abufletcher

Got'er all buttoned up again! This weekend I'll do an engine test but won't fly it. I'll just wait until the scale fly-in. If it's going to crash, I'd just as soon have an audience! Seriously though, as long as the engine stays lit, I don't really worry about how it'll fly. Like all short-nosed WWI models it takes some finesse on take-off but once in the air, the Snipe seems pretty vice-less. The long wings with good dihedral make for pretty stable flight and there seem to be enough elevator and rudder and nothing seems particularly sensitive. Maybe this time I'll actually be able to relax and have some fun flying it. Or maybe not.

The coat is also from a 1:6 scale action figure.

abufletcher

Two successful engine runs. The first was to fine tune the high and low settings (tuned for a bit hotter weather) as well as to check that the engine could hold a steady idle. It wasn't quite as steady as some of my other Saito, which can idle all day, but I feel comfortable with the Snipe's idle. This test also served to check on my fueling and starting procedure. These are small things but often important on a serious scale model. The second tank of gas was to confirm the engine run time. I got 11 minutes with the throttle wide open so that should be a good safe 10-15 minutes in the air of typical flying. I've dialed in 10 minutes on my raidio's countdown stopwatch.

So I think I'm ready for the scale fly-in next Sunday.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

abu.. good luck to ya

abufletcher

No luck required! Really it's just a day of hanging out with some other scale flyers, having fun, talking, and showing off our toys. There's no competition and, I'm told, little formality. The only thing I'm a bit worried about is that it's at a commercial airport with a tarmac strip. I've never flown off tarmac before. On the good side, I'm told the "strip" is so wide (and long) that you can really take off in almost any direction.

TFF

What will be interesting, is seeing what take they have on scale modeling compared to your home club and here. Just hope they dont all show up with electric T28 ARFs

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Tarmac hmmm. Be prepared for a squirley take off. The WWI planes dont like hard surfaces soooooo.. EASE into the throttle, let the plane gather speed and work the rudder. Hopefully you'll be airborn before to long.

TFF

Mantra "Into the wind, Into the wind."

abufletcher

Actually, I'm expecting a fairly "elite" crowd since it's being promoted by a very serious scale team which has built a 1:3 scale Zero and I think several of the models that have made the cover of Rajicon Gijutsu will be there. I know there will be a number of jets. There are three categories of models, one is something like "self-built scale models" (the class my Snipe is registered in) and another that might be ARFs. I'm not sure since this is all in Japanese. Not sure about the other class.

There's only a couple of guys at my home club who do any building at all. And only one that builds scale models...and his are all sport-scale electrics...though at least they're WWI! A few guys have low-end scale ARFs. Other than that, it's all foamies, pattern planes, gliders, and fun-flies. And you know this really doesn't bother me at all.

TFF

Your club is like mine and most others, and I would expect for you to see some great planes. I wonder if the Zero guys were the ones with the Zero that took off with the reversed ailerons on Youtube? Should be great.

abufletcher

Sadly, the fun-fly was rained out. [] And there wasn't even any dry space for people to get out their models so I didn't even get to see them on the ground. The good news is that they went ahead and raffled off all the prizes anyway, using the fine Japanese tradition of playing 'jun-ken" ("rock, paper, scissors"). And my son, who played the game on my behalf (since I don't understand the finer points of how it's played here), won so I'm now the owner of a Matrix (EMS) Skyraider ARF (71" wingspan for a 1.50 engine). Not sure what I'll do with it.

I did get to show off my Snipe, since it was small enough to bring inside. But I was really looking forward to flying it again. Oh, well.

abufletcher

I figure it would cost me at least $500 to get this ARF flying and that's money I'd far rather put to WWI uses. More, if I opted for the nifty custom rotating retracts ($169) that Troybuildmodels offers. So I'll see if one of my clubmates wants it for, say, $200. It does look like a really sweet scale model for someone who really likes the Skyraider.

Trev

That's a rather unique raffle process. Seems like your son has really got the hang of his rock paper sissors, congrats on your win! Judging by the pic on the box it looks like a nice WW2 ARF. I'd certainly try to pawn it off somehow, it would go some way towards financing a new engine or stocking up on your williams bro. accessories

abufletcher

Vietnam war era. And yeah, my son was telling me about the patterns people follow in doing this rock, paper, scissors game.

Considering that I paid over a hundred bucks in road tolls, gas, and registration fees to go to the fun-fly, I might just about break even!

TFF

With the Japanese Prime Minister stuff, you kind of wonder if he lost a game RPS and had to give up his seat?
What did they think of your plane?

abufletcher

No, that's always a Samurai honor, falling on your sword thing. But I'm pretty sure they use jun-ken to pick the new guy.

It was sort of an "after the event" display, but they gave it a good eyeballing. But I don't thing there were any other WWI modelers there. Mostly jet guys and big, fiberglass fuse WWII guys, so I'm not sure what they made of these "balsa and tissue" WWI models.

abufletcher

And wouldn't you just know it would be a gorgeous day today. Beautiful sunny day the day before the fly-in and beautiful sunny day the day after. [:@] That's Japan in the early summer.

abufletcher

Looks like the kit I won is worth a bit more here in Japan! About $550!!!

http://www.rc-matrix.com/SHOP/1-036.html

abufletcher

Just thought I'd show you all a photo of the "special project" I brought back from Germany with me: One of Chris' SE5a kits! In order to carry it back with me, I cut the long sheets into small sections and the whole thing fit into my checked luggage bag. Of course this doesn't include the "long stock" but I can easily get that locally. The idea will be to do this as a "quick build" with some scale care lavished on the outside. I'd like to see if I can build it in 2 months (similar to the 6 weeks it took for the Puppeteer).

Chris has also be toying with the idea of scaling the Snipe kit up to 1/4 scale...which would give it almost a 95" wingspan. That's quite a bit bigger than a 1/4 scale Pup with its 77" wingspan.

So expect to see a new thread (or two) come Fall!