Finished Banshee.

I got the landing gear and spats on and working.

Cold today.

I've been making and trying landing gear on the Banshee as the position of the blocks in the wing were placed in the strongest place which is at the spar and at the balance point. Two sets of wire gears bent and discarded plus one set of sheet aluminum gear that didn't work out. I made a second set of aluminum gear and this one will work. I had a lot of trouble getting the angle of the bend right so the wheels would be forward of the wing leading edge. I also took weight off the nose to see how it will react. Too cold to test it today.
I went to the field yesterday and the ground was wet. I got out without getting stuck but not by much.

Moving along.

As I was cutting parts for the new rudder for the Nobler I noticed the plans show the airfoil to be on the wrong side of the unit. Anyway I made it right I think.The stab/elev caused a problem as the hinge slots are chewed up pretty bad. I cut a bit off the hinge sides and made new pieces with accurate hinge pockets. I had to add a piece of wood to the leading edge and make a different shape and larger pair of tips. The flaps will be another problem as half of the hinge is still in the wing. Removing them will cause a bigger problem so I have to make new flaps with hinges that match and control horn pockets that match the horn. Then again I can trim some off the original flaps and add a new piece with accurate hinge pockets. The kit flaps are smaller than the plans flaps so this should work out. I loosened the hinges on the elevator by scraping and running a drill through the hinge pin holes.

Good weather.

I cut a half inch out of the bottom of the Nobler turtle deck and glued it back on. The elevator was loose so I took it off and had a time getting the hinges cut out. The kit hinges are the problem as they are too tight and don't move free. I'll have to build a new fin and rudder as the original isn't the right shape. I didn't like the wire landing gear on the Banshee so I cut some aluminum and made a set. They screw onto the wood blocks. I had a time getting the angle to bend the blanks so they would stick forward. I ended up with a 20 degree angle bend and it worked very well.
The wind wasn't too strong around 0800 so I packed up and went to the field. The Banshee flew well and I got in the first full pattern. I think I will install one of the .46's for more grunt. I flew one of the new .46's with the remote needle valve it went good, just breaking it in. This afternoon the winds were less than this morning so I went to Oneco with the Banshee and the Twister with the other new .46. I got in 2 flights each without a mishap.

Winter project No. 4.

I have an ARF Nobler and it doesn't fly very good. The controls are too stiff. This morning I started tearing into ti to find the reason for the stiffness. I disconnected the push rods and the control surfaces didn't free fall. The bellcrank is nice and free although I had to trim a few ribs to make sure the leadouts didn't touch anything. I have plans from Model Airplane News from the early 50's of the original Nobler that is old time stunt legal so I started in making the plane like the plans. The turtle deck has to be cut down a half inch the rudder, the stab and wing tips have to be changed, I have to fill in the nose and build a cowling like the original and make flaps to match the plans. Not to mention changing the hinges. I got a dose of K2r soaking the oil off the nose too. That may take a week to get all the oil out.
The wind is messing things up but the temp is a lot better.

Getting close.

I waited until the temp. got as high as it was going to get before going to the field. 29 degrees and a tad of wind. I figured there would be some other club members there but I was alone. I brought the Banshee for another test session as I had bent the landing gear forward and sealed the hinge gaps and twisted the inboard wing panel this time. I also brought a piece of carpet for the middle as the ground is damp and the dirt sticks into the tread of my shoes and then falls out on the carpet at home. It worked as my shoes were clean when I got home. The plane flew much better and I was able to do a vertical eight. I rolled things up and as I started out I figured I could roll the circle by driving on it. I did that years ago to the field behind Peerless windows now Bolmet. So I drove around several laps to flatten the landing area, about 10 feet of the outside of the circle. I'll do it next time out too. I twisted the outboard panel of the Banshee when I got home to be sure.

Some progress.

I made longer landing gear for the Banshee and added larger wheels. We went to the field today and I brought the Banshee and Red Molly. Also 8 feet of rubber mat to get the planes moving at release. First up was the Banshee, the wing de warping helped but didn't cure the problem. Next was Red Molly. This time the wing is warped opposite the Banshee so I tweaked the flaps and the wing was almost perfect. The wind was knocking the planes all over the place and it was cold so after two flights each we headed for home. I de warped the other wing panel on the Banshee and bent the landing gear forward. A handle adjustment on Red Molly and we are ready for the next session.

It flys.

A warped wing and too short landing gear gave me fits but the plane flys pretty good. I heated the warp out, I hope, and made longer gear for the next test session.
I brought the Eagle 63 and got in a flight in preparation for the new years thing. I may have to get a new transmitter battery. I'm charging it to see what happens.

Moving right along.

I didn't need the flap tool I built. A few gentle tweaks and it's good to go. I wasn't quite happy with the round plastic fuel tank so I removed the metal one from the plane the engine came from and installed it. The engine runs a lot better with the metal tank. That combo ran well in the other plane too.
I assembled the Banshee this morning and it's ready for a test flight.weight came out at 46.4 ounces with the stock muffler and no weight in the tail. The c/g is about a half inch forward of the plans. If it don't turn I can change things on the front to move the c/g back. We will be going to the field in a little while. I took the Eagle last time out and was going to get in a flight with no one looking. I forgot to bring rubber bands for the wing so I just taxied around for a bit checking the engine. I'm bringing it again today.
I emailed the local sign maker and got a reply then set up a time for a visit. I got three vinyl letter signs for the planes and three AMA numbers too. real good price $20.00 for everything. The sign maker is a crew chief on a Waterford modified car and knew Ma from Plainfield high. Ma had his wife as a student in Killingly. Might have helped with the price. He had made the new signs the club put up at the new field as the new club president and him are racing buddies.

Finally got it.

I made a pair of popsicle sticks to clamp in the flaps so I can see how much I've tweaked them. I went to the field and flew a ounce and a half flight and the wing was low on the right side. I gently tweaked them this time and flew again. Better so I gave it another slight tweak and put in 3 and a 1/2 ounces of fuel. The wings were much better and I flew a full pattern. The plane kept good tension through all the maneuvers and is steady in level flight plus good corners. Can't ask for much more.
I got the urge this morning and masked off the Banshee for the second color. I was going to use white and red but changed to white and green instead. Two coats of Rustoleum John Deere green and it's hanging up to dry for a few days.
Winter is sneaking around. The temp barely hit 40 today. I fear that on the 21'st we will get it. Just like summer, it's cool until June 21 then hot and humid over night.

Moving right along.

I went to Oneco this afternoon but it was too windy to test fly so I went back home.
The Banshee is coming along and is nearing paint. I got it assembled today, covered yesterday. After getting the pushrods sorted out and made I put it on the scale. 43.4 ounces minus paint. It should hit 45 ounces after paint before putting weight for balance. It may need 2 ounces in the tail plus an ounce in the right wing tip. I found the bellcrank to flap push rod broken. I was screwing it into the ball link and it buckled. Carbon tube got abused somehow. I made a new rod and got it installed.
I ran the generator yesterday. All is well there.
The furnace toasted the ignitor box on Sunday. The repairman took maybe 10 minutes to change it. $133.00/hour for week ends and $70.00 for the box.
Along with the generator I ran the hot rod for about a half hour, then drove the El Camino around to the coffee shop.
At the club meeting I got the OK to fly when the dump is open to the public. No r/c though.

First flight.

Around noon we went to the Oneco field and set up to fly the Parallax. I bench trimmed it as best I could but left off the tip weight. The needle was way off and the backfire loosened the prop which made me remove the spinner nose. I had 2 ounces of fuel in the tank and got the engine started. It proved to be a little slow but the plane was nice and steady in level flight and the outboard wing was high inverted. I put in .8 ounces of tip weight when we got home. The flaps may need tweaking also. All in all I'm happy with the way it flew on the first flight.

Found it.

I loaded up the mowers and went to the field. We have a lock into a lock at the gate so the club and the transfer station guy can get into the place. Somehow the transfer lock was not hooked into the chain. The club's combination lock was the only one locking the gate and the other was into the club lock doing nothing. I reported that to the town crew who are very close by. I gave them the combination so it can be straightened out.
The transfer station is on a kind of hump of ground and I found a spot steep enough to back up to and get the mowers off with my ramps. The blades scraped the edge of the tail gate but came off. I rode down to the circle and mowed that, late Nov., then mowed the runway. We may have to plant some grass as the winter rye is real coarse and may die being cut short.
I started building the Banshee kit I won at the raffle. I'm going to add 5 or 6 inches to the wing span, a molded leading edge, cap strips, wing mounted landing gear, 3 inch longer fuselage, a new stab/elev, a lot like the clear covered one. The cap strips will enlarge the airfoil by a 1/8" and cause me to open the fuselage cutout. And I'm planning on using a recessed into the fuselage metal tank. That will be less drag than a fat plastic tank. I did that on another plane and there was a noticeable change in how it flew.

Big day at the new field.

