This weekend while I was cutting Stinger cores, it occurred to me that even though the Feather Cut has been around a long time, a number of people have not seen one used. While it is no match for CNC equipment, it is much less expensive and is quite convenient for do-it-yourself types or for planes where the templates were made for hand cutting cores. It takes a job that normally two people would have to do, and makes it manageable for a single person. But I do look forward to the day when I have my own CNC system.

For Q-40 cores, I cut a 4’ x 8’ sheet of foam into twelve 32” x 12” rough cut blanks. Then I use a jig to cut the blanks to a precise size. Since some of my cores are longer than 24”, I’m not really wasting much foam this way, and the edges are nice and square. I use a 52” bow for cutting the blanks to size. For Quickie wings I cut the blanks to 48” x 10.5” and I just deal with the edges at the tips not always being perfect. Usually taking 1/4” off each end or more on one end and less on the other to keep the 47.5” does the trick.

I made a video of cutting a blank to size on the jig and then cutting the core. I posted it on YouTube so interested people could see the Feather Cut in action. The first part of the video where I cut the blank to size is not lighted well. But I did not feel like redoing it. I pulled out my halogen lights for the Feather Cut part and it is lighted much better.

See [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtbYKgalYXk[/link] for the video. NOTE: You will enjoy the video more if you click on watch in high quality in the lower right corner of the video screen.

It also occurred to me that building a wing and stab are the hard parts of putting a Stinger together. So I came up with an idea. I’m going to offer a “Stinger Starter Kit” that includes 2 sets of foam cores and a full size set of plans for $30 shipped in the US. That way, you can build a wing or two and when or if you are ready, you can get the fuselage and put a plane together. The cost of the starter kit will be applied to the cost of the first kit if you build the wing and decide to finish the plane. So you and a buddy can build wings, or you can mess up a set of cores learning and still have a good wing. Or maybe you even get two good wings out of it.