Author Topic: Stunt Grunts Nemesis (Read 4465 times)

Leo Mehl · « **on:** January 23, 2007, 06:23:32 PM »

I hate modeling! It takes up too much of your time. It cost a Lot of money and you have to buy a lot of STUFF. After you buy all this stuff you have to buy a lot of tools to make this stuff into an airplane. This may take a year to do and after you are done you have to buy a motor to power this plane After you buy the engine you have to brake it in. and then you build a fuel tank that will make the engine run at it's best which may take doing three or four times to get it right. Finnaly it is ready to go so you take it to the flying field which is usually quite a few miles away so that it costs a lot for gasoline.
Now we are at the field we hook up the lines to the plane and start the engine and we test fly the sucker. It takes several flites to know whether it will do all the manuvers that it is supposed to do. Two things can happen. It will either fly good or it won't. If it doesn't we will have to trimm it and it's getting late so we will have to come back tommorrow.
The next day we are back and its a little cold so it takes a while to get the engine started. Too bad the motor is not running good. I could give this story a bad ending but like most stories a happy ending is a good ending, and come to find out our precious time was not wasted. Damn I hate modeling It's just too much fun!
I didicate this blurb to Schutzie who's enthusism is outstanding.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2007, 06:56:56 PM »

Leo,

I'm glad it ended well. I was about ready to off myself.

Shultzie · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2007, 07:31:52 PM »

My dear bro's in balsa...Leo and Randy!!!
Thanks for sharing your feelings of both PAIN N' GAIN! Often its a battle of which come faster, the pain or the gain.

One thing that has always made me say "HUH?" is where in this world do folks that have flown competition stunt for soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many years, manage to continue that seemingly impossible task to keep on keepin on with not only building those beautiful eye-candy amazingly complicated stunt models...as well as keeping their flying skills and passion to do both equally well.....FOR SOOOO MANY DIDDIGITY DARN YEARS...WITHOUT MEDICATION OR REEEEHAB' TIME IN THE OLD TOWN TOOOONIGHT?

So with that theme in mind...I guess that old Biblical saying: Mountains can be moved if we have enough faith...or whether or not TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME...perhaps that may lend some truth to why so many of our brothers in balsa have stayed the course...without straying tooooofar from the stunt-fold?
Hummmmmmm?

Randy Powell · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2007, 09:14:23 PM »

Don,

I work in a difficult field. Building and flying planes is therapy.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2007, 12:06:50 AM »

Randy, this has also been my therapy for many years. I feel fortunate to be able to share it with a whole bunch of nice people. I also have a couple of other hobbies that I have been able to do that took the burden of this pea brain of mine. Photograpy, Golf, Weight lifting, baseball and women. Not especialy in that order, but I always come back to Stunt planes. This is what I call art so there is another hobby. It's like being a printer(which I was for 58 years) It gets in your blood and you can't let go I am proud to be a stunt grunt! who said there was not medication?

Shultzie · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2007, 04:28:05 PM »

Quote from: Leo Mehl on January 24, 2007, 12:06:50 AM

Randy, this has also been my therapy for many years. I feel fortunate to be able to share it with a whole bunch of nice people. I also have a couple of other hobbies that I have been able to do that took the burden of this pea brain of mine. Photograpy, Golf, Weight lifting, baseball and women. Not especialy in that order, but I always come back to Stunt planes. This is what I call art so there is another hobby. It's like being a printer(which I was for 58 years) It gets in your blood and you can't let go I am proud to be a stunt grunt! who said there was not medication?

Leo....Look what I found this afternoon. What a beautiful model....this scanner doesn't do justice to the Purty Grabber-Punkin Orange color. That model looked so great against the blue ski..great finish also...
Hey grunts...look at that fancy silk covered formers on the fuselage...styln n' profilin for those appearence points:)
Uhh? The other slide that I am posting next shows that tire stand in full..and your orange plane on the left (on the slide) but sadly it didn't show in this print. Thought I would scribble and hen scratch drivil' with a pen...to jog our demented memory blanks' The slide frame is imprinted with "June 67" and I had Albany written on the slide frame also. This was the first contest with my first Sting Ray...that I took to the 67 California nats.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2007, 06:11:18 PM »

