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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Dwayne Donnelly on July 21, 2020, 07:51:37 PM

Title: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dwayne Donnelly on July 21, 2020, 07:51:37 PM: I was gifted this beautiful T-Bird by a dear friend who is now 88 and in a wheel chair, his name is Lloyd Shales he not only owned our LHS but was part owner of our flying field, he was a supporter of youth programs and went to schools teaching kids about aviation, he would teach the theory and then they would build a little F/F rubber plane he designed called the Minnow, the minnow being the sign of Christianity, and was featured in Flying Model magazine. He built this T-Bird some 40 years ago but never finished it, has a Enya 29 and weighs 40 .oz, I was a bit nervous flying it but after the third flight I had it doing 8's, wing overs and inverted, the only quirk is it leans out a bit in outsides and inverted but other than that the Enya is rock solid, afterwards he was so happy and said, "I never thought I'd see it fly" I was very happy as well. :) :)
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dane Martin on July 21, 2020, 08:13:26 PM: Beautiful model. I'm happy to hear that you were able to fly it. I actually built a FF minnow. Endless lift still sells the kit. Wonderful little rubber model. Tell mr Shales his ideas are still going strong, and continuing to help people!
Thanks for sharing this, especially the pictures
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dan McEntee on July 21, 2020, 08:25:54 PM: I have helped old guys get all sorts of models in the air, and nothing like the look on their faces when they get to see their creation airborne. Worth every bit of effort you put into it and more. I just have a hard time understanding why some don't go that extra step to get a model finished and in the air, but as long as it got there and he got to see it, that's all that matters.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: John Lindberg on July 21, 2020, 08:40:14 PM: Elliptical wings are really nice, looks great! Glad to see the builder got to see it fly! #^
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: John Leidle on July 21, 2020, 09:33:40 PM: What a clean Bird... 40 ounces I bet it's a dream to fly...
John L.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Bill Schwagerman on July 22, 2020, 07:01:50 AM: Pure joy on that gentleman's face. Thank you for sharing and making my day Dwayne!
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dwayne Donnelly on July 22, 2020, 07:41:13 AM: Thanks guy's, Dane I'll be sure to let him know there's some good in Sin City n~ <=
We talked after and he wants me to paint it so I'm thinking yellow with red scallops and white or black trim.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Lyle Spiegel on July 22, 2020, 12:01:15 PM: My RSM kit T Bird, built by Hummel, my go to plane. OS46LA by Byron, muffler by Scott Dinger, 11x4.5 Cyclone prop.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dennis Toth on July 22, 2020, 12:47:31 PM: Dwayne,
Don't know if you can get to the tank to lower it to get rid of the lean inverted run. Since it is an upright engine two options, add a 1/32" plywood shim (to start with) under the engine mount lugs to raise the NVA center location which would lean it upright and richen inverted (go slow with the shims as a very small change is likely all you need). Second option, build a new tank that is say 1/16" thinner to lower the pickup relative to the NVA and achieve the same thing.

Best, DennisT
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dwayne Donnelly on July 22, 2020, 05:47:48 PM: Quote from: Dennis Toth on July 22, 2020, 12:47:31 PM
Dwayne,
Don't know if you can get to the tank to lower it to get rid of the lean inverted run. Since it is an upright engine two options, add a 1/32" plywood shim (to start with) under the engine mount lugs to raise the NVA center location which would lean it upright and richen inverted (go slow with the shims as a very small change is likely all you need). Second option, build a new tank that is say 1/16" thinner to lower the pickup relative to the NVA and achieve the same thing.

Best, DennisT

Thanks Dennis, I opened the tank and lowered the uniflow tube, hopefully that does the trick.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dennis Toth on July 22, 2020, 07:02:54 PM: Dwayne,
That should do it, use the engine shim as final trim (like 1/64" slices).

Best, DennisT
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: kevin king on July 23, 2020, 01:31:17 AM: I have a story very similar to this, but it didn't end well for the plane or the owner who watched it pancake into the ground.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Gary Dowler on July 23, 2020, 01:34:12 AM: Ok, that’s a seriously cool post!! You made his day! You checked off a bucket list item for him!!!

Good going!!

Gary
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: John Park on July 23, 2020, 05:02:49 AM: An Enya 29-III? I had one of those in a Mercury Crusader that came out at 48 oz. but was by no means underpowered.
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: Dwayne Donnelly on July 23, 2020, 12:22:38 PM: Quote from: John Park on July 23, 2020, 05:02:49 AM
An Enya 29-III? I had one of those in a Mercury Crusader that came out at 48 oz. but was by no means underpowered.

Hi John, it's a 5224 and I'm very impressed with the way it runs, holds a needle setting perfectly and pulls this plane with authority. :)
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: john e. holliday on July 24, 2020, 01:26:14 PM: This a great story. Thanks. D>K
Title: Re: First flight of a 40 year old T-Bird
Post by: John Park on July 27, 2020, 06:51:35 AM: Quote from: Dwayne Donnelly on July 23, 2020, 12:22:38 PM
Hi John, it's a 5224 and I'm very impressed with the way it runs, holds a needle setting perfectly and pulls this plane with authority. :)
That's it, a 5224 - the only trouble I ever had with it was getting the Enya silencer to stay on! I ended up selling it to somebody who was into vintage team-racing (I even had the large-bore venturi insert to go with it). In its day it was one of the top Class B T/R engines.