ratshooter

I have waited this long so a little longer isn't a problem. And two of the kits, the Aircruiser and the Krafty 60 use the same wing as far as I can tell and I bet when they run one model they will run the second one also. But I do hope they cut kits faster than they respond to emails.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

When I looked they were out of stock on most of there kits like the Kaos and Birdi. If there stock is being renewed then good on them!! There kits are great and they have very good wood. I'm more into the pattern types of planes and like the 60 size and bigger. Later today I will look and see what they now have on hand.

ratshooter

Well as I mentioned I had a Bridi Krafty 60 in the attic and now it is almost built. I need to sand the wings to shape so they can be fitted together and then fitted to the fuse for a bolt on set up instead of rubber bands. This was a simple plane to build and I have only been at it about a week off and on but still a lot of work. Now I am not so sure I need any more building projects for awhile. I will post pictures when its finished.

I am now thinking smaller might be better. I have a little stik in the attic and an unused FP-25 I could put on it. But its going to be a while before I start.

AwwNaww

They still have ufo in stock.

ratshooter

The UFO is a pattern plane. I never cared for pattern planes. But thanks for looking.

Just checked and the UFO is out of stock. If I was to get a plane along the pattern type it would be the Vagabond, Sun-fli 4 or Warlord 40. Or even a Warlord 25 since I am sort of leaning toward slightly smaller planes right now.

I really like just simple stik type models or what Ken Willard use to call "sunday flyers".

AwwNaww

Sorry for the off topic (and irrelevant) response. It has been a few years since they put out the ufo and at that time they let inventory on everything get really low. Then suddenly built up stock on lots of their designs and introduced new ones. I hope that is what is going to happen now. They do put out nice kits with good wood, when you can get them.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

There web site shows what they have in stock. I was glad they kept the prices close to what Joe charged. Considering the price of the wood has gone up they still have good deals.

ratshooter

AwwNaww you're not off topic. Thanks for looking. I just like sport planes better. I don't like to have to fly a plane all the time. I like to trim them out and then watch them fly on their own while I sit on the tailgate of my truck. I don't even hold the transmitter all the time. I guess I'm a lazy pilot. I used to power and trim a Sig Seniorita so it would fly with just rudder imput just like an old single channel plane. I never got brave enough to try and land it like that though.

Hey Graybeard like I stated I am building a krafty 60 and will have the framework done in another day or two. I just got back from the HS and picked up the wheels and some more epoxy. I still need to get the monokote. I just haven't decided for sure on a color scheme. There is no great hurry. This build went way too fast. Joe designed simple to build planes. And Bluejay does use top notch wood and hardware. A great Planes engine mount and Zeigler (sp) main gear. If money wasn't a little tight right now I would order another couple of kits from them.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I still need to buy the wood to finish cutting the fuse sheeting on the two Bridi Dirty Birdie kits I'm cutting. Just waiting for the money to locate my pockets. I started an ARF I was given that needed a lot of repairs/rebuilding and I now need a motor mount and some CA and that will happen when that money comes along. I missed the few days the wind had calmed down so haven't even been flying. Just started a new job and trying to get into that groove too. Things will happen when they happen. I gave up rushing a long time ago.

ratshooter

Hey Gray beard I remember reading about your new "job". The babe watch post at the gated community. Some guys have all the luck.

I am waiting for the storms to hit with high winds and large hail. I am an insurance adjuster and make my nut for the year during the summer storm season. So far its a little late starting. But I am confident it will come. Ya gotta love hail. Just not on my roof.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

For the most part everyone on guard is old and retired, about 50/50 men & women, all but one retired. He is 22 years old and it's his only job? Doesn't pay squat so I hope he is into chicken ranching? Our wages alone wouldn't work here in Vegas if your young?
Wind we get a lot of, hail and rain only during the monsoon season, July thru Sep. If the stars are out of alignment and your path isn't true, once in a while we get a touch of snow. Today was big wind!!

ratshooter

I think an adjuster would starve in your part of the world. Maybe the 22 year old gambles his wages and does OK. I have never been to Vegas. Maybe someday I will will it out there. I really want to see area 51. I am a bit of an UFO buff since I saw something very weird when I was 10 years old. Plus I like to listen to Coast2coast radio. I just love a strange story.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Most people that live here aren't big gamblers or drinkers. Most of us like the shows and fine dinning and if you live here you figure out how to do it on the cheap. I was on the strip a month or so ago. Our best friends come to town a few times a year and we grab our saved quarters and go to the MGM to play the only horse race game in town. If you watch your betting you can make a couple bucks. It's also the only game in town that still uses quarters.
I haven't gone out to 51 yet but I should. Maybe another spot to take the family when they come to town??
My question about tourists is, why come here during the summer?? If it was me I would come here in late spring, early fall and winter. It can often be hotter then the hinges on the gates to hell here at the strip during the summer.
I met the young man this morning but by then I didn't want to chat, I wanted to get home to my bed!!! He may also not be a chicken rancher but just likes the job. He may also work the shows? That pays a lot better. I would do it if I could.

ratshooter

Grey I wouldn't make a good gambler either. I admit I am too tight fisted. I did get talked in to spending 20 bucks for a group buy of a lotto ticket once. They hit three or four of the six numbers and won a little. By the time it was divided up I got a $1.15 for my $20 investment. I am still mad about it. And that was 16 years ago. I just wish I had my $20 back.

