says to him that he is close to trouble. He says to the judge your in contempt, you have me here wasting my time for no reason and it's against the constitution. The gallery erupted with support. Then he states, verbatim, the paragraph in the constitution that allows anyone to drive on public roads unempeded by anyone. So and so versus so and so in such a year, page this, book that. He did know that when you sign your license you waive that right. So in 1985 he sent his license to the RI DMV with a letter explaining why and hasn't had one since. He got off without any other problem. And he still drives like he has. As he exited the court room the deputys said good job.
This took place no more than two weeks ago. Should be available someplace.
I asked him if that law applied to aircraft, he said he didn't think so as it's a separate license and that the new CDL should be a separate license as well as it's a federal license like a pilot's license. Then he asked me if I had a pilot license, I said I did and he said I got something for you. He went to his unregistered old Ford Ranger and came back with a Remington collectable metal model Sopwith Pup still in the original box. He said don't open it. Yup the gun maker. It's colored up in camoflage with a turkey picture on the top wing. Pretty neat. Made in China.

Still cold and windy.

Very little melting of the snow as the temps have been in the twentys for a while.
I've been working on a new wing for a week. I started by setting up the jig and didn't like the way it looked. I set the ribs up the old fashioned way, over the plan and started glueing. It came out pretty good and It's ready to be installed into the fuse. I planned on another profile but changed to a full fuse. plane yesterday. I have the sides cut out and doublers glued in. I built a new stab. for it too. I was going to use an old one but the paint wouldn't sand off at all. I tried the belt sander and the paint just balled up. I wanted to make the plane with an upright engine but gave up and inverted it.
I made some calls to Tower, Fox, Brodak and another cottage shop for supplies and an ARF Vector. Tower had a sale on OS .46 engines, 2 for something and I was ordering 2 anyway. I ordered 3 mufflers for the .40 from Fox and another gallon of castor oil. I break more mufflers than anything else. The stuff I ordered was things I didn't win at the contest last October. It';s a good thing the sale of my mother's house closed yesterday.

My new word for today.

Snosucks. Self explanatory.

Gas mileage tests.

I filled the truck last week and after 103 miles of around town driving and one trip to Groton I re filled the tank and it took 4.5 gallons. I figure 22+ mpg. I didn't believe it so I checked it again but I had some less than careful driving and over 200 miles this time. 18 mpg this time. I am shifting at 1500 rpm and feathering the gas as much as possible, free wheeling as much as possible (a term for coasting) and not getting back into the gas after a downhill run until much later than I normally would. Free wheeling was a devise on older Saab cars. Pulling a lever let the engine disengage from the transmission when you let off on the gas. Kinda like a centrifugal clutch. Pushing the lever back in kept the engine coupled to the drivetrain. Don't you think we could use it now on American cars or all cars??

Same as yesterday only colder.

I dropped Ma off at the school and after that she is going to get the Saturn from the dealer as they have flashed the computer. Not a pretty mind picture.
I had some plans re sized and then figured an easier way to get what I want. I e-mailed the plans guy and asked if he could cut a set of ribs for an S-1 ringmaster size wing using the much better airfoil of the large Ringmaster. No answer yet.
I figure that when I change bars on the Harley something got bent on the tach. wiring and shorted it out. After I tried to remove the tach. there was no short anymore. I didn't try to start it when I changed bars either or I would have noticed it at that time.
It's 1530 pm and 20 degrees with 20 to 30 winds
I don't think the closing on my mothers house will be tomorrow. The buyers want to close to take advantage of the tax cut for first time buyers. Two weeks left yet.

Cold and windy again.

There is the Ruffy in blue. Not quite half of the fleet shown. Seven more on racks and the floor. The Ruffy and the Nobler are full body planes the rest are profiles. Only three without flaps now. I could add flaps to the Magician if I get bored.
As promised I tried to start the bike. Not a pop. I removed the plugs and there was spark so I figured the fuel may be bad. I hooked up the two electronic ignitions and they both have spark with the tach. wire un hooked. I remembered a can of brake cleaner nearby and sprayed some in the carb. First kick it started but stopped as soon as the prime ran out. I'll have to get some fresh gas and try it with the door open if it warms up. The timing must be way off too.

Bummer.

I did manage to get in the first flights I planned yesterday. I was pleased with the Ruffy. I got it started on it's wheels and it flew quite nice. A little tweak of the flaps got the wings level and the balance seemed right on. The Primary Force flew well but needs more trimming and the Ringmaster engine was not good. I figured vibration was foaming the fuel causing the engine to go lean right after take off. I shook the jug when I got home and it foamed up so I added some armor all.
I was going to try it today after my trip to the VA. But the Saturn ignition lock broke and it was towed to Groton and I had to go to Groton after my trip to the VA. That shot down the flying for the day. Tomorrow is not going to be good for flying either.
I think I did make some progress on the Harley ignition. I was testing for voltage through the coil and was supposed to have full battery voltage through the coil with the points open. I got a volt. I removed the wires from the coil and got 13 volts. I put the tach. wire on and got a volt. I put the points wire on and got 13 volts. I left the tach wire off and grounded a spark plug and turned the engine over and got a spark at the plug. I'll try to start it tomorrow.

Temperatures in the high 40's.

I loaded up two planes and headed for the dog track. I figured I would take some picture of the place while I was there. The first is from the north end looking south towards the big pile of rubble that was the buildings. Next are some shots from the top of the pile. My truck is in pic 2 which is next to my circles. Then is the rest of the parking lot looking to the north towards exit 87 of I 395.Then the dirt pile from the truck and then 2 of my planes on the circle. I painted a 65 foot radius circle and use it almost daily. I figure that putting a 75 foot radius circle in a 200 foot square area I could have 87 circles with room to spare at this place.

It warmed up.

The temp is in the mid 40's with a bit of sun now and then. Just right for some first flights. I have the re built Primary Force and the Ruffy loaded up and ready to go. I figure that if I start the Ruffy while inverted and let the engine warm up a bit then stop it and set it in the stooge it should start with the plane upright and the engine inverted. I got the starter just in case.
I took a picture of the builds and re builds so far this season. The white one with red and blue is the pupster with a new wing, the white and orange one is the Primary Force with flaps and a larger stab/elevator, the blue one is the Ruffy and the one on the shelf is the one I scratch built using the pathfinder airfoil and measurements. The orange wing 576 is the Ringmaster I added flaps to.

New temperature update.

And at 1800 (6pm) it's 45 degrees. Gotta love it.

Should rain later today.

13 degrees at 0630. 32 degrees at 1045.
I put the finishing touches on the Ringmaster and the Ruffy. The Ruffy weighs 38 ounces which I think is real good for an old kit. I may get in a couple first flights tomorrow as it's supposed to be in the 40's. After flying the repaired Primary Force I can remove the engine,install it on the r
Ringmaster and fly that. The Ruffy is a full body plane with an inverted engine. It will probably need to be started with the plane inverted which can be a bother using a stooge.

Still cold, less wind.

Winter sucks.
I put the flaps together and installed them on the wing. I hooked up the push rods and adjusted the lengths. After the glue dries I'll put some packing tape over the gaps and it's ready to go.
My launch stooge has been biting off small pieces of the fin. I found a piece of 1/8" dowel and glued it on the fin to protect the soft wood.
I got the info on the ignition Merle Hawkins used. I googled the name, Compu-Fire, and their web site came up. They are still in business making a lot of electrical stuff for Harleys. $179.95 for the ignition system in question. Good to know just in case.

More cold and more wind.