Where did you get this picture and what year was it taken. I have been looking for this picture for a long time. That plane was called The Rebel and was designed by me in the middle sixties. It had a Merco 35 in it and wieghed only 39 ounces and was a very good flyer. I think this picture was taken when we were at Ben Madsens and we were practising at the Tacoma Dome parking lot. There was just enough room between lamp posts to fly which made me real nevous. By the way I need your email address. Mine is leomehl.1@netzero.net. This plane is the forrunner to the Grinder. This has been an ongoing design since the sixtys. I did finnally get it right.

skyshark58 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2007, 07:47:35 PM »

Leo, The Tacoma Dome was built in 1983. Y'all must have been flying some where else.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2007, 08:00:11 PM »

Leo,

I think you look younger now.

I've spent all day sanding the new classic plane. Finally ready for fillets then primer. Whew! That takes a long time.

BTW, if you tried to fly at the Tacoam Dome parking lot today, it would be a contest on what happened first: be shot by gang bangers or tarrested by the cops. It's not a fun neighborhood these days.

I found a huge parking lot down on the tide flats that I thought might be a good flying site on the weekends. The owners (a shipping company) said no way. Not because of insurance or anything, but because they didn't want to be responsible if someone got hurt (us not spectators) due the neighborhood.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2007, 09:17:59 PM »

Randy, I know we practiced on a parking lot somplace. This may have been taken at the Sandpoint Navel Station. I am in the same situation with my Gieskie Bear

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2007, 10:21:22 PM »

I flew in a couple of contests at the Tacoma Mall in the '60's. Also, Rollie Hillsland and the speed guys seemed to fly regularly at Cheney Stadium. I went there once when they were flying, but I don't think I did.

Steve

Shultzie · « **Reply #11 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:54:00 AM »

Quote from: Shultzie on January 25, 2007, 04:28:05 PM

Leo....Look what I found this afternoon. What a beautiful model....this scanner doesn't do justice to the Purty Grabber-Punkin Orange color. That model looked so great against the blue ski..great finish also...
Hey grunts...look at that fancy silk covered formers on the fuselage...styln n' profilin for those appearence points:)

Leo...after carefully looking at the background at the top portion of the slide..I can see what appears to be part of the flight hanger at Albany Oregon? Also I have photo taken with Ben Madsen that have that same kind of tire control barrier? Humm? The slide was processed at Mirrorlike photo, who I worked for waaaay back in the late 60 and could this have been the 1965-67 Albany contest?

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:22:43 PM »

Shultzie, This may have been taken at the airport in Salem. I remember a contest there that was flown on the apren in front of the main hanger. Or it could have been at Albany but I don't remember flying on the pavement in Albany. I remember a lot of stuff but some times I think it moved from an old brain cell to a new one and a few things got turned around. Most of our stunt grunts are very intellegent but I never put myself on that list for obvious reasons

Shultzie · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:13:15 PM »

I have the same problemo....That could also have been at the Aerospace Center in Kent...but I doubt it. I think I was working for Mirrorlike photo during around 1966-7 when I shot these slides...

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #14 on:** February 01, 2007, 11:42:45 PM »

Hey , I didnt, know you were a photo guy, I used to work at Byer's Photo lab in the pro department for about a year an a half but had to find another job. They didn't pay very well and i was raising three kids at the time. As you can tell I am still taking pictures. I got into digital and have my own 35 mm slide scanner so if you need some good scans send your slides my way and I will scan them for you at no charge. Keep those old pictures coming good buddy.

Shultzie · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2007, 10:06:57 AM »

Wow....
Those were the days....I started working for Sandy's Camera shop during my Portland State and Pacific University years, no salary----straight 7% commission only. Actually Jack Sanderson and Jonesy at Jones photo virtually adopted me after I brought in some reeeeally big commercial photofinishing accounts.

Amazing how lives cross---and interests etc. WOW! Mel...That was soooooo long ago???
Speaking of camera shots n' shops...
This photo gave me a trip to NY or a $1000.00 from Hasselblad. I needed the money. I bought a new pair of White Star skis and a weekend at Mt. Hood Oregon, with my new gal friend.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2007, 11:03:14 PM »

Taken on a bike trip in Idaho. This one is for you Shultzie and is a slide I scanned from a color negative.

