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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Howard Rush on July 29, 2016, 09:27:27 PM
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Sponsorship is important for high level stunt and combat competition. I am fortunate to be sponsored by the wife of the guy who builds my airplanes. She recently said, “The Prius has more than 200,000 miles on it, and you are too old and stupid to drive it anyhow. You need a new car with self-driving stuff.” That sounded good to me. I tried a Tesla, but my left leg didn’t fit it (this is a true story). She bought me a Prius station wagon. That’s OK. A regular Prius is a little too flashy for stunt. I put in a stunt plane rack, smeared some wax on the front so bugs wouldn’t stick, and lit out for the Nats.
The new rig came with satellite radio. I alternated among the fifties channel, the sixties channel, and the Elvis channel. I mused that if the guys who wrote, “And I know that our love was a love of true love.” and “The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol.” could have forseen people listening to those songs sixty years hence, they would have put another ten minutes’ effort into the lyrics. Similarly, if the Plains Indians could have forseen the billboards blaspheming the view on I-90 in South Dakota, they would have put up more of a fight. I went through Wyoming instead. A billboard outside Evanston extolled the scenery.
New government bathroom rules seem to have confused the Wyoming authorities. Figure 1 is a Wyoming rest area door.
I got to the Nats on Saturday. Muncie conditions caused my airplane to lose interest in flying stunt. More RPM, less tip weight, and wider handle spacing set it straight. Thanks, Paul.
For the second consecutive year, I invited myself along to the F2D winner’s victory celebration. Igor Dementiev won this year. Various combat luminaries attended. I had a nice visit with Mike Willcox, whom I hadn’t seen for awhile. Most of the guys there had been to Australia in May and were going to Riga for a contest in August. It’s a cosmopolitan bunch.
Muncie was hot this year. Kaz Minato described the weather as mushi atsui, which translates as steamily atsui. I settled into my routine of flying stunt in the morning, going to the Twelfth Street for mush, taking a nap, and flying more stunt the last couple hours before dark. Even though dire weather is often predicted, evenings are usually perfect at the L-pad. It’s my favorite place and time in the world.
The ladies at the Twelfth Street asked about the Scarinzis. We didn’t see them this year (they’re fine, reports Bob Hunt), but Dan Banjock did have pictures of a young Larry in an old magazine to show the ladies, who were appropriately impressed.
My wife Marilou had a busy week. She delivered a 777, got laid off (voluntarily with a big bonus), retired, turned 65, and flew to Muncie to see me fly stunt and ensure that I wouldn’t run out of gas on the way home.
I flew some pretty substandard stunt on Wednesday and Thursday. My homies Chris Cox and Mike Haverly were in the same qualifications group. I made it to the semifinals, when their suggestions on the official way to do overhead eights started to sink in. I flew some pretty good stunt Friday, but a nonstandard overhead eight on my first flight and a botched wingover pullout on my second put an invitation to compete Saturday in doubt. Kaz flew the last flight of the round Friday. When he landed, I explained to him that had he flown bad stunt, I would have made it to the finals. He had, however, flown good stunt. We went to the scoreboard. Kaz saw his score, turned to me, bowed, and said, “I am sorry, Howard-san”. Derek Barry also bumped me. Marilou and I got even with him by spoiling his children.
Usually I go to Clancy’s to wash my car after arrival in Muncie. I decided to hand wash this one when I got home because I didn’t want Clancy to scratch the plastic ceiling window. People made fun of the wax on the front of the car. The exception was Steve Hines, who thought it was a clever idea. Samantha, pay attention to your dad: he’s a wise man.
The sixth- and seventh-place guys have the “privilege” of warming up the judges at 7:00 Saturday morning. There was zero wind. Not wanting what happened to Kenny Stevens and Richard Oliver to happen to me, I ran backwards on everything until the hourglass. I didn’t crash, but the flight was awful. Next to fly on that circle was Brett Buck. He seemed remarkably loose for the Nats finals. It took me awhile to remember that he, too, was there to warm up the judges. My mind couldn’t comprehend Brett not being in the top five.
This wasn’t my favorite Nats. It was great to see folks, but the heat and a silly complaint by a friend about my tabulation program kinda spoiled it for me. I congratulated Dave and went to lunch.
We had a pleasant trip home, trying to figure out the new car’s peculiar software as we went. I enjoyed the rest areas on I-80 in Nebraska and Iowa. Nebraska’s are artsy with sculpture. Iowa’s are architecturally interesting with different themes. Figure 2 was taken at an Iowa rest stop with electricity as a theme and a wind turbine blade as decoration. Behold the vortex generators.
I arrived to find it hot in Seattle, too. I mowed the unmowed lawn and washed the car. The bugs came right off.
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Very nice story Howard !
