I just finished my new Maxford (Green Models) 50" Curtiss Jenny, and maidened it today. WON-derful flyer. It floats around like an old WW1 trainer bipe (OX-5 powered one, at that). I really enjoyed it pleasant manners, and sporty flight characteristics. You can almost hang it weightless at the top of the loop, and then ease it down the back side with the power off. Fun!

Torque 2818/900 outrunner, Thunderbird 36 ESC, APC 11x5E, TP 2100mah 3s lipo pack. To be a review article in R/C Sport Flyer (Sept issue?).

Added a new member to my fleet; a Pacific Aeromodels clipped-wing Monocoupe 110, with a SPE26 gasser engine. 13lbs worth of relentless fun! The maiden went well, had some fuel line problems, but ready to go again soon. Can't wait! I highly recommend one of these to anyone who needs a pacemaker in their fleet.

This one will be a review article in R/C Sport Flyer, probably the Sept issue.

For those who have asked, a couple of pics of my installation of the AXI2820/10 outrunner in the nose of my 2.6m DG1000. Jeti 40 Advance Plus ESC, 3s 2100mah Thunder Power lipo pack, Aeronaut CAM folder prop and hub. Plenty of zip for getting to winch height in, like, twenty seconds or so.

My latest ARF from some China outfit ("New Balance")... a 50" sport-scale Tiggy, OS40FS power, 65oz AUW.

UPDATE: I maidened the red Tiger Moth today, under a beautiful blue sky (a rarity here in Seattle, especially this time of year). It flew great! The model may not be a TOC-quality scale rendition of the Tiger Moth, but it flies just like the real thing... slow and easy.

Trim and CG were dead-on, stalls were tame, loops nice and round, and the flare and touchdown are trainer simple. Ya gotta really walk that rudder all the way to a full stop, but the rudder is very effective, so no problem with unexpected groundloops or dealing with crosswinds.

The little OS40FS four-stroker finally found an airframe it likes. Quick take-offs and aggressive climbs, and putt-putting along with the throttle cracked open a hair. Now this is MY kinda machine! Not bad for a cheap Chinese ARF, eh? Well worth the pocket change I paid for it.

Most of these I built from the kit (or ARF kit), a few I got in a trade, or salvaged from another builder's disaster, etc. All of them were planes I owned and flew, and were part of my fleet for a time. Most were eventually sold, a few died a horrible death, some are still languishing in mothballs or are still actively flying in my current fleet.

So, scan my list, and see if we have any of these in common:

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Here is a list of my "Simply Soaring" columns over the past 12 years in Quiet Flyer magazine (formerly Sailplane & Electric Modeler, and now called "R/C Sport Flyer"):

Issue Subject

V2-4SU97 Getting Started (beginner's intro to the hobby)
V3-1FA97 Choosing a Project (beginner's choice of plane)
V3-2W97 Getting Tutored (how-tos of good instruction)
V3-3A/M98 Finding Lift (how to work thermals)
V3-4J/J98 Aero 101: The Airfoil
V3-5A/S98 Aero 101: Wing planform
V3-6O/N98 Aero 101: Stability
V4-1JA99 Ballast (adding lead for fun and profit)
V4-2MR99 Contest Day (flying in contests)
V4-3MA99 Those Little Flippers (control surfaces)
V4-4JL99 Scaling Up, Scaling Down (scale factor)
V4-5SP99 Designing, Pt. 1 (Structure)
V4-6NV99 Designing, Pt. 2 (Aerodynamics)
V5-1JA00 Designing, Pt. 3 (Flight Testing)
V5-2MR00 Handlaunch Bandwagon (joys of HLG)
V5-3MA00 Taking Inventory on Drag (types of drag)
V5-4JL00 Adverse Yaw
V5-5SEP00 Windy Weather
V5-6NV00 Down and Out! (finding a lost plane)
V6-1JA01 Tip Stalls
V6-2FB01 Big Guns (large scale sailplanes)
V6-3MR01 Tennis Shoe My Foot! (airfoil characteristics)
V6-4AP01 Thumping 'Em In (physics of crashing)
V6-5MA01 Stopping Power (airbrakes)
V6-6J/J01 Push Power (servo torque requirements)
V6-7A/S01 Road Trip! (travelling with your gliders)
V6-8O/N01 Dialing In the CG (physics of...Continue Reading