Now I plan to persue more enjoyable endeavors.
Plan on seeing better availablity of WinchDoctor stuff like Blinghorns, Turnaround pulleys, Blingeron TWF hardware, and a few BIG surprises I cannot reveal at this time.

In the meantime, I got lathe-ed...

WinchDoc

former meat robot

I flew PB this last Wednesday. It was 17-24 straight in all day with a (not too) low ceiling.
The hill was mine except for a few eagles passing by on their way up to the top peak.
I brought 4 planes and flew 4 planes and returned with 4 (intact) planes

I flew the Pace DSE (I call it "Baby Pace") as well as my new Pace VXE.
Since last I flew them, I have adjusted the elevator servo output arm length (shorter) to use more of the servo's throw and resolution. It makes trim inputs finer, and I swear I can 'feel' the difference when I fly them. I had to re-adjust my elevator compensation % (more) in the landing mix, but managed to do it on the fly. Adjusting TX settings whilst flying is like texting & driving!
Now, they both hover in with flaps/crow to a soft landing. SaWEEeeet!

I've been experimenting with the CG location on the VXE, and both designs really like a neutral CG.

I also brought out my HotRod Tweed Rotor and had several satisfying flights, skirting the lower lip and pulling big loops and roll combinations. I think the CG 'could' go back a bit, but it's pretty groovy to fly as it is now,and loops pretty well. Pitcherons have trouble looping with a forward CG, this may be a reason they get a "poor pitch response" rap. Next outing I'll see how much forward stick it needs when inverted, and try to sneak the CG back a bit.
It uses a new revision blingeron that seems to contribute to the rock-solid feel in the air.
This Rotor is...Continue Reading

My Dad died last wednesday. He was 91.

He was a pilot from WW2 and beyond.
He trained with the RAF, Flew 75 missions over "The Hump" from India to China, Saudia Arabia in the '50s, and fast planes over bad guy's back yard.
His military career is documented pretty well, but his impact on me imeasurable.

I got his sense of humor as well as right from wrong,
and good manners when necessary.
He lit my inspiration for all things that fly.

Those of you that know me personally know how much and how often I bragged him up to you.

I thought I'd share a few pix

I'll miss him.

Orcas Island, there's this little hotel/resturant that happens to have a little slope at the end of their property, and nesting bald eagles right next door.

Every sunday they toss some salmon scrap from the resturant kitchen for the "locals".

ALL the birds show up for this party, not just the eagles, but seagulls, pelicans, turkey buzzards, even crows showed up.

Oddly enough, the resident adult eagles tolerated all the other species except their own kind- no doubt the free-loading cousins from the wrong side of the island. ...Continue Reading

Time: September, 1962.
Location: Paris, France.

My Mom & Dad were driving our Mini-Cooper home from the Paris flea-market. I mean THE flea market, long before they were popular in the US like they are now.

There were cobblestone stretches of street surface on the alternate route my Dad had chosen out of the city, and they were bumpy, and the mini was so low to the ground...

I sat in the back seat with the clock. It's chimes rattled, and rang all the way home, particularly on those cobblestones.

I was 8 years old, and looked at the clock with curiousity, even then wondering what was inside.
From that day on that clock had hung somewhere in our home through out all of our military moves.
It was old then, and was not without it's own quirks, like never sounding when the minute hands were exactly on mark
It's ticking was a constant soothing background sound that was comforting like a clock to a new puppy.

***fast forward to about a week ago***

.The clock comes to my house, we hang it up and admire it, The Westminster chimes were slower, and sounded like they were about to slow & stop any second, yet the spring was wound tight.
I figured it just needed a little cleaning and oiling, how hard could THAT be?


so I took it all apart...Continue Reading

Morrison knew even before they invented it...

...

Took a long weekend at Cape Blanco with the Winch Wench. Had one of the few cabins reserved for that weekend.

I flew my SRTL all day Saturday and had the north side all to my self.
Sally got a lot of great shots......Continue Reading

quack quack

"I ain't got it"
"I think a linkage is broke or jammed"
"maybe battery"
"oh"
"oh well"

here ya go

Sally (the winchwench) and I took a vacation to Maui, and I took THREE SAILPLANES with and flew them ALL!
Here are a few pix of the flying parts

Special thanks to Brian & Kelly for turning "tourist nightmare" into "backstage in paradise"

This was the first flying session at Nakalele.

Doug

I took a fast putt out to Rolland's hut-in-the-woods, he was out but I got to see the boys, Oliver and Myles.

Sally walks the marathon. In the RAIN.

went out to my oldest boy's hut-in-the-woods to see the kids......Continue Reading

so, what IS it?

I got this spiffy LITTLE 5ch 2.4ghz RX for my Raven upgrade today.
I figured I would have to remove the case to get it to fit in the Raven's limited space.


WinchDoc



not that I need 7ch for the Raven......Continue Reading

Here's a few pix of the Mach-1 blingeron blocks.
This has been a lon ongoing project that I hope those involved will feel that it was worth the wait.
I plan on taking mine out to Hood River soon and wringing it out really good.

My second grandson. Myles Angus Danger Boyd
About 10 weeks premature, 2lbs,14oz
We got updates from Rolland while we were on the road.
Really takes your mind off riding in the rain.
His middle name...

WD

oh, yeah, breathe.

We're back from Humbolt county. Still a little woozy from the ride.
I'll post more later, there are family things to pay attention to right now.

WD