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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 12:20:25 AM   
gjmjoe017



Posts: 424
Joined: 11/13/2002
From: Chesterfield, MO, USA
Status: offline 		No way man!All Bulldogs are gorgeous!!!I look forward to seeing them side by side.I told Mike,my buddy doing the work on mine,I wish Jim could have seen it,and we both agreed he can and I'll bet he likes everyone of these we do!
Joe

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 1:45:50 AM   
timothy thompson


 

Posts: 2761
Joined: 6/19/2004
From: saginaw, MI, USA
Status: offline 		how does jims wife feel about the models . I know when harry Tope went in his P-51 she requested no moidels be made of his aircraft.

i would take it as an honor if I was jims wife. He was loved

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 1:50:51 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Joanie is being very open and encouraging about such things, Tim. Through several different channels, many of us have heard that she's excited to see Jim's memory kept alive, and she hopes Tommy will frequently have an opportunity to see a model of the Bulldog and say "That was my Dad's plane".

To be honest, I think several of us had wondered the same thing. I know I've talked to others who felt, as I did, that she might well decide that since an airshow accident is what took Jim's life, she wanted no reminders. And, to be honest, I don't think any of us would have blamed her had she felt that way.

But, as I say, by all reports it appears that she sees the models...and future models as well...as opportunities to remind all of us of a good friend and great pilot.

_____________________________

The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 2:06:08 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Just thought I'd toss up a shot of the Bulldog with her new wheel pants...they really set things off, imo.



====================

Weather permitting, hoping to fly her again tomorrow, and start getting comfy with things.

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The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 2:08:36 AM   
gjmjoe017



Posts: 424
Joined: 11/13/2002
From: Chesterfield, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Well said Gordon.Jim was very involved in my Bulldog II Project and really helped a lot.He helped me get the graphics and sent us pics of himself so we could make the pilot bust you see in my Bulldog II.Joanie knew he got a big kick out of the RC Models of his Bulldog and has said to keep them coming and keep his memory alive.I had mixed emotions about it after the accident,but then really had the urge to finish the plane as a tribute to Jim and his family.
Joe McCullar

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 3:16:41 AM   
flyjay77


 

Posts: 132
Joined: 1/18/2006
From: McLeansboro, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Wow , reading all of this about the memory of Jim and all the models that people are building have broght tears to the eye . working on the little foamie of the bulldog I get such a feeling , having worked with Jim and being so close to the plane , every peice I put together brings me closer to the memoryof what Jim ment to all of us . I was flying with Jim Lasendorf yesterday with his 46% bulldog , I know we are going to have 4 and maybe up to 8 models of all sizes of bulldogs at the Jim Leroy memorial fly in comming up in a few weeks, cant wait to take a photo with all of them together and pay tribute to a wonderful life Jim lived .

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 8:06:28 PM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Took her out today, and wow...an even better experience than the maiden. Still have some tweaking/fixing/adjusting to do, but she's sure getting there.

All the "repairs" from earlier seem to have done the trick. Good solid wing mounts, elevator was solid and responsive, flying wires all stayed put, etc etc. Only minor issue was I lost the left wheel pant (my own mistake...I took a shot that the "easy" method of mounting them would be ok...it wasn't *heh*) but we found the wheel pant, no damage to it, so it's all good. Will just have to go ahead and spend the time and hassle to mount them "right".

Plane definitely noticed the change n the CG as well. While it was certainly "flyable" before, it really wanted to handle better today. I never did recheck to see where the CG is now, as I figured it's really kinda pointless to know...at least until I'm convinced it's where it needs to be. I'd say, at this point, that it's about as far back as it needs to be for any sort of comfortable regular flying. If I can find a way to move it another 1/2" or so, I think it'll be just about dead on.

Also decided to start putting it through some very basic aerobatics today. Couple of stall turns, some inverted flight, rolls, loops. There is absolutely NO question that this thing is "its father's son" so to speak. It wants to go FAST, and it wants to dart, twist, turn, tumble, jump, hop, and bounce while it's doing it. Don't take that wrong...it's not a bad airplane to fly, far from it...but it ABSOLUTELY gets bored with flying around in circles. In short, it is what it is...a HIGHLY responsive, short coupled, unstable little aerobatic biplane. *heh*

At this point, the only thing I'm not REAL pleased with just yet is the power. It's certainly not "under powered" by any means, but I'd be happier if uplines had a touch more authority. Of course, the G-62 IS quite new (it doesn't even have a full tank through it yet I'd wager) and some of that will come as it breaks in, I'm sure.

