It flies.

Friday was the first day good enough for a first flight. After getting the engine started it lifted off and was quite stable in level flight. Not enough elevator authority. At home I made some changes and went out again this morning. Slightly better but not good enough. At home I made a drastic change and lengthened the tail span by 4 inches. Back at the park and it now flys  much better. I have something to work with now.
 That was the problem all along, not enough elevator size.

The Nomad 60 is ready to fly.

The paint has had a chance to dry so I put it all together for the test flights. Weight as this point is 64 ounces just about where I hoped it would be. I have one ounce in the wing tip weight box and a half ounce in the tail. I put a plastic tank on for the first flights that way I can put in the least fuel and get in more trim flights in the session. The tank in the picture is 5 ounces and should be the one when the time comes.
  I managed to knock the leadout guide loose and had to cut a hole in the bottom of the wing to get it back in place. I'll cover it over after it's flying well.

Taking shape.

I tried a new way to align the plane before final gluing. I set it up on the glass table top and used a monokote core cut in two pieces under the wing and two spray paint cans under the stab. After shimming the wing to the chord lines I shimmed the stab to equal the zero setting of the wing. the core pieces and cans held things parallel.  I sprayed a coat of primer and all the gaps showed up. I put some spot putty on and it's drying now. I'll have to thin some and brush it on the balsa parts the ply has a nice finish on it already.
  I gave the Twister wing another session of twist and heat but the weather has kept me from testing this adjustment.
  The weather started to clear and the winds were light so we headed to the park with the Twister. The first short flight showed the wings to be nearly level so I fueled up and got in 2 full pattern flights. Very minor adjustments from now on.

First flight woes and a free lunch.

It warmed up nicely this morning and I took the new Twister to the park. A little hot weather and the engine started right up. Once in the air the outboard wing was high but it was very stable in level flight and turned well. I didn't do anything special  as I didn't know what would happen with the wing not level. At home I put the incidence meter on the wing and found a twist in the inboard panel. I twisted it opposite and re shrunk the covering. Another test in the morning.
 The new Nomad fuselage is nearing completion. I installed balsa caps on the top and bottom so I can sand them down to the plywood sides and round the top. I roughed out the canopy and fin and glued them on. I also made aluminum plates for the engine to sit on and cut out the 1/8 ply doubler for the plates. I called RSM for the landing gear but he's on vacation so that will have to wait. I can use the gear from the first Nomad if I need to. We went to St Francisville this afternoon and stopped at the Francis restaurant for lunch. A bunch of workmates were having their party there and paid for our lunch.

Progress.

The wind was a bit high today so I didn't get a chance to test a few changes AI had made to the scratch built Twister and the P-40. I was able to scrape together enough wood to build the front end of the new Nomad and get the wing and stab tips shaped to the new design. I'm re using the motor crutch from the crashed Hunderbird so that saved some time. All I have to build is the fuselage and I have enough 1/64 plywood to skin it but I need a piece of 1/8 for the doublers. I can get that at Michaels near by. I need fuselage mounted landing gear too.

Nomad 60.

It took some doing but I managed to harvest a usable wing and stab. from the Polynesian. I replaced some trailing edge on the wing and filled the balsa damaged by removing the fillet material. Then I got the idea to build a .60 size Nomad using the spare parts. I drew out the fuselage on my glass table and now I have to dig out some 1/2" wood for the fuselage front section. I may have to buy a piece.
  The Twister kit plane is up to clear coat. Another blah paint scheme. Should be flying this weekend.

And then there were none.

I went to the park around noon today with the P-40 and the problematic Polynesian. I've had a 60 size plane for quite some time and lately more than one. The newest, Hunderbird, died on impact a few weeks ago. The oldest, Polynesian, had been giving me trouble with bad engine runs since it's first flight several years ago. I've tried different engines, fuel tanks, more wood in the nose but nothing changed until today. I put it to the band saw. I salvaged the wing and stabilizer plus the hardware. I am officially out of 60 size planes.
  On the brighter side; a guy came up to me as I was getting ready to wind up the lines and asked about flying with the lines. We chatted for a bit and he mentioned going to school in Killingly, Ct. I said I was from Moosup 10 miles from there. Even more chatting.

4 inches of global warming.

It's melting fast. I checked the park and it will be flyable this afternoon. I want to test the change I made to the nose of the Polynesian. I built it with an r/c engine mount. It was a good idea except that the tank compartment is unobstructed. While that gives you a lot of room for the fuel tank it also is lacking in stiffness. The normal engine crutch hardwood beams add a lot of strength to the structure and that keeps the engine under control. With the r/c mount the engine vibration causes runaway as soon as it lifts off the ground. I had this problem on another plane and had to add a floor to the compartment at the height of the engine where the hardwood beams would have been. This is what I did to the Polynesian with hopes it cures the engine run problem. I also cut an inch off the nose length to help with the heavier engine I'm using.

Quick and easy alignment.