APGSpyder

My Feedback: (5)

I have been checking their site quite frequently and made several calls... to only get voicemail and no one responds.... Been trying to get my hands on a UFO kit. Any new updates with these guys by chance?? I really hope they still plan to get more kits put together.

ratshooter

APG i did get an email from the owner saying they would let me know when they did another run of Aircruisers. That was several months ago. I am guessing they will sell off they existing kits and close the doors. You can't stay in business without having a product to sell.

I just completed the Krafty 60 I have had stored in the attic. Its unflown so far. I put an OS SF46 I got off ebay NIB on it. I gassed it up. Put in a squirt of prime and flipped the prop. It started on the first flip. You gotta love OS engines. Here are some bad pics of the plane. Its dark and rainy here so I took them in the garage. If the sun ever comes out will get better photos.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I would think you would be busy still, a few weeks ago Rick sent us photos of the hail that hit his area. They were the size of a hard ball!! I thought I saw big hail in Missouri but I have never seen it that big!!! Heard of it and seen it on the news but never seen it myself. Hail that big would kill someone if it hit them in the head!! Scary!!!
I like the red and white, classy looking with the old school design.

ratshooter

Yep old school Joe Bridi. What nice planes he designed. What nice kits and wood Bluejay has. I sure wish they would get busy again.

And I am still busy. I don't know how I am going to get everything looked at and wrote up next week. I am still fighting the rain that keeps getting my appointments canceled for me. But I sure won't complain about rain. The biggest hail ball I have seen was one my dad picked up in his yard in 1996 that hit on May 5th during cinco de mayo. He picked up a hail ball that was three orange size hailballs all stuck together. There is a picture of him holding it somewhere at my mothers house. It did kill a mexican man that couldn't get to cover. It was going through the decking and hitting tables and chairs in Arlington Tx. It was the most expensive hail storm in U.S. history. It had to be seen to be believed.

My son is coming in from the Navy next friday. We have only seen him briefly once over the last year and a half. He will be hear for 7 days with his new bride to be. So that will put a slow down on the claims looking a little too.

ratshooter

Forgot to ask, who is Rick and where does he live?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Sorry, Rick Stubbs and you can find a couple of his threads in kit building. He is in Texas but I can never remember what part, I have never been there myself. My big day was going to the wood shop and cutting a couple parts for my Bridi kits I have been cutting, very slowly I mite add. I finally made a mod, I used 1/16 ply for the doublers instead of 1/16 balsa. No real reason, I just have a big sheet of the ply and none of the balsa on hand. Also not enough weight difference to worry about but it is a lot stronger.

ratshooter

OK Rick Stubbs. i got it. I will have to see where he is. I have been working the Stephenville-Dublin area the most. Dublin got hammered. Bad. Big enough hail to go through decking and destroy metal window frames. It has also totaled cars. Everone has told me it wasn't round hail but jagged with sharp edges.

What Bridi kits are you cutting? And subbing one piece of wood is all the mods you made? I make several mods every time I build a plane. On the Krafty 60 I made these mods. Bolt on wing. Converted to tail dragger. Duel aileron servos. Most of the dihedral removed. Metal push rods instead of wood dowels. Not major changes but things I prefer. if you look close in the pics I posted there is a Little Stik kit by the plane. I think that will be my next build. I had it out making sure all the parts were there. I bought it off ebay. It was missing a quarter inch square basswood leading edge. No biggy.

I will make it a tail dragger with bolt on wings for sure. I may even convert it to a low wing plane. I like making changes. Sorta personalize them for my taste.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I once was given the Bridi Dirty Birdi kit and made templates for ever part. I have built a bunch of Joe's kits and we used to go directly to him for special runs of kits for our clubs and our open raffle and auction, usually the Kaos. I like the pattern planes and the Kaos and Birdi are my favorites. I have been cutting two of the DBs, one for myself and one for a friend. I cut all my own wood too from blocks so I can be selective and get any size I need. I have stalled on the cutting due to mad money and just need the wood for the fuse sheeting, I should have that very soon and get them finished. I ran out of the long blocks.
My big mod was a joke. All they are is doublers for the fuse. This plane requires no mods, like the Kaos it is the perfect plane. I will need to move the firewall larger so it will need to be moved back in the fuse a little. The plane is designed for a .61 two stroke and the last one I built I tried to use an OS .91 four stroke or a YS 1.10 but the fire wall was too small, this one will be bigger from the beginning. Last one I had to use a .91 SK two stroke, a fine engine by the way. This plane will either use a YS 1.10 or a YS .91.
All but one of my planes is a tail dragger. All my planes use two ail. servos and two elevator servos and a pull/pull rudder. This one will use Spring Air retracts, last one I had fixed gear.
The DB and Kaos fly about the same but the DB does a much better knife edge due to the fuse and shape of the aft part of the fuse.
It has a lot more sticks inside the fuse but that is for shaping, the fuse is much more rounded then a Kaos and requires most of those stringers to be sanded to shape the angles.
Great Planes is also offering this plane as an ARF with a glass fuse but there is something really different about it?? I think it is a smaller plane or shorter?
Most of my planes are built from plans so I do a lot of mods most people never pick up on, really can't see a lot of them is more like it.
I still have plans for the Sun Fli but will never build it. It's small for a class C and I already have a Daddy Rabbit that is almost the same plane. I only use it on really high wind days, it's my trike geared plane and has good ground handling in the wind.

