Yep, just carry on the good fight, using the launching stooge as required, and don't worry much about the future of model airplanes in general. A few more generations, and it'll be gone.  Steve

I like Power Pro, most especially the "Slick 8". I have some 40 lb test on order right now, in fact. I have heard of Bi-Mart, and have seen them in various places around the PNW, but they're pretty much Oregon or E.WA, and none on my turf. So, I Googled them and found that there's one in E-burg and I might be going through there sometime soon.

The $5 for the lifetime membership isn't a horrible deterrent, so I'll try to stop and visit one, perhaps E-burg, Salem, or Albany. Will be in Salem for Fall Fallies, and should go to Corvallis to visit the family in Crystal Lake Cemetery while I'm in the area.

This PNW thing makes me ask...do I know you?  Steve

So, Tim...is your posted Lat/Lon for your house or for OC? If it's your house, couldn't Mike & Frank ("American Pickers") show up, wanting to buy your treasured antiques? It'd make an interesting episode, I bet.  Steve

Was launching for an unnamed flier this Sunday. Uniflow, tachometer, etc. Every time he reached for the NV, the engine leaned out, because his hand was blocking the prop blast into the uniflow vent. It went like this: Adjust, tach, adjust, tach, adjust, tach, adjust, tach. Not a good methodology, IMO. Furthermore, he crashed. Probably not related to the NV setting (this time).

I encouraged him to run a hose into the backplate cavity to be hooked onto the uniflow vent after filling. I know Brett sets his plane up so he has this option. I have my bEagle setup the same, but just use it all the time. If it's already there, I see no reason not to use it all the time. Anyway, ideally, we'd hold the tach steady, adjust the NV, get the rpm desired, and walk to the handle. Blocking the prop blast at the uniflow inlet doesn't help at all.    Steve

Randy,

Since it has a nose gear, the remaining landing gear, is it mounted in the wing or on the fuselage? In the photos I didn't see any way to mount it on the back of the I-Beam.
Just curious.

By the way nice looking.

Thanks guys for the input. All good stuff.
I haven't explained myself properly. You are quite right about training aircraft. I have a number of profiles just about ready to go to learn with and learn how to repair no doubt. The Nobler arrives today and I probably won't get to it until Christmas.
Excellent tip about the engine mounts. I have read how the control linkages can be an issue and I am in the process of ordering an upgrade from Tom Morris.
Thank you for the advice.
Craig

Last few

And a couple more pictures.

It was a great contest this past weekend! The food was great, flying was spectacular and the weather held out long enough to get a full contest in, and enough time to fool around and swap planes for a couple flights with those who were still there. Watching everybody fight the wind and turbulence in the second round of profile was worth the price of admission on Saturday. That was a lot of fun! Thanks to Joe Gilbert for letting me fly his ringmaster in profile. That airplane should not fly as well as it does. It's a little Ferrari and can probably turn a 5ft radius. Thanks also go to John Simpson for letting me fly his Charles Mackey Crusader in classic. It's a strange looking airplane from inside the circle, but flies great!

Here's some pictures.

  In Napa we fly very near a skatepark, and a BMX track, and right next to a county walking path.  Some weekend days, there are maybe 100 cars parked and dozens of kids around the 10-18 age bracket walk by. Never once have they even paid any attention to what we were doing, much less express any interest. Almost no one pays any attention at all, and on the few occasions that someone does stop, it's usually grandparents out with babies or toddlers, and it's the grandparents who are interested, not the kids. Note this is not the duffer patrol, these are almost all very attractive and eye=grabbing NAT's quality airplanes with 4' bottom on the flights.

    What we do, despite whatever value we see in it, is *not interesting* to other people. I don't think there is any practical way to change that. Hence, my preference for maintaining the event as it stands, as it is clearly interesting to the current participants, instead of making radical changes to appeal to people who clearly don't care at all.

     Brett