Author Topic: So it begins - Avenger 35 (Read 36624 times)

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #150 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:51:51 AM »

What did you scan that one in with?

Some flat-bed scanners do negatives, although I'm not sure how many do large-format negatives.

It's a nice picture when you turn it around.

Shultzie · « **Reply #151 on:** December 10, 2011, 05:50:50 PM »

Quote from: Tim Wescott on December 10, 2011, 11:51:51 AM

What did you scan that one in with?

Some flat-bed scanners do negatives, although I'm not sure how many do large-format negatives.

It's a nice picture when you turn it around.

WOW TIM...THANKS!!! HOW DID YOU TURN IT AROUND?

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #152 on:** December 10, 2011, 06:06:23 PM »

Donny...I saved your (negative) scan to my desktop, opened it with IrfanView, clicked "image", then "negative" in the drop down menu. Easy peasy...

Steve

Randy Powell · « **Reply #153 on:** December 10, 2011, 07:52:40 PM »

Ok, the main airframe is mostly done. Building the flaps and once those are done I can do the cockpit and canopy. Also need to get the fairings on. Then it's the cowl and landing gear and I can start finishing. Whew!

Shultzie · « **Reply #154 on:** December 10, 2011, 09:07:39 PM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on December 10, 2011, 06:06:23 PM

Donny...I saved your (negative) scan to my desktop, opened it with IrfanView, clicked "image", then "negative" in the drop down menu. Easy peasy... Steve

Hey Steve and Tim...THANKS GUYS!!! U ARE SUCH GREAT PUTRRRR' GEEKS!
I toyed with my 35mm Epson V 300 slide & neg. scanner and because of that..I couldn't get it to copy the entire frame...

Gee...I really think my old Avenger would have look betta' in Black Sheeps clothing instead of white? (except I never could see a black plane very well...especially in motion and also if the light of day started to fade.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #155 on:** December 11, 2011, 08:35:22 AM »

I love that paint scheme. How did you do it?

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #156 on:** December 11, 2011, 10:35:38 AM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on December 10, 2011, 06:06:23 PM

Donny...I saved your (negative) scan to my desktop, opened it with IrfanView, clicked "image", then "negative" in the drop down menu.

That's pretty much what I did, only I used GIMP. I'm not sure how IrfanView is to use -- GIMP has a steep learning curve, but once you get up it a ways you can do anything.

I'm not sure what to do about scanning in those negatives. Big-format film from a Rolli should give really good scans, but you'd need a scanner that could do it justice. There's probably some way to cobble together a scanning adapter, but I have no clue how to do it, whether you want to, and how much it would take. For that matter, there are probably scanners out there that can take big-format film (and one would hope that they'd be otherwise good enough for your negatives). But, once again, I am clueless as to details.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #157 on:** December 11, 2011, 07:32:08 PM »

>>except I never could see a black plane very well...especially in motion and also if the light of day started to fade<<

Well, maybe that means the judges can't see if very well either.

Tim, I use GIMP on my linux box. I'm not fluent with it, but I know my way around it.

Shultzie · « **Reply #158 on:** December 11, 2011, 08:06:24 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 11, 2011, 07:32:08 PM

>>except I never could see a black plane very well...especially in motion and also if the light of day started to fade<<

Well, maybe that means the judges can't see if very well either.
Tim, I use GIMP on my linux box. I'm not fluent with it, but I know my way around it.

LOL!
EVEN MORE INTERESTING...Guess I am still under the impression THAT MOST JUDGES CAN'T SEE

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #159 on:** December 11, 2011, 08:25:19 PM »

I've been encouraging folks to download IrfanView (freeware!) for years now, but some hotshot always recommends some other program. Too bad, because if you can't work IrfanView, you can't even fall off a turnip truck correctly. It's pretty much that easy.

Steve

Randy Powell · « **Reply #160 on:** December 11, 2011, 09:27:24 PM »

Steve,

It's a good program. I've used it before. GIMP is sort of an open source Photoshop.

I gotta tell you, standing up in the shop for like 5 hours working on the thing today, I'm toast. But it's just about framed up. Got the flaps about 80% done today. About a half hour's work and they will be done. Then it's just clean up, bits and pieces and they darned cockpit. I hate doing those.

Shultzie · « **Reply #161 on:** December 12, 2011, 10:32:13 AM »

As you know....Cockpits, at least to me, were always the "PITS!" and so often can be a whole lot of CAN-O-PEE WORMS.
Nothing can MAKE OR BREAK an otherwise awesome CLPA model faster (or its final gleaning of appearance points FASTER than A ~~SPEEEEEEEEEEEDIN' BULLET!~~ than a properly appointed and detailed canopy.