I went to the field around 1100 and the club members were there in force. There wasn't much flying going on but that is normal for the Yankee Flyers. I got in 6 or 7 flights and Paul H. came over followed by Corky L. and his wife. By then there was 4 or 5 planes in the air at all times. I stopped by for a while and Spoke with Bob M. for a bit and the flying frenzy kept going. Bob had an ARF Ugly Stik looking thing with a 1.8 Saito on it. He wrung it out in good shape. I have never seen this club with all it's members fly that much before. Even Old Charlie got in a flight or two and not with a glider. One guy was taxing a Taylor craft around and another member said to just fly it." The Hangar 9 ARF's fly themselves". So up goes the power and the plane got off the ground, turned right and down went the power and the plane. Hard to tell about the damage but the club members still can't get it right.
I have been considering getting a utility trailer to haul the mowers around with but I really don't need one. I'm going to load up and find a place to unload at the field tomorrow. I got a spot in mind at the gate. I'll have to ride a quarter mile to the circle on the mower. There may be a spot closer, I'll have to look around first.

I couldn't wait.

I sprayed the clear on Red Molly anyway.

Nice weather.

Light winds and temps in the mid to high 50's. We have been to the field each day this holiday week end.
I couldn't wait any longer and gave the Parallax a coat of clear yesterday. It came out nice and now I have to wait 7 days for the paint to fully cure. Red Molly is waiting for it's clear coat.
I downloaded a judges guide for stunt and got some more insight on the maneuvers.
So far this year I've drained 450 gallons of water the dehumidifier got out of the air in the basement. It's holding 55% humidity.

Hobby shop trip.

Since we went to Zips for breakfast this morning I figured to keep going to Fiskdale,MA to the hobby shop and get a pilot figure for the plane. They had one and I noticed some cans of powermaster fuel. It seems that VP Racing Fuels had bought Powermaster and is now producing the model fuel with no change to the can design. There is a sticker on the can with the VP logo.
I cut the pilot to fit under the canopy and the glue is drying. I got the canopy pinned in place. It compliments the plane.

Water bottle canopy

Taa-Daa and wa la.

Pictures I hope.

The red and white one I call Paralax. the orange and green is Red Molly. It doesn't have the flaps glued in yet. Or a canopy. I'm having trouble finding the right one.

Bluebirds.

The home heating audit was today. They changed a bunch of light bulbs, put some door wipers on, and dropped a new tube of caulking when they left. I taped the storm windows and used the caulking to seal some gaps in the frames. I also opened the restrictors in the new shower head so we will have more pressure. They are up to .250 now. I had to go in increments as the brass grabs the drill and pulls it in. I used a vise grip to hold it.
We went to the new field and I got in 5 flights. There were bluebirds everywhere. 3 and 4 on a sign. Must be good hunting there. I painted the other planes trim color this morning, it's still curing. I have to wait a couple weeks before hitting them with the clear. The red and white one looks like the old LFX, I didn't plan it that way.

Good weather.

The temp. is in the 50's with good winds. I went to the field and the wind is coming over the trees causing lots of turbulence. I got in 3 flights and picked up some handle bolts for the mowers from the metal bin at the transfer station. on the way out.
I finished the color painting on one of the planes this morning. I added the 1/4" wide black trim tape to cover the paint lines and painted a white canopy. I got the flaps glued in and it's sitting in the cure line.
I think I got the steering wheel on the El Camino on straight. I slipped the rag joint one spline. I haven't driven it yet.

Now the wait.

I found some dings in the plane when I sprayed the primer. I filled them last night and sanded them this morning. Another spot paint with primer and then the red. Two coats covered nicely. I'll wait a couple days to remove the masking as there is a lot of paint to cure.

Stinkin' red paint.

I masked off the area to be red and sprayed a coat on. The paint has little pigment in it and wont cover. I hit it a few more times and still it's see through. I just sprayed on a coat of grey primer to give an even base color so the red will cover.
The generator came in today. I have to get some oil for it and call the electrician. $899. and a boxing fee of $15. I got an adapter for the gas stove from Home Depot. I need a male coupling to complete the change over when the original tank runs dry. Maybe not, there are some extra pieces in the piping and the adapter may fit right on.

John Deere green.

I masked off the second plane this morning and sprayed the bright green rustoleum on the fuselage. Being an enamel paint it flowed out very smooth. I plan to let it cure for a week before spraying the orange. I changed the first plane from white/orange to white/red. That one is curing also as I painted the white yesterday. In the past the planes would have been ready to fly today. No sense rushing as I need the appearance points. It's windy and spitting rain besides.

It's raining.

Last Sun. at Lizzy B's we found out that the former waitress is now working at Johnny's in Moosup. On the way home from Boston on Mon. we stopped and had a coffee there. Today, Wed, we had breakfast at Johnny's for the first time in many years. The place is under new management as the old ones got into problems with the police. The new owner has the pawn shop as well.
The weather has been favorable and we have been to the field several times. I get in some flying and Ma gets in some walking. I did some mowing yesterday just to keep the grass down a bit.
I started painting one of the new planes today. I'm using Dupli-Color acrylic enamel. I did the white and will let it harden for several days before putting on the red. I found a design that is simple and easy to mask. A 1/4" wide piece of tape will hide the color lines and will be covered with wheel clear.

New field.

I went to the new field around 1100 today. There was several club members present and I stopped for a minute and then went to the circle for 4 flights. I stopped again before leaving and there had been a battery failure crash off the field in the trees about a 1/4 mile away. The plane was in many pieces nothing but the servos was still in the mangled fuselage. We put the pieces into a trash bag. I did mention that I only had to walk 60 feet to find my planes.

New field.

I loaded a push mower and the Twister with a test engine and headed for the Brooklyn land fill site. When I got there another club member was mowing the runway with his riding mower. He offered to help mow the circle and I accepted. In about a half hour it was ready for a first flight. After getting the needle set the engine started and I got in a short test flight. Then I filled the tank and got in a full pattern and two more flights. I can drive to the circle but can't stick anything into the ground. Except a spinner.

It snowed.

All week the radio has been complaining about the snow and damage. There was 2 maybe 3 inches of wet snow here and it was gone in a day.
The winter project planes are at the covering stage and the covering should be here on Monday. I painted a few small parts but the whole plane has to wait until the wings and stab. are covered before it gets painted.
I've written several articles for the magazine Stunt News. The latest edition should be here soon, maybe I got one in it.

New field.

I visited the club web site and there was a notice about a new flying site in Brooklyn, Ct. I'm waiting for a reply to my request for the location of the site.
I've been flying several times since getting back home. My planes are trimmed to fly smooth and not like the rule book says so I've had to change things to get harder corners. I took the twister out today and got in some flights. It's flying pretty good but the engine is not right. Maybe dirt in the spray bar. The filter in the fuel jug was full of crap. I got the methanol for nothing.
The winter projects are coming along. I got all the parts built and hinged. I'm ready to glue the wing into the second plane then it's on to filling and sanding.
I looked at the El Camino steering and I will have to remove the tie rods from the wheels, center the steering box, adjust the tie rods to fit the wheels, re install the tie rods and then take the rag joint off the steering box to center the steering wheel. The adjustment sleeves are out of whack as one has a lot of space between the threaded parts and the other has them close together. When I'm done they should be almost evenly spaced.

It all worked.

When we arrived in Slaughter, La I started on the new stab in the Primary Force. After an hour it was in and glued. I took the big Twister, now called "Mr. Twister", down and readied it for testing. I set the leadouts using my new 3.5 degree nose down method and didn't have to replace the leadout slider as it is a plastic Brodak unit. The next morning I noticed the new stab was crooked. I spent two hours peeling the epoxy off and re aligning it and re gluing. I went to the nearest flying spot, a ball field, and flew Mr. Twister. What a difference. I flew the P.F. but the old Fox was cranky but the plane flew well also. I got in several trim flights and full patterns with the Mr. Twister and was running low on fuel. Off to the hobby shop. The fuel I was using isn't available any more but there was another brand that was supposed to be the same blend. I tried it to be sure and was happy with how it performed in the OS LA .40. I found the engine used more fuel for the pattern but the tank is big enough to carry the half ounce extra.
At the contest I didn't get a score I figured I should have so I asked a knowledgeable person to watch my flight and see what I was doing wrong. He gave me several pointers but it was too late to effect that contest. I finished 6th out of 8. The next morning, Sun., I got in a short flight after tweaking the elevator for more deflection. and waited for the official flights to begin. My first flight really impressed the judges as to my improvement from yesterday. The second flight was as good. I was third after all flew but there was some kind of mix up with the appearance points and the director had all appearance points removed from all flyers in my class. That moved me up to second and a most improved congrats from the director. All because of the person that gave me hints. I got a Sig Banshee kit, a handle and two hats in the raffles.

I ran around Mon. morning to find some cardboard to wrap the kit in so I could mail it home. I sent two boxes at about 1100 that morning and they were waiting for me on Wed. morning after I got home. Winter project no. 3. I will be sending another OS .40 to La. to put on the Primary Force.

And the old computer crapped out and we just got the new one running.

Test flights.

