Hey, some real modelers showing up here!

I am framing up the wing on the P-51 now. The old die-cutting was pretty good (except where they tried to die-cut the 1/4" tail surfaces), and the wing ribs fit the spars tightly, and line up better at the TE than most of the later computer-designed wonders! I am re-engineering it for retracts so burned some time there, but so far I am enjoying the woodworking, except the wood is so old and dry the CA is slow to "catch".

Good to hear from y'all!

Clair Sieverling

Those are words that only RCOutlaw might comprehend, and also maybe Back-Woods Hick.

BB:

Jim just figured anyone who walked around with a washbasin strapped to his bum would be just that sort of person.

Haw.

Bill.

It's the latest fashion in LA ya know.

-DC

David:

Thought the LA fashion was the fish walking around with a Mullet haircut.

Haw.

Bill.

This is getting very very silly.

-DC

DANGER WILL ROBISON, DANGER HAW!

(looking at the picture above)

YA those were the good old days..... NOT!

If you remember Lost In Space you are older than you think.

erm . . I don't remember that was the name of the show. It was a purely random guess.

-DC

David the Cut-up and Bum-in-the-Basin:

Silly? Yes indeed. Nice to have some display of good humor now and then.

Bill.

Had to get back on topic somehow.

I prefer good ole yellow carpenter's glue to CA. Not only is it less toxic but, it sands better, is more flexible, cleans up with a damp cloth and doesn't care how old the wood is. Not to mention the price ... $5 for enough to build several quarter scale aircraft.

Did I mention it bonds to wood better than skin?

Ahhh life is good with the laser cut kits... I think people should view this and realize what "building" really is. Hell most people now a days buy the ARFS and think that is building.
Personally I prefer kits, as there is nothing like inhaling balsa dust and drinking balsa laced coffee...

I like the older kits. Too much plastic in the newer ones. I remember building the Sig Skybolt with the plastic turtledeck. Nice plane but I was forever wishing I had scrapped that plastic trutledeck.

Actually , I'm scratch building more often these days... it's getting harder to find kits for the planes I gravitate toward, especially in the scale I want to build. My latest project is a Beechcraft Staggerwing C17. I haven't decided on scale, I'm drawing to 30% but I may reduce this to 25 since I realized how difficult ($) she will be to ship to contests.

Jim,
From drawing to contest ready, how long will a project like that take you?

Linear time: it depends how many aircraft I build/repair during the process, how many contests & fly-ins occurr during and what my wife has planned for me (not necessarily in that order).

Actually, a lot depends on how accessible documentation is, complexity of the project and availability of some components. For instance, I'm considering building my own retracts for this project. I have some rough design work done and I'm going to have to prototype this to be confident it works. The prototype gear alone will probably require a hundred hours (very rough estimate).

My chief concern at this point is the fact that the wings are quite thin and I'm concerned with the attach point (I plan to have them removeable at the fuse side) combined with the fact that the gear fold inward and up into the fuselage. If I wasn't designing this for competition I would likely thicken the lower wing to accomodate. Also, there's little room for the hardware with the gear interfering with the cockpit floor, it looks like I'm going to have to be strategic with gear placement under seats etc.

I've never kept track of actual time spent on a build, it's a good stress reliever and time flies in the workshop. My Triplane took about 3.5 years with a solid 6 months on the cockpit where most of that detail is hidden from the camera by the pilot (but I know it's there )

Jim:

The plastic in the "Stinger" kits is what made me swear off Lanier. Also the small HOB 1/2A kits.

Bill.

Yeah, they do make good epoxy mix cups though.

My VK triplane came with a plastic wing fairing and cockpit... yuch! I scratched up a new one with a balsa frame sheeted with 1/64 ply... here's an early pic of it (the holes are for the aileron servo leads which were hidden inside the cabane.)

Jim:

And if we alter our view a bit, looks like you really covered it with muslin. Pretty.

Bill.

PS: I didn't even like the plastic deck as an epoxy cup - kept falling on its side and spilling. Haw. wr.

Jim,
Please tell me your retired, right? I build from kits for my HOB T-6 racers and some of my others planes but can't imagine putting in the time you spend on a project.

Also do you fly very much or is building your thing?

Nope, I design software for a bank, full time, regular hours, 2 pre-school kids and an understanding wife. I did replace the wall between my workshop and the kids playroom with a large vinyl window though.

I try to fly at least every weekend and help out the local club teaching on Wed. evenings but, with the kids coming, I'm generally limited to Sundays and special events like contests. In fact, I'm off to the big rally in Kitchener (Ontario) this weekend, the family will be camping with me (as usual).

Here's the trick.
I don't watch TV.
- Since I quit watching TV I find I can easily fit a few hours a night in.
- Winter is my real building season, I don't like flying in the winter so I build when I would have been flying. Right now I'm cleaning up the shop, hanging arcraft etc. to get ready for "the building season". I have a Waco UMF that's been almost finished for several years now and when she's done (hopefully before Christmas), I should have my plans for the Beech ready to start cutting parts.

Thanks. That's mostly due to the poor quality digital camera I was using. The covering is actually Supershrink Coverrite and dope. I wish they'd never discontinued it, I have enough left for about 2 more planes them I'm either back to Stitts or will be looking for some other alternative.

Well here in SoCal there is no such thing as a building season. I think that is the reason I don't see that many kit built planes at the field (and because of the zoo I fly at were no one wants to risk a really nice plane).

Since it rains a lot in Jan./Feb. maybe that's our building season but I tend to build in between jobs (movie business).

How can you live without reality TV?

Jim:

You think your digital camera is cheap? Mine was sitting beside the cash register when I dropped some 35mm film for processing, saw it and fugured I couldn't get hurt too badly at $12.98 brand new. And that included software and the USB cable. At Radio Shack the USB cable alone costs more than that.

I'm enjoying it, but I'm afraid it is going to cause me to blow a bunch of bucks to get a decent one.

Here's a picture from it, using an auxilliary lens, of course.

Bill.

Thanks Bill, that picture reminded me it's time to go to the beach. HAW!

Reality-TV, isn't that an oxymoron?

Reality; not just for people who don't get cable.

I must admit, the Discovery Wings channel has been a real temptation of late. Luckily (?) my oldest (4) assumed authority over the converter and it stays on Treehouse TV.