After breakfast I filled the tank on the truck. I had gone 103 miles since the last fill up. The pump clicked off at 4.5 gallons. That's pretty good mileage. I added more before taking the fuel reading to be sure.
I managed to get the flaps and wing areas covered by using stuff I removed from the parts. I had some covering on the original Pupster wing and used that to cover the flaps. I glued the hinges into the flaps by inserting glue in from the back side of the end cap on the flap. I made a hole at each hinge and squirted glue in over the hinge. The slot should keep the glue from getting to the pinned portion of the hinge. When I install the flaps on the wing I'll glue the joiner rod to the flaps and then squirt glue through the holes in the wing to secure the hinges. I did remember to make the holes on the bottom of the wing. I sawed out a flap horn and the plans show a funny shaped horn. I copied it as best I could. I am able to use the original push rod by taking it apart and re doing it. I cut off a couple inches for the flap to elevator rod and just put a clevis on the bellcrank end rod. It should be finished in a day or so.

Cold and windy.

I put the clear coat on the Primary Force and the Ruffy this morning.. The Ruffy has been sitting around since last winter. I finally found a paint to match the covering and got it painted and it sat a while longer waiting for the clear coat. All it needs now is to put an engine in it and set the leadouts and the balance. I put all the stuff on the Primary Force and set the leadouts and balanced it where I figured the c/g should be. I didn't have to add any weight as it balances within a eighth inch of the right spot. All up weight is 44 ounces which is good. It's hard to believe that some of the r/c planes weighed more than 128 ounces and flew quite well.
I started on the Ringmaster flaps this afternoon. I got them cut out and the cap on the wing and flaps. I'm in the middle of installing the wire joiner and shaping the hinge surfaces. I'll need another roll of covering as the sanding is scratching the old covering.

A half decent day.

The sale of my mother's house is going along. The inspection was done last week and we haven't heard anything from it.
We went to the dog track and I got in one flight. Cool and a bit breezy but the turbulence was too much to make any more flights. The flaps help it cut a nice corner. The airfoil is a high lift thing as it really floats when landing. I went to the dumping grounds in the back of the track and loaded up some more stuff to bring to the bulky waste site in the morning.
The rebuilt Primary Force is coming along and I put a coat of primer on the fuse. this afternoon. I figure on using all Dupli-Color paints this time rather than mixing them as I did on the other rebuild. I have to get a can of orange for the trim color. NAPA has a good selection of paints. My balsa order came in the other day so I'm all set for the building season. Too bad I don't have anything to build or re build now.
I found an ignition system on ebay and bought it. It's a conversion kit back to points and condenser. $39.00 free shipping. Watch it be something else causing the problem.

First snow.

It snowed last night and an inch stayed on the ground. I was below freezing so the snow is crunchy. The driveway is a bit slippery too.
With the crap weather I spent most of the day working on the Primary Force. I've got the wing covered, flaps installed and hooked to the bell crank. I made the stab. and elevator and glued the stab to the fuse. I hinged the elevator to the stab. and found that I don't have enough white to cover both sides of the stab. I think I will cover the bottom of the stab. in orange, the same as the flaps and elevator. It won't show right side up. I put all the parts on the scale and I'm looking at the low to mid 40 ounce range when it's done. The flaps and larger stab/elevator will add about 5 ounces. The fuse is covered with spot putty spots filling in the dents and dings.

I think I got it.

After flying the re built plane yesterday I did some measuring to get the engine offset in the plane. I increased it so the prop was half inch different tip to tip. I went to the dog track today and the plane stayed out on the lines quite nicely. I did a whole pattern and the hourglass was recognizable.
The re build is progressing slowly. I don't have the balsa to make the stab and elevator yet. I cut some monokote for hinges and the strips for the hinge lines. I have enough white left to cover the wing and hopefully the stab. The flaps and elevator will be orange. Krylon makes a paint that is real close to the orange monokote color. I had to re do the control bellcrank as the push rod exited under the wing and needs to exit out the top with flaps. So far so good. Should come out real light, under 40 ounces, and have an OS .40 in the nose.

Nice weather.

The storm knocked 2 branches off the tamarack tree last night. I dragged them off and cut them into burnable pieces later in the day.
The wind slacked off a bit and I went to the dog track and got in a few flights. More trimming needed. I added more engine offset.
I couldn't help myself and started on the Primary force this morning. Several pieces of broken ribs inside the covering and plenty of cracked ribs too. I cut off the stab. and rudder. Then I cut a half inch off the trailing edge of the wing so I can glue a piece of quarter inch on it. The flaps will mount to that. I laminated the flaps and made slotted boxes for the control horn joiner as the trailing edge is tapered and the flaps can't move freely with the joiner glued to the flaps.
It's still in the 50's at 8 o clock.
I washed the El Camino and the hot rod while the temp was up.

Making progress.

I flew the re built plane today and the second tweak was too much. I re tweaked it and ended back where it was in the first place. Another tweak and I got it right. Now the right wing is up inverted and upright. That means I need tip weight. I put in a half ounce and re did the leadouts. I moved them back a lot to get the nose hanging down a little. That should improve the hour glass a bit. I lost control when I hit down at the top of the maneuver and the plane would head off and regain control before hitting the ground.
The rain from the south is supposed to hit tonight with lots of wind so no flying for a day or two.
I'm thinking of starting on the Primary Force.

Trying it again.

OK, I X'ed out of the net and an overlay on the picture posting page came back on the home page. I cancelled that and X'ed out of the picture page and started over again. I worked this time.
Anyway this is the plane, it's the oldest one I got. It was almost 2 years old and somehow survived several belly flops and roof landings. The old wing was borrowed from a 20 size ugly stik and was too strong to break.Pictures of the original are in my post of Jan. 2008. I built a wing using the rib templates for the Cardinal, I think he said, that Gil sent me and later found out that it should have had a straight leading edge. I made it a straight trailing edge. I kept the stab. big as I had done originally and it now looks more like the Primary Force except for the flaps. It flys very nice. And the balance came out right where I figured it should but I don't know if it's where it should be. I can add nose weight as an aluminum spinner came with the engine. 1.6 ounces worth. Or I can put on the OS .40 which is heavier by the same amount. I gave up on the idea to clear coat the plane as the white even wrinkled itself. I'm looking at the first kit built Primary Force that I've been flying. It's pretty beat up and pieces of rib are loose inside the wing. The canopy section is ground off and re built and the tail has been ripped off several times. The fuse. is re usable so I may re build that one next. I'll use better balsa on this one. I'm thinking Pathfinder airfoil but it may be too thick for this fuse. to handle. I'll have to check.

Can't post pictures.

I have been trying to post pictures of the re built plane and the icon stopped working.

Getting close.

I went to the dog track yesterday with the rebuilt plane. I had a plastic clunk tank on it so I didn't have to put to much fuel in it for the test sessions. It didn't look too bad up right but inverted the plane was banked about 10 degrees into the circle. It was sprinkling so I went home to make adjustments. I removed the r/c carb and installed a venturi. I went back to the track and got in one flight in the heavier sprinkles. I consulted the trim chart and it said for thge wings not level to adjust the flaps. I made a clamp thing to go over the joiner wire and gave it a twist. I went back today and the tweak was helpful but not quite enough to level the wings. I did manage to get in a full pattern as is. The winds are tricky above 50 feet as the plane got banged around in the overhead eights. I tweaked the flaps again when we got home.
The clunk tank is one I could never get to run on any plane. For some reason it works perfectly on this one. A very steady engine run and the shut off is final. No indication at all, it just stops. I timed the run on a full tank and it's 6 minutes. More than enough to be safe.
I took some pictures and the computer whiz got called to baby sit before they could be put on the computer.

Ready to go.

I am in the final assembly stage of the rebuilt plane. I put the Fox on it and a tank then put it on the scale. 45.5 ounces. Had I used a better grade of balsa it would be in the low 40 range. Test flight soon.

Didn't work.