Randy, Randy, Randy..... "KEEP IN MIND" THAT YOUR GIFT IN MAKING BEEEUUUTEEEFUL CANOPY ART has always been as LEGENDARY as your loooooooong lineage of CLPA ART AT ITS FINEST. .

(Just a thought...worth tossing around?)

You are also a master of the airbrush...so why not just flip that canopy over...and simply airbrush the inside of that plastic bubble with one of your blended works of art and forget all the silly-suuuuudo'pilot heads, yokeeyokels' and dashboard dinkeee's that so often...after a short time of practice flying with all that vibration...become loose shards of giggling shrappnalnoidals?

Truly...A well simulated canopy would be my first choice.
Hey grunts....attached is a couple of photo of a couple of the most beautiful simulations anywhere.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #162 on:** December 12, 2011, 11:02:35 AM »

Donnie,

Yea, neither of those planes had a plastic canopy. I have a pilot already and I'll come up with some sort of understated layout.

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #163 on:** December 12, 2011, 12:59:22 PM »

I thought it was weird that Donny reversed the first pic (Randy sitting). I would have not reversed that one, but would have reversed the one of the Slider flying inverted, just for giggles.

Steve

Shultzie · « **Reply #164 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:00:48 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 12, 2011, 11:02:35 AM

Donnie,

Yea, neither of those planes had a plastic canopy. I have a pilot already and I'll come up with some sort of understated layout.

Usually when I finally arrived at the canopy building and detailing stages...that includes usually EVERY STUNT MODEL that I ever had built...I usually WAS SO BURNT OUT...I usually just popped in a pilots head, a funky headrest...and along with a few silly little stick pin switches and hole punched instrument panel with funky clear plastic covered paper dials..etc.
Check some of my simple-syyyyiiiiiii-man' created on demand in the nick of time...canopy creations.

Shultzie · « **Reply #165 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:04:09 PM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on December 12, 2011, 12:59:22 PM

I thought it was weird that Donny reversed the first pic (Randy sitting). I would have not reversed that one, but would have reversed the one of the Slider flying inverted, just for giggles. Steve

Steve...I too thought about trying to do that...However I didn't have the puta' saaaaveee' or talent to pull off that.
I thought twice...about that BRAIN GLITCH...when I popped that color negative into my 35mmm film scanner by mistake

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #166 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:24:36 PM »

Don, as good a a photographer as you obviously are, you really need to learn some basic graphics stuff

Randy Powell · « **Reply #167 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:58:43 PM »

Shame that plane never lived up to it's potential.

Shultzie · « **Reply #168 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:59:31 PM »

THANKS TIM...

Although I spent HALF my worklife and career as a retail wholesale photography account executive "FANCY NAME FOR N/W PEDDLER with starting with Sandy's Camera Shops...GAF and Mirrocolor Professional photoprocessing laboratories....however that was from the early 60's through the mid 1970's BEFORE THEY TOOK MY KODACHROME AND FILM CAMERAS AWAY...
before I RETIRED AND WENT TO WORK AS A MODEL MAKER & RECOG'ARTIST FOR BOEING FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS!!!

Now that I am reaching the "WINTER OF MY LIFE"...my skills as a modelmaker n' artist AND now A REAL NEWBEE THAT JUST DOESN'T "GET IT" WITH THE NEW DIGITAL CAMERA AGE....I REMAIN VITURALLY LOST IN CYBERSPACE!

Shultzie · « **Reply #169 on:** December 12, 2011, 02:04:33 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 12, 2011, 01:58:43 PM

Shame that plane never lived up to it's potential.

RANDY...
Those photo IN NO WAY DID JUSTICE to one of the most beautiful and creative CLPA models that these tired ol' decaying EYEBALLS have ever seen sittin on a tarmac.
PURE AND SIMPLY...TO ME....ONE OF YOUR MOST BBBUUUUTEEE FUL WORKS OF CLPA SKY ART EVAAAA!!!

Randy Powell · « **Reply #170 on:** December 12, 2011, 02:27:12 PM »

Well, it's pretty, but I was never able to get it to fly as well as it should have. The other one flies fine, I think, but the candy one was just not right. Someday I may go back and dink with it some more. It took a year to get the most recent version flying decently.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #171 on:** December 14, 2011, 02:52:08 PM »

Randy, over the years I had some planes that flew awful but after letting them sit for a while I decided it is time to do some trimming ad see if I can get them to fly right. my latest example was my Ruffy kit by RSM. I almost lost it on the first flight doing the outside loop which was almost a full circle loop that missed the ground. After looking at the elevators after that flight I noticed one side of the elvators was warped up and I was doin outside loop with what i call a canceled elevator throw. After i fiked it flew good but had trouble with landings because the inbord wing was soo long and I put too much outbord weight in it that the outboard wing would almost touch the ground on landingg. After some time that this plane hung on the wall I decided to see if I could fix it by adding inbord weight to the tip. It worked an now have a very good flying Ruffy.
I also had trouble with my Artic fox that flew really wierd after I first tested it. It wanted to dive on me as I was flying it. I had moved my leadout guides back and the leadouts were rubbing on the guides and made it seem likr it wanted to dive, Easy fix was an oil job on the leaaouts. It now flys very well and the plane stays in the groove . Like Winston Churchell says "Never Give UP".

