So my eye exploded inside. Not in a kaboom sense, but in a huge amount of debris floating around sense and it is like looking though a dirty fish tank, looking through a veil, and looking at huge cobwebs and stringy things, and little specks, thousands of them.

It happened suddenly. And I noticed my vision suddenly going haywire. This was on Sunday June 11. I was seen by my eye doctor the next day, and he then sent me to a retina specialist. "Vitreous Hemorrhage" he said. Bleeding inside the eye.

The retina specialist found a tear in my retina. He performed surgery to repair it. The surgery is called "retinal cryoplexy" and it is done by freezing the tear so that it forms scar tissue.

I am restricted from doing things like nodding my head, picking up anything heavy, or driving a car. I am supposed to keep my head as still as possible, and move very slowly when I do move.

My vision is so very compromised now. It is the worst it has ever been in my life. This sucks...

Got me a Revo 3.3

I got my hands on a CF Lee Mfg modified K&B 61 engine and it needed an overhaul. Here is a thread with some photos:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-B-61-Overhaul

And a video:

CF LEE MFG, K&B .61 Engine Overhauled and Test Run (11 min 34 sec)

I started this kit around 1980. Never finished it. At the time I was working for Aero-Engines, Inc. They are a radial engine rebuilding shop. I was building power sections for R-985 and R-1340 Pratt & Whitney engines. I snagged a little 4 oz bottle of the gray paint they used on them and that is the paint on my model. Anyway, for whatever reason I cannot recall I did not complete the model. But I hung on to it. Through decades and a few moves. It got broken a bit during all of that.

I was thinking of getting back into building scale plastic models a bit, and I thought this would be a good way to get my "glue fingers" back into shape. So I am going to finish this radial engine kit. It is amazing, the amount of detail this model kit has. It's really too bad that they seem to be out of business now. They had so many great model kits at one time.

Just for something to do, I created this power plant using a vintage Kroker motor. I also happened to have a water cooling system for electric motors that I bought several years ago. So combining these components and mounting them on a cutting board, I have an interesting little power plant!

My idea is to make a pulley to fit onto the Kroker, and then using a o-ring type belt, drive some Mamod and Wilesco toy steam engine accessories. Or maybe even some sort of device to do some work.

Yep, I got one.

I had a '67 C10 long bed, 3 speed, 283, pickup at one time. So this body on the Drag Slash really tugged at me. And the metallic red color is stunning.

I have been adding some upgrades to it since I got it about a month ago. I replaced the suspension linkages with anodized aluminum bits, for the bling. I replaced the plastic shock absorbers with aluminum shocks. And I added sensors for the Traxxas telemetry.

I added the LED headlights, and parking lights. And I installed the tail light housings, and then the LED's for them. It's all part of the fun.

...Continue Reading

I have sold or given away many hobby items that I now regret, and wish I still had them. Dang it! 😞

Can I have them back?

...Continue Reading

1/8 scale, brushless 1100Kv motor, 3S battery....Continue Reading

Daddy loves you....

50 years ago today, I enlisted in the US Army at the AFEES Station (Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station) down on Wilshire Blvd. The Viet Nam war was still raging. Got on a Greyhound bus with a bunch of other kids, and rode it up to Fort Ord in Monterey, California. This was the Army post where BCT (Basic Combat Training) was conducted. Spent 8 weeks there. Graduated BCT and then transferred to Fort Lee, Virginia for AIT (Advanced Individual Training) for the next few months. I ended up being permanently stationed at Fort Lee for the duration of my enlistment. I separated from the Army in May, 1974. 50 years ago. Wow.

It was faded, dented, and rusty. So I went to the Army-Navy surplus store and bought some genuine Army camo spray paints and just did a free hand camo paint job. Well, it did stand out, lol...

I have been working on a new airplane project. It is a 3D printed Ercoupe. It is designed by Lofted Aero and the STL files, G-Code files, and really nice building instruction book are included in the purchase price.

It has been a bit of a challenge, as my printer has not made every part exactly 100% perfect. So when it came time to glue the parts together, there were some gaps. Also had a few under-extrusion issues. Not enough to prevent it from being built though.

This modern technology still continues to amaze me. I am having a lot of fun learning the 3D printing hobby.

E-Flite 1.3m Piper Cherokee. A "cousin" for the Cirrus. ...Continue Reading

Another plane for the hangar. A beautiful Cirrus.

and Happy New Year!

A new super car from Arrma. ...Continue Reading

In 1974, I taught myself how to fly RC. I did not belong to a club, I did not know anyone else who was into flying RC. But I wanted to get started.

I purchased everything I needed from Hobby Shack. A little 1/2-A high wing trainer called Mini Star, by Pilot; a Cirrus 4-channel radio, Cox engine, fuel, epoxy, rubber bands, battery, starting clip, etc. The cost added up to $213.36 with the 6% local and state tax. I priced everything from a 1974 Hobby Shack catalog. With inflation, that would equal $1115.69 today! Can you imagine. It was an expensive thing to get started in RC back then, and you had to be serious about it.

Well, I don't recall exactly but I think my first 30 to 50 flights were very short and all ended up with some sort of crash damage. Mostly to the front of the plane. With epoxy, balsa, and whatever else I repaired it and tried another flight. By the time I completed a full flight, IE ran the Cox engine tank empty, and landed smoothly, the plane looked completely different in the front! And it weighed significantly more. But, it was a glorious day! I had graduated!

A few years ago, I was thinking that it would be cool to find one of those model airplanes, and have it hanging up in my hangar, just for old time sake and to remember the challenge and struggle it was. I found a Cirrus radio easily enough. But the Mini Star ARF eluded me. I did see the balsa kit version come up for sale occasionally, the 1/2-A Baby Star. But I wanted the same ARF,...Continue Reading

I was thinking about my very first radio, a Cirrus 4-channel from Hobby Shack. I purchased it in 1974, for a cost of $150, plus whatever the tax rate was back then. Looking at the US Inflation Calculator, that would be $784 dollars today. Plus the tax.

4-channels. No dual rate. No expo. No servo reversing. No LCD screen. No computer. No mixing. No programming. No software. No adjustable gimbal sticks.

Yes, it cost a lot more of your hard earned money to get into RC back in the day then it does now.

I got an engine made the same year I was born. I think that is pretty cool.

Plane is all ready to go now. I plan to fly the maiden this coming week. ...Continue Reading