As I got ready to paint the red I sprayed a thin coat of clear on the white. It reacted. Some areas of white will stand up to the clear and some won't. All I can figure is the thinner the white paint the worse effect the clear has on it. I've done all the painting I'm going to on the plane for now.
It looks like the weight will be in the low to middle 40 ounce range. The OS engine is 2 to 3 ounces heavier than a Fox. I have both as the one I bought on ebay came in today. It all depends where the balance is as to which engine I use.
I'm listening to the Baton brothers show on a local access channel. Two guitar players that can't sing and barely can play. They are trying hard and are on every week for an hour. They are from Voluntown, CT.

Incompatible compatibility.

As I stumbled along getting the assembly sequence right on the rebuilt plane I put the white paint on. I had tested it with a coat of clear dope and it is compatible with the clear which is what I was looking for. I glued the wing on after covering it this morning. I masked off the part that was to be painted blue. There was white over spray in the area also. Since the clear didn't bother the white I didn't think twice about it. Both the clear and the blue are top flite luster kote paints. Shortly after the first coat of blue the white started to wrinkle. I hurried and wiped off all the paints and then used thinner to get more off. I sprayed a thin coat of clear on the area and then the blue again. The clear stabilized what white was left and the blue came out fair. The red paint is a different brand again that the clear has no effect on but I'm running a test to make sure it's compatible with the white and clear again. If not I'll put a coat of clear over the area to be painted red. Luckily the blue is on the bottom and not too large of an area. The color paints are probably not affected by spilled fuel but the clear will add shine and really fuel proof it.
I had just enough white covering to finish the wing and the hinges. Now I have to buy a roll to cover the stab. Then I can install that and the fin and rudder.

New development.

I talked with Merle Hawkins at coffee this morning and he is going to get me some info on an ignition system he uses on his bike. Installs easy and works good.
We went to the dog track and I got in some flights with the problem engine. It ran quite well with the bad hose fixed and moved to the tank side. As I re fuled it I noticed a tiny leak in the same hose. I removed it to test and it broke at the nipple again. I replaced it with another piece I had and it flew even better. The other hose might have been latex instead of silicone.
I hinged the elevator and flaps on the rebuilt plane and installed the wing into the fuse. I have to finish covering the wing before I can finish gluing it in place.

Started painting.

I started painting the planes today. I got the white on the re built plane and the blue on the Ruffy. I built the Ruffy last winter and found the right paint a few weeks ago. I've been using Top Flite paint and it has been very thin on pigment. Many coats to get the color right. This blue is an older can and had plenty of pigment in it. I have two more colors to put on the rebuilt plane and am trying to decide on when to install the wing.
I finally burned the brush pile as it was wet and very little wind. I had most of it covered so the pile burned fast.
I went to the dog track and got in some flights with the problem engine. I was taking it off the plane and putting another on when I noticed the fuel line had a split in it. I changed it and put the engine back on. I also got tired of the swiveling tail wheel and removed it and epoxied the strut solid in the fuse. Hopefully that will cure the problems.
I think I will change the ignition on the bike to points and condenser. I understand those.

Almost done.

The new wing is just about done. I got it to fit into the old fuse. It's a lot thicker than the old one and lighter even though I didn't use the best balsa. I still have to make a fin and rudder for it. I left a piece of center sheeting off so I can install the pushrod. I'll slide the piece in when I glue the wing in.
I went to the dog track yesterday and tried to get a good engine run with the OS .40 I put a new cylinder liner in. It runs good on the ground but then speeds up after two laps. It's not a runaway, as such. when I go inverted it goes lean but the tank is in a position that should prevent that. I figure the fuel is foaming in flight and put some more armor-all in it. I also balanced the prop. It's the only plane I have without a nose tripler. A half inch thick piece of balsa on the nose opposite the engine to strengthen the fuse. and keep vibration to a minimum.
I got another Fox .40 on ebay too. It's just like the one on the Primary Force. It comes with a spinner and is a 20 year old design or more. Probably the first of the back door engines. It has a large plate/cover on the back of the engine.

Ignition modules arrived.

All the way from Anchorage, AK. Mailed out Mon. and here on Fri. I opened the box and there were three things that I had never seen before. The modules are from a much newer system so I mailed them back to the sender. I'll keep looking.

Nice weather.

We went to the dog track today and I got in some flights with the big ringmaster. The engine has been giving me trouble but some cleaning and a new plug helped a lot. It still don't like the tank or any tank for that matter. Nice lap times but screams in inside maneuvers and slows in outsides. This is new and I have another tank to try.
I cleaned up the Pupster fuse. and cut out for the new wing. The old one weighed 23 ounces. A real porker. I got some balsa from Lee's in Groton and it is heavy like Balsa USA stuff. The wing is drying as I wet the sheeting to form over the leading edge. A few more things to put in and it's ready to take off the jig. The new stab. is half the weight of the old one. I'm hoping for low 40 ounces. It was over 50.
The new radiator is working well.

Building season.

I had the wing rib patterns from the stuff Gil sent me and I've been looking at the Pupster wing for a long time. It is a Ugly Stick 20 wing that I turned into a control line wing. It has all the r/c stuff still in it and is heavy. I made the decision today to make a new wing using the templates I got from Gil and put it in the Pupster. I got the wing framed up on the jig today. It should be a better flyer even though it will be about 40 sq. in. smaller. Maybe not as I plan to put flaps on this wing.

New wires.

I remembered some big high Voltage wire I had in the pile of stuff. I needed some solid core wire for the bike just in case the wire I had on it was bad. It's made by Rowe Industries in Toledo OH.I googled the name and they are still in business. This stuff it 3/8" diameter with 14 ga. silver coated copper wire. I uses the coil end boot and a Rajah terminal for the plug end. How many remember Rajah terminals? That's the two piece thing above the wires. I had to trim some of the insulation diameter to get it to fit into the coil tower and the terminals black plastic part. I've had the Holley wires on my hot rod for 11 years now and they are still good. But they are resistor wires.
If you click on Aug. 18 2009 there are pictures of the El camino and 2007 August 22 is a picture of the hot rod.

'78 Super Glide waiting for a transplant.

Here it sits broken hearted, Came to shit but never got started.
Sitting in my walk in basement where it's warm and dry.Mostly stock. It still has the original Kehin carb. Close to 70,000 miles on three speedometers. Three or four burned exhaust valves on the front jug. But no problems since having the bronze valve guides replaced with cast iron many years ago. The local Harley dealer put in the bronze guides but I don't know why. I do know why he's no longer in business.

Making headway.

We got back from Nashua, NH around 0930 today. I checked the bike forum and the test procedure for the electronic ignition module was there. I went to the bike and re set the air gap and hooked up the battery and the Ohm meter. I got 12 Volts when I should and 1 Volt when I should. That means the module is working as it should. I put a metal rod in the plug wire and turned the engine over and got a spark. I turned it over again and got nothing. It went that way for about a half hour. At times the Voltages were not right either and at times they were. I'm going to re install the original module and try it. It looks like I need a new ignition set up either way. The poster on the forum gave me the brand of a good set.
I went to the dog track with the Still and Magician. I did the complete pattern with the Still and it flew good. Still needs some handle tweaking to calm it down a bit. The Magician and newly tuned Fox .35 flew good also with the engine purring nicely, growling is a better description. It ran steady too which is better.

Tortured by Harley ignition problem.

Early in the spring I had the bike running and put it away. i took it out in mid Sept. and it wouldn't start. No spark to the plugs. It's been in the basement for 2 months and there still is no spark. I got voltage in the right places, the proper resistance in the right places, and an extra coil and electronic module that didn't help. I re took all the measurements and wrote them down and registered on a shovelhead forum. I'm waiting for the e mail that tells me I'm on. I hope someone there can figure this out for me.
I ran the low rpm engine this morning and now it's the same as the other one. A steady 4 cycle at 9000 rpm. Learning has taken place. Wind is still about 25 to 30.

