Aaganz. No that comment was about my now defined 1/3; scale Aeronca Champ. I bought the plans. Only plans I've bought from AMA they offered a Fibreglas cowl and stock Aeronca Windscreen. The Super Ringmaster and Veco Tom Tom has the same design windscreen. My Micro Models kit has a windscreen. But it's really flimsy, so I went with thicker acetate and used my heat gun and formed my own. Don't take much heat to get it to form. Have to trim it to fit. AJ

Well I layed the first Silk on the RM left wing bottom side and applied water distilled. Will let that dry and continue the weather is about right 70 degrees and Bout fourty percent humidity. Using Nitrate Dope to attach the fabric and it’s laying right in their. Next four days and the wing will be covered. And ready for Butirate Dope process. AJ

Well it’s saturday and I applied Silk this AM now it’s raining drizzle weather is not cooperating, my final top layer is going on Sunday morning. Then my SR wing will be covered. Applied distilled water on the bottom half, it tightened up nice, when I complete the cover I will apply three more spray distilled water. Then she drys over nite after every coat of water. Then three coats of long and cross coats of Nitrate. Then on goes the Butirate. Probably will have to use retarder, if the rain and moisture continues.AJ

Well our weather finally cleared and I just applied the last part of the Silk on my SR. And applied distilled water. 24 hour dry period and two more spray apps of Distilled water. Then three coats of Nitrate Dope long and cross coats. Why Nitrate. It has a tendency to shrink the Silk to a drum sound, compaired to Butirate. And it also fills the Silk. The Butirate will do a complete seal of the Silk. And make it fuel proof. Applying non taughting silver Butirate will make the Silk last longer. Yearly coats of Butirate mixed with virgin Olive oil will make the finish last. Not to offend just the way I was instructed years ago.AJ

Well today was another application of Distilled water. One more on Tuesday, then The first complete application of Nitrate Dope.on Wednesday. Have to watch the weather and humidity. Still getting lots of rain this spring. Using retarder. To stop the blushing. Using Randolph dope. Thinner and retarder. AJ

Wednesday and on goes the first coat of Nitrate Dope thinned. Almost the neutral tint and water thin. It went on really well, going to be 80 today. So I am really hoping I get a good first coat shrink. Might let it dry two days. And see if that next coat is still Nitrate or Butirate. Got my Randolph non taught Silver bought a quart, from Aircraft Spruce. I plan to spay that on it fills and really sands well. AJ

Being Saturday all went well and the second coat of Butirate is on. Getting nice shrink and a few of the boo boos are cleaning up. The weight box I installed. Is the final step. To install the cover and weights. Then the silver coat will be applied. My final color will be yellow wings and Maroon fuselage. Coming along nicely!AJ

I am in a short delay while waiting for a shipment from Brodak, ordered last week.( Fuel tanks, 3/32 in ID tubing, Cessna White Dope - Butyrate). I have one thinned coat of white on the plane. See the pix above.
The plan is to put one non-thinned white coat on the fuselage and tail assembly, followed by 2 thinned coats on the wings (Ratio: Dope to Thinner??). All to be followed by 2 coats of thinned clear Butyrate Dope.
Does this make sense? The one thinned white coat currently on the wings looks "sketchy"!!
aaganz

Stuff is sure getting expensive

Ya tell me about it. I have a monthly fund and can't go over that. Food meds fuel is over four now, just cutting my one acre is getting expensive. Have you priced mower blades lately. You can buy a new pair cheaper then having them re sharpened. Any way glad I have enough Dope to cover my plane. It gone up Bout 54%. Sense my last purchase. Well enough about that. Hey my SR is coming along great, got a few Boo Boos. But a few more thinned coats I am hoping will smooth it out. Might go with a dark blue on the fuselage and yellow wings. When I flew as a flight engineer I would visit hobby shops and buy dope usually on sale, so I got lots mostly Sig. In pints. Glad I was looking ahead in my retirement years. On my last tube of Ambroayed mostly use it to attach fabric hinges on the elevator. You just can't find it. Was told that archery shops carried it. But still have not found it. Carry it in pint cans.AJ

Here is my 1953 plane mostly restored at this point! Check out how it came down from the attic torn up and broken, and is now rebuilt (balsa ribs repaired) , silkspan covered, and painted white with the yellow stripes! (I may overpaint the stripes in a darker yellow!!) I still need to mount and test the the engines!!

1. Torn up plane 1953 ..retrieved from he attic!!
2. Tail view - restored
3. With K&B 0.29 engine Greenhead
4. With K&B 0.19 engine Greenhead

aaganz

That’s looking really nice good job on the restoration. I put three inch wheels on mine too. The two and three eights stumbled in the grass. I had a set of Veco Aluminum Hubs in three inch and it helped the nose weight a lot. I also installed the wire cuffs used hard wood. Made it have the stream line effect really improved the overhaul looks. AJ

Model is still in progress. I am working on a test stand for the two engines to run on the picnic table in back. If all works ok, they will be mounted in the plane. There are various graduations underway impacting the model schedule!!

aaganz

Oh I hear ya. Still getting lots of weather in my area, ground is really soaked from the rain. My build process has slowed to. Work maybe one hour in the morning the humidity slows the drying I don’t use CA been doing a lot of sanding and filling getting ready to apply the Nitrate Dope on the Tom Tom.AJ

Model work is still pending, with a test stand build for my two engines on "pause". The plane is on my worktable, awaiting my next steps. Household issues and some (wife) medical issues have delayed me! The heat and humidity also delayed the launch and fitting out of my sailboat!

