After framing up 3 Stunters an another on the way I am kind of wondering what drives a modeler to just go nuts when he knows this is rediculous. As we all know when we grow older there is an urgancy that we fall into and we have this thing about getting things done. I have all these ideas in my head that I need to pass on to the younger stunt grunts out there.
  Yesterday I got to thinking about this and decided I must have gone over the edge. I will be around for a few more years and at my age not to many people listen to us older folks. I guess I have always been in love with airplanes and the thrill that they give to all of us. I think I am trying to explain why we build so many planes.
  It seems as I am building and almost done with a project, I am looking for something else to build. Its kind of like the Willebeast that migrate or the wild goose. We are always looking ahead. I finish a plane and I have not done enough. I just thought of a project that I have to do!
  I guess it is sort of like being in jail. You find yourself getting restless and doing nothing is not your lifestyle. Maybe,  HB~>just maybe I might create somthing really good so you are at it again. My only break is the flying field where iIcan meet and fly with friends  a have social fun. I guess maybe this is what this hobby is all about. Anyone have any new Ideas and I am leaving myself wide open with this Question?

Mybe the Leester will let you fly his when he gets it finished. Wrong way Luke the cool hand.

Well, speaking professionally, it does require a certain level of obsessive-compulsive personality trait to maintain the fascination we have with toy planes. That and imagination and tenacity. Particularly in a field with a relatively small percentage of adherents. On the other hand, it's fun. I can't help it if others don't have the required traits.   

I was cleaning off my work bench so I could do some minor repairs and finish work on a couple of planes. while moving an sweeping I found a box with Leo's name on it and instead of repair work started the Arctic Fos I got from him. that only leaves six unfinshed projects and the repairs to do. DonCurry

Don, I am almost done with mine so you can see how it flies. I am looking forward  to having someone build one of my designs. I finnaly got one good day to spray paint last week. Putting trim on now. Picture coming soon.

Hey Robert I use to carve all my props back when I flew Free Flight. I have found nothing as calming and stress relieving than that. And they always worked better than any thing else.

 
       What Ty said...

  Leo, I kinda built the Arctic Fox but as a profile. I used sheet and gussets on the tips and changed the shape some. The rest is to the plans. It flies very well. To paraphrase the mag. reviewers," it flew right off the board". 39-40 ozs. OS .40. Since I change the original design I called it "Snow Fox". Which is another name for the arctic fox. I used a canopy form a Sig Acromaster kit. There's a picture at http://www.perrystoys.blogspot.com. Scroll down 3 or 4 pages. Oh yeah, it's an obsession for me.
Perry Rose

I am glade that the Fox worked out for you. I have had some problems with mine but am slowly getting them taken care of. I would be interested in how it went togather for you. I think the power  is acceptable and you can't beat the OS40 for good runs. I have a old one in my Ruffy that still runs like clockwork. Good flying and if you have any more pictures of it I would be interested in getting a couple. Leo

I am not sure why I build Control line airplanes. Maybe its because I can.  I am currently building a 90 size Extra 300S.  That has to be nuts. At my flying skill level it will make a really big hole in the ground.  But on the other hand have you seen what's on TV these days.  The way I look at it, it beats TV and is cheaper per hour than drinking beer ( and also better for you).  Besides, contest have dates which imposes deadlines which gives me a reason to get out of bead in the morning.  The only thing I don't like about the deal is the two questions I always get asked --- Is that radio controll?  and --- Don't you get dizzy???   

Don't know about a habit or an obsession, but I came across this definition of Control line Aerobatics the other day.

Control-Line Aerobatics
 Built the lightest, most complicated airframe known to man. Spend months on a killer paint job to die for. Then do aerobatics with vertical pull outs 5ft radius, 5ft above the ground over concrete. 

Rational???

You decide....

TTFN
John.

That is why I would try to talk the boss into letting me drive to schools or out of job assignments, so I could take planes to fly and build.  I don't think the maids thought too heghly of the balsa dust.  DOC Holliday

<Is it an obsession if you ship yourself an ARF to the hotel you will be staying at for a work related trip, borrow tools from the maintenace guys while assembling it in your hotel room, buy a gallon of fuel at a local hobby shop knowing you might burn a quart if lucky, start break-in of the new engine in the parking lot, and hope you get a couple days when you can go and put up a few flights?

Nope- it's not an obsession at all, just another way to met great new people- Like Scott Reise ( and maybe Leo if I get out to Delta Park again).>

Yeah, I got up early to work on my plane in the Hotel parking lot while the wife showered and I got to meet the rent a cop as he was checking on me and what I was doing out of the back of my truck.

I have come to the conclusion that I am obssesed after spending a lot of money just to cook in the desert. Or maybe I am Nuts!

A way of life.

