One and all,
The Critical Mass at Brodaks was built by Ron Keith. It was not entered in the contest and did not fly there. Ron placed it on the lawn to see what points it would receive and to let it be shown. I visited at some length with Ron and his wife about the plane because I know Al very well and have seen and handled his planes "up close and personal" many times.
With all due respect to my friend Al, Ron's plane is head and shoulders above Al's in the attention to surface preparation, fit of moving parts and quality of finish. All of the detail is painted whereas Al's has Decals in some places. As most of you know I've built a few planes in my life and this was an example of quality that I strive for but have only gotten close a couple of times. This plane stands with Windy's "Testarosa", Bob Gieskie's "Bear Nobler" and Phil Granderson's "Diva". If they were side by side, I couldn't make a choice as to the best.
I enjoyed the brief time I spent with Ron and his wife. They are wonderful people and an example of what makes Brodak Fly-In so special.
Later, John