Ahhhhh...life does get in the way of things!!
aaganz

Gosh tell me about it, my wife broke her hip just got her out of rehab last Sunday. Just got the lawn cut today, it was long still have to trim and weed evade. Been mostly cleaning and doing a little work on the side when she naps. Been doing this for six weeks now. She is getting better, don’t like my cooking, she is on a walker and our apartment is very small, we also own a great American .shepard. Sheba, and she has been great thru all this. Planning on doing the Ringmaster FlyOhThon right here at Nassau Bay Airport. I usually travel to Saguine Texas, but I can’t do that this year. Looks like about six months they pinned her hip, big issue was her nose, she had Cancer Surgery before all this happened has a big hole on her nose with only one skin graft. They will not do another graft for another three weeks. That’s about the first weekend in October. Dang, AJ

Sorry to hear of your wife's medical issues and how that has delayed modeling progress! My Super Ringmaster is also delayed due to wife's knee surgery in June and subsequent complication. A major GI inflammation followed the surgery, and it is now projected to be at least late October before she is really mobile. My (nearly finished) plane sits on my basement worktable, awaiting my building test frames for my (new-used) K&B 0.19 and K&B 0.29 engines. The K&B 0.29 bolt holes fit the bolts already mounted in the Super Ringmaster, and I am tempted to try the plane with that engine, just throttled down and smoking prior to rebuilding the mounts for the K&B 0.19. Is that workable?

AAgaee don't know about K&B motors I fly Fox Stunt models mostly. I did a fox 19 to an up grade to Fox Stunt 35 on my flying fool that's quite different from the original 19. Ended.up changing the engine mount rails. That was major. Surgery. Hope your bride does much better. I ended up shutting down the Fly OH Thon in October. Bonnie is going to have another surgery on that Friday before the sat and sun event. We will keep.our lines tight.AJ

AJ,
I am interested in your upgrade from the Fox 19 to the Fox Stunt 35. Did the plane fly (at least somewhat) on the 19? I want to avoid major surgery on my engine mounts if possible. One thought was to take thin aluminum "flats" and drill mounting holes through for the K&B 19 as well as the K&B .29. The current mounts (KB 35) in my Super Ringmaster fit to the K&B 29, so I could just overlay the flat and bolt to the original bolts (K&B 29/35). Then bolt the K&B 19 through the new holes. This would be a small offset of the engine but should fit ok for a single test flight. Thoughts?
aaganz

Well it flew. But ever not do good I’d any wind. It was on my Flying Fool, the upgrade to the Fox Stunt 35 was a great improvement and flew with lots of authority. The Flying Fool was a fun airplane. But Sterling was known for heavy Balsa. I’ve got another one maybe it will be this winters build.

AJ, Good to see the plane up and flying! My K&B 35 in the Super Ringmaster really "whipped around", but I was only 13 years old, so it sure seemed like a lot!! What does the Flying Fool look like? Photo?
My current flying with either the 0.19 or 0.29 is still on "pause" while wife recovers!!
aaganz

aaganz! I cant post photos very old I pad. But you can google Sterling Flying Fool. The plane I was talking about is long long gone. I crashed it in Hawaii. When I was in the Army. I bought another a month later. But was transferred. To Maryland. And my new job with a new baby kinda put the damper on my flying. That was in 72 too 74. Then I started College, I was able to get into RC. Still have the kit of the flying Fool. To include a larger version. I bought a few years ago. Thinking maybe it might be my winter project this winter. Will see how it goes. We got another surgery on the fourth of October. Keep them lines tight!AJ.

It is good to see all the activity in this forum! My work on the K&B .19 and .29 engines for my restored Super Ringmaster is on pause since late September!!! I had a heart issue which is still being addressed, and I am spending far too much time on Doctor appointments, Lab tests, and other Diagnostics!! Hope to get the project back on track by mid February!! aaganz

Ya them medical issues can sure delay lots of stuff. Now it’s the holidays Oh boy here we go. Hope every body is doing much better, health wise. And enjoy the holidays. Started my 45 Flying Fool. But that hit the hold pattern to. Still having to cover my Super Ringmaster. Hey guys and brides have a great holiday, keepin them lines tight! AJ

gosh I hear Ya aaganz. I reinjured my back. And my Afib is finally under control. Got a couple appointments coming up. My 45 Flying Fool is .making good progress. I installed my Fox 59 with an aluminum 2.5 spinner. Its on order and so is my special build fuel tank from Bridak. Been using amonia and hot water on my top.balsa cover. It turned out nice but agsin its on hold for those two back ordered parts. Keep them lines tite ! AJ