It took a long while to really recover from my hospital stay. It took even longer to return to modeling. Late March I reopened the factory and began work on a plane that had been waiting on the shelf. However the foam kit and construction did not impress me and it got sent to the garage half built.
The Aero Commander kit had spoiled me, all the design was complete and all the parts fit, the plane looked and flew great. During my recovery I saw a lot of boats and one tug caught my eye. I decided to model a boat but wanted a well designed kit for my first attempt. I caught sticker shock boat kits are $$$.
Until I found http://www.vac-u-boat.com/ his cute tug boat Jr. looked just perfect. When I mentioned I might want to retrieve a model plane from the lake adjoining our flying field the owner suggested his tow boat. Tug boat, tow boat what's the difference?
The Aero Commander kit had spoiled me, all the design was complete and all the parts fit, the plane looked and flew great. During my recovery I saw a lot of boats and one tug caught my eye. I decided to model a boat but wanted a well designed kit for my first attempt. I caught sticker shock boat kits are $$$.
Until I found http://www.vac-u-boat.com/ his cute tug boat Jr. looked just perfect. When I mentioned I might want to retrieve a model plane from the lake adjoining our flying field the owner suggested his tow boat. Tug boat, tow boat what's the difference?
Early in May Matt flew the Shrike's maiden flight after a wild takeoff Matt tamed the beast and concluded with a perfect landing. Then I began to feel woozy and found myself in Cape Coral's Emergency Room. Three days later I began to realize there was a garden hose down my throat. I had pneumonia. Actually I had an infection that attacks the weakest link in your body and brought on the pneumonia.
More info and photos are at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...784941&page=24
Hurricane Larry
More info and photos are at https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...784941&page=24Hurricane Larry
The Shrike is finished. I saw the plane at the Reno Sted airport (photo) so I decided it is a tourist commuter between the lake and Reno. Fly them up to see or swim in the beautiful lake in the summer. Go skiing in the winter. Maybe a few odd trips to Sacramento. As built the plane is all white so I have trimmed the tips in red, added some panel lines and an under the wing advertisement for Reno - Tahoe. I hope to get the strips /trim on tomorrow, then photos. I think this will be a good looking aircraft.
Hurricane Larry
Hurricane Larry
I learned that the Aero Commander Shrike was the smallest Air Force One, Eisenhower had one for short trips (actually the AF had two identical) I considered redoing my plan and turn mine into AF1 but it is very bland just some blue and nothing like todays scheme. Nobody would know. I am still fussing with the fit of the tail feathers, went on to fit the wing and had a similar but not as severe problem. Meanwhile there is all the work of motor install, controller wiring, battery install, complicated by really heavy wire out to the two motors...... no to mention control rods for all the surfaces, servos. Then there is the issue of controlling all the wiring from the wing to the fuselage. Complicated as I have addled navigation, collision and landing lights. No night flying but I like the lights. Fun but it does not look like your accomplishing anything. Additionally I would go bananas if I did not have something to do that keeps my brain working.
Hurricane Larry
Hurricane Larry
Yet another month rolls by without a Blog entry. I have not been inactive and have started building the Aero Commander Shrike. I have been posting to the later part of this thread https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=784941
Big rain here today but far better than the snow storms up North. In fact this area is so accustomed to rain it is almost a non-event. In Cape Coral we have about 400 miles of canals so drainage is no problem. In addition the sandy ground eats water.
I like this new smily
Big rain here today but far better than the snow storms up North. In fact this area is so accustomed to rain it is almost a non-event. In Cape Coral we have about 400 miles of canals so drainage is no problem. In addition the sandy ground eats water.
I like this new smily
Coming back from the flying field Sunday 20th I got into an auto accident. Spent 3 days in the hospital two of which were in ICU. I am still sore and not in a good mood. I was told the other driver is in much worse shape. I am very concerned and my mind is not in RC at this time.
Wow it is nearly a month since I updated this Blog.!
The B-58 flew but my pilot was having trouble with control. He circled the field several times but decided to land early. A lot of different opinions as what was going on but when I got her home I found the gears on one servo could slip a tooth. I replaced both elevon servos with metal gear versions to be safe. One of our experts recommended I lower the high angle of attack I have set by the nose LG. I did that to make landing easier.wrong
On the next flight a week later my pilot could not get the plane to rotate. Back to the revision facility once again. I had to do some repair as our last attempt to take off caused some damage when the plane cartwheeled. Most of it is fixed but I was really worried about the possible lack of thrust, I just received my new power meter that is supposed to handle 150 amps it is a Hobby City wonder but appears to be accurate. I checked power and have 148 watts/pound which should be plenty.