I've used this method in the past and it works very well. I've used spray cans under the wing as well as one pound coffee cans. I use the same brand and size of can to be sure the cans are the same diameter. The same with the stabilizer.  The Twister I'm building is aligned using 2 ounce plastic cups from IHOP. I save the cups to mix other stuff in and figured I could use them to hold the plane. Two for the wing and four for the stab. I used two incidence meters as moving one back and forth is aggravating. I saved the end of a broken tape measure to set the wing and stab parallel. I glued a triangle to a second piece of the tape to use in case the trailing edge is swept like a Ringmaster. Large 30/60 triangles set the fuselage square and vertical to the wing. Now it's up to covering and paint if I ever decide on what color scheme.

No luck.

I flew the Evo .60 powered plane and the engine did the same thing as the S/T .60. At home I took the tank out and it occurred to me that by using an R/C type engine mount it left the tank compartment open and susceptible to vibration. I went about installing a 1/4 inch balsa floor in the tank compartment that will ace like the traditional hard wood motor mount we normally use. I had the same thing happen to another plane and the extra wood fixed the problem. The rain has kept me from testing the fix.

Another screwup.

I've been having run problems with the S/T .60. I swapped it out for the Evo .60 this morning and at the field it did the same thing as the S/T. I went home without flying it and dug into the fuel tank compartment. There I found I had run the uni-flow line to the spray bar. I fixed that and ran it in the yard to test it.
 The Twister is coming along. I found the fin and rudder are a lot bigger than the one I scratch built from plans. I trimmed it down as I don't like the top design at all.

Flying in the fog.

I took the same planes to the field this morning and first up was the 665. I put a 12 x 4 APC on it as I put the last 12 x 5 Zinger on the P-39. The engine started and I set the needle and let it go. The engine ran very well and the changes I made to the plane worked. So tight engine mounting bolts are a must. The Shark 665 has been through a lot. The wing folded last year and I made a new one as the fuselage didn't get hurt too bad. The miss placed stab. kept it from being a good plane though. Now it's pretty ragged and something is rattling around inside the wing. That's the way it goes with my planes. As soon as they fly well they fall apart.
  I built about 80% of the wing from the Twister kit today. It's out of the jig waiting for center sheeting and controls. It took longer to install the bellcrank than to assemble the wing. I'm using the salvaged leadout wires from the crashed new plane and the leadout slider.

Another OOPS.

  The 665 has had a problem with level flight from day one. I put the incidence meter on the wing, leveled it and checked the stab. It had one degree of neg. incidence in it. A little hacksaw blade work and some glue and it's ready to go.
I took the 665 and the P-39 to the field. First I flew the P-39 and leveled off inverted at ground level. Broken prop. I got in 3 flights with it using a smaller prop. The 665/ASP went lean again. I put an ounce in the tank and tried again but the square loop sent it into warp speed again. The stab. fix seems to be working but it was hard to tell at those speeds. At home I started to remove the engine and put the .46LA back in. I loosened the non exhaust side bolts and the engine tilted. I checked the exhaust side bolts and they were loose. I put thread locker on all the bolts and tightened them down. I'll give it one more chance tomorrow. I figure I didn't tighten them properly when I put the engine in.

Handle mod.

I scored a used handle at a contest recently. I make my own handles and today I found a use for this one. I like light handles and mine are close to 15 grams. Made from reinforced laminated plywood. The other handle weighs 3.3 ounces. I chiseled off the hand pieces and cut the cable off the bar and the thong off the handle. A few passes on the belt sander and a slice off the palm of the handle brought the weight down an ounce. I drilled some holes in the bar for 4-40 eye bolts and a coat of Poly Crylic and a new safety thong and it's ready to go.
  My attempt at a bar handle is in the photo and it weighs 3.3 ounces also. I kept one for old times sake and it came in handy donating the eye bolts. The small hole in the center of the handle is for the stake I use to anchor the handle in place while I retrieve the plane back to the stooge. It keeps the lines tight and untwisted.
I got to the field and flew the 665 and P-39. The 665 and ASP .52 didn't go as well as I had hoped. The engine went lean for several laps, I only put 2 ounces in the tank. The P-39 with the relocated Evo .52 flew very well. It has a better corner now and is stable like always. I found some debris in the fuel filter on the ASP and cleaned that out. Will try again later on.

 

Plumbers but.

Here's a few pictures of how I make a plastic tank into a uni-flow tank. Turn the vent tube and the uni- flow tube together to install the plumbing into the tank. It's easier to bend the tubes sticking out of the cap for a profile plane and to custom bend to fit on a full fuselage plane. Either way the tubes inside the tank are bent the same.
  I didn't get to fly the P-39 yesterday as I flew the same two again. At home I looked at the Shark 665 and removed the .46 and installed the ASP .52. Maybe today, after a trip to the bank, I'll test those two.

Moving again.

I had planned on using the Evo .60 on my P-39 but switched to the OS .46 for most of it's life. I installed the Evo .52 when I bought that and it's been working well on the plane. The trouble is The engine is too long for the space available and the prop was 1/2 inch forward of the nose. It worked well but looked a bit out of place. I figured I could move it back by cutting the mounting area longer. It sounded simple at first. The nose gear wire would be in the way of the lower engine mount bar. After some searching and thinking I dug a trench for the wire and got it out of the way. Now the mount covers the top of the wire and a clamp will hold the lower part in the trench. I painted the bare wood with Zinser bulls eye primer and it's drying. A test flight for tomorrow in the works.