I got the idea to use nylon tubes on the leadout guides on my planes. I figured the plastic would be more slippery than the metal pop rivets I was using. I noticed an improvement on the first plane so I went ahead and changed all of them. I went to Oneco yesterday and the planes flew awful. The wind was strong and coming over the building created lots of turbulence. I wasn't sure if the wind was doing it or the change in the leadout guide had failed. Today I took three planes to the little league field and tested two that hadn't flown yesterday and one that did. The wind was just right and the planes all flew very well. I'm happy.
I read one of the notes on the plans for the 576 Ringmaster and applied it to the 576. It flew a lot better than it did. I couldn't repeat the setting on other planes as the levels bubble was out of sight. I began to measure the drop of the nose from level to free hanging. I came up with a 3/4" drop and set up all the planes to that. Measuring that is not easy with the plane hanging from the leadouts. I wondered what is the angle of the fuselage from level and came up with 3 degrees. The 3/4" is measured at the nose so I measured from the nose to the leading edge of the wing and then put 3/4" under a ruler at that dimension and took a level and put a shim under it until it read level. I transferred that to a protractor and got 3 degrees. Then I hung the planes that were changed and set the level on the side with the shim in position and they all are close 3 degrees nose down.

Another find.

I had found a note on the Ringmaster 576 plans that said the plane would hunt in level flight if the leadout position was forward of that shown on the plans. My plane did hunt so I moved the leadouts to the plan position. It did fly better but still not dead nuts stable. This morning I figured the only place left was the leadout guide. I use the rivet portion of some pop rivets for the leadouts to pass through and the cable may be dragging on the metal rivets. Out with the old and in with nylon tubes. I went to the little league park and the plane flew very well in level flight. So much so I went through the fleet and changed 3 or 4 more to the nylon tubes. Two planes have the Brodak adjustable leadout system and that has nylon sliders to begin with. I'll have to bring some tubing with me and see about the Primary Force and the Twister.

Things are coming along.

I went to the new school and mowed some of the clover so I could fly with out the lines getting snagged. I finally contacted a club member and relayed my idea to give Bolmet a plaque for letting us use the field for over 30 years. He will pass it on at the meeting.
I have a color scheme for the first winter project plane. It will mimic the Vietnam service ribbon. Yellow background green edges and 3 red stripes. It's different. I'm naming the plane "Red Molly" taken from the song "Vincent Black Lightning".
Some people are laying on anything and stiff as a board it's called something but I don't remember what. I saw John Force do it on TV a while back. While listening to the above song there was a picture of the motorcycle during it's record breaking run on the salt flats and the rider was doing what John was doing. Only at 150 something MPH.

It's official.

I was waiting for the weather to improve so I could mow the flying flied this morning when I got a call from my older brother. He has a snow blower that he got from his oldest daughter and it doesn't run. I gave him some things to try and then figured I'd better go have a look. First up was to disconnect the ground wire to disable the switch. Now we got spark. Next I poured a bit of gas into the carb. and it started running but stopped. I looked at the float bowl and saw two things hanging down. One is a fuel sampler the other is a mixture screw that was turned all the way in shutting off the gas flow. It started running and I adjusted the mixture to where it sounded best. Now he needs to get a key so it will shut off without having to short the wire I unhooked.
Off to the flying field. When I got there all the fence sections, the transmitter impound thing and the two bench stands were in a pile off to the side. The mower was gone but the toilet was still there. Some surveyor stakes are in the runway so I figured the time has come to move on. I stopped and got a hair cut on the way home and planned on going to the little league park but it started raining. Maybe later.

Such a deal.

I started the day by calling Tower hobbies and got the credit card straightened out. Then off to the Sterling post office and found out that the Moosup post office don't know what is going on. The Moosup person wouldn't let me ship CD's as media saying only books could go. In Sterling they had no problem shipping CD's as media. Then at 0900 CA time I called the wi fi radio people and got permission to send the radio back for repairs. Then it was wait for the club member to bring the money for the plane and starter. I didn't know it but he had tried to call when I was talking to the radio people. After getting the money we went to Oneco to fly and on the way back stopped at the Sterling post office to mail the radio and some CD's I made for the PAMPA magazine Stunt News. The PO was closed until 1500 and it was 15 minutes early. I'll have to hit them early tomorrow as I have an eye appointment at the VA at 0900.
It's so humid the grass didn't dry up all day. It's getting kinda long too.

More stuff happens.

We just got off the phone with the credit card company. Someone has been charging stuff to our low limit card. The company declined all the charges and we went through the charges for the last month and cancelled that card. It is being investigated.
I bought an airplane at the local pawn shop today. I took the engine off and took the plane and starter to the field and sold it for a profit. I had to order new ball bearings so it will be a wash. I ordered on line at Tower and couldn't get the exact engine, a .46 FXi. I went back into the site later and tried a search from the O.S. page and the FXi showed up but with different bearing numbers. There is no explanation for the 'i' designation. I called Tower and questioned the operator about what I found and she agreed I had ordered the wrong parts. I had that order cancelled and ordered the right ones. I think that triggered the call from the credit card company.
I found a crack in the fuselage of the Padre and decided to retire the plane. After cutting the wing and stab. out there was nothing left of the fuselage. I had to get some K2r as the oil got under the covering and spread to the tip of the outboard wing. Now I got another wing to build a fuselage for. Maybe a new engine for it too.

Stuff happens.

I've been flying almost every day and yesterday I noticed a crack in the fuselage of the Padre. I have changed all the components at least once except the fuselage. I figured it to be bullet proof as it was laminated with 1/64" plywood on both sides. I almost went with it to the field but figured it may break and bust all the good parts. I removed the engine and cut the wing and stab. out plus removing all the hardware. I'm figuring on making another full fuselage plane with the left overs.
The wife lost confidence in the Pontiac and bought a new Hyundae today. I think it was a good move. Daughter and son in law assisted with the bargaining.
The replacement plane using the Vector wing is coming along. I got the wing installed and the turtle deck is drying.

The horror.

I went to the field to fly and mow when the dew dried up. The new bolt and tightening the others made a big difference in the mower start up. I finished about 1230 and headed for home. before I left Bolmets parking lot I saw tiny rain drops on the windshield. I took Maple st. and rte. 12. By the time I got to Wauregan I was in a down pour with the El Camino. I fumbled for the wiper switch that is behind the tach. someplace and finally found it. The wipers worked and kept working. I turned the headlights on while I was at it. They still need adjusting. I couldn't see any instrument lights and when I got home in the garage I tried again and they work. I'll have to wash the car now.

Moving along.

It took some doing but we got my article on a disc and mailed out. It's hard to say if anything can be taken from it yet.
I have the winter project framed up. I glued plywood pads to the shear webs in the wing for wing mounted landing gear. It seemed like the best way to do the installation.Lots of repairs to the wing after the crash. Very light wood was used to make the wing. I built a stab./ elev. and laminated the edges where the hinges go. I located the hinge pockets first and sanded a slot in both halves before gluing the pieces together.It worked out quite well. As close to centered hinges as I can get.
I put in a spare bolt in the clubs mower to hold the engine still. One bolt had fallen out and another was a bit loose. The engine made a banging noise when it started and shut down. While running it was quiet. Or as quiet as a mower gets.
The club may be loosing the field as Bolmet has bought the building Peerless windows was in and wants to make it 3 times bigger. Surveyors have been doing whatever it is they do between the runway and the ditch lately. Time will tell.

Off you go.

We got all the boxes packed and mailed out this morning. Clothes went parcel post all others first class/priority.
The rain almost stopped around noon so I packed up and went to Oneco. The new stab./elev. in the Padre worked well but the big Ringmaster still wouldn't settle down in level flight. When I got home I adjusted the flap push rod and the elevator push rod. No telling what that will do.
I cut the new fuselage sides to size and hogged out the wing opening. The wing fits right in and must be the Cardinal airfoil it's so close.

Winter project.

The Vector/LA .46 combo flew so good it was scary. The elevator horn started to loosen causing very low outside loops. Which caused an unplanned roof landing breaking off the tail. I was looking for a wing for the winter plane now I have one. I put that .46 in the Twister and it flys a lot better now. I found the horn loose in the Padre and fixed it before that one crashed. I went to the field with the intention of getting some flying but the wind is too strong so I mowed the grass.

More changes.

I had never tried an engine larger than a .40 on the Padre. Foxes and O.S. all .40's. On a whim I removed the OS .46 that was in the PT-23 and put it in the Padre. While I was at it I put a Fox .40 in the Twister. I got in a flight with the Padre this morning and It went very well. The Twister was another story. When I got home I put an OS back in the Twister. Then I got to thinking about the Vector and removed a .46 from another plane and put that in the Vector in place of another OS .40. I may get to test it tomorrow.

More dirt.

On Thurs. I mowed the flying field, on Fri. I mowed the circle in Oneco and on Sat. I mowed the lawn.
I met up with the guy that called about using the circle in Oneco. I don't think he will get something flying and try it out.
I got in two flights with the Vector and it's coming around. The last flight was at 5.3 lap time and was the best to date. I got the Padre out and the engine started acting up again. When I got home I replaced it with one of the Fox .40's. This morning I looked at the OS and found a bit of hair or thread in the spray bar. I removed it and flushed the spray bar with lacquer thinner and put the engine back in the Padre. I added a second filter in the fuel line in the jug. The fuel now goes through 4 filters before getting to the engine.