The Bronco failed flight line inspection and checkout of the rudder servo in the starboard pod is on the list of things to do.
The B-58 flew but my pilot was having trouble with control. He circled the field several times but decided to land early. A lot of different opinions as what was going on but when I got her home I found the gears on one servo could slip a tooth. I replaced both elevon servos with metal gear versions to be safe. One of our experts recommended I lower the high angle of attack I have set by the nose LG. I did that to make landing easier.wrong
On the next flight a week later my pilot could not get the plane to rotate. Back to the revision facility once again. I had to do some repair as our last attempt to take off caused some damage when the plane cartwheeled. Most of it is fixed but I was really worried about the possible lack of thrust, I just received my new power meter that is supposed to handle 150 amps it is a Hobby City wonder but appears to be accurate. I checked power and have 148 watts/pound which should be plenty.
The Bronco failed flight line inspection and checkout of the rudder servo in the starboard pod is on the list of things to do.
Some how I managed to complete two jobs this week, one a left over finish the B-58 modifications. The other a new one to complete the final assembly of my Bronco.
Once again my B-58 is ready to fly, this time with the correct CG and new V2 batteries thanks to Thunder Power. My B-58 had flown before but I decided to check the CG I built a small scale chuck glider and corrected the CG accordingly. The flight was a disaster and very embarrassing, but that is another story. I hung the plane on the wall as a hanger queen. Then Keith Sparks built his B-58 he had untold problems finding the CG. I began to feel better. When I found out he too had used a chuck glider I felt even better. Some body told us that you can not find the CG of a delta wing with a scale model unless it is exact, not just a wing and silhouette fuselage. Who am I to argue with him. Today I took 5669 off the wall and readied her for her next flight! And I put her CG back where it should be.
Earlier in the week I put my Bronco back together. I built the Bronco about a year ago. The plane comes apart in two pods and the cockpit module; it is much easier to move and store the plane in pieces. Putting it back together is a juggling act but once completed it looks great. The bad part is once together there is no access to the pods. I have a battery & controller in each pod so changing batteries is a career. As designed throttle wires, elevator servo wires and rudder servo wires were routed back to the center module. To me this seemed like a guaranteed interference problem. At the time Sombra Labs was selling a inexpensive 72 mhz receiver so I purchased three, one for each pod and the cockpit module. The cockpit module rx controls the ailerons and steering. Each pod has it's own rx for rudder, elevator and motor control. So far it works well on the bench Sunday I hope to find out if it works as well in the air.
Once again my B-58 is ready to fly, this time with the correct CG and new V2 batteries thanks to Thunder Power. My B-58 had flown before but I decided to check the CG I built a small scale chuck glider and corrected the CG accordingly. The flight was a disaster and very embarrassing, but that is another story. I hung the plane on the wall as a hanger queen.
Then Keith Sparks built his B-58 he had untold problems finding the CG. I began to feel better. When I found out he too had used a chuck glider I felt even better. Some body told us that you can not find the CG of a delta wing with a scale model unless it is exact, not just a wing and silhouette fuselage. Who am I to argue with him. Today I took 5669 off the wall and readied her for her next flight! And I put her CG back where it should be.Earlier in the week I put my Bronco back together. I built the Bronco about a year ago. The plane comes apart in two pods and the cockpit module; it is much easier to move and store the plane in pieces. Putting it back together is a juggling act but once completed it looks great. The bad part is once together there is no access to the pods. I have a battery & controller in each pod so changing batteries is a career. As designed throttle wires, elevator servo wires and rudder servo wires were routed back to the center module. To me this seemed like a guaranteed interference problem. At the time Sombra Labs was selling a inexpensive 72 mhz receiver so I purchased three, one for each pod and the cockpit module. The cockpit module rx controls the ailerons and steering. Each pod has it's own rx for rudder, elevator and motor control. So far it works well on the bench Sunday I hope to find out if it works as well in the air.
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5669 on a successful flight almost 2 years ago. -
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Same flight she flew but not with the unlimited vertical I was looking for. -
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This aircraft was used during the Vietnam war protecting our Navy on the Mekong River. -
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This was the only land based naval aircraft flying during the war.
She flew again this morning (Sapac L-39). Much better after I got the flaps even still a handful but my pilot made it look easy. I need to couple some down elevator with the flaps.