All things considered, I'm just tickled to death with things to this point. Certainly, it's really starting to come together, and I think now I can begin the process of really flying her and starting to get comfortable. I don't know that I'll be ready to show off come this weekend at the fun scale event, but when I head up to Jayson's fly-in in october, I think we'll be ready to have quite a bit of fun.

_____________________________

The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/10/2007 11:08:34 PM   
Richard D Bahmann aka/Wrongway



Posts: 2078
Joined: 1/7/2004
From: Ormond Beach, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Great flight report Gordon. Look for the G-62 to start coming alive after a few gallons. Mine took a couple of gallons to come alive and after about 8 it reached its peak.

How is your 62 on idle? Mine shakes the plane quite a bit and I run an idle up for flight to keep it in the "No shake Zone."

RDB

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To go where no man has gone before...without government permission. In 1938 Wrong Way Corrigan becomes an American Hero.

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/11/2007 12:35:14 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: rdb127
Great flight report Gordon. Look for the G-62 to start coming alive after a few gallons. Mine took a couple of gallons to come alive and after about 8 it reached its peak.

How is your 62 on idle? Mine shakes the plane quite a bit and I run an idle up for flight to keep it in the "No shake Zone."


Yep...not my first G-62 either....so yeah, I'm looking for it to pep up a bit after a few gallons. That's why I'm not rushing out to buy another motor just yet. *heh*

As for your other question...I'm VERY pleasantly surprised with this one. My other G-62 shook the living bejeezus out of the PW Extra at idle....I as well would run up the idle a bit just to dampen some of the vibration.

This one, however, hardly shakes the plane at all, in comparison with half or full throttle. Doesn't seem to really matter where the throttle is, "shake" is just about the same. Apparently i just got my hands on a "kinder, gentler" G-62.

Or, of course, we can chalk it up to my expert vibration-dampening building techniques.



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The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman
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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/12/2007 2:54:59 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Today was "the day".

Made the minor repair/rework to the wheel pants, and headed out to the field. Started feeling comfortable about halfway through flight one, and started "feeling things out".

Then the 2nd flight. Really started horsing the old girl around like...well..like a Pitts. And "it" happened. That moment I guess every single scratch builder gets...when you realize "I've done it. This IS THE PLANE I set out to build."

I'll tell ya guys...I dang near teared up.

Thankfully, Tom was there with my camera (Thanks again, man...a million thanks) and got some FANTASTIC pictures...a few of which I'll share here. The rest may be found on my photo site.









Somehow, it seems appropriate to me that "the day" just happened to be on 9/11. *heh*

===========================================

Only remaining "issues"...got a cowl screw that's wallowing out a bit, so I'll need to do a bit of reinforcement there. No biggie at all.

And, of course, the two bladed prop and silver spinner "just ain't right". I'll have another couple tri-blades on the way from Bob's soon, and get 'em painted up. Top it all off with the pilot bust that should be here next week, and viola!



< Message edited by gboulton -- 9/12/2007 2:56:54 AM >

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The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/12/2007 3:05:13 AM   
gjmjoe017



Posts: 424
Joined: 11/13/2002
From: Chesterfield, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Well done my Bulldog Brother!!!Looks awsome.You had to be having a blast.As I told you earlier,I will be glad when I get to this point with mine and I can fly it like a Pitts is suppose to be flown!I'm sure Jim is up there with a great big grin on his face!!

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/12/2007 3:16:46 AM   
gboulton



Posts: 1862
Joined: 5/28/2005
From: La Vergne, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks, Joe.

Hey...ya think we oughta do that? there's a "Waco Brotherhood" and a "Saito Brotherhood" and a few others running around on here.

Maybe we need a "Bulldog Brotherhood"! Whadya think?

_____________________________

The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country. - Milton Friedman

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RE: Jim LeRoy Pitts Bulldog - Scratch Bu... - 9/12/2007 3:21:26 AM   
Randy M.


 

Posts: 831
Joined: 1/14/2002
From: Nashville, TN,
Status: online 		NICE!!

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Silence is golden,,, but duct tape is silver.

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