More progress.

I've been trimming the modified Vector lately. I had added an ounce to the tail to get a better corner about a month ago. I had to get more elevator deflection so I drilled another hole in the horn. Now I got a very good corner but it wanders in level flight so I removed a half ounce. It made a difference so I have removed a quarter ounce more. I'll try again tomorrow. The problem engine has a new piston and liner and runs very well. I'll get all the good planes ready for the Mass. Cup contest in Sept.

April showers in Aug.

The pig roast went off as planned even with rain falling. People started arriving about 3 pm in a slow but steady stream until after 5.
I shortened a fuel tank to fit the Padre instead of installing the new piston and sleeve. I have close to 4 ounces capy. now and that should be enough to get the pattern in. I also sleeved down the venturi to .250 i.d. That should allow me to install the original tank but I'll try the larger one first.
Some places around NJ and long Island have gotten 12 inches of rain so far. Looks like it will be raining through Tues. here.
I'm getting the wheels aligned on the Pontiac today at Wibberly's. The rear tires are worn in the insides, the fronts are good.
I'm also starting to design the next plane. I have a fuse. side drawn on a sheet of balsa and the engine crutch pieces ready to be cut to size. If it rains all day tomorrow I'll have it flying by Wed.

More success part 2.

I loaded up the mowers and went to Oneco to mow the circle and get in some flights with the Padre. I saw the late sleeper as I was entering the field so I didn't wake him up. The engine ran fine for 3 flights. I had cut out an area between the motor mounts so a metal tank could fit in there. The first flight went well but the tank didn't hold enough fuel to finish the last maneuver. The worn liner in the engine or the wrong size venturi makes it use too much fuel. The other engines use 3 to 3 1/4 ounces for the pattern and this one uses over 3 1/2. The tank holds 3 1/2. I could make a larger tank but I have 2 new piston/liner sets so I'll install a new set instead.
Today is V.J. day parade and it's raining pretty hard at 0630. If it don't stop soon the pig roast at J. Caron's wont happen.

More success.

I went out the other day with the Padre and had the bad engine run again. I changed engines and this one acted up too. It ran fine on the Twister. Now I'm thinking some kind of vibration is getting to the engine. The prop is balanced but the engine isn't really balanced that well because of the design. It needs help. I took a prop washer and cut two sides off of it so it looks like a pie slice. I put it under the prop washer on the engine directly in line with the crank weight. I went out today and the engine ran perfectly. I will continue to use it every time I go out to make sure the problem is cured.

Sucess finally.

I flew the problem .40 this morning and it went fine with the tank relocated on the other side of the fuselage. Must be a fuel draw problem somehow.

Still trying.

I thought I had tried everything with the OS .40 engine. Today it ran very slightly better on 15% nitro fuel. I tried every prop available, every tank, lowered compression ratios but the engine still runs too fast after takeoff. I was looking at it in the shop and remembered a plane I saw at the contest last October. It had the fuel tank on the left side of the plane. Not behind the engine. If I have a fuel draw problem this may take care of it. I drilled some holes and mounted the tank on the other side. Maybe tomorrow I can test it. I got some new piston and sleeves for the .40's today and will measure them to see if there is a difference. Maybe I got a high performance set somehow.

Pictures of my new circle.

The problem post is barely visible but the gravel pile shows up better just to the right of the fence across the runway.

Nearmiss.

I've been flying at the field every day this week since I mowed a path through the high grass and modified the fence a bit. I found a fuel shut off in the fuel line, they can't fool the old guy. Today I wanted to look at the head on the mower as it makes a noise when it starts up and I figured it may be filled with carbon. Overhead valve engine. I set up and got in a flight. At lap 2 I noticed something didn't look right. As lap 3 passed over the fence it struck me that I didn't remove the 2 sections needed for clearance. I backed off and finished the flight.
One of my LA .40's has been giving me trouble. I set the rpm and the engine will speed up and run away. Nothing worked to cure it. I drilled an extra hole in the spray bar, added lots of nitro, changed heads, changed props, same results. I had thought this engine was the one with the worn cylinder liner. I have to use the starter to get that one going after a flight the compression is so low. That is the only thing I haven't tried, lowering the compression a lot. I took the ball end mills and put the biggest one in the wood lathe, set it at lowest speed and pressed the head against the turning cutter. I took some off the combustion chamber but not a real lot. I went outside and ran it with very good results. I will mow the field tomorrow and will try the engine in flight after. After that I plan to go to Oneco and mow that circle. A couple more flights there will let the night worker know I'm still around.

Back to the beginning.

I headed for the r/c field early today. I remeasured the place for the new circle making sure I had clearance from the pipe in the ground. It's 80 feet from the center of the circle. Then I got my push mower running and mowed a 72 foot arc through the hay, which has grown to 6 inches high. I had the mower at it's highest mowing point plus more with the levers resting on the top peg instead of in the hole in the middle of the lever. It took a half hour to get the first pass done. I lowered the mower to the mid range of the adjustment and mowed the outer 12 feet lower to provide a usable runway. I removed the 2 sections of fence and dug out the in the ground support pipes and lowered them to ground level then mowed the grass under the fence. So far so good. I got out a plane and set up next to the pipe as the wind was favoring that spot. I got in four flights and landed in the new grass twice without incident. The winds were very favorable but the temp. was getting high so I replaced the fence sections, packed up and went home.
After about 20 years I'm back to mowing the flying field, this time with other motives. And using the club's mower.

What goes around comes around.

We went to the school this morning and The clover grabbed my lines on the first flight. Luckily the plane stayed on the ground with the prop hitting the ground in several places before the engine stopped. No damage. I moved to the ball diamond infield and resumed flying.
I went to the r/c field yesterday and measured off a new place to fly. Today I returned and gave away most of my r/c equipment. I kept the best set as it's in the Eagle 63. I noticed that the grass was long yesterday and wondered what happened to Charley Henrickson? I found out today that his back is hurting and he's not mowing any more. I've been looking at the mowing position since starting to fly there. I offered to take over the chore and will be able to cut a new circle the way I want it. The club has a mower at the field. Tomorrow, Monday, I'll mow the new part and get in some flights. I have to remove two sections of safety fence but they are portable anyway. I've shortened several props flying off the asphalt and the clover at the school will need cutting so I'll make the move. I'll keep the field at the Oneco town hall for week end use.

Still summer.

I've been able to get in some flying every morning and am just finishing up my 7th gallon of fuel for the year. The brew I'm using now comes from methanol I got from the blasting community. Pretty good stuff. I brought out the Padre because starting the full fuse. planes with the inverted engines can be a pain. I put a different fuel tank on the Padre and it didn't work well at all. Old one is back on. The Padre is my oldest plane that started out with an Ugly Stik wing. I removed it and built a wing using Cardinal airfoil with flaps then later on made a larger stab. and the plane is the best flyer in the fleet. I've only lost one plane so far this season so there isn't any need to build anything. The r/c field is up in the air with the test hole and pipe just off the runway and in my circle. I have plans to dig up the pipe and smooth the gravel hills.
I vacuumed the a/c in the hot rod and put two cans of r-134a in. So far so good. The El Camino gas pedal has been giving me fits. It didn't open all the way so I drilled another hole for the cable but that didn't feel right. I drilled another hole between the two and used a spacer in the cable at the pedal to get the full throw. I may have to put a hole closer to the pivot.
I played horseshoes against the gov't inspector that worked at Kaman and BST in the league last night. I've been watching him this season and he has been pitching well. His partner is not as good as mine. So far this season we have played the same teams up to this point which is not usual. So being one game down to his team promised a good match. My team won the first game handily, lost a fairly close second game and beat them soundly in the third game. That means we are tied for first place but my team having beat his team two games puts my team ahead of his. There is a third team that may be tied with us if they won all three games last night. I have to play that team next and his partner is much weaker than mine so we should do all right.

Joe Val

Search youtube for "Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys". Something else.

Bluegrass and berries.

I saw an ad for a bluegrass show at a blueberry farm in Thompson, CT this Sat. afternoon. I did a search on youtube and found Blackstone Valley Bluegrass band playing at the Joe Val festival in Framingham,MA. I listened to a few Joe Val songs and,,,, well,,,,, don't sell daddy any more whiskey looks pretty good. I thought Joe had a Groucho Marx mask on but he didn't. The other band is pretty good. The Joe Val festival is held in Feb. every year. I searched that and found the listing of 2011 performers. A bunch of them. Might be worth a trip.

Obstacles in the works.

I went to the r/c field and marked out a circle. It ended up real close to the first spot. The gravel and pipe are 10 feet inside the circle. The pipe can't be pulled out. I went back to the field after supper and found the club president and others shooting the breeze, just like old times. I found that the gravel is part of test holes dug to check the ground for construction. The pipe is a mystery but may be to warn the farmer of the gravel pile hidden in the grass. I plan to go there again soon and dig around the pipe to loosen it and make it removable and see what I can do from there.