Fiddling on a windy day.

I haven"t been happy with the way my hemi Fox .35's have been running. I got the idea to drill out the hole in the spray bar in hopes to be able to control the fuel flow better. I asked the question on one of the forums and set about to make changes. I enlarged the hole a bit to .055. Then I noticed that the hole the needle screws into wasn't the same diameter all the way through. After a bit it came to me that the needle closed off the fuel at the diameter change and not at the 'dump hole'. Making the hole bigger probably wouldn't make any difference. I remembered that Marvin Denny had written that the needles with a flat were made to better control the flow of fuel but were discontinued in favor of a straight taper. I sanded a small flat on the taper and took the engine outside for testing. I like the way it ran. Quite steady and breaking between 2 and 4 cycle at 8500 rpm. Not being happy I took the other hemi .35 and did the same thing to it's NVA. It being mounted on a plane I brought it out for testing. Again a steady run and in 4 cycle at 8900 rpm. I can't figure that out unless I have more head shims in one engine than the other.
Back at the forum several people were saying not to mess with it because the changes would ruin the NVA and mess up the engine run. As the Old Philosopher would say "too late". The real test will come when it flys. They always run good on the ground for me.
The truck will need a new radiator in the near future. It's got plastic ends and the lower drivers side is weeping a bit.

Good day for a flight test.

I installed the rebuilt OS .40 on the new plane and went to the dog track. Temps. in the low 60's and 0 to less than 5 mph winds. I flew the P. Force with the new NVA and I like the way it works. It can't be any worse than the original NVA. I brought out the Still and put 1 and 1/2 ounces of fuel in the tank and started it up. It flew quite nicely but the right wing was high. I tweaked the tabs on each wing and tried it again. Still not right so I tweaked some more. This time it was level and I did several simple maneuvers to feel it out. It likes to jump off the ground but I think I can get used to it and hold it down a bit longer. It weighs 43 ounces which is where I hoped it would be. It turns a sharp corner and is quite stable in level flight. I can probably add some nose weight without hurting anything. A spinner would be nice. I didn't try any overhead stuff and that will tell the story.

Name change.

I was checking stuff on the new plane when I spotted a stencil name I had made last year. So I decided to use it instead of having a new one made up.
The UPS truck stopped and delivered my needle valves and castor oil from Fox, then the mail brought the piston and liner for the OS .40. I installed one of the NVA's and ran it. Much improved. I hope to fly it tomorrow. I installed the other one too. I added the gallon of castor to one of the jugs of methanol and stirred it up. Then topped it off to the 5 gallon mark from the other jug. That should give me 5 gallons of FAI fuel with 20% oil. I can mix it with the nitro fuels to get the usual 2.5% nitro.
I installed the new piston and liner and will put it in the new plane for it's first flight soon.
I also made up some leading edge molds for Gil and sent them out this morning. I made copies of the ribs and now I can make a wing from them. He says the airfoil is really really good.

I got the Vicar covered and painted today. I'm starting to get it ready for test flight.
We went to the dog track and I got in 3 flights with no wrecks. I figured out how to carry two planes in the El Camino. Some long bungee cords hold the second plane off the other one. I can't get three in there.

Cool and windy.

My order from Tower came in yesterday and I started covering the Vicar today. I got the wing and stab. covered and installed into the fuse. I need to get some masking tape to get it painted. The weather is forecast to get warmer for the next few days so I will get in some more flights.

Just in time.

We went to the dog track yesterday and my first flight ended in an upside down landing again. I pulled out the Pupster and got in a fair flight with the engine not right. At home I decided to enlarge the stab on the Primary Force. I put 3 inches total to the stab length. The goal is to make it turn sharper. I went out this morning and got in a few flights and the extra stab. and elev. made a tad of difference. I got out the Pupster and the engine wasn't right. I made changes, still not right. I had added a 2 inch piece of tubing to the muffler and it was causing all kinds of havoc. I removed it and the engine ran quite well. Hard to believe.
The sky was getting darker by the minute so I packed up and headed for home. Shortly after getting everything put away it started to rain and hail quite hard. Fall in New England.
I noticed some fuel on top of both plane wings. That generally means a leak in the tank. I pressurized both in water and found and repaired the leaks.
I ran the latest engine from ebay and it was harder than normal to get running. I took the back plate off and saw rust on the crankshaft so I dissasembled it and cleaned the rust. I noticed that the clyinder liner plating was coming off so I ordered a new set from Tower. Other than that it's in good shape.

Cool, windy and spitting rain.

The day started off fine enough but by 11;00 it was windy and cloudy. It started spitting rain by noon and stayed that way all day.
I took the Pupster out of the basement and installed a Fox .40 on it. I don't know where the balance should be so I set it at 25% of the chord. I had lowered the compression on this engine and after final adjustments I took it outside and ran it for a few minutes to set the needle. It weighs 52 ounces as I didn't use any light building techniques when I built it. Hopefully with the changes I made it will do the whole pattern. I found it had a little up thrust and a little left thrust. I fixed both things.
The Primary Force is on it's last legs. I don't think it will survive another belly or roof landing.
I ordered 2 new needle valve asm. from Fox today. They have stunt tuned the .40 engine and have changed the timing on the cylinder liner, a new venturi and the NVA. Fox also has castor oil for $20.00 a gallon. I've been paying over $10.00 a quart. I ordered a gallon. Should have got two now that I think of it.

Three flights two props.

At the dog track yesterday I roofed the Primary Force at the bottom of the outside square loop. It looked just like Gil's Nobler sliding along the hard top. It didn't break anything off so I put it up again. It didn't feel right so I flew out the tank. The leadout guide was loose and flopping around, some ribs are cracked, pieces inside the wing. I got it repaired and will give it another try soon. It's getting close to retirement for this plane. I added some metal skid strips to the plane and to the Vicar.
Fox has a new needle valve asm. for the .40 and .45. I think I will get one and try it out.
I should be getting the OS .40 I got off ebay soon.

Another low pullout.

I went to the dog track yesterday and started a flight. At the finish of the vertical 8 The plane pancaked. The prop broke both blades off and the engine continued to run but stopped before I could get to it. As usual the muffler broke off taking one of the mounting holes on the engine with it. I glued the rudder back on and put glue on the section where the muffler crunched into the fuse. The landing gear was bent but easily straightened. I managed to install an old strap on flow through mufffler and it's ready to go again. I should start taking a spare plane so I can get in more that 2/3 of a flight.
I found a Vector ARF kit on ebay and was watching it but I don't need it so I didn't bother. It went for $92.00 + 17 shipping. Brodak sells the kit and it's $129.00 + shipping. Somebody got a good deal.
The new Vicar is coming along should be done in two weeks. OS .40/.46 for power. Same engine block for both.

Cool but sunny.

I went to Roy's at noon to tune the Dodge Dart he is trying to sell. It runs pretty good for having set for 5 years. Slant six, one bbl. carb., headers auto trans, mega shifter, nothing special. The car is in pretty good shape overall. The dog is doing well.
When I got home the sun was out and the wind was not too strong so I loaded up and went to the dog track. I got in two flights and remembered the electric prop and put it on for the third. It's noticeably smoother and flies as good or better than the top flite wood props.
I tried to get some sky blue paint for the Ruffy I started last year but it's not made. I tried to get some orange paint for the Vicar but it's not made either. I ordered insignia blue for the Ruffy and changed the orange to insignia blue for the Vicar.The wing will still be white though.

Cold and more rain.