A post mortem.

I flew the salvaged profile after making some changes to get more turn. I shortened the elevator horn and eventually got 25 degrees each way. I also removed the 2 degree offset engine shims. This morning I got in a short flight, made a line length change then another short flight and another line length change. By now it was flying pretty good.  One last short flight to check the turn and level flight. After being satisfied with the corners I tried a horizontal eight. Going into the second eight, right as I reached vertical and changed to an outside loop the plane didn't respond at all. It went into a wing over  as I moved the handle trying to get some reaction from the plane but it was not to be. Over the top and straight into the ground at full speed. The foam wing exploded, the fuselage broke in half and the propeller was toast. It was a pretty good wing over though. I picked up the pieces so no one would know and took out the back up plane.
  At home I salvaged the hardware, cleaned up the engine and after a while I found the problem. The elevator to flap push rod was made from an arrow shaft with Dave Brown plug in ends. I forgot to glue the elevator end in place and it vibrated out causing the clevis to fly in close formation with the rest of the plane.
  At least I didn't waste any clear on it.
  Next up, the big Shark, today's backup plane, and the Nomad X with new gap seals. And a hair cut.

Two ready to fly.

Well, 3 actually if you count the gap seals on the Nomad X.
  We breezed in from central Arkansas around noon.
I checked the profile Thunderbird and installed the Evo. .60 and a fuel tank. I put an ounce of weight on the tail and it's ready to go. The Polynesian with the shortened nose had a bit of paint curing over the weekend and it's ready to go also. Probably I'll get to fly them about mid morning tomorrow.  I had an idea for the profile on the way to the camp grounds last Wednesday.  I'm not going to clear coat the plane before flying because if it flys well I'll remove the paint I did put on and turn it into a P-47 for the warbird events.

Flying good.

I flew the newly engined Nomad yesterday and again today. It turns much better and is still stable in level flight. I sealed the hinge gaps this afternoon even though they were real tight.  The other two are in the paint drying stage. It needs several days to cure before the clear coats. Both planes came out below 65 ounces but not by much.

The Nomad X.

Not Roman numeral for 10.  When I designed the fuselage I had the ASP .52 in mind as well as the Evo .52. The Evo has found a home in the P-39. As I was fitting the ASP into the engine crutch I also fitted the O.S. .46LA engine. Just in case. Well, just in case happened this morning. I am in the process of watching paint dry again and the wind is blowing so why not.
   The hardest part was making new holes for the needle valve and for getting to the muffler bolts. I lined the holes with brass tube pieces so the wood sides around the holes won't get worn and ragged. I was able to remove an ounce and a half from the tail as the O.S. is 3.5 ounces lighter than the ASP. Final weight is reduced to 54 ounces. Light enough for the O.S.
  By the time the wind dies down I'll have three planes to test fly.

A twofer.

I bought some Poly Crylic and gave the inside of the new cowl a coat of epoxy. Then I applied a layer of light fiberglass to the outside. The epoxy I used takes a day to harden so I put the plane aside and started masking the other one. It took several hours but I finally got the paper taped down and sprayed two coats of orange on it. Now they are both drying. The blue one looks like a B-24 or a diesel locomotive.

When watching paint dry...

It takes a few days for this paint to cure enough to apply more paint over it. I've been trying to get a proper turn from the Polynesian for several years. Today I had enough of that and watching paint dry so I attacked the plane. I had followed the plans but it was designed for a much lighter engine which required a longer nose. I cut one inch out of the nose and started putting it back together. I changed the thrust line which caused me to change the nose altogether. I ended up with something like the T-Rex nose. Another week or so and it will be ready to fly.

As much as I could stand.

The filling and sanding part of building a model plane is the part I like the least. I give it a good try and at some point I get tired of it and move on to putting the plane together. I reached that point today with the salvaged wing and tail. I put the parts on the scale and now it's 57 ounces without paint. I'm hoping for low 60's when it's finished. The wing tip weight is secured in place and I don't know how much it is but it flew well before I tore the fuselage off of good pieces. I did make provisions for a nose wheel just in case. I cut the sides off one of the incidence meters so it will fit between the fuselage and the flaps. There is a gap because that's where the old fuselage was. I checked it today and it does fit so I can align things before final gluing.

Triple play at El Dorado.

The weather for the contest was flyable. A very light mist and breezy on Saturday. I entered three of the four events and got in some good flights. At the end of the flying I ended up third in profile, warbird and classic. So far the Nomad has put me on the podium every time. The P-39 has made the podium about half the time, same with the Gypsy. On Sunday I didn't end up last.
  The profile version of Tom Dixon's Thunderbird is in the almost ready to cover stage. I put a thinned coat of epoxy on the fuselage this morning and it takes a long time for this stuff to cure. The wing and stab. fit the openings. I had to modify the incidence meter so I can use it to align the wing and stab. With the flaps installed I can use the area that was covered by the fuselage to hang the meter. then I can shim the stab. to match the wing. I also changed the name from Thunderbird to hunderbird. A bit of heat the the "T" peeled off. Now it's German. I can hear the German version of Tatoo saying to his wife "Hun, der bird, der bird". I guess you had to be there.

