For those reading this post, who might be interested in building the Torino, I'll be starting the Cad work on the plans over the weekend, while attending the NW Regionals. I'm planning on two variations to the plans. One as it was published, strip ribs etc. The other modified to use full ribs, as Gordan and I used on our renditions of Gierkes All American Eagles. I posted pictures on this method recently to this forum, if you'd like to see what I'm talking about.

The plans are going to CAD, so we can have the parts laser cut. Currently, ther're 4 of us who will be building Torinos for VSC XX. It's a sort of "Tribute" thing for Jack and Jim.

One of the builders is Mike Pratt, who has good contacts for laser cutting. When he's got a solid price on that, we'll let it be known. We are not trying to make money with this deal, just cover the costs.

You don't have to have the CAD plans, or the laser cut parts to join us. I also feel that the Scottsman, because of it's obvious relationship to the Torino, would be a natural for those wishing to stay away from a boomer. It appears that the wings for both are basically identical, so it could be built with either a 'D" tube as the plans show, or as an I-beamer as Jack originally drew it up.

John Miller

Geez was writing and note went away...

Hey Bill I took PLENTY of offence      (yeah, right)  I knew exactly what you were saying and agree completely (but cant start a war if I say THAT!)       

A few years back I was helping a buddy at the Sailplane NATs with his Airtronics Legend - one of the last of the all built up birds.  He was going for a big launch, riding the winch pretty hard when WHOOMP! Big pieces of the main lifting surface were seen to be drifting away (some might still be flying) and his sailplane transformed into a high performance lawn dart.

Post mortem show the spar (spruce caps, balsa webs, ply CF and epoxy wraps, the works) to be completely intact and in fact COULD have been used in another wing!  It was like pulling the spine out of a Perch filet!