Well I started the day with the ploan to go to Lizzy B's then the Motor Ve Hickle Dept to get the Dodge registered. I got to the Putnam office, a trailer, at 0930 and there wasn't a line out the door. This is a first. I went inside and only had 6 people in front of me. I got my turn and quickly was sent outside to get the GVW and Light weight off the door sticker, losing my place in line. I got my turn again with a different official and had to show the insurance card, which I didn't have to do the last time I was there. I brought all the paperwork I had on the Dodge with me so I was ready for any curve balls. I didn't get any credit for the cancelled Stratus plates as there wasn't a year left on the registration. The GVW is 8650 lbs. which is over the 8500 lb. limit for the cheaper registration. Final tally was $265.00 without any tax. 30 or 40 for the title which will be here in two months. They should sell T-shirts that say "I went to register my vehicle and all I got was this friggin' T-shirt.
When I got home I put the new plates on the Dodge and remembered I wanted to get a dump pass at the town hall too. At least that was free and went very smooth.
I put a coat of dope on the new plane and then a coat of thinned epoxy glue. One more coat of epoxy and I will start filling the dents with spot putty. I'm thinking of coloring it with a white nose and stripe down the fuse. and orange for the main color A white wing with an orange stripe from the tip to the root curving down the root almost to the flaps. I'm thinking of naming it 'Vicar' as in The Vicar of Dibley. Maybe I should make it green.

Cold and rainey.

I didn't get to fly because of the weather so I went to Town Line Auto and got the truck through emissions. We got all the paper work in order and filled out for the registration try. Probably tomorrow.
I got more done on the plane. I hinged the flaps and got the flap to bell crank push rod adjusted. I also got the cheek tripler installed on the right side of the nose and roughed out. Weight is up to 34.5 ounces as things get added. Still should be in the low 40's when it's finished.
I was reading Stuka Stunt forum and someone answered a question about how much fuel for how many minutes. I thought the Fox .40 had a drinking problem but according to the report it doesn't. Even running at the ragged edge between rich and lean it's a fuel miser compared to the engines listed in the report.

Nice weather.

After a trip to the VA in Providence I worked on the new plane. The nose is complete except for the cheek tripler. The wing fits nicely into the fuse cutout and the stab and elev. are hinged. I just bent a wire joiner for the flaps and slotted them for the hinges. I will glue the joiner in after getting the flaps level and in line. About 6 inches will be cut off the end of each flap and the right side piece will be adjustable as a trim tab. Maybe both. i have the landing gear holes and engine holes drilled and 1/8" plates made to go under the engine lugs to spread the load.
We went to the dog track this afternoon to get away from the sun but the wind changed a bit and still blew right into it. I got in 3 flights and found that 4 ounces will cause the engine to sputter in the clover leaf. I put in 4- 1/4 ounces and got through the whole pattern without a problem. 6 min. and 55 sec. engine run. That gives me one minute to start and get off the ground. So far the Fox is behaving nicely. Sounds raggedy but plenty of power and a steady run.

Found a bigger tank.

I remembered a tank I had made last summer and never used. I dug it out and put it on the primary force with a Fox .40. We went to the dog track and I put in 4.25 ounces of fuel. I timed the run from start to stop and got 6 min. 55 sec. I changed props to an 11 x 4 and put in the same amount of fuel. I leaned it a bit to get the rpm up to 10,000. It ran 20 secs. longer witha lap time of 5.3 secs. I had never timed anything inverted but I did with this tank and got the same lap time which is a good thing. A nice steady rpm until a few seconds before the fuel runs out but nothing to worry about. The tank will hold around 5 ounces. I have another homemade tank that has worked plus a chicken hopper tank Gil gave me. It works very well. Looks like I'll have to save the plastic tanks for the OS engines. The wind is coming out of the NW and right into the sun so I did a lot of level laps.
On our way home from Lizzy B's a car had spun out coming down the hill into Sterling and nosed into the retaining wall. All kinds of fire trucks in attendance.

Winning on ebay is easier than a raffle.

I was watching an auction for an OS .40 LA engine and the bids were going up a dollar at a time. I hit it with 30 bucks at the end and got it for $26.00 + $4.99 shipping. Another bidder must have put 25 bucks on it at the end as it was at 21. I still like Fox engines though. I just need to use a bigger tank. Of which I have plenty but they are metal.
I weighted the parts for the new model including the engine and gear and tank. Total so far is 29.5 ounces not including the wing which is still in the jig. So after finishing it should be below my target weight.

Then there was two.

We took the three day drive to Baton Rouge last week. We arrived in time to compete in the contest on Sat. and Sun. I managed a first on Sat. and a third on Sun. The way I have the Fox .40 set up it uses more fuel than usual. Even when it's set right I barely get in the two laps before landing. At the contest it ran out of fuel one maneuver short on each flight on Sun. I got in the full flight Sat. under bad conditions but Sun. used more fuel. I should have tweaked the needle more and it would have made the pattern but barely. I ran three different fuels yesterday and got the same run times. That leads me to believe it was a bit rich and a bit more nitro than I usually use.
I gunked the bed of the truck to wash out the spilled oil. The rear window was speckled too. No problem getting rid of the oil or the tires.
The cable tv is acting up and the cable guy is supposed to be here between 8 and 5 to fix it. It's almost 4 now and I've been trapped here all day.
I started a new plane before going to LA. I've been working on it all day so It's not a complete loss. I'm using the wing from the Pathfinder and the measurements from the fuse. Two wheels instead of three and a different fin and rudder and fuse shape. Another profile with flaps. I'm waiting for the second molded leading edge to dry before gluing them on and removing the wing from the jig. I'm hoping for less than 47 ounces on this one.

Blimp fly by at the dog track.

I added another head shim to the fox .40 I'm flying. I think it runs better. The fuel tank isn't doing what it's supposed to do so I changed it but the weather is going down hill and I wont get to test it for a while. I may have too much oil in the fuel too. Lots of variables to mess with. As I was putting the plane in the car to go home there was a blimp puttering along. May have been a "Hood" blimp but I couldn't see as it was not too close.
I started packing the car for the trip when we got home. We plan to leave close to 8 am to get behind the rush through New Haven and New York and ahead of the rush through Harrisburg, PA. Should be a nice ride with the foliage and all.

Roy's puppy.

Fall weather.

Wind, rain, cool temps. I did get in one flight yesterday between showers. Leaves cover most of the lawn with only half off the trees. I fixed a set of lines to bring to the contest next week. I may use the original ones as they are working well, just a bit short.

Free at last, free.......

I flew the Fox .35's and they behaved well. It seems I have solved the problem or found the solution everyone else knows and won't tell about. Windy as heck today.
I pulled the heads off the 350 and cleaned them up. 1.94/1.5 valves. The engine has flat top pistons, I'm surprised at that.
Reservations made for the trip next week. I'm thinking about bringing another plane for the Sunday contest.

All that glitters is not goldfish.

With the success of the change to the Fox .40 I did the same thing to another one here at home to see if the results were repeatable. I'm happy to announce that I got the same results again. Not being happy I added .030 more shims to the head of a Fox .35 that has been giving me fits trying to tune. It ran very well on the bench but I haven't flown it yet. Hopefully today. I have a lot more shims for the .35's.

Change of plans/trip report.