I really don't have a cruising around plane, I like Extra's and pattern type

ratshooter

See I am just the opposite. I like cruise around planes. One of my favorites were the Senioritas I had. Just an FP-25 for power. I loved to sit on my tailgate and watch that plane make its way slowly across the sky. I have a Bridi 25 size Aircruiser I will put back in service as soon as my switch and airborne battery get here from Tower. I started the engine last night just to hear it run. It has a 14oz wingloading and lands at a walk.

Where are you getting blocks of balsa wood? And how are you cutting it to keep it precise on the thickness? Do you position your would so you can get A,B and C cuts from the wood?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I once had a club member that liked to just watch his plane float around, it was a glider, I had to watch it once for him and thought it was more fun to watch the Hawks fly around.
Because I'm a plans builder I order my wood in bulk for wood suppliers like National Balsa. To get the blocks I need I have often had to buy from other places but I like National. The blocks come in different sizes but I like them in 4X4X36 inch. I have posted photos several times of our wood working club but I either use a big recut saw, ZONA I think or I use the band saw with a fine tooth blade. The trick is to make sure the blade, fence and table are all squared. For something like 1/16 sheeting I cut it over size then run it through the over head micro sander to get all the sheets evenly sanded to 1/16.
Sticks are easy, if I want 3/8X 1/4 I can rip a sheet to either size then set the saw to the next size and rip it into the stick size.
All my kit parts are gang cut. This Birdi has a tapered wing so it needs two wing ribs each of different sizes, because I'm cutting two kits I need 4 of each. I use a spray mount glue and just glue 4 sheets of wood together then glue the templates on top then cut the ribs out proud then sand to final size. I use a heat gun to warm them up and loosen the glue so I can separate the ribs.
A buddy gave me a big box of balsa blocks that were 2x8X18 that were used as packaging for a tool sent to his wood working club and I have used that in my last two builds. Before that I had several of the store bought long blocks but I ran out of that.
The Bridi Dirty Birdi will be my summer build. I do most my building when it's hot. The Vegas area heats up by about 10 or 11am so it's either hanging around the pool or being in my shop building. Sometimes I get back from the pool and just head right into the shop. Our flying starts at sunrise and we are packed up and gone about 10 or 11. Often we go to a nice casino and as a group have brunch. During the week all the casinos have those cheap meal specials. We fly all year round, only the wind grounds us. And we aren't talking the little weenie winds like most places. It can start out calm as can be in the morning and like magic come up, right after I take off and go from 30mph to 60mph in the blink of an eye. The last three weeks the wind has been up, not a steady high wind but about 30mph then gusts will come up that move my BBQ and patio furniture around so I haven't been flying.
The friend I'm cutting the other kit for is a couple hours away in Calif. and couldn't change the oil in his truck yesterday because the wind is so strong the oil coming out of the pan gets blown across his driveway. That's being grounded by the wind. You can look in my gallery at a few of the planes I have built, this little Up-Roar is either in a build thread or Ricks Up-Roar thread? I don't recall if I did it as a thread or in his? The other photo is the kits I'm still cutting but that is two kits being done with the parts and templates still glued on.The Roar kit is still cut and sold through Tower but mine came in under 3.5 pounds fully loaded just by wood selection. It will float around but really gets with the program when I want it to.

ratshooter

I remembered you had mentioned the saw before but couldn't remember what it was called. I don't scratch build enough anymore to merit cutting my own wood. I asked about the cuts in your wood because a model airplane book I have talks about different ways to cut a balsa log and each cut has an effect about the strength and flexabily of the wood sheet and where it should be used. I was very disappointed with the last box of wood I ordered from Lone Star Balsa. It was heavy and cut so that the sheets were brittle and would not wrap around the leading edge of a wing.

I cut my ribs about like what you describe. Except I glue the pattern to one rib blank with contact cement and stack up to about 9 blanks under it and use T pins to hold them together.

I do like a little better performance than a glider. I gotta have an engine. I just don't have to go real fast. Sometimes I will make many flights in a row and never do a roll, loop or fly inverted. I like to trim my plane and set the transmitter down on the tailgate and watch my plane fly big circles around the field. Then I will get on a touch and go kick. Over and over with take offs and landings.