I think I've got the Nomad X figured out. After trying several propellers I put on one that I use exclusively on the .46 size engines. The engine perked up immediately. From a 2 stroke run at 9000 rpm to a 4 stroke run at 10500 rpm. It's just the opposite of what it should be. I cured the sticky lines by adding tail weight which made me move the leadouts back which took them away from the internal wing structure. I ended up adding another ounce yesterday for a total of two ounces of tail weight. I got in a short flight this morning and it flew very well.

The waiting game.

While waiting for the wood to arrive I've been making parts for the plane. i made the engine crutch and got the brass inserts installed and the engine bolted it. I squared the rails and tack glued them so I can use them to mark the wood when it gets here. More accurate that way. I had to make room for the wing flaps to pass through the fuselage as they can't be removed. I got that figured out.
 I've been tuning up the planes for El Dorado at the park. The Hound Dog needed a tank adjustment and that went well. The vent plug fell off in flight again and it ran out of fuel just as it leveled off. I had another plug made from smaller tubing so it fits tighter. Another flight went well. I brought the Legacy 40 but I had removed the muffler for another plane so I didn't fly it. I did install another muffler when I got home. I had to wait for a repairman and by the time he left it was raining so any more flying today is iffy.

A little progress.

I ordered the balsa and ply I need to build the fuselage for the Thunderbird from National Balsa. It should be here next week. As usual I forgot balsa for the vertical fin and rudder and plywood for the nose doublers.  I found what I needed at the local Michael's craft store. I cut out the doublers and glued enough balsa together from the scrap box for the nose tripler.
  I figured I would wet sand the elevators to get some of the paint off so I could spray a new coat on. The clear coat has yellowed some and under it the color is white. The wing has the word Thunderbird on the left panel and the number 1028 on the right. That's the original builder's AMA number that has to be on the plane. I was going to try and sand the number off and just for giggles I picked at the "1" with an Exacto knife. What I thought was paint is really vinyl graphics over coated with clear paint. A little heat from the heat gun and I was able to remove the numbers. The shadow shows where the numbers were but it's better than the originals. I'm thinking about making provisions for a nose wheel.
  I didn't like the O. S. .25 so I installed another Fox .35 and got in some flights. It's much better

It's figured out.

The stab./elev. assy. has enough wood in the hings area that I could cut the hinges out and make new hinge pockets for the re assembly. I used a T-pin as a probe to find the end of the hinges and cut them out with the new Zona saw I got at the contest raffle. After looking at the stab. I went to the band saw and cut the trailing edge off and made up a new trailing edge just like I do for my new  planes. After sanding the hinge slots and glueing the pieces together I installed the elevators and cut the bevel sharper so they will move 30 degrees in each direction. Then I glued the new piece to the stab. and it's done.  I will use the covering on the elevators as the paint is a lot harder to get off than I thought. The same with the wing. Luckily, so far, the profile event doesn't get appearance points so it just has to fly well and qualify for the builder of the model rule.
  At the park this morning the guys in charge came over and told me about some others looking to fly there. I had told them about the park when I met them at the contest. Then the manager guy in charge told me I should have a contest there. That surprised me.

Saving what I can from the Thunderbird.

According to the rules if you build one of the major components, wing or fuselage, you can claim to be the builder of the model. This plane was designed and built by a prominent modeler. I got it third hand after it was crashed. The nose was gone back to the fuel tank compartment. I managed to get an engine on and fly it a few times. It flew well. I hung it up while I struggled to figure out what to do with it. After scratch building the Twister it struck me that I could salvage the wing and tail then build a profile fuselage for the pieces. I have the drawings and traced the profile shape and moved things around a bit, because, that's why. I'm keeping the push rods so the "numbers" will be the same. I planned to remove the old covering and monokote things but the paint is real tough to remove so I'll keep the wing as original. The flaps didn't move up and down equally so I cut that rod and spliced in a tube to even out the throws. The wing is a foam core and had a lot of foam pieces inside making noise and could get caught in the bell crank so I spent an hour shaking and picking pieces out. The original fuselage was about 3 inches wide and the wing has that much bare wood. I'll have to lay a strip of fiberglass around it to cover that up and hide the gouges I made removing the fuselage sides. The elevator doesn't move all that much either but it did fly well. I'm going to do something to get more movement out of it but I don't know what yet as it's hinged. I did make the motor mounts out of 3/8 x 1/2 aluminum channel. The photo shows the plywood and balsa that fills the channel. I should have did that on the Twister.
   I flew the Twister with the OS .25 this morning and it went well. I put 60 foot lines for it in the box for the next session.

The Twister.

I've been flying the Nomad and it's coming along.
  I flew the original Nomad in the profile event at the local contest this past weekend and got a third place with it. So far that plane has not failed to get a podium finish. Sunday was weathered out.
  I flew the new Twister today. Fox .35 powered and the engine didn't work right so I installed an O.S. .25. I ran it  to set the needle and will give it another try in the morning. Balance came out right on the plans location with a stock muffler. It weighs 36.7 ounces so the smaller engine should pull it nicely. I came across another Fox .35 as I was cleaning up so there is a chance this one will run better than the first.

