its the return of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES,, WO HOO,,,,,  hm cant remember is it Donatello?  lookin pretty cool there Randy, Portland is only  like 4 weeks away my friend,, I know I gotta get the hustle on my Ornamental,,,,,

Boy Randy, you sure do move fast on these planes. It looks awesome though. I'd like to come up to the Regionals just to see it. Keep posting the pics please.

GADS! RANDY....WOW! RANDY, AWESOME!!U ARE SUCH A TEASE WITH THESE PHOTOS!  

Heck, Bill, just a consistent engine run will put it miles ahead of the last one.

The previous plane really flew quite well the few times I got a decent engine run out of it. That's why I built another. Though I suppose this one won't really compare. The last one was built exactly according to the Flying Models plans. It was a strange airfoil, but I didn't know any better at the time. This one uses a Skylark root and tip rib for the wing (as per Bob Hunt) and is closer to the original plane. The canopy is a bit of artistic license. The shape, height and such are the same as the original (the canopy profile remains stock). I just pushed the back rest aft to expose more canopy in order for it to look like the real plane that the paint scheme will model. I have to admit I think it looks cooler, but the motivation was to set it up so that it resembled the real plane (the Shoestring "Spud Runner"). I still have to solve the slime on the cockpit floor issue, but I keep hoping that the glue will completely dry (it's supposed to dry clear) and so, the problem solves itself. Guess we'll see. If I get down to the wire and need to start the finish and it's still a slimey looking white and clear color, I guess I'll have to do something with it.

More block shaping tonight along with finishing the other flap---

Tip - I was building the flaps (oddly, it only took two tries to get two flaps that I was willing to use). This is the first time that I built the hinge pockets before actually building the flaps. After a try at built up flaps ... again (that ended up looking like a pretzel - I don't know why I keep trying to use built up flaps when the original had 1/4" sheet flaps), I actually cut the flaps out of 5/16" sheet. Once the plan view shape was cut out, but no shaping done, I used a trick hinge pocket maker I got from Derek Moran that includes a slick stand he made. I cut the hinge pockets in with the cutter, then cut a recess for the hinge barrel (carefully) then proceeded to shape the flap. I discovered a bit back that it's easier to use thicker material than called for on the plan, then just plane the flap down to the required 1/4" thickness. It allows a bit of wiggle room when you are using a plane to cut in the taper and take the surface down. Anyway, it's much easier to put the hinge pockets and barrel recess in before messing with shaping the things. They came out much straighter and the hinge pockets are actually aligned resonably.

Other's have probably done it this way forever, but it was a new approach to me and it worked well. I'll do it this way in the future. For frame flaps (open bays with ribs), I've always built the hinge pockets into the leading edge of the flap before framing up the actual flaps, just like I do the wing, but I guess it never occured to me to do the same with the flaps. Hmmm....

Bill had more patience than I do. Man, look at all those little silver dots. Yikes!

Got the canopy finish sanded (more or less 0 probably keep playing with it) tonight, got the cowl mostly rough shaped and the outboard flap done. I also decided that the cheek cowls needed a bit more wood on the inside so I cut some triangle stock to reinforce the corners. May be able to carve them back out if the shaping doesn't need it, but better to have it and not need it....

This is the stage where it's easy to gain weight, so I'm trying to be careful with the details.

Randy did you tint the canopy your self ? if so how would one go about doing so?

                             -Steve

Steve,

Yea, dyed with RIT and a bit of salt. It's a Sig canopy so it's not PET-G. Takes dye fine.

Leo,

Not as many as you would think. A lot that need repair, that's certain. They are stored in a rack in the gables of the shop.

 Randy,

 The piece count on your models always blows me away. Do you have a group of kidnapped elves or something that work day and night making parts? Beautiful stuff, but I just dont see how you can cut, sand and fit all those pieces and yet build as quickly as you do-amazing!

It's inconceivable to me how you could possibly be ready to start the finish already. Seems like you only started the model about 10 days ago. Man, you're speedy!

PICS, PICS!

The Shoe is on hold for a bit. I'm going to be out of town for a week or so.

OK, here's a couple of pics. It's done, more or less. I just built the tank and put it together and weighed it. 35oz ready to fly, so I'm in there as far as weight. Not a feather, but well within the planned weight.