I have pics of me at 4, applying Ambroid to the ribs of a Flite Streak.  In my underwear (that's another story).  I've alway 'built' things.  The bead blasting cabinet (learned how to weld with a Sears tombstone unit and some new welding rods).  A few refinishing projects with some antique furniture.  That paint remover in the butter tub is quite flammable when you tack an arm onto your fertilizer spreader so's you can tow it behind the lawn tractor and a spark land in it.  Ouch.  Or the rear-set foot pegs and linkage to make your 67 BSA into something of a fun bike.  Welders and die grinders - cool stuff.  Or a venturi that you spent three hours learning how a lathe works with.  A man is known for how long his veturi is and how much quality time he spends with it, btw. 

I'v translated it (model building) to the software I've been writing for thirty years.  You're building something.  Furniture, software, a barn, a jig to help you install hinges on a wing or stab...  Making something.

Hope I never stop.

Almost as good as a good canasta game.  How about a 4425 first hand?  Okay, I was playing against my rubber blow up doll, and she wasn't thinking about her card game at the time.  I still love her though, for helping me get thru the carpool lanes with the two occupants minimum.  And no bitching about my driving.  Cool.

Hey Leo!  You probably have noticed I crank out a lot of models.  But I'm just trying to make up for lost time; the years I spent in school, working long hours to support my family, and military service.  Now that I'm retired (since 1997) I'm trying to play "catch-up" and do all the stuff I could only dream about during my previous life.

Now, if only the weather would cooperate, I could spend more time flying instead of building!

Floyd

I have been out of it since 1975, but back in the late 60's, early 70's, I can remember taking house payment money and spending some of it for gas to get to a contest.  Of course, I was already at the end of the grace period so paying it the following week cost more because of a late charge and...but wait, there was another contest that weekend and... . 
I came sooo close to being homeless in hopes of a 3rd place trophy worth 10 bucks.

That wasn't bad enough.  In '74, I bought a new 26' travel trailer so I could travel to more contests and bring the family with me.  This was when we lived in Michigan.  One weekend I dragged that trailer to Winston Salem NC for a contest.  My oldest son developed chicken pox on the way and was miserable.  The other 3 laughed and made fun, but the following week, they all looked like spotted owls, too, at the next contest.

No doubt, I was a fanatic and spent way too much time and money on my hobby, but, dang, it was great while it lasted.  I didn't drink, chase women or gamble.  I just played with toy airplanes.

I think its a severe case of both, and some brain damage from sniffing all the dope fumes while painting. Just joking,but my first exposure to model aircraft was my dads builtup corsair. I took it everywhere as a child. it held up for quite a few years minus the tail and covering on the wings. My first hobby shop per say was k mart with its extensive collection of testors and cox airplanes. i also collected any of my friends crashed planes and tried to piece them back together. Some worked some didnt. Didnt have a lot of theoretical knowledge of aerodynamics like i do now so anytime something flew it was magical. Even knowing what i do now its still magical everytime i see one fly. Brings back warm memories of easygoing times.

Yeah, I got up early to work on my plane in the Hotel parking lot while the wife showered and I got to meet the rent a cop as he was checking on me and what I was doing out of the back of my truck.
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Wife Joey and I were first married, we managed a 21-unit apartment complex, and lived in the large bungalow in front. The driveway ran past our second bedroom, which we had set up as a hobby shop. The light fixtures were four 8-foot double fluorescent light fixtures with 'Daylight' tubes.
They lit it up like Willie-Peter! (white phospherous)
A sheriff's deputy was cruising past, and noticed the bright light from within. He parked his 'unit' in front of our driveway, and sat there for a long time. Wife Joey came driving up from night classes she was taking, came in, and said there was a policeman 'power-parked' in our driveway, what did I suppose he was doing?
I walked outside, and up to his car, introed myself as the manager, and 'could I help him?' He asked whose 'apartment' that was with the bright lamps, and curtains drawn. (now I saw why he was curious! Me? an inner-city farmer???)  I asked him to come in, it was our house...he followed me inside, and we went into the shop. Work tables, shelving, airplanes...we had about 4 going, my Vern Clements C/L Gee Bee R1 was the focal point, he was speechless. I asked him, "Did you think we were growing something to make us stupid?" He said something like, "Go toward the light..." 

Definitely rewarding.  Modeling and associating with adults in my preteen and teen days were probably a large contribution to keeping me out of trouble with the law like some of the kids I hung around with got into.  Then, a desire to get into the then very primitive RC gave me the incentive to get my Electronics degree.  Some work a couple clubs I was in did with some troubled schoolkids got me a few profuse thanks from parents for the positive effects on their kids we had.  An hour or two building was a perfect tension release after coming home from a 10 or more hour day on an auto assembly line.  Really shifted me from hyper to human in a short time.  And the skills learned with modeling were a tremendous aid the last 28 years in an engineering lab with things like constructing test fixtures, prototypes, show displays, and even visualizing outcomes before testing was started.  And now in my retirement, it's going to give me a nice full productive activity that will include considerable cross country walking, chasing FF models, and searching the boonies if (When?) I dumb thumb on RC models.

And that's only an abbreviated summary.

Don't know about the Wildebeast but I have it on good authority that a wild goose is at least 2 inches off center.........

No wonder my wife calls me a silly gooose.