The Nomad X.

I got the engine installed and the leadouts positioned almost where they should be. Good enough for a test flight though. It's 56.5 ounces including 1.5 ounces of tip weight that I haven't added yet.  I figured out what to do with Tom Dixon's crashed Thunderbird. I'll salvage the wings and tail section and build a profile fuselage for them. I have the plans so the problem will be stripping the dope off the parts.  I also acquired a set of plans for the Twister. An older model that I've had several years ago. I had one all during the r/c days and would fly it now and then. It's a good profile plane.

Clean out time.

I've been saving the planes and stuff that I don't need for the club raffle in a few weeks. All the planes fly well but not well enough in my opinion. Plus I've run out of room. The Gypsy flys pretty good but needs a lot of trimming and I already have one. The big Strega flys pretty good but I don't need it either. I won that in the El Dorado raffle in the spring. It was too ugly for words which is the reason I re built it. I removed the Evo .60 and put the engine that came with it back in. Even if I wanted I couldn't use it in a contest in my class as I didn't build it. The Nobler in the box is something I won at the same raffle and I had one several years ago and it didn't fly that good so I saved this one for our raffle.
  The new Nomad is coming along and is waiting for a clear coat. I figure the weight will be 55 ounces when it's all together. Test flight in a week or so.

Made out at the contest raffle, again.

We started for Tulsa at 0500 Friday morning. 700 miles later we arrived, a bit pooped and mad at the Waze and GPS systems.
At the contest Saturday I managed a third in the profile event and my Gypsy engine used up a lot of fuel and ran short both flights even though I put in more fuel for the second flight. There was three kids flying in beginner all from the same family I think. I told the mother to stay for the raffle as I always get a large box and with the Hyundai having 3 planes in it I will give it to the kids. As I predicted I won a large box with an ARF plane inside. I gave it to her. A few minutes later I won a plane all built and ready to fly that I gave her too. Others gave the planes they won so the kids are well stocked for a while. Or until grampa runs out of engines. To top off the raffle I won another plane scratch built by the late Mike Donovan. It's another Gypsy and painted not monokoted. I was stunned and managed to put it into the car. I won a bunch of other items that are usable and some that are not. I did get more than my moneys worth.
  We took a shorter route home but the time was the same. 685 miles this time. A two day trip up and back next time.
  I took the hungry engine out of my Gypsy and installed it into the new one. I used the fuel tank that came with it and it had a lot of black stuff in it that clogged the filter. It took a while to clean the stuff out and do some other trimming work on it for the first flight here soon.

Needless to say.

You must use the proper amount of epoxy hardener or it will stay a bit soft.
  I sprayed some primer on the plane and sanded followed by some filler and more sanding. Then, just for the heck of it, I did some more sanding. Will it help? Not the way I do things, no.Tower Hobbies has a sale on covering so I ordered 6 rolls. I'll cover the wings and stab. and things when it comes in.
  I got in some flights with the Hound Dog and Nomad at the Zachary field on Sat. I felt that the 63 foot lines were not what I had hoped and changed back to 62 foot lines at home. The Nomad seemed nose heavy so I made a handle adjustment and that helped. I noticed that I had a muffler that is 2 ounces or so and that I had put some tail weight to compensate. At home I put a tongue muffler on and removed the tail weight.
The balance didn't change so I left the leadouts where they were. I got in two flights this Sunday morning and it flew very well. I flew the Hound Dog this morning with the shorter lines and it is ready for the contest as well. The Gypsy is still flying well and I put larger wheels on as the grass grabs the 2 inch wheels. Another flight with that one to check the line adjustment and wheels and it's ready to go. Two bolts and the Hyundai rear seat back comes out and the planes can go in. No war bird event so I only need 3 planes.

Almost there.

I had thinned some Poly Crylic with water and alcohol to try on this plane. I used it to apply the fiberglass cloth to the fuselage. Two coats where I usually use three coats of un thinned stuff. Then I thinned some Spackle

with the same thinner and brushed a coat on the fuselage followed by a light sanding and a third coat of Poly Crylic. Then I installed the fuel tank and wiggled the nose gear in place. The engine went in fine as it has been in  before but without the muffler. I lined all the holes in the nose that take the needle valve and tools and screws with pieced of brass tubing. That protects the wood and paint from abuse. I weighed it and got 46.9 ounces before covering and paint. So it should land around 55 ounces.
  I tried a different formula for the epoxy and micro balloons fillets.The 5 minute epoxy I always use set up a bit too fast in these warmer temperatures and the 30 minute stuff is way too slow. I tried adding 25% 30 minute hardener to the 5 minute hardener and was able to do one wing root all the way around and the stabilizer on both sides with time to spare before it set up. Just for giggles I used the 30 minute resin and 5 and 30 minute hardener mixed as before and got the same results on the other half of the wing root. I figure the only difference is the hardener. Now I need to spray on a coat of primer and fill the low spots before covering the wing and stab and final color paint.

