Will be ready for a maiden in a week or two ..... gotta break in the motor on another airplane, and make up the lines and handle.

Silk and dope finish, with a couple light coats of poly clear. Sponsor decals are from the 70's and originally in my dad's collection.  Have been wanting an excuse to use a few of them.

Haven't done a threaded hinge in decades .... it should work.

Larry,
 Couldn't help but notice the glow plug you have on that engine, I have been looking for one of those for a while, where can I get one, and what plug are you using? Also how well does it work?
       Thanks a lot

That would be a Merlin plug. You can get both the plug and adapter @ Brodaks.  Also, be sure to have extra head shims.  Start with 3, and go from there until you find your engines sweet spot.  I've got one on my GoldenBee II with 3 shims on 25% nitro ..... and love it ..... have yet to replace it after dozens of high RPM runs.

I'll never run a Cox glowhead again ....

Larry,
 Couldn't help but notice the glow plug you have on that engine, I have been looking for one of those for a while, where can I get one, and what plug are you using? Also how well does it work?
       Thanks a lot

You can also get them directly from Merlin. Al sells a kit with the clamp and 3 plugs.

Pat

Very nice, love your decals.

Larry,
As I posted over on our other forum, I really like your Bean a lot. I admire the meticulous work you put into it. Mine was pretty and I was proud of it, but yours has character in lots more ways. No easy shrink covering, classic decals, stitched hinges, and it appears you took the time to build a quality motor mount rather than the kit-supplied nylon mount.

Mine was built for the purpose of learning to fly loops, and to learn to build a real built-up wing, which was a first for me. The late Jim Thomerson was one of my forum tutors, teaching me things I never realized about what makes a plane fly right. That was on RCG, before I ever knew there was such a wonderful sport as competitive aerobatics. He took an interest and mailed me plans and magazines to help urge me along, something I'll always appreciate. Mine turned out to be a Rustoleum laden lead sled, but I bolted a Black Widow onto it and kept trying until I finally flew my first loop, and exited, still in the air. I shouted, "I did it!" My son caught it on his phone video cam, and shouted back, "Do it again!" and it was my first Youtube video. After that first loop, I was like... Now what the heck was so hard about that!

It flew many flights and I learned lots of new tricks before it finally just wore out. And it was in the air doing figure 8s when the old airframe finally gave up the ghost, about 60 degrees high. Quite a spectacular demise though. Great memories. Thanks for sharing yours with us and bringing back my Jumpin' Bean memories. In its last days it was powered with a Norvel .061, talk about a quick Bean! I'm inspired to take mine off the hook and fix that folded wing, and maybe fly it again sometime.
Rusty

My first loop ever

As Rusty days doing that first loop you wonder why you thought it was so hard.  My Grandaughter asked if she could do a loop.  I said well you are doing wing overs.   If you try a loop just remember to not stop giving up on the handle until the plane is level again.   She quit flying before I could get her to doing lazy 8's.  Also remember that too much up might stall the plane out.

...I got 6-7 bench runs on the Serpent yesterday ... still blowing out grey gunk, so its a ways from being ready. But it seems really powerful and should pull the Bean through at least one loop...

Hey Larry, if you haven't already, go ahead and prop it down to 5 or 5.25x3 to finish breaking it in. You'll probably find yourself needing around those sizes for good flying. Remember the Taipan Serpent has SPI so needs to get happy running high RPMs. If you'll get some 35% nitro fuel for it(especially with that Merlin head), you will have the easiest time getting fast dependable runs.

Looking forward to its maiden.
Rusty

Nice looking 'Bean.

 Way back when, like 7th or 8th grade, the L'il Jumping Bean was my first non-plastic model and my first ever C/L build. Mine was set up with a Tee Dee .051 running on 35% nitro Missle Mist fuel flying on dacron lines. Certainly not what would be considered the ideal setup but that's what the LHS had on the shelf at the time. The combo actually worked really well, plenty of power for a kid that didn't know any better. Had a LOT of fun times with that little plane.

    Me, too! In fact, I did my first-ever complete *correct* pattern with my second one, the Wednesday before my first contest. I had been practicing with my regular airplane, but the wrong sequence, which I discovered earlier in the week.  I could fly the Bean in the empty lot next door, so out I went to try it in the right order. A few flights, got it right, went to Lexington, entered Beginner, got a 383 with my regular airplane, got in 4 complete flights, the rest is stunt history.

     Brett

Hey, good for you, Larry. CL competition is one of the few sports that can be just as fun and rewarding whether you prefer to only dabble in it or get more serious. I found my seriousness limit this Fall when I started pushing myself too hard, and it hurt my level of fun in practice, hurt my game and my fleet. My new perspective is already in mind for next season, more fun, less frustration.
Rusty