New version of the Mo' Best.

The insurance did send the insurance cards. My computer blocked their email somehow. I managed to find it and get the copies. I'm still fighting with the electic company, DEMCO. I'm getting return envelopes with different return zip codes. I plan to bring my next payment in person and find out what is going on. The BBB helped straighten out their double billing. On the forum there was a post about a new kit from Brodak of the Mo' Best. The price was under $200.00 so I ordered one. Two days later the price went up to $250.00. I built one several years ago from another cottage kit producer and it was very nicely done. Tab A in slot B kinda thing. I was oping the Brodak version would be close to that. I compared the plans for both kits and found them almost exactly the same. I have the wing almost done. I'm shaping the wing tips and that takes a lot of sanding and then hollowing. I bought a electric motor mount last year aand plan to use an electric motor on this one. It's slow going as the fence repairs have made my hands quite sore and sanding makes them worse. I did get some flying in at South Park. The grass was a bit long but not long enough to cause a problem.

South Park is open.

I had looked at the park in Walker last week and it was not usable. I tried again this morning and it was open so I got in 3 flights. The first in three weeks. When we got home I went to the bank, the parts store for some oil and a filter, South Park and found it open( they had lost a lot of big trees)

and then to the gracery store. I changed the oil in the El Camino and washed it. The dust has made the paint dull and it needs some polishing. The Holley carb. is working well on the engine. I called the insurance and told them to put the El Camino back on the policy. They didn't send the new proof of insurance so it has to sit a bit longer.

Hurricane aftermath.

I thought I had the fence finished. All the broken boards replaced, the posts cemented in, new 2 x 4's here and there and the mess cleaned up. I am planning on bracing the fence for the next go around and was walking the fence line counting the amount of braces I will need when I saw another 4 x 4 post leaning. I wiggled it and it is broken also. It's too far to reach with a cable and pull the remains out so I started to dig two new post holes, one on either side of the broken post. The problem is the posts are in a 4 inch deep puddle. I managed to get one hole dug and a temp. post installed to keep it from filling back in. It probably be a week or so until I can finish this latest fix. I contacted Lee Machine Shop to make two venturis for the two Evo .52's. He had made the one for the first .52 but didn't keep that info so we went over it again. I got the prototype and test ran the engine. I called Jim and ordered the other one. I may have to go to the park in Walker to fly if the local park isn't open soon. I finally got to see the graphics for the Navion. Right size but wrong font. I called and gave her tieh name of the right font so that sould be in soon.

Found another Evo .52.

A friend that gave me the used .52 told me about another one on Ebay. I bought it. It seems to be in good shape after a test run to get the oil out of it. I called Lee Machine Shop for a venturi to convert the engine to control line use. I have a venturi for the .60 size engine in the first used .52 and then measured the venturi I had made for the first .52 I bought new and it is smaller. So i'm having two made as the first one runs very well. A plus on the Ebay engine. I was needing a Higley Heavy Hub to balance the Pathfinder better and was planning on getting one at the hobby shop. The Ebay engine had one on the nose. I have extra pro washers and nuts so that's not a problem. The enginea also came with a muffler. I bolted it on and noticed it is from an O.S. engine. It fits and it works plus I have other Evo mufflers on the shelf if needed. The hurricane put a stop on my flying as the park is used for staging of power crews. There are trees down and hopefully the soccer goals have been severly damaged. I had a tree down and about 50 feet of fence down also. I have the tree cleaned up and the new fence 4 x 4 uprights installed. I need to remove stuff that's in the way before I can put the fence back up. I may need help on that one. I checked out the park this morning. lots of trees down and cut up already. The grass hasn't been mowed yet. The soccer goals are not in sight. I probably will take a mower to the park and cut a place to fly. I did that several years ago.

More changes to the Pathfinder.

I built the plane for the Stalker .51. That proved to be a poor combination. I installed an Evolution .60 and that was a lot better. Then I got an Evo .52 and put that on the nose. It worked well also. That .52 went into the new Legacy 40 so I put a well used second .52 on it. Then back to the .60. I started having fuel tank problems and prop clearance issues and finally gave up using the larger Evo engines and went back to the LA .46. I had to use a stock muffler, a one ounce spinner nut and a plastic spinner to get the balance close to right. It does fly as well as it did. I installed drag strips on the tail and now it's very competitive. My son told me about a friend that cuts vinyl graphics. I'm having her cut some for the Navion. I found a picture of one that has "US ARMY" in large letters across the right wing. Almost full span top and bottom. That should cover a few of my mistakes. So I'm having her make some for the plane.

First flight on the second Legacy 40.

I finally finished painting the plane and used a 2 part clear coat. The usual butyrate clear dope didn't act right and got put aside. I've been looking for another Evolution .52 engine for the Legacy but no luck. I took one of the Evolution .60's I have and put it in but it didn't fit quite right. I removed the .52 from the Ringmaster Excel and put that in the Legacy. I had built it using this engine so It's only proper to use it for flying. I went to the park early and got in 3 flights with the Cardinal then brought the Legacy out. The engine fired right up and flew quite well. I had to hole up control because I didn't notice that the handle and lines I used had different size clips. I dug out another set of lines and evend things up for the next go at it. One of the club members hs a Evo .52 that was given to him so he gave it to me. I ran it on the test stand and installed it in the Ringmaster. I may have to get new bearings for it. I'll take both planes to the park next time out.

Got tired of looking at it.

After many flights on the P40-Q profile plane and getting less appearance points because ,I believe, it had monokote film on the wings and tail I stripped the film and paint off the plane. I them made some changes to the fuselage and tail to make it look like an Navion that was used by the military after WW 2 and into Korea. I have some graphics coming from Major Decal and I'm working on others from a cottage cutter. After I get those installed and the weather dries up a lot it will be time for the clear coats.