Progress on the new one.

I've got most of the building done and it's up to filling and sanding. Lots of sanding. No flaps or elevators in the picture. It's a full fuselage version of my Nomad design with trike gear. I'm thinking of naming it Super Nomad.
  The club has been getting together on Saturdays for the last month. Lots of flying and talking. I'm not used to others being around when I fly so I set up in the other circle and use the stooge rather than haul the plane, with wires attached, to the circle, fly and haul it back to the pits.Today there was 4 circles in use. The two with the paved centers and two all grass circles. All kinds of planes flew. I've never seen this kind of activity in control line only r/c.

Fuel tanks and other screw ups.

A few days after sending the second wrong fuel tank back I got the one that I ordered. Luckily? it doesn't fit the plane. Just great.
   I got ahead of my building the new plane again. I don't cut the fuselage to install the wing. The wing has the bellcrank to flaps pushrod sticking out of the wing. The wing opening in the fuselage isn't big enough for the pushrod to slip through so I remove it, install the wing and re install the pushrod. In order to do that I need access to the top of the wing. I had sheeted the fuselage top over the wing. I had to cut it off before I could install the wing. I hate to ruin good balsa as it's pricey. I need to remove the engine from the Shark and install it in the new plane so I can start carving the nose and the removable cowl.
   I went to the club field this morning with the big Shark and the newly fixed electric Pathfinder. The Shark engine ran quite well and the Pathfinder held the batteries on board. I had put an ounce of lead in the nose a while back but with the larger batteries I don't need it so I drilled it out.
 I mixed up a new 5 gallon batch of fuel and will give it a try tomorrow.

I was having fun.

One of my motto's is If I'm not bleeding I'm not having fun.
  I charged the batteries for the electric planes and found that the nose wheel installation was causing some interference. I started to trim some of the wood away when the Exacto slipped and cut into the palm of my left thumb. After stemming the flow I sewed the cut together with super glue. After that I got the idea to water proof it with some rubbery glue. That did sting for a while but did the job.
  I went to the park late because it was sprinkling when I finished breakfast. I did some cleaning then went to the park with the electric Pathfinder and the big Shark. On the last flight with the Shark the line that pressurizes the fuel tank fell off and the engine went lean and fast for 10 minutes. I was happy to find it was no more than that. Next up was the electric and I had two batteries unused from yesterday. The first flight was good but a tad slow. I tweaked the power pot and installed the last battery. Just as I finished the square eights the battery left the plane. During the construction of the model I was in my usual hurry and glued the battery tray facing the outside of the circle. The flight loads were trying to detach the battery on all the previous flights but this one succeeded. At home I got the chance to use the spare hacksaw blade to cut the battery tray side out and glue a new side on the proper side. New Velcro straps and some white paint and it's ready to fly again.
  I've had lots of good things happen when I install a nose landing gear on my profile planes. The Pathfinder was designed for three wheels but I scratch built this one with two. I put the third one on last week and flew it yesterday, Saturday. Nice and stable just like the others. I used two smaller batteries on it yesterday and had two bigger batteries left from the P-40-B that didn't fly right. That's why I used the bigger ones. Anyway they aren't going anywhere now.
  I had to send the second wrong fuel tank back to the store as they sent the same number that was the wrong one in the first place. The right one may be here Monday along with my balsa order.

Project.

I started sketching a plane and then drew something else on the glass table. It started out to be another profile but that got changed to a full fuselage plane. I dug out the plans for the Nomad/Legacy and found two sheets of rib templates. I ordered some balsa and cut the ribs out of some wood I had left over. They are installed in the jig waiting for some 1/4 sq. sticks. Brodak is sending me some parts I don't have for the wing.  I plan to use one of the .52's in this one.
  I found some cassette tapes and found a player. I forgot all about them. I've been listening for a couple hours instead of 50's on 5 XM.

It worked.

I got to the park at 0700 and the grass had been cut yesterday. First up was the Wildcat and the modified needle. It worked a lot more like I'm used to. It's a winner. Then the nose wheel Nomad. It is a bit more stable with no reduction in performance. I got in a full flight with it and I like it. It needs a cover like the main gear.

Adding to success.

I went to the park this morning but the mower was mowing in the spots where I fly. All three of them. I poked around trying to find the glow plug that blew out of the engine but didn't come up with it.
  As I was doodling a side view of a model I drew a nose wheel on it. Then it occurred to me that the newest Nomad was prime for a nose wheel conversion. I've had good results adding nose wheels to other models so why not. After a bit of measuring and bending and drilling the new nose wheel was installed. I had to remove the main gear and switch it side to side as it's bent forward and now it's bent aft allowing the plane to sit on three wheels. I'll give it a try in the morning. The scratch built electric powered Pathfinder should be a three wheel plane but I made it a tail dragger instead. If this works out with the Nomad I'll put a nose wheel on it also.

It's much better.

I waited a day before trying the Wildcat. It flew much better. I was able to get in a full pattern finally.
I removed the needle valve assembly from the Wildcat engine and installed one of the new ones that I don't like. I had cut the needle shorter and tapered the tip a bit. I ran it at home and it held a steady rpm so I'll try it in the air soon. If that works out I'll shorten another the one on the ASP engine.

