Ready for a first flight.

The plane in the previous post has been set up for a test flight. I'm leaving the canopy off for now os I can get at the controls to make any needed adjustments. I was using the engine, an Evo .60 that I got at the estate sale, on the Nomad 4 to get some run time on it. I removed it and installed it into the new plane along with a plastic fuel tank of 6 ounce capacity. Plastic tanks are plumbed differently from a metal tank. Metal tanks have the pick up tube soldered into position and need to be a bit over half full to start on the ground. That may be way too much run time if the plane is flying poorly. Plastic tanks have a "clunk" at the end of some silicone fuel tubing that follows the fuel around and will pick up the last drop without being in the air. I can put one ounce is a six ounce tank and get a short flight to see how it handles before putting in several ounces. The field has some standing water all around and I have to take that into consideration.
  I found a new home for the Stalker .51 that I got at the estate sale and put in the Nomad 3 that crashed. I have 3 planes that are on the large side for the .46 engines that I have in them. One is a scratch built Legacy 40. I removed the .46 and installed the .51. I got in a couple flights yesterday with it and the performance is better with the more powerful engine. Another of the 3 planes is the one I fly in the Classic event the "Gypsy". The Dallas contest is next month so I need to get that swap going. The third is the Mo'Best. It's a profile and will be the easiest one to convert.
  The contest here is on track but the date I was forced into isn't the best as there are contests too close for comfort. Even though they are far away they are more prestigious. I have to double check with the park folks and see if the carnival is on when we figured it would be. If not I'll change dates.

More thinning the herd.

I tried a trimming tip that should make the plane fly through wind without ballooning. Removing a bit of weight from the wing tip weight box. It worked so I did it again and that proved to be too much. I lost too much line tension overhead and the plane crashed. Lesson learned.
  I installed the new engine, that is to be installed in the new build, in the Nomad 4. I built that plane for the same engine. This way I can get the engine some run time before putting it in the new plane. I tried the same trimming tip on the Nomad and it helped so I took a bit more out of the weight box. I'll wait for a calm day this time to test the change.
  I sprayed the final trim color on the new plane this morning. On the under side of the wing, just to break up the white background. It's supposed to rain for several days so the paint will get time to cure.  I still have the Legacy kit I got from the estate sale to go.

Trials and troubles.

I fuel proofed the fuselage on the ARF Vector. It got painted with the same scheme it had with the iron on covering. I took pains to get the controls right before sealing the plane up for the last time. It didn't fly right. I tried a lot of things but nothing helped. I sealed the hinge gaps as one fix. It made a big difference in the way it flew but didn't cure the main problem. After shortening one of the lines an inch I discovered that the elevator wasn't aligned properly with the flaps. The fuselage has holes where the elevator horn is so you can get at it to make adjustments.  It took several turns of the ball link to get the controls in the proper place. I made adjustments to the lines to get them the same length again.This made all the bad things go away. The plane is fun to fly now. I started on the other plane I got at the estate sale. This one is larger than the Vector and came without covering. I've been fuel proofing the nose all week and today I put some covering on the fuselage and fiberglass cloth on the nose. After I'm happy with it it will be time to install the flying surfaces, cover them and paint the plane.
  Last weekend I found out that the estate sale will be on again Dec. 8. I am thinking of getting some kits for the contest as awards or raffle.

First full flight.

Yesterday I flew at the field in Zachary. The Nomad 11 and the Mandarin. The Stalker engine in the Nomad ran very well after trying different props. The Evo .60 in the Mandarin ran well also but I had sealed the gaps in the control surfaces which made a big difference in the way it turned. I also changed the lines from 63 feet to 65 feet. This morning I went to the local park with both planes. I had installed a muffler from another engine and a lighter wood prop. Both worked very well. I had timed the Mandarin on 2 ounces of fuel yesterday and got 3 minutes. So today I filled the tank with 4.25 ounces and got in the full pattern of maneuvers with a few laps left over for safety's sake. That engine in the Nomad 4 used the same amount of fuel which I figured it would. This weekends weather is perfect for flying.

Things are happening.

Last Saturday I went to the Zachary field with the intention of moving the good trailer out of the way of the second circle. We hooked up a chain fall to the trailer but the tires had deflated and sunk into the ground over the years. It wouldn't move. Luckily someone with a Kubota tractor happened by and helped us move it out of the way. It was all the tractor could handle. I measured from the other circle and established the location for the new circle and put a marker at the spot. I got in a flight from the new circle and headed for home.
  On Wednesday I got a call about Allan's family selling off what they could of his hobby stuff. I bought two ARF's and two engines. I put one of the engines on the Nomad 11. I'll try to get it flying tomorrow.
  I stripped the covering off one of the ARF's and set about sealing the wood from oil penetration. I sprayed the first color, white, today and will have to wait for it to cure before spraying the red and black. Those colors are placed such that I can do them almost at the same time.
  I got an email from the AMA confirming the dates for the March contest here at South Park. I measured the field there for two circles. I have all the stuff from the smashed trailer so I don't have to go and get it when the time comes.

A blessing in disguise.

On Monday morning November 5 2018 I went to the Zachary field and saw the damage to the clubs storage trailer. The pecan tree that was between the two trailers was rotten to the core and in a storm it came down right on top of the trailer. Dead center. After hooking a chain to the framework and pulling with my truck several times and locations we were able to get at the goodies inside.
  Now with the tree out of the way there is enough room for another "unobstructed" circle.

More great compliments.

At the El Dorado contest this past weekend I brought the Nomad 5 and the Legacy 40. I had found the controls loose in the Hound Dog and didn't figure out how to fix them early enough to test fly. I had to cut a hole in the top of the fuselage and another in the bottom to get at the bell crank to tighten things up. Now I have to fill and sand and touch up paint the holes.
 At the contest on Saturday I flew the Nomad in windy conditions and along with the person that borrowed my plans were several others that live in Texas. Very high quality flyers and builders plus engine makers. I guess they all watched me fly the Nomad and got highly impressed the way the plane flew and handled the wind. The engine maker said I have an "engine run to die for". Very high praise indeed. All the others gave me lots of compliments on the way the plane flys. I got third place in the profile event.
  We didn't hang around long after flying and went to eat. Upon arriving Sunday morning I was handed the third place plaque and the Pilot's Choice award for the Nomad.It's one award that I never expected to get. My building and finishing skills are average at best but the way the plane flys is what won me the award.
 It is the 5th plane I built of that design and the three profile planes of that size all fly about the same.  Number 5 has a half inch shorter nose that numbers one and two.