Not too much time to cover tonight, so progress is minimal...

I think Nemo would love this plane![sm=bananahead.gif]

That's looking very great.

~Michael~

Thanks for the votes of approval. Funny thing about this scheme is that I had no consideration of Nemo while designing it. I used a similar orange stripe scheme on my T2 (pics in my gallery...), but always thought it was missing something for contrast. WHile I was drawing out the plans for this one, I just happened to separate the stripes with the black and Viola' - there was my missing contrast! It wasn't until after I had the elevator covered that my daughter pointed out the resemblance to Nemo. Hmm - I do still need a pilot... Kids - ya' gotta' luv 'em!

BTW, I tracked down another roll of orange, but it's about an hour away so I probably won't have it until Saturday. At least I can keep working on the tail-feathers...

I really like the look of that covering scheme (of course I would, I put metallic wine and neon green on mine ) and I'm looking forward to seeing it with more covering on.

The wife is going to visit her parents this weekend (and through Tuesday so she can go trick-or-treating with her neice) so, weather permitting, I'm going to fly both Saturday and Sunday this week! I'll do my best to get some video (even if it is lo-res). Maybe I can get the guy who maidened the plane to take it on a 'video flight' for you guys.

Imagine how good it would have looked if you had started with something that looked good on paper![sm=bananahead.gif][sm=bananahead.gif][sm=bananahead.gif] (Of course, then you wouldn't have disproven the theory that "Everything works on paper")

You lucky DOG! I'd be happy with 2 hours that weren't cold and windy[:'(][:'(] - but that's October-December in WI. And I'll trade your hurricanes for our blizzards any day.

Have you (or the test pilot) had it up on high rates yet? I've never seen any SSE flight other than your video and I hear this low-rate *****-cat turns into a real tiger on high rates.

EDIT: Hmm - maybe I should have said "puddy-tat"

Funny, the Nemo theme wouldn't have even occurred to me if no one mentioned it. When I first saw the elevator, I thought it looked cool, like Coast Guard colors. Maybe you could get a USCG decal for the rudder or something.

kiswa, for the video, we want to see TRICKS. Snaps, hovering, tumbling, whatever. We've already seen circles.

I still haven't tried the high rates on my SSE. Maybe this weekend.

Ohh, TRICKS! Fun stuff!!

Ready to see that, I want to see kiswa HOVER, HOVER, HOVER!!

~Michael~

Yeah, I don't think I've got enough engine on there for any hovering.

I'll try to get some decent video this weekend, and you'll just have to be happy with what I give you! :P

And no, we haven't moved beyond the low-rate settings in the SSE Manual. And considering I'm still getting used to how much faster response is over my trainer... I don't think I'll be adjusting those rates for a little while yet. I'm sure it's a serious difference though, the speed it rolls at now would just be insane at higher rates.

Yeah, ain't it neat!

I picked up the new roll of "Safety Orange" or so they call it yesterday and an extr roll of white just in case. I got a little more progress made this evening. I've still got to add the purple to the tips of the elevator, but the general idea is taking shape. I probably could have done a lot more, but I thought I would take advantage of what is probably my last decent flying day aroune these parts. A bit on the windy side, but pretty decent for late October in dairyland. While I was there, I thought I'd get some pics of the "fleet" at the field.

Okay, sorry but there's no video. I forgot that the reason I'm going to get to fly both days this weekend is also the reason I can't take video. The wife left to go trick-or-treat with her neice, and took the camera. Alas.... :|


On a different note, I flew the SSE again today. Man that was fun. I did some more knife-edge (it's not great, but it will do it. I also did three snap rolls (total, not all at once). I also did a beautiful deadstick landing that nearly caused me to need new shorts. It was a bit nerve-wracking.

But, everything turned out okay, so I'm happy. I'm looking forward to doing it again tomorrow (minus the deadstick, I hope).

I had a pretty hairy landing with my Avistar today too. We have a service road that runs along the back side of the grass runway. the road is about a foot higher than the grass, so there is a grass berm between the road and the runway. I came in a little far out and had the wind blowing about 15 degrees toward the road and drifted to what was looking like one on the road and one in the grass. I managed to pull just inside the berm, but had the right wing tip drop just as it touched down resulting in a one wheel landing for about 15 feet. I'm picturing the ensuing cartwheel that never happened. I ended up riding the right main until the left wing dropped and settled down on all 3. Didn't even kill the engine! The rest of the guys watching broke into applause as I taxied back in.