Richard Grogan · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2007, 11:30:30 PM »

Quote from: Leo Mehl on February 05, 2007, 11:03:14 PM

Taken on a bike trip in Idaho. This one is for you Shultzie and is a slide I scanned from a color negative.

very nice , Leo!what make scanner is that?

Richard Grogan · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2007, 11:32:56 PM »

Quote from: Shultzie on February 02, 2007, 10:06:57 AM

Wow....
Those were the days....I started working for Sandy's Camera shop during my Portland State and Pacific University years, no salary----straight 7% commission only. Actually Jack Sanderson and Jonesy at Jones photo virtually adopted me after I brought in some reeeeally big commercial photofinishing accounts.

Amazing how lives cross---and interests etc. WOW! Mel...That was soooooo long ago???
Speaking of camera shots n' shops...
This photo gave me a trip to NY or a $1000.00 from Hasselblad. I needed the money. I bought a new pair of White Star skis and a weekend at Mt. Hood Oregon, with my new gal friend.

Thats pretty nice Don. I notice the squareness of it. is that 2 1/4 X 2 1/4?

Richard Grogan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2007, 11:45:08 PM »

Quote from: Richard Grogan on February 05, 2007, 11:32:56 PM

Thats pretty nice Don. I notice the squareness of it. is that 2 1/4 X 2 1/4?

Don-heres Colorado a few months ago...This was just a snapshot.. the 4x5 negatives were incredible!!

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2007, 11:50:35 PM »

Richard, This is a nikon 4ED, it is not as high resolution as the newer scanners but I can scan 35mm slides, negatives and black and white. There are better scanners than this but you get what you pay for and we all know in the digital world quality and newest tecknoligy is what we pay for. Sometime you can pick these up for bargain prices on e-bay or at photo dealers. Also since this is an older scanner it may now cost less. I bought mine new for 900 smakeroos.

Shultzie · « **Reply #21 on:** February 06, 2007, 11:22:12 AM »

Quote from: Richard Grogan on February 05, 2007, 11:32:56 PM

Thats pretty nice Don. I notice the squareness of it. is that 2 1/4 X 2 1/4?

That was taken with a Hasselblad 500C with Kodacolor film from the 60's? Can you believe that old 500 C was list priced at Sandy's camera shop for only $549.00? Same shop camera that we loaned out to many prospective professional photographers.

I sold Ray Atkinson his first Hasselblad 500C with 4 extra film backs so he could use any kind of film choice or not have to reload in some of those backpack trips in deep snow. Ray was a long time friend of Bud Blair and I at the main downtown store. I also had the pleasure in those early days to travel on weekends packing John Jarsted's' (SKI & NATURE FILM MAKER) movie crap...down the mountains, all over the NW.
He about killed all of us one week-end when the snow cat couldn't pick us up...when a sudden blizzard moved into the 10,000 foot level of Mt. Hood. He was filming a bunch of wild-n'-crazy deep powder ski patrol radicals.
In fact...we had to bury quite a bit of his equipment....in order to ski down to the 7,000 ft level where the snow cats were waiting for us. It took months before my lips, nose etc...looked normal. Gads I looked like I had a bad case of Leproseeee' or a neglected social affliction.

I had most of Ray Atkinson's coffee table books. What an amazing wild life photographer and I am sure he would be pleased with these beautiful samples of photos that you and Leo have taken.

WOW! GUYS!!! GREAT PHOTOS!

IT WOULD SEEM THAT OUR BELOVED SPARKY NEEDS TO HAVE A "LOUNGE SECTION" where we can share our BS stories and passions...(Uhhhh? My deepest apolos' GARY LETSINGER)...
I was just fibb-razzin about his secret file of photos?....and gang.
(Young model's name, withheld to protect both the innocent and guilty alike?)

Everyone should know by now that I love pushin' my brotha's in balsa's shutter release buttons?