Just need to put the vents for the tank in and a bit of cleanup and it's ready to finish. And I know that one wheel pant is lower than the other. Already fixed. Can't believe I missed it the first time. The wheel pants and cowl have been glassed and are setting up. Lot of sanding to do, that's certain.

"off to the races" shoestring,, hmm yeah I get it, ,even if you didnt mean it, lol
lookin nice Randy, cant wait to see this one too! so are you painting this and the PA plane at the same time then?>

Ty,

I didn't see it. Hmmm...   I have some .008 6x12 tin stock that I'm using. Wish I could get more, but haven't been able to find a source. I got what I have online, but I can't for the life of me find it again. Sigh...

Thanks, Greg. I'll look.

The Shoe had to take a break. I built a new tank for my PA plane tonight. Unforturnately, I can't measure and the front of it is maybe a 64th inch too wide. So I will either have to make another, or modify it to fit. But it should be big enough. It's 2.5" x 1.25" x 4.65" . Should finally be big enough anyway.

Bill,

Yea, I messed with it some more and it fits. It's a tight fit and I'm afraid it will cause the former to pull away. So I'll work on it some more tonight. I didn't account for the slight taper toward the nose. It fits fine at the rear with about a 1/16" clearance, but it's a snug fit at the front. So some sanding to the compartment and a little judicious grinding and tapping to the tank should fix it. Now, I just have to come up with a hold down for the front. Won't take much, that's certain.

I was thinking of buying Spud Runner from Dave Morss once, but I think the pure hideousness of the paint scheme kept me from it. I couldn't even think straight enough to remember I could repaint it...
...Bill Simons had it right, and that is how I would have painted the airplane. Just think, a full sized airplane painted like a model!
Chris...

Chris,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the red and yellow paint scheme. I thought the chartreuse and red No.16 was absolutely hideous. Possibly the ugliest paint scheme in the history of aircraft. To each, his own, I guess.

So true, so true. You might check the new DHL scheme for most hideous!
I like the profile of the cowling and canopy on this one a lot, BTW.
Chris...

Potatos and aircraft. It reminds me of a true story about a 180 pilot in Alaska being shot down by a potato. Ask me about it when we're havung breakfast during the Regionals. It's a riot.

Mark,

I'm sure we'll fine another one if Nancy's gets too crowded. 

BTW, I flew the PA plane today. The tank, as it turns out, is about 7 1/8 oz. And it needed it all. I'm getting about 8 laps after the clover. Man, I'd better not get a rich run.

The Shoe got the first coat of clear on the airframe tonight after grinding off the wheel pants (fiberglassed) and finish sanding the airframe. Fun stuff.

John, as long as it doesnt keep us from getting breakfast, in fact, let em all come, ,30 minutes after us so we can practice while they are eating!
as for the pathfinder, do like Pat must,, pump the wing full of helium, or maybe its just the lighter Boise air?

I really like this one! great job Randy

Robert,

Thanks. I like it too. Should be a good flier.

Bill,

It's a Tom Lay prepared OS46VF. It has a .275 venturi. Not sure what's going on, but the thing produces a ton of power. It's spinning a 12.5 x 4.25 three blade prop without a problem and has really good power in the overheads and above 45 degrees. I'm not complaining about it.

Bill,

Yea, I figure if it sucking that much fuel, it must be doing something with it.   

Started covering the Shoestring tonight. Hopefully I can have that part done in a couple of days and get to clear and filler coat by the weekend. While it won't be done for the first contest, it should make the Northwest Regionals.

  I'll post some pictures after it's sanded and before the primer just for giggles.

*tapping foot, waiting patiently*

Well it's about time for more pics. Sometimes I wish you live just down the street so I could pop in and see it myself.

Well, something very dangerious has happened. The plane is sitting in primer, about ready to sand and I've been thinking about paint schemes. I suppose I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I've had some thoughts about the scheme for this plane and started sketching some ideas to, uh, modify my original plan (beyond all recognition). Uh oh, Randy is going to get crazy again. Maybe something with checkerboard. Streatched and twisted. And red, yellow and white. And swoopy! Yea, that's the ticket.

May the gods of painting forgive me.