Build Log Spook 96"

[CaptAhab]

I hear ya, building is therapy and keeps me out of trouble. Next in line is the Grumman Goose and Shearwater, after that I may go with the Goldberg Valkyrie.

[KOMET 44]

Auwsome!!!!
Komet44

[timtanner3]

Hows the Spook going?

I have been looking for more build pictures Captain? Also I have been looking @ the Goldberg Valkyrie. What a plane it is. It sure has my attention. I think I am going for a short kit from klarich soon.

Keep up you good work.

Tim

[CaptAhab]

Well heres what I have so far...have to finish installing a few parts in the lower fin and stab.
Tim, the Valkyrie is an awesome looking plane isnt it !

[K_Biker_Bill]

Well CaptAhab, the fit and finish of your woodwork is discouraging to me. I may scrap the nearly finished Quaker Flash I'm working on and just start over. I looked at how your Trexlers are held in place and wanted to show you an idea to make the outboard end look cleaner.

You drill the Trexler hub to fit loosely over it, then slide a length of brass or aluminum tubing over the wire axle thats been peened on the outboard end to hold a small washer in place. It will stay in place with just a retainer, but a more secure method of keeping the tubing in place is to slit the inboard end for 3/16" or so with a fine saw, than use the wheel retainer to compress the slit portion and lock the tubing to the landing gear wire. Looks great on the outboard side.

[timtanner3]

Thanks for the post Capt. I really enjoy watching something like this come together. I live in the southern end of the country of Belize in the jungle and there is no one else here doing RC. I started when I was a kid in the States but over the years I just could not shake the desire to build them again. When I was growing up the radios were so expensive all I could afford was string line, and free flight. Now that I have raised and sent off the 5 kids I have returned to my first love. It is only the internet that has re-sparked my interest in Balsa. It is people like you who inspire me.

[timtanner3]

keep the pictures coming

[CaptAhab]

Bill, thanks for the compliments, but surely you arent going to scrap a kit ? The wheel retaining method does look nice, thanks for the instructions. I was wondering what type of retainer to use, the collars sure dont help the looks any. I was thinking at first of using some kind of hub cap but what you described sounds great, I'll give it a try ! As far as the woodworking goes, I own the Micro mark miniature table saw, variable speed sander and drill press. So alot of the craftsmanship I'd have to contribute to the tools. They have been the best tools for modeling I've ever owned. If you can get your hands on them I'd highly recommend it. With the table saw I can buy large stock in bulk and rip all the sizes I need, so it ends up actually paying for itself. And right now Balsa USA has some extremely good wood so I'd put an order in now for some of what they have at the moment.

Tim, Glad my model building is giving you some inspiration, the internet has helped modeling immeasurably. I flew over Belize a while back, the reefs out in the ocean were beautiful. I had gone to Nicaragua to work on a plane that was stuck there. So does UPS bring your modeling supplies to Belize ?

[Jeanskydive]

Just beautiful work , fabric and dope verry pretty, nice work.You have the same electric motor of my DHA-6 Mulligan, Plenty of power. Happy flight .

[CaptAhab]

Thank you Jean, seeing your build is what inspired me to build this one. You did an excelent job on yours. The only thing that worries me about this model is the tail wheel, I've tried to engineer the assembly to withstand any side loads. I'll be building the gull wing version but I'm going to cut the amount of the angles by half so it's not as pronounced, should be intresting to see how it turns out.
How does your model handle slow flight and thermaling ?

[adamtc]

Can I be the first to suggest we ban captahab from this forum for making us all feel so inadequate at building!!

Holy smoke, how on gods earth do you not end up with glue blobs everywhere, dents and dings in the balsa, grubby hand marks etcetc I hate you!!!!!!!

[CaptAhab]

Thats it.... watch this !

Foghorn Leghorn Ass Whipping moments (2 min 47 sec)

[CaptAhab]

What if Big Daddy Roth had got ahold of a Spook ? Would he have painted flames or panels of color and pin strips ? I'll have to research a while and see what a Rat Fink model plane might have looked like...

[timtanner3]

To answer capt. I get my stuff to build any way I can. Mostly shipping EMS, Fedex...I have a picture of a DR1 I am working on. I am building it out of a Styrofoam crate something was shipped in and a couple sheets of Balsa I scraped together form a project I did in 1990. For covering it is latex house paint for now. But it is all exciting. I have a ways to go on the finishing, but I will get there...Figured out how to upload...It is the first coat of paint on the top wings. and I have to work on the graphics..

[CaptAhab]

Tim thats a nice lookin DR1 ! Good job. Hey living in Belize you should be growing your own balsa trees !