Randy Powell · « **Reply #172 on:** December 15, 2011, 11:54:12 AM »

Hey Leo. Long time, no hear.

That's why they are still hanging on the wall and not salvaged for parts. I plan to give one plane that flies pretty well to a deserving individual.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #173 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:29:31 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 15, 2011, 11:54:12 AM

Hey Leo. Long time, no hear.

That's why they are still hanging on the wall and not salvaged for parts. I plan to give one plane that flies pretty well to a deserving individual.

which plane is that Randy?

Bill Little · « **Reply #174 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:59:03 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 15, 2011, 11:54:12 AM

(snip)I plan to give one plane that flies pretty well to a deserving individual.

Well, my newest PAMPA plane is now old enough to be a High School Freshman!

BIG Bear

Randy Powell · « **Reply #175 on:** December 15, 2011, 03:33:09 PM »

Mark,

Probably Tim. Calm down.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #176 on:** December 16, 2011, 10:07:27 AM »

Randy,,
no that wasnt what I was thinking,, ( well not totally anyway) more which airplane you are thinking of?
I am running out of storage space,, time for me to find homes for a couple too, I just aquired a couple planes built by Rob that are set up for electric, and then I have a couple others I want to find homes for as well. one is a Magnum that I will never fly, and I should probably just bite the bullet and get rid of the Profile martian butterfly since its never goign to get repaired, I just love the paintjob so much,, sigh

Randy Powell · « **Reply #177 on:** December 16, 2011, 10:51:11 AM »

Mark,

Probably the Candy Bomb. Tim can strip it down, put a better finish on it and lose about 20oz. Probably be a good flying plane then. Maybe the USA-1 derivative.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #178 on:** December 16, 2011, 07:17:31 PM »

I suppose I need to get back out and work on the thing. Hope to finish up the framing and cockpit/canopy this weekend and start finishing it.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #179 on:** December 16, 2011, 11:22:08 PM »

Yeah Randy, I just cant abide by you taking this long to build something,, I mean you dont ever see me taking this long,, uh well,,

never mind

john e. holliday · « **Reply #180 on:** December 17, 2011, 09:51:08 AM »

And the 109 has been test flown?

Shultzie · « **Reply #181 on:** December 17, 2011, 10:11:11 AM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 16, 2011, 07:17:31 PM

I suppose I need to get back out and work on the thing. Hope to finish up the framing and cockpit/canopy this weekend and start finishing it.

Also wish I could remember where I PAID FORWARD my extra Dubro canopys that I used for both my old Sting Rays and Avengers.
Most of my extra items (boxes of uncut balsa planks-gleaned from Boeing Surplus...were paid forward to Paul Walker around 2004 when I not only retired from Boeing...but when I remodeled our garage storage room that I had been using for a make shift model den.
Time fles along with memories...during the winter of an old model kook's life.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #182 on:** December 17, 2011, 12:48:58 PM »

Donnie,

Well, this spring we're going to get a handle in your hand again. I have a lot of planes hanging on the wall gathering dust.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #183 on:** December 17, 2011, 01:08:50 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on December 17, 2011, 09:51:08 AM

And the 109 has been test flown?

what now YOUR going to pile on me too,, sheesh,, ok well maybe not so much yet

wwwarbird · « **Reply #184 on:** December 17, 2011, 06:48:21 PM »

Quote from: Mark Scarborough on December 17, 2011, 01:08:50 PM

what now YOUR going to pile on me too,, sheesh,, ok well maybe not so much yet

Hi Mark.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #185 on:** December 17, 2011, 08:13:09 PM »

OK, back on topic. Here's a pic as of today. Just the cockpit and canopy, fairing and landing gear. then I can do the cowl and start finishing the thing.

Shultzie · « **Reply #186 on:** December 17, 2011, 08:59:41 PM »

RANDY...LOOKIN SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #187 on:** December 17, 2011, 09:19:26 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 17, 2011, 08:13:09 PM

OK, back on topic.

Yay!