Summertime and holding.

Our new seats at NHIS are really good. I timed the shadow from the overhang and at 1330 we are in the shade. The temp was in the 90's for the race but the shade made it bearable.
We stopped at the flying field to check on the mowing and the hay has been removed. Making a circle there is going to be a challenge as a small pile of gravel is messing up the first spot.
When we got home I got busy and mowed the lawn then loaded up the mowers and a plane and went to Oneco and got that mowed. I flew the Twister with a modified Fox .40 and it ran very well. For some reason the Fox doesn't like being on muffler pressure. It runs best with a uniflow set up. Turning a 12.25 diameter prop is nothing for the engine. I've tried both OS remote NVA and standard NVA and the standard works best. Too many restrictions in the remote set up I think. I flew at the new school last week and shortened two good props. The first was at the bottom of the vertical eight, did a touch and go, the second was on take off when the handle got snagged on the stop watch cord. I hope they mow the clover soon.
I'll check out the r/c field to see where the best spot for a circle is. I may have to move the fence when I fly.

Summer is here, I think.

I've been going to the new school in the early morning to fly. Yesterday as the day before I could feel the tops of the clover tickling the lines during takeoff. On my third flight a clover bud caught the lines and the plane flew across the circle and straight out to the end of the lines. The lines broke at both ends on one line and one end on the other. The one break line was still attached to the handle and the plane, now free, hit the ground shortly after. The prop didn't break and the engine is still good but the plane got junked. The 1/8" post the bellcrank is suspended from bent in the middle, the elevator pushrod pulled off the flap horn. I made up anew set of lines.
I went to the school around 0815 and got in one flight when I noticed I was being watched. The guy came over and introduced himself as the principal. We chatted a bit and I may get to do a demo for the student body some time. A horribly windy day to be sure. And possibly start a class for those interested in modeling. At least the principal said he would get the grounds keeper to mow the clover. I was flying over the asphalt track. I noticed a oil spray pattern on the tar that looked like a plane made it. I haven't flown on the tar in a year or more so it can't be mine. I use a mat to control the oil spray when flying on the track.
The mods I've done to the Fox .40's works very well. I installed the second one in the Twister today and hope to fly it soon. I got a dentist visit at 1000 tomorrow and it will be to warm after that to fly. I hope to get to the Oneco field soon but it has to be in the late afternoon if it cools down by then. I'm mowing it on a regular basis anyway.

Still summer.

I got 3 cans of R-134A at NAPA and set up the gauges for charging. First the charge hose wouldn't poke through the can seal. I ground off the extra metal on the knurled nut to let the hose seal against the can. Still no puncture. I found the puncture thing in the hose came out so I soldered an extension to it . Now it punctures the seal and seals against the can. The puncture is so small and the extension is plugging the hole to boot. 2 cans take a half hour to half empty. The engine is running and the 4 core radiator kept the temp steady at 190. I got the idea to unscrew the puncture tool in the hose leaving it caught by a half turn. Then installing the hose on the can with the puncture tool doing max damage to the can seal. With the tool backed out and plugging the hole in the seal I hold the knurled nut and turn the can which screws the puncture tool in and out of the hole letting the stuff flow freely. The 3rd can emptied in a minute. I should get another can and put that in too. I think the hose is for a bulk container and not a small can. Or it was for a bulk container. Still it's nice to close the windows and be cool.
I got the mowers ready and the wind has picked up mostly from thermals. I'll still bring a plane when I go to mow.

It is still summer.

The temps rise quickly into the "get into the shade" range that flying after 9 am is tough. With the late sleeper in Oneco and me not wanting to make noise before 9 there I've been going to the new school. The winds are not as tricky early in the day. It isn't mowed too often which will be troublesome shortly. I'll probably mow the Oneco field this afternoon and get in a flight or two after that.
I've fixed the run trouble I've had with my Fox engines forever. Intake leaks and poorly made/designed needle valve assemblies were the problem. The venturi is way too big and I've stuffed it with brass tubing that is .250 i. d. just right for the OS nva I installed. They don't like muffler pressure either for some reason. The less fuel in the tank the less effect the pressure has on it causing the engine to lean out and run faster.
I hooked up the a/c gauges to the unit in the El Camino and to the brake booster vacuum line. I installed a Tee in the line and the gauges under the hood and use the engine vacuum to pump down the system. I'll get some R 134A from NAPA and give it a go today. The full directions really helped.

It is summer, again.

The fixes I've figured out for the Fox engines are working quite well. Finding the air leaks and sealing them plus using the OS needle valve assemblies and installing a .250 insert into the .290 Fox venturi brings the package into vogue. I'm using an APC 12 x 4 prop and the engine has no trouble turning it. I tested one of the engines on the bench with a Top Flite 11 x 4 power point wood prop and set it for 10,000 rpm. I installed the 12 x 4 and the engine reved up lots higher with the APC without changing anything from prop to prop. I richened it up a bunch to get the rpm back to 10,000.
We checked on the r/c field this morning and the grass still hasn't been cut. Some of the fields near by have been cut so maybe the farmer is going to cut this one soon.
We went to Roy's this afternoon and the first selectman's secretary told me of a conflict with a local because of my flying in the morning. He is a d. j. and sleeps late, or used to. I'll have to go in the late afternoon or use the school field.

Got tickets.

I was looking at the Fox .40's and started thinking about intake leaks. I figured out how to pressurize the intake to check for leaks. Leaks from the hold down screws and through the venturi boss. I slopped on some Plumbers Goop and hopefully cured a problem. I flew one of the engines this afternoon and it was better. I have to try more nitro next.
I went on line to get tickets to LA yesterday and made the mistake of checking the skymiles box. I couldn't get any further even though I had selected seats and wanted to buy the tickets. This morning I called the airline and they got me back on the right track and told me to do it without checking the skymiles box. Everything went through as normal. Will arrive on Sunday the 9th leave on Tuesday the week after.

A different bike.

We went to the turkey farm on Ekonk hill Sun. and a group of motorcycles pulled in right behind us. One of the Harley's had a trike set up but retained the original rear wheel. Two other wheels, like training wheels, were attached to the rear end using some kind of bracket. Commercially available it had molded fiberglass fenders and all 3 back wheels were on the ground at the same time making a 4 wheel trike. It has AZ plates so I figured it may be normal. That evening while leaving a restaurant in Guilford I saw another 4 wheel trike go by. I think it's a movement. Just thinking about it gives me one.

Maybe summer again.

I took the Fox .40 to the field this morning and made several short flights trying to get a decent run but failed. I tried different needle valves but the same results.
We went to the hobby shop and got 4 gallons of 15% fuel. The Fox ran better on higher nitro but the OS ran a lot better on the same mix. I'll be flying the OS engines for a while. I believe the trouble is related to the warmer weather. The engines ran well this spring.
I may have to mow in Oneco very soon. I have a mower ready to go that has adjustable wheels so I can do the whole circle low down.

Barely spring now.

I was showing the grandson how to use a bow and arrow the other day. I noticed what looked like a small washer in the grass and figured it might come in handy some day and picked it up. It wasn't a washer. It is a round nut that holds the instruments in the bracket on the Harley. I lost it years ago while changing handle bars or trying to stop the vibration in the bracket. I cleaned it up and mailed it to LA. It's designed to be used with fingers only.
I think I have got the OS engine running right. It needs more nitro. With the very slightly warmer temps and humidity the 2% fuel I mix just isn't doing the job. I put in some other fuel with a higher nitro content and the engine ran perfectly. A possible contest in Lee, MA in late August.
I may swap engines around and install the trusty Fox back on the Padre, the OS .40 back on the Ringmaster, and the OS .46 back on the Pathfinder.
I've burned a lot of fuel lately as the winds have been right in my skill range. On one outing last week I burned a quart. That's the first time I used that much in one outing. That's about 10 flights. In r/c you use that much in 3 flights.

It is winter.

Low 60's, cloudy and a little wind.
I changed the venturi in the Ringmaster 576 engine to one from a .25. It and the OS needle valve asm. work very well on the .40/.46 engines. I also removed the spinner and put the heavy hub on. In case the spinner was getting in the way of the air flow. Then on a whim I tried a higher nitro fuel. It worked. 3 flights with perfect engine runs. I tried a tank of the regular fuel and it acted up. For some reason the engine in the Ringmaster needs higher nitro but runs fine on low nitro in other planes.

Sucessful trial run.

