Now don't all you Venture fans jump at once - this is the third Venture 60 I've built and I loved them all. The first one was a victum of elevator flutter and while pulling a big, fast loop did a "Figure 9" for which crash I actually won an award! The second was the result of my stupidity when I installed a Fuel Button and didn't sand the end of the brass tube from the gas tank. Constant pulling on the silicone tubing with the fuel button eventually cut the tubing on the sharp brass tube at the tank and filled the plane with fuel. I thought the gas that dripped out the bottom was overflow from the muffler, but when I rolled the aircraft upside down to perform a maneuver the gas shorted out my switch and I lost the radio as well as my second Venture!! This is the third (with one repair in between) and after following the Damifino Venture 60 thread I decided to do a little re-designing as well.
I took his idea of raising the foredeck a little higher and since I had already cowled my previous model, did the same again. I moved the dash back 1 1/2" to make the rather large cockpit smaller, but left the rear cockpit former in its original place. I was able to repair the wing as only a 1/2 panel was smashed and while doing so, installed retracts. Since the regular gear attaches to the fuse, I can always switch if the retracts are a bad idea and just cover over the wheel holes. I have a canopy left over from a Goldberg Super Chipmunk and it has alway seemed to me that the tiny pilot I was able to put in the Venture was too small. With the Chipmunk canopy I could put in a bigger pilot and things seem to fall into line "scalewise". Sort of looks like a P51 now! (sort of!)
My questions are - 1. which one do you like?? 2. Do you think it will affect the flying characteristics of the aircraft?? 3.[img][/img] Will I lose my membership to the Venture Fan Club?? (Please Bruce - No!)
I still have some sanding to do but you'll get the idea I think!!

Jim