As we prepared to go to Burlington, VT we got a phone call and ended up in Slaughter, LA 2 days later. Rather than drive the El Camino as planned for the Oct. trip we flew. This was caused by an accident between a motorcycle and a pickup. Anyway I got together with Gil Causey and went flying several times. Between the two of us we straightened out the Fox .40 running problem. I shaved .025 off the large chamber head and installed .042 worth of head shims. No more wild runs after that. Gil wasn't so lucky as his engine acted like mine used to. He changed it.
It was deceided that we would trade cars with Aaron again like we did 3 years ago. We had planned to go to LA for a visit in mid Oct. but the accident changed that. Now with a few broken bones and a beat up motorcycle a change of plans ensued. We will drive the Stratus R/T to LA in mid Oct. in time to get in the contest and make the swap. Almost back on track.
I made a trip to the hobby shop while in LA and picked up 3 gallons of 10% fuel plus some other stuff. I then figured that I could get some methanol at the local drag strip which is only 30 miles away compared to 140 miles here at home. Aaron looked up the hours of operation and found the cost to be $1.50 a gallon cheaper that here also. I got 10 gallons. I gave Gil 2 gallons for a needle valve asm. he gave me. Seeing that we will be driving back home in a pick up I don't have to worry about paying haz mat shipping charges on the stuff I bought. Monster savings.
I installed the new wing on the ringmaster and it flies very well. I hit the box on landing and had to repair the wing but it still flies well.
The trip home was good and on time. The jet stream got us into Atlanta 30 minutes early and we waited that 30 minutes for a gate to open. Leaving Atlanta we had to wait for planes behind us to move before we could push back. Another 30 minutes. We got into PVD on time with the help of the Jet stream. The Cpt. said we were doing 700 mph. I saw a fireworks display on the ground as we flew over someplace. Then we passed by a line of thunderstorms and got to watch the lightning in the clouds. Pretty neat.

Just about finished.

I stopped by the Radio Shack and got some shrink tube then stopped at NAPA and got an air filter for the El Camino. I put the interior light in and it wouldn't work. I removed the bulb and put a flashlight in the glove box. I took the lug wrench from the hot rod and put that in the car also. Spare tire pressure is still good.
The wind died down by noon so I packed two planes and headed for the dog track. I've been having strange runs with the Fox .40's that have the new venturi and needle valve. The OS .40's just chug along nicely. I measured the venturi on the fox and the carb. opening on the OS. I measured the needle valve dia. and figured the area of the venturi opening that was left. The Fox is a lot less than the OS. I did some figuring and drilled the venturi to bring it closer to the OS area. Not quite the same but closer. I ran the engine and it held the setting pretty good but they all run good on the ground. It gets one lap and leans out to 4.5 sec. laps. We will see what this mod. does to the runs.
Someone stopped by and asked about the dog track for flying. I gave him what I know and maybe he will be back. He used to fly c/l but an operation on his ears makes him dizzy real easy. He is into r/c now.
One of the c/l forums has started stunt blogs. I signed up and can't get to do anything. Something is amiss.

Interior light to go.

I went right to work on the car this morning. I got the sail panels installed first as I figured they would be the hardest. I was right. I had punched holes for the shoulder belt bolts and they were right on but the screw holes for the belt clip were not to be found. I diddled with it for a while then, with the panel in place I drilled new holes and finished the job. The original mirror went in without a hitch. The visors can't be switched side to side. They droop when retracted if not in the right place. The 'A' pillar covers gave me a bit of trouble but I found the proper holes and after banging them into position they got installed. I figured on installing a port for the GPS by putting it into the cigar lighter hole. The port is bigger and wouldn't fit. After putting that back together I mounted it under the dash using the supplied bracket and a screw from the ash tray. I had a wire going to the battery and tapped into it for the power. I removed the bow tie emblem from the grill and installed the SS emblem in it's place. I got a piece of gas hose from NAPA and put the tank filler neck back together. I siphoned the gas back into the tank while I was working on the interior. I need to get some small shrink tube before installing the dome light.
I went for a ride and made some abnormal right hand turns to test the tank repair. I didn't smell gas and couldn't see any leaks when I got home.
I washed the car and dried it and put another coat of wax on it.Were ready for the car show.
I read over the instructions for the GPS and can't seem to be able to get the speed to read while it's navigating. There must be a way to go between pages and not loose the route but I can't figure it out.

On schedule.

We went to the dog track yesterday morning and I got in two flights. The sun was bright and the wind light. The sun was heating the asphalt and creating thermals and the breeze carried other thermals through the circle making for some loose line moments.
I went to the local plumbing store to buy a tubing cutter. I checked on line and saw prices in the $40.00 range for a 2 inch cutter. The store had one on the shelf up to 2 1/2 inches. A Lenox brand. I knew I was in trouble. After tax $89.30. I had mentioned that I was only making one cut so the clerk gave me a loaner. I have to return it shortly.
Around 4 pm I got the call that the car was ready. We hurried to Niantic and hurried back so I could start on the gas tank. I drained the gas and unhooked the tank and dropped it to the floor. Not without getting some gas on me. I went in to eat and the UPS truck pulled in with the SS emblem. After eating I cut the end off the tank and put it back up. I have to get a piece of hose to connect the old to the new and put the gas back in. I also found a vent line I had blocked was leaking so I put another clamp on it. I'm going to start on the last items soon. The visors, mirror, sail panels, dome light. That should finish it.

Hopefully tomorrow.

After coffee and after the dog track and after calls to the VA and the insurance co. I called the upholsterer. We brought the El Camino to Niantic. I put gas in it for the trip and when I would go around a right hand turn gas would come out of the filler neck. The seal part of the neck is damaged and will leak in right turns. I have a partial neck and can use it to repair the old one. I have to get a plumbers pipe cutter to trim the tank neck as it wont make sparks and a big boom. I've had the tank out before so that shouldn't be a problem. Anyway the car should be ready tomorrow. Then drain the tank and make the fix.

More rain.

I did get to the NAPA store for my refund on Thurs. When I got home I headed for Benny's. I pass within 1/4 mile of the local NAPA store and almost went there instead. At Benny's they had two covers, one Yankees and one Patriots. I went to the NAPA store and they had a black plain one on the shelf. End of search.
It rained Thurs.,Fri. and ,Sat. windy too. Today, Sun., it's quite nice and I went to the dog track and got in six flights. The humidity is climbing fast making it miserable.
My mother's house isn't selling because of the dug well so we are having one drilled. They are supposed to start last week but didn't.
The headliner installer didn't call with a date either. I'll give him a call Mon. to see what his schedule is.

Windy today.

The seasonal change and it's wind hit today. 15 to 25 mph. I got in some short trimming flights on two planes. I removed the Fox and installed an OS .40 on one and it had never flown successfully before. It was given to me attached to parts of an old Dura-Plane. I put a venturi on as the carb. was broken off. I set it up like the other OS and it ran perfectly on the first flight. The other one had a BB Fox .40 on it and will take more flights to get it working properly.
UPS came this afternoon and brought the replacement heater control panel. I got it installed quicker than I thought. Everything works like it should so I'm happy. There is still an SS emblem and the headliner to go.
I stopped at the NAPA store in Coventry RI to check on the tire cover. It wasn't in. They will call when it comes in. I got home and they had called to say they can't get the cover. Now I have to go back and get the refund.

Second cousin Henry.