The piston swap didn't work as hoped. It did run better but still ran away when the tank neared empty. I removed the engine from the plane and from the Twister and swapped them. I installed a new head on the bad engine to raise the compression back to stock levels. Then I installed it on the Twister. Test tomorrow maybe.
It started to sprinkle around 1100 so I loaded up the mower and headed for Oneco. I pushed it on the truck at home and drove off the drive at the field and pushed it off. I parked the truck and drove the mower through the gate onto the field pulling the outrigger mower behind. I hooked them together and lowered the mower deck and holding the tape measure at 75 feet started enlarging the circle. I took 3 trips around until I was on the original circle and then started the other mower and raised the deck to match it's cutting height. I don't need real short grass outside the takeoff and landing area. By now the rain is heavier but not to bad. I kept going as stopping was out of the question. It took an hour to finish and I went over the low cut area again to blow the cuttings off the circle. The town crew that was mowing yesterday didn't mow in the circle as I had hoped. My grass was shorter than his newly mowed grass but there was a bunch of tall spike weeds starting to grab the lines so I mowed them down. I did find a baseball and a golf ball in the grass.

Summer is here.

I flew the 576 this morning and it flys better with each change. The longer lines and slightly less nose weight did the trick. The workers were starting to mow the section I was in so I left after 3 flights. I tried to change piston and liner as the compression was low on the engine but the other liner was stripped of chrome or nickle plating. I changed the piston only and the compression is better. I put on a metal tank and ran it for a bit at home. I noticed a spray of fuel coming from the venturi. I rotated the spray bar quite a bit until the hole was in the 4 o'clock position and twards the rear. I don't know where it was before.
I went to Tractor Supply and the inner tubes for the mower were there. They were supposed to call. I installed them into the tires and got them ready to go. About 4 pm the phone rang and it was Tractor Supply. I told her I had bought them a few hours ago. I asked about the 5 ounce syringes and she hasn't got a call back from her supplier.
I started to fill out the wish sheet for next years race tickets and for the heck of it I called and asked if they had any end seats. I exchanged the tickets for 2 end seats in section NE row 44 seats 1 and 2. I had to mail them back before they will complete the swap. Hopefully I will get the new ones in a few weeks. I said the VIP section would do in a pinch and she started laughing. I said that don't sound good. She said don't push your luck. People in the good seats are holding on to their tickets.
I think I found a spot to offload the mower at the Oneco site. I tied the ramps together and will use the metal car ramps to raise the wood ones if I have to. I couldn't find any anti-skid at Tractor Supply maybe Lowes or Home Depot next time I'm in the area.

Making progress.

Around 0700 I received 5 gallons of methanol. I mixed up a pint batch of fuel and headed for Oneco. The new fuel ran as good as the other fuel.
The nose weight in the Ringmaster did the trick. The plane settled down nicely. As I figured it now needs more elevator travel. Once home I removed the 2 ounce hub and put on a 1.7 ounce spinner. Then I installed a shorter elevator horn and played with the elevator travel until it was equal both ways. I went back to Oneco and got in 3 flights using the rest of the new fuel. The plane flys very well. I have to try it on 63 foot lines next.

Decent weather for a change.

We went by the r/c field to see if the hay had been mowed and it hasn't.
I've been to the Oneco site during last week and got in some flying. I have to enlarge it about 6 feet so I can have room to set up and not have the handle in the center circle. I made a pair of ramps to get the mower on and off the truck and it will fit through the gate that is the only open entrance to the field.
The 576 Ringmaster has been giving me trouble with level flight. When the engine quits it noses over towards the ground on top of things. When I got home I checked the thrust line and found a bit of up thrust in the engine. I adjusted that into a bit of down thrust. And I figured the nose over could be a nose heavy condition too. I got the plans and transferred the c/g to the model and put it on the balancer. I come up with a rather severe tail heavy condition. I installed a 2 ounce hub to the engine and got the c/g within a 1/4 inch still to the tail heavy side but a lot better than it was. I put some grease on the leadouts as they were scraping on the guides. I may have to move the leadout guide closer to the wing tip. The engine has been running well and changing from a 4 stroke to a 2 stroke in maneuvers. The change is very abrupt and powerful. Like a .60 on a short pipe. I put one of the modified heads back on to quiet that down a bit and it worked pretty good. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
I found 2 more dead squirrels while mowing the lawn. The foxes are not going hungry.

Still winter.

Well I finally did it. We went to the Oneco town hall to fly and as we were leaving I figured I would see about mowing a spot instead of waiting for the town to mow the field. The first selectman wasn't in so I left a message. He called back a few hours later and gave me permission to mow the circle. 150 feet diameter. Probably take an hour or so between the rain showers. I have flown there since the school was first built in the 50's. The town bought the field later and I started flying in the field several years ago off and on. The farmer still hasn't mowed the r/c field and the grass is getting too high in the ball field in Moosup. I'd like to take the rider but I need a bank to unload it and I don't think there is one usable nearby. Oh well, it's flat ground.
I checked the timing on the El Camino and decided it's time to get a new timing light. My old one is close to 40 years old and the flash isn't that bright. I have to use it in the dark.

Winter is back.

After 3 days with temps. in the 90's the temps have dropped into the 50's with thunderstorms, wind and rain. Whoopie.
I did manage to get in 5 days of flying before the bad weather hit. I made sheet aluminum landing gear for the Twister but haven't been able to try it out. A couple more flights with the Pathfinder and I'll put the engine back in the Lightning. I made a hole in the firewall and the hatch cover and removed some wood from the hatch cover so heat can escape. I'll cut into the fuselage sides if this don't work. Only one contest in New England this season.
We got the email instruction manual for the a/c test rig to print. I moved it from email into my saved emails and then it would print normally. Except the printer acted up and needed tweaking. I can't figure why it came with the brief instruction sheet and not the full data that I needed. China's attempt at garage humor I guess.
I may have to mow a circle at the Oneco town hall field and/or the Sterling school field. I'm sure mowing won't be high on the list of things for the town crews to do with budgets tight and all. I probably should get permission.

It is summer again.

I loaded the El Camino with the Pathfinder and went for coffee. The engine ran better with the distributor vacuum line on the other port. I got in two flights and headed home. The engine that was giving me trouble is running very well on the profile. I removed some of the shroud on the other plane so it should run good there too. The stump is still cooking. I cut more of the top off and have a plan to burn the outer ring of wood that is so hard to cut with the chain saw. It burned about a foot into the ground.

A good day finally.

We went to the Harbor Freight store in Warwick, RI yesterday. They had an air conditioner hose set with gauges on sale. I haven't charged the A/C in the El Camino and needed a set of hoses as Richard won't have his once the garage is sold.
The winds are light today and I went to the Oneco school/town hall to fly the Pathfinder with the problem engine. The field had been mowed and the engine ran very well. So I figure the trouble had to be from overheating in the other plane.
I've been burning the oldest stumps. Both are cored out by the fire and one is still smoking. I trimmed the outer ring with the chain saw. I have one bag of briquets left and will start on the tamarack stumps with it. the outer wood is very hard.
I did some trouble shooting on the El Camino engine today. I checked the timing and it was about 14 degrees BTC with the advance inop. I felt the rod that pulls the timing ahead while I worked the carb and found a lag in response and no movement when the carb is opened slowly. I moved the hose to another port and things worked like they should. The directions point to the first port as the distributor advance port but it don't work right. I'll test it in the morning.
Horseshoes at home are going great. But not as good against an opponent. I'm pitching to get muscle memory for the league.

A nice day.

I may have fixed the problem we are having getting on the blogs. Probably not, we'll see.
We went to the school this morning and I got in some flights with the Little Lightning. There may be an overheat condition because of the cowl I made. It fits close th the head of the engine and could be trapping heat. I removed the engine and installed it on the profile Pathfinder. I hope to test it in the morning. Other than that the temp. was 42 this morning and barely got above 70 this afternoon. Light winds though.

Play ball.

With the hay at record heights I plan on flying in the ball field at the Little League park here in Moosup. It's a pain to get into with the fences and all but it's close by. The town of Sterling is remiss in mowing any of their fields. The school isn't too bad but getting there and the field in Oneco isn't flyable. The ball field should be mowed as it's the season now.

We are heading into RI for gas and breakfast in a bit. Probably eat at Earl Hopkins place, Shady Acres.

Summer is here.

The hay at the flying field is 3 feet high and rising. I got in a flight this morning and called it quits. I've been trying different things to get the engine running properly and finally installed an unmodified head and the metal tank I made. The engine ran like it should. The El Camino is running much better since the rear float bowl stopped leaking. I had to lower the float more to get the fuel level below the sight hole. When that happened the engine ran rough in gear as the idle mixture was way too lean. It's much better now.

The small mower engine that Roy threw away many years ago has finally shit the bed. Every year the first time it was started it took less than 4 pulls to get it running. This year I've had to prime fuel into the cylinder to get it going. Priming the carb. wasn't enough. Yesterday it wouldn't start no matter what I did. I put another mower into service and got the lawn cut. Today I removed the old engine and installed one I got from the dump several years ago. I primed the carb and 4 pulls got it going. Then I noticed I had installed the engine 180 out. Another 15 minutes to set it right. I need the spark plug pointing to the front so I can short it out when I finish mowing without getting off the rider. The fill in mower did a good job and has a bigger cut so the job is quicker. I also adjusted the wheels to get the slop out. I had to use a washer as a spacer and then cut the wheel boss to get the right clearance.

The big stump is still cooking as smoke still rises from the ashes. When that stops I'll set the real big one on fire. I got 3 bags of briquets left.