Wow, mine was very similar to that (minus the wheelie). We also have a berm, and I had to come in over it on my deadstick. I cleared it by maybe a foot; maybe. Oh yeah, I had to come in staright towards me, so I was going across the runway instead of down it (otherwise, the berm would be a constant problem). I also got applause upon touching down softly on all three wheels at once (it really was a beautiful landing, one of my best considering it was across the runway and no throttle control whatsoever).

And how odd that we posted 30 seconds apart. I didn't even see your post since you got in just before mine and it automatically takes you down to your post when you submit.

The covering job looks nice, by the way. Keep posting updates in here; I want to see it when she's all done!

Yeah, I saw yours when I posted mine. Wierd.

I'll keep the pics comming as long as you guys can bear with me. I gave fair warning that I'm really slow at covering because I can't bear to have any wrinkles or bubbles. I had a couple guys just gushing over my Tiger today - almost to the point of embarrassment. But it is nice to have people appreciate the time and effort that goes into the finished product. I also was pretty stoked to have one of the club's best aerobatic pilots put it through its paces and complement me on what a great flyer it is. It's really cool to watch your baby in the hands of an expert.

Okay, you guys are making me jealous. I had to work all weekend. In fact, I'm still at work. Maybe Wednesday I can slip out of here in the a.m.

krossk, a one-wheel landing is exactly what you want to do in a crosswind. Of course, it's supposed to be the upwind wheel--not sure from your description if that's what you did, but that would've been something to see. And I agree with kiswa, keep posting pics of your covering progress.

Okay, since the wife is in Alabama this weekend (and until tomorrow, actually) I spent about eight hours at the flying field yesterday. In that time, I learned how to spin, spiral, and do different kinds of snap rolls with my SSE. I still can't make it knife edge for very long though.

Anyway, I had another deadstick in the morning; this time it was my fault because I flew almost the entire flight at full throttle and burned up all my fuel. I guess the return would have to be considered a crash. I was bringing it back towards me and I couldn't make it over the berm I mentioned Saturday. She went down on the other side of it, and I really wasn't sure how hard or if she was level at the time. Well, me and a friend went to see what happened to her... and she was sitting in about the only open area over there, on all three wheels, without a scratch or hole in the covering!!! I was very happy about that!

That happened around 10-10:30a and I stayed out there until about 5p; so I didn't let that one bad flight throw off my flying for the rest of the day. And man did I have fun out there in the afternoon. The few guys who were out there were really interested in just having fun with it, so it was a very relaxing afternoon overall. Even when I nearly flew into my friend's plane mid-air... we had them dancing around each other in the sky for a few seconds there.

Wow! It sounds like you better go buy that scroll saw and a bunch of balsa and start cutting another kit before the wife gets home. That cat's down to about 6 lives left.

Nah... it's got at least seven left.

How's the covering going on your SSE? I didn't think I'd done such a great job covering mine, but I had at least three different people tell me I did a great job when they saw it yesterday. Made me go

Sounds like you are really doing good with your SE. You know, the only thing I never did with my SE was snaps. I don't know why, but I never did them.

Hey, good deadstick. I think those the best landings for pilots because it shows how good they are. Especially if you are in a bad position for a deadstick (i.e. NOT HIGH)....

Keep up the great covering krossk. That plane sure is looking great.

~Michael~

I haven't made any progress since Friday night. I spent my free time this weekend at the field. Everything else was consumed by church functions or halloween. My 9 yr. old daughter would never let that go by without me. However, while we were at the LHS on Fri., I'm standing there looking at 'ARF row' wondering where all the kits went and she says "Daddy, when are you going to teach me to fly?" So I went home and set her up with my G2/PT-40 and will let her play. If she's showing any progress by Christmas, who knows what Santa might bring her?

I might get a little more done tonight, but no guarantees.

Do you think she'd like a jet? Of course you'd need to get proficient on it first before training her on it.

Nah - I figure her to be more of a 40% H-9 Ultimate/DA-150 gal

I only had about 45 min tonight, so all I was able to complete was the bottom of the stab/elevator. At least it's a visible sign of the overall effect I was aiming for.

Stabs looking good there krossk

NEMO!!!

~Michael~

I'm liking that scheme... can't wait to see more of it in living color!

Yeah, I'm ready to see the whole plane in the scheme.

~Michael~