Nitro update...um...update

Things are moving fast, so I thought I'd update my last update, as it were. So, grab a cold one and relax.

I really should have left well enough alone with the Savage. Three tuning screws are proving to be troublesome, even for someone with more experience than I have. I've been asked to rest assured that it'll be running OK by tomorrow. I suspect a bad exhaust manifold gasket m'self. It's the same one that was on the old engine. I've asked him to change it out.

Ah, but the combat plane...

I stayed up last night setting up the radio. Off to the field I went early this morning, not knowing quite what to expect. For a small plane, it looks kind of cumbersome with its plywood firewall and three full-sized servos.

I assure you, it's anything but.

Once I got a troublesome fuel pump to, well, pump, I fired up that old O.S., pointed it into the wind and gave it a toss.

It may have well been shot from a cannon despite the fact it was running rich with a really old glow plug.

I've only been involved with electric aircraft until now; my second gas plane was the first in the air, beating out "Project Zero."

The fun factor of this plane was off the scale. It was considerably faster than my full-house E-flite P-47D Thunderbolt despite weighing probably five times as much. It also did some really outrageous and insanely tight manuevers the P-47 could only dream of. I did an accidental snap roll about six feet off the ground but a bit of throttle was all it took to straighten things out. Buzzing the "runway" at full throttle was as easy as doing it on a sim. The P-47 wants to bob along the air currents when I try it with that plane.

Snapped a blade off that old APC on its second landing (which are ridiculously easy with that plane; it wanted to glide forever) which effectively ended my day...but not without a smile. When I got home, I treated the engine to a brand new glow plug and temporary prop which were part of the "package deal" I was given so that I could fine tune things. I didn't even know I had that #8 glow plug on hand since it was in the old flight box. Fixed the cranky fuel pump while I was at it. Another freebie that had been shelved for a long time, but it's working now. What a difference that new glow plug made, needless to say. It's probably making ten percent more power. In fact, the old plug was for a four-stroke and it STILL ran!

I'm going out extra early tomorrow morning before that desert heat kicks in, armed with a couple of Master Airscrew props.

Man, I love flying nitro. I may be late coming to the party, but I'm here now! There sure has been an angel on my shoulder as of late since I was given things like a new power panel, new starter and even a near-new bottle of fuel. Result: Hasn't taken much money to get to this point. I dig my homies.

Rejoining the AMA before Project Zero goes up. Stay tuned!