The only 4x4 I have now is an old Rolleiflex DBP DBGM 2.8 Xenotar #1469713 camera.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #22 on:** February 06, 2007, 11:38:58 AM »

Hey Shultzie how did this turn into a photo forum? must be a mind thing. anyway I still have the same Rollie you do and also a Hasselblad with a 55 and 250 lenses. also an old Liecaflex with 2 lenses and numerous other cameras. the picture I put on was taken with a Nikon 6006 half way up Galina Pass(elv. 8701 ft.).these are th sawtooth mountains in the middle of Sept. It was cold comming down the pass. When we got to Ketchum it was about 80 degrees. This was one of the best bike trips I ever took.

Shultzie · « **Reply #23 on:** February 06, 2007, 12:11:41 PM »

Really nice equipment...especially that Leica flex sounds like a beauty.
I always wanted a Lecia with a Summicron' lens. They were sooooooooo sharp, corner to corner, even wide open. I used to shoot test photos of road-maps to check for darken corners and loss of clarity, at various exposure settings.

One of the sharpest 35mm lenses that I ever checked was the Alpha with the super apocromat' color corrected lense. What an amazingly beautiful camera...except for the shutters speeds..which seem to vary considerable from camera to camera.

I DO NEED TO SEND MY APOLOGIES, FIRST TO GARY...who has never seen that first beautiful b&w nude shot...so tastefully done, and second for exposing everyone on S-Hanger to one of God's greatest handy-works, be it beauty of our fragile earth...or be it our fragile life-given human body.
Bottom Line: Gary is one of the most beloved and caring long life friends that I have ever known and only hope that he will still have enough "ALMS" to keep sharing his life in modeling and photography with us.

See what happens when I have that other bottle of Bud Light?

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #24 on:** February 06, 2007, 08:48:45 PM »

The simmicron lenses I have are very sharp and I have a few good Nikon lenses an what is amazing is the aftermarket lenses they now make are terrific. I think this will be the last non plane photo I will post on this post or Bob will kick me off of here. This was taken with a 24 to 135 Sigma zoom lens on my Nikon D 100. This was taken in the wilds of the Portland zoo.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #25 on:** February 06, 2007, 09:15:24 PM »

Don and Leo,

Here's one I took coming back from VSC last March. Pulled off the side of the road on I-5 and caught this. It's an amateur shot, but I like it. It was the first use of a new Kodak digital camera we got.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #26 on:** February 06, 2007, 09:45:30 PM »

Wow Randy I realy like this picture. You really captured the moment. Good job

Richard Grogan · « **Reply #27 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:02:53 PM »

Quote from: Leo Mehl on February 06, 2007, 08:48:45 PM

The simmicron lenses I have are very sharp and I have a few good Nikon lenses an what is amazing is the aftermarket lenses they now make are terrific. I think this will be the last non plane photo I will post on this post or Bob will kick me off of here. This was taken with a 24 to 135 Sigma zoom lens on my Nikon D 100. This was taken in the wilds of the Portland zoo.

Nice Leo!Pretty kitty!
I too use a D100 and a Sigma 28-80 lens. I also use 2 Mamiya RB67s w/50,90, and 180mm for MF, Cambo 45N LX view and Zone VI wooden field for 4x5, and a Deardorff 8X10 field camera for LF.Too many lens/shutters to mention(Extars,Daggors). Thats what I use regularly.

I have about 30 other cameras that just look purty, including an Leica IIIc !

I'll shut up too bout cameras, back to airplane talk...

Shultzie · « **Reply #28 on:** February 07, 2007, 11:05:29 AM »

MEL, RICH,N' RANDY....WOW!!!! FANTASTICAL' PHOTOS...BEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUTEEEEFUL

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #29 on:** February 07, 2007, 11:25:56 AM »

As You and I know It's not what you got it's how you use it. I got too much stuff!

Richard Grogan · « **Reply #30 on:** February 07, 2007, 04:41:49 PM »

Quote from: Leo Mehl on February 07, 2007, 11:25:56 AM

As You and I know It's not what you got it's how you use it. I got too much stuff!

...

Yup..thats what my wife sez too....

.[move]

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #31 on:** February 07, 2007, 04:54:43 PM »

Yup I know! Every time my modeling buddies come over she is telling them to take my junk home with them. I just figure it's her age!!??##+><?

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #32 on:** March 02, 2007, 09:34:35 PM »

Hey Randy, I have a picture of your mountian that I will give to you the next time I see you. It needs a frame and i love this picture.