Thinning the herd.

A day or so after the picture in the last post was taken I was flying that plane and directly overhead the engine stopped. I couldn't run fast enough to get the lines tight enough to regain control and the plane hit straight down. I salvaged the hardware and the engine is OK. I did a post crash inspection of the engine and fuel system and found that there was fuel left in the tank. Then I noticed that the clunk at the end of the fuel pick up tube had fallen off and was rolling around the tank. That is a first. I've had the tube fall off the pipe to the outside but this is the first time the clunk has come off.
I brought out the P-40B I got from the school and started flying it so I can take it to the contest.
 I started building another plane in the mean time. I'm using a foam wing and stab. on this one.

Cooler in the morning.

If I get to the park at 0700 I can get in maybe 2 flights before it get too hot. Yesterday and today the temp was below 75 at 0700 not 80 as it has been.
 We got there early and I got in 2 flights each with the P-39 and the Nomad 5. I had changed engines on the P-39 again. I put the LA .46 back on removing the EVO .52. It was a wise decision as it now turns a lot better with the lighter engine. I also put shorter lines on it. That will let me fly a bit slower and  that will let it turn tighter corners too.
  I'm not happy with the Gypsy after refinishing the plane so I won't bring it to the contest next weekend. Only the Tn Hound Dog, the P-39 and the Nomad5 will make the trip. When I get the Super Chief flying the way I want I can use it in 3 events.

This is a telephoto shot as the building is at least 500 feet away.

First flight.

We went to the park on the 11th. I took the Super Chief and the Nomad 1. I flew the Nomad first and then the Chief. It was a long trail as the clear coats attacked the yellow paint ruining the finish. I removed the covering and put some more of the same covering on and this time I didn't use any clear on it.  That held things up a couple weeks. The engine, a McCoy .35 was given to me sometime in the 80's and had never been run. I had run it a few times during those years and just before installing it in the plane. I got it started and it was running a bit slow and barely got off the ground. It flew quite well even though it was a bit slow. On the second flight I set the engine for a faster run and got in a 5 minute flight. I did several of the pattern maneuvers but nothing overhead. I should be able to get in a full flight next time out.
  I am building a smaller version of the Chief to be used a s wall art in the house. The other planes that could be used are too large. The "Squaw" is almost up to paint. It won't be a flyable model.

Long before and after.

I started painting the Gypsy after finishing the Super Chief. I didn't use iron on covering like I always do as I had some heat shrinkable covering that needs to be painted. It applies like silkspan paper but with a little heat it shrinks pretty tight. I used Poly Crylic instead of dope to adhere the stuff to the plane. I weighed it before and after and it only gained an ounce. I did a little repair work but not an ounce worth.
  We went to the park this morning and the gate was still locked. It's supposed to open at 0700. I think the new propellers are causing problems with my Nomad and wanted to fly it with the APC that I swapped out. No chance so we came home.
I found a picture of the Gypsy loaded into the pickup for the trip from Moosup to Denham Springs in Dec. 2015. It got a rub mark on the cowl in front of the canopy on the trip. It was in pretty raggedy shape and in need of refinishing. Using iron on covering again with the flaps and elevators attached is very hard to do and that's why I used the other stuff and paint. I had a slightly smaller Gypsy decal left over from the kit.

Nearing the finish line.

I put the Chief together for the final time today. I had to make clearance for the muffler in the top block so that needs a bit of touch up paint. Before the clear coat and tip weight it's at 42.6 ounces.

More tests and changes.

I replaced the APC 11.5 x 4 prop and put one of new propellers on the Nomad. I couldn't see any difference in the way the plane flew. Same rpm same amount of fuel same everything except cost. The new props are $2.79 more expensive than the APC. The only other difference is weight. The APC is 0.2 ounces heavier. Today I replaced a wood 12 x 6 BY&O prop with a 12.5 x 5.5 Yoshioka plastic prop. Again very little difference. The wood prop is $1.00 cheaper on this size. I have flown the plane with APC props and they perform well and are cheaper still.  I do have some new control line coming. It's made in Ukraine.
  After several designs and colors I threw them all out and went with pre WW-2 color scheme. Bright yellow wings and tail and Bright blue fuselage. One of the planes depicted on the plans has a scheme similar to this. I got the yellow on and probably tomorrow I'll mask it and spray the blue.
 On the way to the park this morning I saw an accident. A Jeep, CJ type, was in the right travel lane on it's roll cage roof. That stretch of road doesn't have ditches and I didn't see another car with damage. The only thing missing was the ditch and fire.

Beginning of the end.

I've been in the market for a pilot figure for the Chief. Today I got some new propellers from Brodak and was checking the balance on one of them when I spotted a pilot figure on the shelf from the crashed Strega. After some sanding and balsa cutting I had it fitting under the canopy I painted the under canopy area and glued in the pilot figure. I have a color scheme penciled on the plane and the paint ready to spray. The original was all red so this one will be red with black and white trim.
  Many years ago at a contest at Quonset Point RI I bought a propeller from a vendor and tried it on my plane. There was a visible improvement in the planes performance. I used that prop for a long time. I couldn't find any other of that brand anywhere. I've read of the same brand prop being spoken of highly on the forums and still none to be had. A copy was being made but that too was hard to come by. A week ago there was a post that the original brand was available in sizes that are usable for control line planes. I ordered 6 props from Brodak last week and they came in  today. I want to try them very soon but we are going out for breakfast in the morning and wont be home until noon. Maybe the weather will cooperate.
  I also changed the pixels on my camera and this is the first picture using it. I'm led to believe that after reducing the picture so it will fit on the forums that it will enlarge more. We will see. This isn't reduced so it will blow up a lot.