Cut and paste.

I installed the new carb. on the little tiller and got it running. The gas tank had crap in it and the fuel lines were clogged. The carb. came with new lines. For some reason the old lines had a smaller line inside. That smaller line was bent and twisted. The fuel filter was full of dirt and I cleaned it out and re used it. The new lines went on without the smaller lines and when I pushed the primer bulb fuel showed up. 4 pulls on the starter cord and it started and kept running until I shut it off. I tilled  the dirt where the vines were and it did a good job for what it is.
  I went to the park with the Wildcat and got in two short flights. Working on the stabilizer helped but still not good enough for a contest. I got the plans out and started cutting the stab. out and making a place for it where the plans say it should go. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

A find, maybe.

We went to the park this morning and I flew the Shark and the metal tank. It worked very well and held more than enough fuel.
  The Wildcat I built a few months ago has a problem on some corners. It will stall and fall out of the air coming close to crashing. One of the guys noticed the push rod was floppy so I added a stiffener but that only helped a little bit. Today I took it down and checked the alignment of the wing to the stabilizer. It was off. I considered cutting the stab out and setting it level with the wing for a while. I dove into it and cut the stab loose and sanded some clearance so I could shim it to where it needs to be. Anyway I got it where it should be and the fillet stuff is curing and I need to paint the repair area in a day or so.
  In one far corner of the property some of the neighbor's ground cover plants have migrated through the fence and covered a small area. I tried weed killer from Tractor Supply to no avail. Round Up didn't do anything either. I ended up covering the patch to keep out any sunlight which killed the patch. I went in and ripped out most of the vines and roots cutting the branches that went through the fence. I used a potato digger/clam rake to get more roots out and when the new carb. for the tiny tiller comes in I'll really chew the ground up. If it has enough power.The area there will be a good spot for a tiny raised bed garden which is what was there in the first place.

A miss and a hit.

The door locks to the new shed/garage and the house have locks that are upside down. The key is inserted with the teeth pointing down. That isn't right. The other locks are reversed and the key is inserted with the teeth pointing up. This way dirt won't fall into the pins that the key meshes with to turn the lock. Having gone to locksmith school and worked at the trade for a few years the upside down locks have been bugging me since we moved in. I had an extra lock set that was on the old shed door. The key for that got lost and we never got it. I had to remove a window and reach in and unlock the door. I made a new door later on and the lock set sat on the floor since. I checked it this morning and it's the same brand as the others, Kwikset, so I could use it for parts. One of the doors has been easy to open after locking it simply by turning the know a few times. I figured I could use the shed lock set to replace that one and turn the lock around so the lock would be in the right orientation. I got the lock removed from the spare set and removed the bad set and removed the lock from it and put it in the shed lock set right side up. That set was right side up to begin with but needed a better unit. Now I have a working door lock on the door. I attacked the new shed/garage lock and took it apart and turned the lock cylinder 180 degrees and reinstalled it. Then I did the same with the house door lock. I'm happy now.
  Because of the locksmithing I missed the temperature window and didn't get to go flying. I removed the 4 ounce plastic tank from the Shark and put a metal 5 ounce tank on. I wanted to try it as the 4 ounce tank didn't hold enough fuel. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

I can't explain it.

I flew the 665 with the new nose wheel this morning and it was more stable than ever. Somehow the nose wheel stabilized the plane in flight a noticeable amount. I had something similar happen several years ago when I put larger wheels on a plane so it's not uncommon. The plane landed as well as it had before but tended to tip onto the tail when the tank was empty. I bent the main gear some and now it stays on the nose wheel.

A nose wheel.

The Shark 665 has always tipped up on it's nose when landing on grass. When I built the wing I put the landing gear behind the spar instead if in front of it. That makes it nose heavy on landing. Today I finally put the fix to it with a nose wheel. The original Shark 560 was designed for three wheels but I took the nose wheel off and went with just main gear. After crashing the Shark 610 and building a new fuselage I installed fuselage mounted aluminum landing gear and that is working very well as it's located at the wing leading edge. This will be the first time it flys with the nose wheel and should stay upright on landing.
  Flying in the morning has one problem, the grass is wet and my shoes get wet and so my feet. I ordered a pair of rubbers that are small enough that I can wear them as shoes. I got a pair of flip flops big enough to fill the inside of the rubbers and trimmed them to fit. The flips act as an insert and cushion and fill the space so I can walk without the rubbers flopping  around.

Finally got some.

I spotted an ad on a forum for parts that fit my Evo .60 engine. It's not being made anymore so parts are hard to come by. They arrived yesterday and I found the spray bar would fit the ASP .52 so I swapped it with the one I got from the machine shop that made the venturi for it. I'll give it a test flight in the morning.
   I built a plane a few years ago and it wouldn't fly right. I put it aside for a while and tried it again with the same results. I put it aside again and yesterday I installed an engine and set the controls to level. I flew it this morning and it flew quite well. I'll try it again in the morning. I may have to refinish it some day.
  My son sent the transmission from the SRT-10 Ram to be rebuilt and he has been collecting new parts to put it back in the truck. Yesterday he got the rear main seal, new flywheel, clutch disc and pressure plate installed. By the time I arrived it was time to put the transmission in. Using a floor jack to support it we guided it into place. After everything was bolted into place he started the engine and shifted into gear a few times and took it for a test ride. To the beer store. This particular truck has the V-10 engine from the Viper in it. Dodge made them for three years, 04, 05, 06.