Quote

Here's a pic as of today. Just the cockpit and canopy, fairing and landing gear. then I can do the cowl and start finishing the thing.

Man that's pretty. It's a shame you have to go and cover it. I know it won't win you maximum appearance points, but solid on the fuse and translucent on the wings and tail feathers would sure look nice.

I want to build one. But not only would I have to find the time, I'd have to find someone who could actually fly the thing to give it to when I was done!

wwwarbird · « **Reply #188 on:** December 17, 2011, 10:08:09 PM »

Man, that's really cool.

Watching most of your builds Randy, I think you win the part count per airplane competition.

Are the wingtips a hollowed block kind of thing or...?

Randy Powell · « **Reply #189 on:** December 17, 2011, 11:55:45 PM »

Well, it's got a lot of parts, but that's Donnie's fault, no mine. The wing tips are suppose to be solid, but I'm trying to lighten the thing up. the leading edge is hogged out (internally), the wing tips are hogged out and the trailing edge is 3 pieces. I've been doing everything I can think of to insure it won't be a toad.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #190 on:** December 19, 2011, 10:00:11 AM »

SLC covering from Corehouse and no paint.

That does look to good to cover up with paint.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #191 on:** December 19, 2011, 10:01:45 AM »

I went through thte same dilema with mine, it looked cool with all the bones showing,,
however, on this wing, you really need the structure from the covering, I fear SLC would not be enough and you would have a flexi flier

Randy Powell · « **Reply #192 on:** December 19, 2011, 10:12:55 AM »

Yea, like most I-Beam type of designs, the wing is pretty flexible twist-wise. The only way to stiffen it up is a heavy covering. I plan to use SGM silkspan. Maybe double it up out to the LG. The USA-1 I built taught me that the covering is extremely important to this sort of design.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #193 on:** December 19, 2011, 10:40:03 AM »

How about Polyspan? Put it on nice and snug initially and then later when you tighten in up with heat it gets tight as a drum. After finishing it's very strong too.

John Miller · « **Reply #194 on:** December 19, 2011, 11:32:25 AM »

On my All American Eagle, which uses virtually the same wing, I covered with silkspan first, then applied 2 coates of thinned dope. Next I applied Monokote for finish. Plenty strong enough.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #195 on:** December 19, 2011, 11:53:54 AM »

Well, in that case, the Monokote was finish.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #196 on:** December 19, 2011, 12:36:09 PM »

Wayne, on my Avenger, I covered it with Polyspan. doped it up to the point of sanding. It did not add significantly to torsional resistance, or at least I didnt feel it did. I ended up double covering over the top with SGM silkspan to get it twist proof.

Shultzie · « **Reply #197 on:** December 19, 2011, 03:43:57 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on December 17, 2011, 08:13:09 PM

OK, back on topic. Here's a pic as of today. Just the cockpit and canopy, fairing and landing gear. then I can do the cowl and start finishing the thing.

Had a difficult time finding Photos of the cowling...here is one that I think I might have sent to Mark on his Avenger building project.
This photo was taken a few weeks after test flying and getting ready for the Spokane Internats? As you can see...by the time this photo was taken.....the cowling hold down platform hadn't been tweaked enough to keep the cowling from compressing around the hold down bolt.
Shortly after this photo was taken...I quickly revamped the cowling hold down and compressed the cowling back into shape.
(Perhaps...WAAAY to many practice flights and WAAAY to much heat on a brand new WAAAY TOO THIN cowling that had just been fiberglassed on the inside (still quite soft...I must have misjudged the amount of hardner. In those days...I was burning waaaay too many midnight hours in my makeshift garage hobby work shop.

(Maybe I was even more addicted than either Randy or Mark...in those early 70's daze-days?)
However my model building skills during those times as you can see by this photo...shows that even though I had been flying CLPA since the 1956---I STILL HAD SOOOO MUCH TO LEARN. (N' MAYBE NEVER DID LEARN? )

Randy Powell · « **Reply #198 on:** December 19, 2011, 03:54:02 PM »

Donnie,

What picture?

Looks like I may be begging a ride for the plane down to Tucson unless I can figure out a way I can drive (not likely, but maybe). So if anyone from the Northwest is planning on driving down and has room for another plane, please let me know.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #199 on:** December 19, 2011, 06:50:34 PM »

Quote from: Mark Scarborough on December 19, 2011, 12:36:09 PM

Wayne, on my Avenger, I covered it with Polyspan. doped it up to the point of sanding. It did not add significantly to torsional resistance, or at least I didnt feel it did. I ended up double covering over the top with SGM silkspan to get it twist proof.

Wow, that suprises me Mark. I've never done an I-Beamer, but ever since I started using Polyspan I swear by the stuff.