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.