The only way that anyone ever learned to build was by building. Mistakes are just part of the game. I haven't built a model yet without at least one mistake being made during its construction, but all of them have flown and none of them has fallen apart except for one wing center section. My first low winger was a Trainermaster by AAMCO. I came from control line flying, where we never had to fiberglass a center section. Instead of applying silk covering fabric as I usually did on my control line models, I tried this new fangled stuff called Super Monokote. A plastic film that you ironed on. I had used it once before on my first multi-channel model, a Goldberg Senior Falcon with great success.

There was my new Trainermaster in the air, screaming along side the .60 powered models just like it belonged there. It was the 13th flight. The little OS .40H was merrily spinning the 10x6 prop and wasn't taking any prisoners as it ran past some of the slower .60 powered models. Then, I just had to do a really fast, full power in the downline, split S. The wing broke in the middle and stunned me to the point that I even forgot to throttle back. My brand new model, engine and six channel Orbit R/C system, also brand new, lie in a compact heap at the end of the field. Remember, this happened back before CA glue and 5-minute epoxy were heard of. I was looking at at least six months of full time evening building just to get another one of these things flying again. And that was after I figured out how to pay for all of the new stuff that I needed. I was a teensy bit upset.

So guys, if your engine quits while you are hovering your ARF or RTF and splatters your model, don't mind me if I'm not particularly sympathetic.


Ed Cregger