Long ago and not far away enough there was and still is a small town in eastern CT named Oneco. You can google earth it and see for your self, if your stomach is strong enough. Any way in the center of town near the bridge,is a fire house and behind that is a mill that produced pressed paper for note book covers and stuff. Across the driveway, from the firehouse, that led to the mill was a duplex house that Henry and his family resided in. Henry's wife was a skinny thing that did unusual things from time to time. She could also scare a hungry dog off a meat wagon. Henry worked at the paper mill which was 100 yards from his door. Every morning he would walk to work and most mornings the third shift workers would be driving out to go home. Henry would wave to some of them as they passed. This went on for years, or so it seemed to Henry. One fateful morning Henry forgot his lunch. Being Henry he didn't realize this until he got to work and it was too late to go back and get it. He figured that he would get it at coffee break in a few hours. Coffee break came and Henry walked back home to get his lunch. He noticed something odd as he approached his house. A car belonging to one of the third shift workers he waved to every morning was parked at his door. He thought nothing about it and proceded to enter the house to get his lunch. Nobody home, that's odd he thought. He looked around and found no one so he went upstairs and looked around too. Needless to say the owner of the car parked in front of his door and Henrys' wife were parked in his bed. Not at all motionless. Henry was quite taken aback at what he was witnessing. (Henry later relayed this story to the locals at Red Doors (his real name was Irving but he had red hair) garage and this is his quote.) " I told him I will give you exactly twenty minutes to finish what your doing and get the Hell out of here. And He knew I was mad too because I slammed the door on my way out".
I would have much appreciated it if Henry had not gone to the garage and told his story to the people gathered there. But he did. Henry didn't say whether he remembered to take his lunch with him or not.

Getting ready for labor day.

I was watching an SS emblem on ebay and it ended. I guess in a buy it now. I figured that the seller would put up another one as he is a store. Sure enough another popped up today. I did a buy it now and should have it by next friday.
Today we cleaned the garage and moved the tables in. It took all afternoon. Still need to re ice the drinks in the morning. I will go and pick up the food. That will make it cheaper by a bunch. When we bring the dishes back on Tuesday we will stop by NAPA and check on the tire cover.

Found a spare tire.

After finding out that the new spare wouldn't fit I looked at the supply in back of the garage. Another of the red rim tires still had air. I looked it over and it was in better shape than the one I've been using. I cleaned it up and filled it up with air and marked the info on the rim for reference on how big the leak is. I checked it today and it's still at 30 psi so that's good. The new heater panel hasn't arrived yet and NAPA hasn't called about the spare tire cover. The upholsterer wont be calling for a week or two yet.
The hot rod was dry this morning and we took it to Lizzy B's for breakfast.
The new paving is all the way but looks like a second layer is in the offing. Maybe in a few weeks.

So far so good.

The state is paving Rte. 14 from the RI line to the Plainfield/Sterling line. I guess it's easier or costlier to re pave a portion of a smooth road than a portion of a rough broken up road. My stimulus at work, accomplishing nothing. As W.C Fields said "there's an Ethiopian in the fuel supply".
I brought the twister to the dog track with the Snow Fox. The Fox is flying pretty good and doing a recognizable pattern. The twister is still having engine break in pains but is flying better each time. It really cuts a sharp corner and is quite stable in level flight. Once the engine settles down it should be the best of the pair.
I mowed the lawn while waiting for the hot rod radiator to settle in after putting on a new bottom hose. The person at NAPA said that if you tighten the clamp too much the rubber will harden and start leaking when cold. I didn't over tighten the new hose and so far it hasn't leaked. I soaked it in hot water to make it more flexible before putting it on the car. I also coated both pieces with some rubber lube that followed me home after scrapping it from work.. It's some kind of silicone Mil-Spec stuff.

Wrong bolt pattern.

I took the spare out of the car and gunked it down and put Super Clean on the rubber. I saw many cracks in the tire and figured to get another,better one. I called Richard's and he has one from an Astro. I went and got it and before cleaning it I tried to put it on the El Camino. 5 on 5 bolt circle. The car is 5 on 4-3/4. Fidden dit. Any way I got to use the sissor jack and got the tire off the ground after a fashion. I drained the hot rod radiator and removed the lower hose. NAPA ordered one for tomorrow. I used a mirror and couldn't see any cracks in the lower neck.

Ordered a new heater control panel.

I backed the El Camino out of the garage to do some cleaning and I turned on the heater blower. Some stuff came out of the dash vents so I let it clear out and went to change the vents to the floor when the knob came out of the panel. It is electronic and can't be fixed so I called Vintage Air and ordered a new panel. Because it got broke some how it's not covered by the warantee.
The dash pad has to come off again but it shouldn't be to hard to replace.
I washed the car while it was in the driveway and gave it a coat of wax for the first time.

pictures of the interior and wheel.

Bought a new horn.

I figured on buying some 30% nitro fuel sooner or later. We took a ride to Ray's hobby shop and I bought a gallon and 3 10x5 wood props. I knew we would be in the area of Coventry auto parts, a NAPA store, on the way home and I brought the broken horn. He had one on the shelf and I ordered a spare tire cover as well. I installed the new horn and wired it up. Works good. The horn button seems to be holding up too.

Another cut.

The test went well until I pushed the horn button. It blew and wouldn't stop. I reomved it and probed between the plates again. I think there is some fingers that make contact between the plates. I made another cut and bent a few things and put another strip of plastic in at the cut to control the fingers. I did another test and it worked normally for a change. I assembled the wheel and let it sit for a few hours. I just tried tooting the horn and it worked normally. Only one horn has been tooting so I pulled wires until I found the non tooting horn. Both are new, last year. I disconnected both for the night.

May have it figured out.

I cut a triangle shaped piece out of the back of the steering wheel pad that contains the horn blow system. I put a feeler gage in between the plates and moved it all around. No good. No continuity in the shop but the horn would blow in the garage. I hooked the Ohm meter up and got a reading. I left it hooked up and probed through the hole between the plates until I found the spot that was touching. I made several passes and left the plastic probe in the spot to keep them apart. I have it hooked to the car now with a jumper to see if it will activate the horn. 3 hours now and still going. What I think was happening was that the foam the horn switch is molded into is old and not as resiliant. It has a memory but it has been changed over the years. When I probed around it pushed the foam down and it took a few minutes for it to go back to where it was. Now with plastic strips keeping the foam compressed where it should be I may have cured it.
We went to the dog track this morning and I tested the changes to the Fox plane. It turned very fast with a wing waggle on some of the corners. The proper term is Hinging. Why, I don't know. I removed the 1/2 ounce tail weight to give it more stability and cut down on the corners a bit without changing the handle or control movement. It flys quite well this way. I removed half of the tip weight to cure the hinging when I got home. I also mixed some more fuel. 2 gallons of 2.5% nitro, 22.5% oil, (20% castor, 2.5% synthetic)

Wheel is in.

We went to Wal Mart to get a cooler and a booster seat. We also picked up some carpets for the front seat of the El Camino. When we got home the steering wheel was waiting. I cleaned it up and figured there would be something out of sorts with it. The horn blower was in a constant blow mode. I did a continuity test and wiggledthings and put plastic insulators between the metal things in contact. I got them separated and as soon as I put a screw in the horn would blow. My Ohm meter still shows no contact but somehow there is a path someplace. Maybe a nylon screw. I taped the wire off and put the piece on to complete the wheel.
We went to the dog track this morning and I got in a few flights and found a problem with the tank. I removed the engine/tank from one plane and put it on the Fox. When I pulled the tubing off the uni-flow vent the tube came out. I installed it back further than it was for good measure. Too far in. The clunk was stopping as it passed by the tube causing the engine to falter and stop in one instance. I noticed the clunk hanging up and pulled the vent tube out 3/8" curing the problem. When I got home I looked at the drawing for the Fox and measured the push rod clevis to the hinge line on the flaps and elevator. I made a new flap horn and drilled the holes in the right places this time. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
Tonight is the last night for the horseshoe league in RI. The end of season picnic is this Saturday. Lots of food and crappy Coors light.

Ready for the steering wheel.

I went ahead and painted the steering column. All that's left is to remove the old wheel and put on the replacement when it gets here. The bed looks better after drying too. I hooked up the windshield washer hoses and put some fluid in the bottle. I didn't try the squirters but I primed the system. I think I need a hazard flasher as only one side goes on and stays on, no blinking. I found some more missing screws today and replaced them.

I got an early start.