Warm weather.

I made a trip to the VA this morning for an 0830 appointment. I left at 0710 to give me time in traffic. There was little traffic and I got there 40 minutes early. I was taken right away and was on the road at 0815. I stopped at an Irving station for gas. $3.67 a gallon and it took $105.00 to fill the truck and 11 gallons in cans for the Pontiac. I got gas in Plainfield using a gold coin for $0.20 off a gallon. Another $80.00. That was $3.79 with the coin.

I went to the field after getting home and flew the new plane. With the glow battery attached again. I'll have to put a flag on the battery. The grass is 2 feet high and needs cutting. I hope the farmer is in the mood soon.

I met up with Don Lapointe the other day at the field. I remembered his face and voice but not the name.

Server problems.

For the past few days I've been blocked from the blog. We finally went to safari and got it back.

I've been trimming planes and changing more planes. I think I got it together. The lightning is flying well and got a new fuel tank today. Maybe test it tomorrow. The winds have been very light until I get to the field. No matter which field either. I've made two flights with the glow battery still connected. Looks like a nose wheel.

The fox family was here at noon. I got lots of pictures and videos of the group.

I have to change the oil in the hot rod as it's been in there two years now.

I got the tiller and plowed the garden. It's all planted now.

The bluebirds have left the nest except for one. I don't know why it's still there.

Cloudy and cool, again.

We brought the Dodge to the garage Sun. morning. The problem really feels like the clutch disc is coming apart. Sometimes it shifts fine and sometimes it shifts harder and sometimes I have to shut the engine off, put it in gear and start it back up with my foot on the brake. All fluids are full and no visable leaks. Another thought, a mouse nest.
I put two planes in the El Camino and went to Wrentham, MA for the fun-fly. 51 miles. There were about 20 planes ready to go and a steady stream of flights going on. I chatted with several people and told Dave Cook what I did to the plans he gave me. I should have brought the plane. On the way out at the first stop light there were police blocking traffic. I got there a moment before the two hours long motorcycle rally went by. I was second in line and when it was over I got out at the change of the light.
The hot rod insurance starts today and I noticed the rear end weeping oil. It's been doing that since day one but it's bigger now. Hopefully it's not the pinion seal.

Spare cars? I don't need no spare cars.

After the Dodge problem I still had the El Camino to fall back on. It didn't look like I would be able to make the fly-in today so I packed 2 planes in the El Camino and headed for the Sterling school. The enging was running kinda rough at idle and by the time I got to the school I figured the rear float bowl was flooding again. I went home as people were playing baseball at the school. I removed the sight plug and gas poured out. I removed the needle and seat asm. and went to Central Speed and got a replacement piece. I installed it and set the level on the low side. I took it to the school again and got in several flights and returned home without a problem. Looks like I'll be able to make the fly-in tomorrow.

Slave cylinder again.

I got to the flying field Fri. and the truck was getting harder to shift. I suspected the slave cylinder was going so I headed home. I made an appointment to have it loked at and headed out for that. As I got in the truck I noticed the rubber mat was under the pedal. I pulled it down and everything was fine.I went to the field again and got in some flights and as I got off the highway in Moosup the clutch started dragging again. I'll bring the truck in on Mon. If it shifts.
I had planned to go to the fly-in but this has screwed things up. Hopefully I can make it on Sun. I probably will have to get Roy's tiller with the El Camino now.
The backplates came in Thurs. I installed two on planes and hope to test them today. They have about .010 deeper plug which helps keep the rod from walking in and out plus better fuel distribution.The stock ones are plastic and these are billet aluminum.

Still raining.

Temps in the 50's rain and mist until Sat.
I made a bunch of trim changes to the Padre. I removed all the wing tip weight as the outboard wing is quite heavy to begin with. I removed the NVA and installed one that had the needle shortened and located the needle on top instead of under the engine so it wouldn't get broken in an inverted landing. The fuel got adjusted for 24% oil and I installed smaller lighter wheels to raise the verticle c/g a bit. I could use a tongue muffler if more is needed.
Around noon the trees wern't shaking too much and the rain was a light mist so I loaded up and headed for the flying field. The mist was heavier at the field but I flew anyway. The plane performed quite well but went over on landing in the longer grass. I relocated the landing gear when I got home to stop that. The new backplates should be coming in soon. Later if the check has to clear first.

Rain, Rain you stink and Buck Ofama.

I got an email yesterday saying no model airplane flying today. There was mention of a similiar message in the Memphis area on one of the forums. That one was for Buck Ofama's visit to the great flood photo op. I figured, correctly as it turned out, that Buck was coming to CT for the Coast Guard graduation. Well Buck Ofama wouldn't keep me from doing what I want but the rain and wind has. Forecast for all week as well. There is a fly-in in Wrentham,MA this weekend but it should be flyable by then.
The fuel I mix has 118 ounces of castor to 3 gallons plus 10 ounces of methanol. (= four full gallons) Then I add one gallon of store bought fuel that has 22% oil to the 4 gallons and mix it up. If I multiply .22 times 128 ounces in a gallon I get 28.16 ounces of oil in the gallon of store bought fuel. Factoring in the home brew oil I come up with a total of 22.8% oil for the five gallon batch. Sound right?

Wind finally stopped.

I couldn't get on the blog for a while. The server wouldn't let me.
The wind has been blowing to 35 since we got home. I've mowed the lawn 3 times since.
I've been working on the maneuver bottoms with the Padre and things are starting to come together. With the lessening of the winds it's been spitting rain. I got in 4 good flights at the new school this morning between peroids of sprinkles. I installed a larger diameter needle valve to choke the venturi down to a more usable range. And that increased the fuel mileage a bit. I use 3 ounces instead of 3.25 to get the pattern in. I have some metal engine backplates coming as the stock ones are plastic and prone to leaking and cracking. The metal ones take up more room inside the crankcase which is better for power. Fox came up with the idea and calls them "Stuffer backplates". I'll start flying the large stab/elev. Twister and see how it goes.
I think I got the choke on the El Camino working right.

Windy trip.

All but one day in LA was windy. I did get the new plane assembled and flown. I figure it needs a bigger engine or just speed up the original. The tank works very well too. On the last day the winds abated and I got in some flights but now the winds were too light. I got good feed back from the flights to make some trim changes.
We got home around midnight and 36 degrees. The next day was windy. Today, Sat., was good to fly so after bringing the grandson home I went to the school and it was loaded with baseball people so I went to Oneco. I got in two flights with the Padre and was thinking on changing to longer lines when some thunder cought my attention. I hesitated a bit but the thunder continued so I packed up and headed for home. I had the El Camino and it got a bit wet but the wipers worked. I have to get the maneuver bottoms in check and will fly the Padre until I get it right. It's the oldest plane in the fleet now sporting a new thicker and larger stab./elev. and an OS .46. I re painted it for the third time too so it looks a little better. It is the best flying plane of the bunch.
The electric choke on the El Camino has been acting up lately. For some reason the high idle cam wont release. I didled with it a while back and made it worse. I re didled with it today and maybe made it better.

Cool and wet.

I've been to the club field and the school but the winds have been tricky at best. I did get some flightsin and did get to test one of the new tanks. It's labeled 180 cc and that equates to 6 ounces. I fliied one with water and dumped it into a measureing cup. 5 ounces on the nose. Probably 4.8 with the cap and tubing installed. Still that's more than enough for my engines. I sent a mailing tube to LA yesterday with a glow battery and two pieces of .032 wire for the hinges of the plane to be built. Today I sent the fuel tank I tested yesterday.
The river is barely in it's banks and I've been fishing twice with no luck.
I moved the El Camino into the middle bay, the truck outside on the cement pad and got the hot rod started. After moving several mowers, a shredder, a battery charger and a gas grill I was ready to move it. I slid the cover off from back to front and let it fall to the floor. It started right up and I started backing out when I heard a clunk. I got out and found the charger was in the way and got knocked over. I moved it again and backed all the way out. I put it in drive and started forward when I heard a ripping sound. The cover had cought on the license plate and followed me out and then I ran over it ripping it on the plate. I parked it in the drive way, left it running and washed it. Even with the cover it had a lot of dust on it. Anyway all is well and I will put the truck in the open bay when we leave next Monday.
I had flown the Lightning, which I re named Hobnob, for a few minutes a while back. I remember it flew wings level and turned pretty good. I took it to the school this morning and flew a test flight followed by a narrowing of the handle spacing. Then I put up a full pattern flight but the engine quit in the first loop of the last maneuver. I added more fuel this time and got in a whole pattern. The plane is very stable and turns on a dime. I made up a new set of lines for it when I got home and set up it's own handle.
I may have to mow the lawn tomorrow for the first time. Forecast winds are not good for flying but will be on Friday. Saturday I have to go to RI and get the cake for Easter dinner.

A little warmer.

