Next up:

Photo 5 - De-molded, more paint/fill/sand/etc.

Photo 6 - Note that I used the spinner backplate for centering, and a balsa ring to get the desired spacing.  The cowl was glued to the fuselage with RC56 canopy cement.  We'll see how long that lasts...

Photos 7 & 8 - Ta-Daaa!  Red epoxy over white Krylon primer.  Canopy is black Painters' Choice.  The canopy was masked with Liquid Mask. (Wow, does THAT work great!).  Decor is hand-cut trim Moneykote.

It won last year's "Hollow Log" race at 66.6mph for a standing start and 10 lap race.  That was without a cowl and spinner to reduce the drag. Lap time was around 1.9 seconds. By the end of the flight I was positively staggering.

Although it isn'ta classic hollow log kit design, it does fit the rules of having a crossection bigger than a Cox reed engine backplate and 56 sq.in. minimum wing area.  Actually the fuselage flares out somewhat larger than the minimum, especially with the canopy added.

I don't expect speeds to be as high this coming year because we are going to longer, heavier lines and limiting the Nitro content of the fuel to 30%. 

True, but I expect this plane to last a LOOOONG time! And it shore am purty! 

That balloon trick is fantastic!

Hobby Poxy introduced the origional balloon idea in the early 60's soon after they introduced epoxy glue to the modelling public. It was called the easy does it system and I think they everyone that I knew including myself used it at least once but probably more then that. They even sold an easy does it kit pack with the materials that you needed. Good ideas never seem to go out of style.