I started to wash the bed of the El Camino this morning with TSP. I had good luck using it to clean my mothers house. I finally parked it on an incline and used the hose to wash out the wet TSP. It's drying now. I checked the timing and it's about 12 before. I also installed the stroage box behind the drivers seat. It's in poor shape but it fits.. Then I removed the accelerator cable and lubed it with a syringe. Then I took a bend out of the cable so it works a lot smoother.I removed the tach. yesterday as I have to sand the steering column and re paint it.
I got in 4 short flights with the OS/Snow Fox combo. I decreased the handle spacing and it still has plenty of turn.. I'll remove what little tail weight to calm it down even more. It is pretty stable as it is. The sun had a chance to heat up the asphalt and the thermals were kicking the plane all over the place. Just trimming flights anyway.

We have tunes.

I spent 2 hours installing the radio this morning. It took most of the time to run the wires to the proper places. The radio fit the original opening perfectly. I used a piece of copper wire as a hanger for the back of the radio. After re connecting the battery I turned it on and even with the antenna collapsed some station came in loud and clear. I spent most of the day dressing the wires and making the rest presentable. I want to take the accelerator cable out and re do it. It has sticky spots and is annoying. The new steering wheel should be here in a few days. I have to clean up the column and paint it before putting the new wheel on. It is the same shape as the original.
I got in a few flights with the Snow Fox/Fox .40 combo. The engine is new and didn't run that good. I got some inkling of what to trim from the session. The plane turns very sharp and the handle space needs to be increased. A full muffler will help also. I'll put the OS .40 on it and try that. It is running very well and has a full muffler to add nose weight.

Went for a ride.

I called an upholsterer several times before getting him to answer. Anyway he will install the headliner in a few weeks.
I cleaned the engine bay a little and put some armorall on the rubber parts. I removed the paint from the radiator overflow jar and installed it on the right fender and hooked it up to the radiator. We went for a ride to Voluntown and back to test everything. I was amazed that there are no rattles. The vent windows bring in a lot of air when open. I tweaked the carb. when we got home but it was set where it wants to be right now. It's still breaking in.
UPS brought the decals and vent crank from Year One. I put the decals on and matched the vent crank with one of the two I have and installed the pair. I deceided to start the radio install and read the directions. The speakers are polarity marked and I had to find out which wire was what. I had to remove the dash pad again and check the wires. I found some loose screws while I was in there and tightened them. I'll probably finish it tomorrow.

Saved $200.00 more.

I scanned ebay for steering wheels and found one for 60 bucks with no bids. I waited until the last and got it for that. It looks like the Firebird wheel thats hanging from a rafter near the car. I got out voted on the Astro wheel that's in it now. I armoralled the vinyl stuff in the car and bolted the spare tire inplace behind the passengers seat. I priced a new tool tray for the opening behind the drivers seat and will use the old one. $160.00 is too much. $275.00 for a new steering wheel from Year One. The new vent crank should be in tomorrow with the decals for the engine compartment.

Belts are installed.

I got the seat belts installed properly and the front and rear kick panels along with the sill plates. GM saved a buck or two on the kick panels. There are no screw holes near rhe holes in the panels. I set them in and let the sill plates hold them in place.
I gave it the old college try on the headliner. I took it back out and will call around to get an expert to install it. I cant get the headliner to hook onto the hooks and stay put. I do have all the windlace which is a good thing. I also steel wooled some primer off the bumper and side window trim. It's amazing what you find when you are looking real close.
It's a lot drier today and just as hot but it don't feel it.

Saved hundreds more.

I was preparing a list of left over parts that were replaced or not used in the El Camino. In a box was a pile of seat belts that just didn't make sense. I have spent some time trying to figure out what belt went to what belt to no avail. I gave it one more try and found the secret that's been there all the time. The belts are the original ones that came with the car. Each belt, and there are ten of them, has a part number on the tag hidden on the underneath. I took a belt with a tab end and looked for a belt with a buckle end with the same part number and I had a set. I was amazed that all the belts were still there and in good condition except for some pretty bad fading on the shoulder belts. We have been planning on adding a center belt and the originals included a center belt. I washed the belts in hot water and dish soap. Now they look better but still faded. I called a "family meeting" to discuss the fading problem and to see if dyeing the belts would work. Off to Norwich to the fabric store and got some liquid Rit dye that didn't say not for nylon. I used 1/4 the amount of hot water and 3 times the amount of dye. I put the belts in and stirred it for 45 minutes then rinsed the belts and hung them on the line to dry. After a couple hours the belts were damp so I put them all up stairs to dry overnight. This morning i checked on them and the belts look great. The webbing moves in the buckles for adjustments and everything. I can install the three lap belts permanently but the shoulder belts have to wait for the headliner. All the GM logo are still on the buckles too. Good as new.
I got the hood latch adjusted so it closes without having to pull the release. I elongated the bolt slots so the pin could move forward to miss hitting the latch The weather is supposed to start cooling a bit too.

I saved $100.00.

At o600 the temp. was 75 degrees. Very warm for this part of the country. The trees are losing their leaves and needles. I removed the wire bows that hold the headliner inplace and sanded the rust off. It was too warm to do much more but I grabbed one of the visors and we made a new cover for it. The other was still in good shape and after a cleaning it is usable. New ones are $90.00 in the Year One catalog. I glued the insulation to the roof and the headliner is ready to be installed. If it cools off.

A new wrinkle.

While groping around inside the El Camino I noticed the spare tire wasn't there. I did find both visors, which are in pretty bad shape.
This morning I figured out how to run the seat belts through the seat like they are supposed to. I unbolted the belt and put the tab end through from the top instead of trying to get the buckle through from the bottom.
We went to Lizzy B's for breakfast and then almost forgot to go to NAPA for the other door lock knob. Then I went to New London and got the spare tire, which is still holding air. By the time I got home the temp. is above my limits so we finished putting the tonneau cover on and looked at the headliner and gave up for the day. I think I can install all the kick panels and sill plates before the headliner after all. I got several washers painted black to match the plastic panels as the holes are worn pretty big. I have to cover the interior to put glue on the roof and insulation before putting the headliner up. That is the last major project on the car. The radio isn't too much trouble as it is a replica of the original only modernized. It should fit perfectly. I hope it's not defective. I have to lube the speedometer where the cable connects to it. It worked good after warming up on the drive home. Then I can install the new dash pad. I will probably need new seat belts again as the ones I bought got painted a bit.

We have door panels.

I went to NAPA this morning to get the panel clips. No sense getting the screws and door lock knobs I need while I'm there. I got the left panel on and had to come up with a method to get 5 screws to go through the panel and hold it to the door without making a bunch of holes trying to find each hole in the door frame. I cut off a #8 sheet metal screw about 3/4 inch long. I also drilled a 7/16" hole in the end of a 3/4" dowel. Then I lifted the bottom of the panel and started the #8 screw into the #6 hole. I didn't get far which is what I planned. With the screw sticking out of the hole I let the panel rest against it. I tapped the panel over the screw until the screw poked through the cardboard backing but not through the vinyl covering. I took the dowel and put the hole end over the screw bulge and pushed to poke the screw through the vinyl marking the exact location of the screw hole in the door. 5 times on each door panel, install the screws and I'm done.
Of course I had to go to NAPA and get the screws. No sense getting the door lock knobs while I'm there. I figure that Benny's should have the knobs as that is what Benny's is there for. Nope. Back to NAPA. Only got one and another on order, should be here in the morning.
I removed and replaced the parking brake and brake pedal rubber. I looked at the gas pedal but it has to come off the car to be replaced. It's in good shape so it can wait. Maybe I'll try the headliner tomorrow. That will allow the installation of the rest of the trim pieces.
I got in two flights at the dog track this morning between trips to NAPA. The plane is flying good and the engine is running very well.