A success and a few "Oh Shit" moments.

I got in two short flights with the Evo .52 powered P-39 this morning. The engine pulled the plane nicely and ran well doing it. I may change propellers next time out.
  Now for the news. In today's paper here in southern Louisiana there are some stories that caught my attention. One from eastern Massachusetts about road rage. A woman jumped out of her car ripped off her top and attacked another motorist brandishing a knife. Too bad the other motorist was an off duty policeman.  A teacher from Oklahoma did a cartwheel, wearing a long skirt that wasn't long enough, in front of a "choir" class. It seems she forgot she wasn't wearing any under ware. She can't teach for two years, indecent exposure, but she doesn't have register as a sex offender. A Connecticut man got two years for cutting a pet fish in half during a domestic argument. You can't make this stuff up.

Another change.

I got in some flights at the park this morning and kept an eye out for the bird. I heard his call a few times but he must have been shut in.
   I've been going to swap the ASP for the Evo .52 and today I figured out how to accomplish that without swapping. I've been looking at some of the other profiles I have and decided on using the P-39. I've had it for a while now and it's been flying well with the OS .46LA engine. I had to pare some wood off the motor mounts as the Evo is a lot wider than the O.S. engine. To help I made up some mounts that the engine would bolt to and then the mounts would bolt to the plane. It took a few hours but I got it done in time for tomorrow. It sticks out a half inch more than the O.S. but that shouldn't hurt things too much. I may need longer lines. I hope the grass got cut today.

A friend in need is a bird brain.

https://youtu.be/eJiD0301Zq8

We went to the town of Livingston to check out their parks for a flying site. No good. Then we went to North Park and walked around there for a while before checking with officials. They said we could fly in the driving range or ball fields but he didn't tell us that. Then we went to South Park where I usually fly to check and see if the grass was cut. Nope. I brought out the plane anyway and got in two short flights to check the engine run. It seemed to be running properly so i was getting ready to put up a full flight when I saw the Pea standing next to me. I was surprised he would come that close. It took a lot of persuading but I finally got him behind a fence so I could get the flight in. AS soon as I landed he came over to the plane again checking it out intently. I walked to the truck and he followed me and then wouldn't let me leave. We had to corral him behind the truck and speed away. I put some seeds in my box for our next meeting.
  The ASP ran very well with a different glow plug and the normal needle valve assembly on 2% nitro home brew. 4 ounces gave me 15 laps after the clover.

Back to where it was.

I got in 3 short flights this morning. Enough to see that the remote needle valve set up wasn't going to work. At home I removed all the stuff and put the original stuff back on. Some ground runs to get the rpm's in tune and it's ready to go. I tried 3 other glow plugs during the test and found one that worked a lot better than the others. That should help it a lot. When I'm satisfied with the way the ASP runs I'll change it out for the Evo .52.

Trying to improve the ASP .52.

The ASP is designed for r/c use and came with a carburetor and a remote needle valve bolted to the back of the engine so new people wouldn't be so apt to get their fingers in the propeller. Control line engines only use a venturi and a neeedle valve. I bought a needle valve from the guy that made the venturi for the engine and it doesn't work like I think it should. I tried to put a different style valve in but they are too short. I figured that I could use the original remote needle valve and another brand spray bar, that passes through the venturi and puts the fuel into the engine. The bottom picture shows the O.S. remote set up that comes on the LA series of engines and the longer one is an O.S. needle valve that is of a normal design that fits through the venturi and is long enough for what I'm trying to do. It has a hole all the way through the spray bar and that needs to be closed off and a new fuel exit hole drilled so it's in the center of the new venturi. The center picture shows the soldered up end of the spray bar and how close it is to not being long enough. The top photo shows the remote needle valve installed pointing up so I can get to it easily. The engine is mounted on the side of a profile plane which is the normal way to mount an engine on this type of plane.  I went to the park this morning and flew the new set up and it worked pretty good. The engine didn't like drawing the fuel over the top of the engine but ran well once it did. It started kinda hard because of that. Once home I turned the set up around so  it's at the same level as the fuel tank. Now the needle is under the engine and near the muffler. I had to make some changes to the extension that's in the needle, visible in the top photo. I ran it and got the rpm's in the ball park and made final adjustments to the extension so there is some travel for adjustment of the rpm. I may have to go to a smaller muffler, time will tell. I also changed propellers so the engine could run at a higher rpm and not fly the plane too fast. It's not a control line engine and should run faster. We will see.
After some thought I removed the stock muffler and installed a tongue muffler and added one .010 head shim as the compression is pretty high. I made a bit longer needle extension while I was at it. The needle is a lot easier to get to now. I ran the engine and re set the rpm's for the new set up. Flight test in the morning weather permitting.