I cleaned the leaves out of the lean-to and put air in the lawn tractor tires. I put the charger on the battery for a half hour too. Just after noon I hit the key and it started up. But something in the engine was banging something awful. I tried to turn the engine over by hand but it wouldn't go through top dead center. I pulled the spark plug out and hit the starter again to blow any liquid from the cylinder but there wasn't any. I started to remove the head and only broke one bolt which didn't hold anything important. The combustion chamber was loaded with carbon and a piece must have broke off doubling the thickness and interfeering with the piston. I cleaned both pieces and re assembled the engine which started and ran normally.I need to get tubes for the tires as they leak down fast.

A little warmer.

After the success with the Evo .36 I got in some trim flights. I put in one ounce of fuel and timed the run. 3 min. 15 sec. each for two runs. Now I got to thinking maybe I should put it in another plane. The ARF Nobler was sitting without an engine so I fitted the Evo where an OS .40 was. I took it and the PT-23 to the club field and it pulled the Nobler very well. The winds were kinda light but switching all over the place. Bumpy too. I got in a full pattern with the PT-23 and came home.

Test flight

I played in 3 horseshoe tournaments this season and lost first place 3 times because of ringer percentage. Twice I got second and today I went from bridesmaid to usher. When I got home I packed up two planes and went to the Sterling school. It was windy but I fueled the Evo .36 with 15% fuel and got in one flight. What a difference. The engine ran steady through the tank. I'm happy.

Finally figured it out.

The Evo .36 I got in the raffle last Oct. has not been running like it should. I changed tanks several times to no avail. I found seepage near the mounting lugs while the engine was running and discovered there wasn't a gasket under the rear cover. I made one up but the engine ran the same. I re read the instructions and installed a smaller venturi and found what I was looking for the nitro percentage of the fuel 5 to 10% it says. I put in 2 ounces of 15% and it purred like a kitten. Nice and steady rpm. Now if it ever stops snowing and the temps get into the 40's and the winds calm a bit I'll be able to test fly it.

Saw a woodchuck.

The weather was good Wednesday and I got in some flights. The cleaned filter on the PT-23 did the trick. I had the Magacian/Evo .36 and new tank so I tried it with both new tanks. It ran fair but fast. I tried to slow it down but couldn't. I found a leak in the metal tank and it didn't seem to help. I may have to open it up and replace the clunk tubing as air bubbles are going through the line. I could fill it so the line is covered and watch if there are no bubbles early on and only appear when the level is below the line. When we first saw the fox he was on the wall watching what looked like a squirrel. But when it moved it looked more like a woodchuck. It went into a hole in the wall in back of the garage. Several years ago I had gotten a scope and put it on the .22. I haden't fired it since so I figured I'd better check it before I got a chance to shoot the woodchuck. I drew a half dollar size circle with cross hairs through it and nailed it to a tree up in the woods. I fired 3 shots from about 50 feet and took a look. Right in the circle. Two are touching and another left a bit. Still I can cover all 3 with a dime. I haven't shot that well since basic training.

Test flight.

I couldn't help myself and made several changes onthe funny running engine. I was going to change needle valve asm's but left it for another day. The weather has been windy and cold but today I went to the r/c field anyway to try the changes. Missed the problem. I fitted the new NVA into the engine and took the fuel filter apart to check for crap. There was a piece of shit in it. I cleaned the filter and put everything back together. The best part of todays test is that the engine ran long enough to get the full pattern in on the tank I installed. it happens to be the one I used in the first place several months ago.
Forecast to be in the 30's all week.

What does winter and Obama have in common??

They both suck.
The ground is covered with snow this morning again.Temps in the low 30's. I even burned a tire with the winter debris last weekend and it didn't warm up the area never mind the planet.

Death to woodchucks.

On the first full day of spring it's snowing. Phil's an asshole.

Spring as last.

The last of the snow piles melted on Sunday. It was the leftover from the garage roof.
I burned the brush pile and Christmas tree which wasn't quite dry and took a while. Without the tamaracks there wasn't too much to burn.
I took the PT-23 to the school and the engine ran really strange. It would speed up for a lap or two and then slow to normal for a lap or two. I've never had that happen before. I did the unthinkable and changed fuel tanks without doing anything else. I couldn't get the needle out and there may be some crap in the spray bar. I'll have to open the hole in the fuse. and take it out and check. I have a new needle valve asm. if it comes to that. Or change engines.
I washed the El Camino Friday and used it to go to the school. It's running good.

Got a lot done.

I got up late this morning and had to follow the mail truck into Sterling. After coffee I went to the field with a mower and trimmed some high grass. Then we went to the movies and saw Rango. Then I went to the field with the lightning and after a bit of work got it started and flew it for the first time. Nice and stable, level wings but the handle spacing needs to be reduced. I did a buy it now for a spare .40 and a .46 head. Free shipping so even at the same price from Tower it's a lot cheaper.
The temps didn't get out of the low 40's with cloud cover all day. Some snow flakes too.

Ground is still wet.

I made the trek up the hill to check on my bird houses Saturday. I cleaned them out so they are ready for the new season.
We went to the Sterling school with two planes. The wind was light during my bird house trip but was quite turbulent at the school. I got in a flight with the Padre and then fired up the mod. Vector. It flew well the engine ran fine at first then leaned out for a while then back to a tad rich. Could have ben a bit of crap got into the spray bar and then cleared out. I had a tongue muffler on it and it was loud so I installed a stock muffler when I got home. The cornering was very good and may need a bit of tail weight with the bigger muffler but I'll wait. I have to test the Lightning next. I don't know what to expect from this one.
We will be going to the r/c field for a walk later. Maybe check out the activity there while I'm at it.

Wet but warm.

On Tuesday I went to the r/c field with the Padre and got in two flights. I didn't drive on the pit area as the ground was too soft. I managed to cuff the ground at the bottom of one of the maneuvers but the prop didn't break so I kept on flying. The right gear leg got bent but I straightened it.
I went to the club meeting Thursday and nothing has changed. Mostly confusion, different faces. It's held in a church in North Grosvenordale 22 miles away. Every other meeting lasted a half hour but this one went 90 minutes. I didn't get home until 9;30.
The big rain storm missed us. All we got was some light rain all day. I'm hoping the winds are light for the weekend.
I managed to get the stuff back into position after painting the room and hallway upstairs. Lots of aches today.

Is spring here?

After the second night of 50 degree temps the snow has all but gone. Only a few patches left in the field and the piles left by the snow blower and plows. Now if the wind would go away I'd really be happy.

Raining.

The temp. is at 50 degrees this morning. First time in a long time. The snow is melting and all the debris is starting to appear. The roadside snow is super dirty and uglier than usual.
I tied for first at the horseshoe games yesterday but lost first by ringer percentage. The guy that won will be moved out of the lowest class as his average went up 5 points. He has been throwing over 30% in some games and will pay the price. The association takes the highest three tournament averages in the past 12 months and uses them to calculate your new average. It's a good system.
We stopped by the Sterling school and the field is clear of snow. It's too windy to fly but next weekend may be better. I have to check on the Dayville field it may be usable by now.

Found it.

I did a search and found the rules for the Musiciano contests. 35 feet from the handle to the fuse. of the plane. I'll have to cut a set down to that dimension.
Oh yeah, 15 degrees this morning. 15 more than forecast.
I got a horseshoe tournament tomorrow. I rummaged through my shoe collection and found a set I had lightened up for the wife a while back. I'll give them a try, can't hurt or get any worse.

Winter's here.

Forecast for the morning is minus 5 to 10 above. Sucks.
There is a kit maker that is making the 1/2A size models that I built back in the 50's. Blackhawk Models is the new maker Scientific was the original. All the planes were designed by Walt Musciano. Still alive too. I bought more than one kit from Western Auto in Moosup and they would replace it with the same kit. $1.50 each. The new price is $30.00 plus shiping. They are known as "hollow log" models because the fuse. is a block of balsa that is shaped like a fuse. and then the internals are routed/hollowed out. The one I built the most was called Lil' Mercury. I found a picture of the kit contents and started to build one from scratch and memory with the help of the picture. I got the fuse, wing, tail group and landing gear made so far. I used sheet balsa for the fuse as it's lighter and easier to build up. I used the wing from the plane I built when I started to get back into c/l. Engine is a Cox .049 with tank. Installing a separate tank is tough on these planes and messy. The landing gear is captured between the engine and firewall. Wing span is 18 inches. I'll have to check around to get the best line length, I used carpet thread at about 10 feet back when.

A couple more inches of snow.

Nuff said.

A bit warmer.

We went to the dealer and picked up the Pontiac. The instruments are in backwards from the other cars. fuel/speedo on the left temp./tach. on the right. I thought I had a quarter tank of gas but it was the temp. gage sort of thing. Anyway we got home and things are normal, running well. I tried to get a spare key made but NAPA didn't have the right blank.
The snow took a hit with the rain we got yesterday. All four backstops are visable at the horseshoe pits now. There is still a foot of snow there. I walked across the snow and measured it. I took down an.049 powered plane and got some 40 foot lines for it. I may try to fly it soon if the weather holds out. I don't have enough room to fly the other planes yet. I just noticed a second virgule on the keyboard. //\\ Neato.