I enjoyed seeing you, and all the guys again, did you supply the VGs to the state for their blade?
The new Prius is nice, Looks like quite and upgrade from the Older one... if you try hard enough looks to maybe hold 2 stunt puppies .
But i was most impressed by your cool cutoff loop at the end of the flight ! and a person told me you didn't do much during off months.
HAH ! little does he know.. its very impressive ,computer/controller software..written custom for you Dog..er I mean IMPACT .. first the quick burst of speed for the FAI landing... now the electric cut off loop.. impressive indeed. I just wonder whats next?
I guess in closing I should really mentioned I was also very impressed by the color coordinated RTs ( radical turbulators ) that you have this year , those yellow orange and multi color RTs are very impressive, and really spiff up the plane. Almost makes me wanna stick them on my Dog
Randy
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My mind couldn’t comprehend Brett not being in the top five.
His mind didn't do so well with it, either. But, it happens and it's just a model airplane contest.
I arrived to find it hot in Seattle, too. I mowed the unmowed lawn and washed the car. The bugs came right off.
Hot? I got out at the Newberry Springs rest stop near Daggett, and it was 114 degrees, with highly-reflective pavement doubling up on the solar input. But it was still much more pleasant than it was at 7:00 in the morning in Muncie.
The recently-shed 5+foot long rattlesnake skin I found in the parking lot was pretty impressive, too. The snake itself was probably nearby but smart enough not to lounge around outside in the sun.
Brett
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The new Prius is stodgy and old fashioned. Less style than the coupe. Which had no style. Maybe scaled up color coded VGs. Do something with your 3D printer. I'm in favor of the Clown Suit. If you could drive up to the L-pad in costume, it would cheer me up.
Brett thought my engine run, impressive. My pattern, irredeemable. Prophetic. A Shaman. What's the point of a an impressive engine run. If. Even an impressive engine run on a throw away FP40. If. At the moment I'm in recovery. Merlot in the evenings. And Netflix.
In Philly we are preparing for our yearly contest. The age-d are drinking lots of water and diet soda, sleeping at the field under reflective canopies, comatose and mumbling at the end of the day. We are flying our patterns all over the place. They look bad in the morning. Weird in the evening. The stunt life is a life style.
We are all friends at the NATs and Brodaks. How is that possible. That's how I feel.
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Thanks Howard. That was just like being there, I guess. Helps me save a lot of money by not being there and yet, feeling just like I was there, I think. By the way, what's a Prius? And is Seattle still in America?
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Howard, using the facebook vernacular:
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EricV
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Howard,
Ben and I enjoyed visiting with you. Thanks again for the offer to help with the motor issue I had. See you next year.
James
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Best part of this years Nats for me was I got to debate with my favorite person (oh 2 times this year) and of course nothing was solved once again. Maybe next year maybe not. Well I did have 2 great moments and the other was caught on tape it's always great to see Dingle berry I wish I had his energy.
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His mind didn't do so well with it, either. But, it happens and it's just a model airplane contest.
Hot? I got out at the Newberry Springs rest stop near Daggett, and it was 114 degrees, with highly-reflective pavement doubling up on the solar input. But it was still much more pleasant than it was at 7:00 in the morning in Muncie.
The recently-shed 5+foot long rattlesnake skin I found in the parking lot was pretty impressive, too. The snake itself was probably nearby but smart enough not to lounge around outside in the sun.
Brett
Do rattlesnakes sunburn more seriously immediately after shedding their previous raiment? Perhaps he had gone in search of higher SPF sunscreen.
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Howard...a decade ago you and I discussed a glow driver..later your notes on the Nemesis
I have never been "To" the Nats but a few times they came to me...most notably Virginia in the late 80s
As I read all the play by play and other accounts of this 2016 adventure I was stricken by your account
I do not compete or desire to...but I think I would like to attend next year just to meet you and so many others
Thanks for the wonderful and fun story
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Howard, I saw all the wax on the front of the Prius and commented, " bug proofing, UH? That's kind of standard practice in LA./TX. WE also use PAM, but have to be careful w/that stuff. I coated my side mirrors on my ISUZU (really Chevy S-10)years back and a couple days later the hot summer sun and the oil melted them down. I got off work and found them hanging completely down the side of the truck. I found out they were Chevy OEM manufactured from recycled plastic products and not compatible w/veg. oil. according to the the parts guy.
Doug
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Do rattlesnakes sunburn more seriously immediately after shedding their previous raiment? Perhaps he had gone in search of higher SPF sunscreen.
I expect (that unlike I and the other people at the rest stop at 11:00 AM and 114 degrees) the snakes had enough sense to only be out there at night! Based on the skin, the slither marks in the dirt, and the presence of the CalTrans snake patrol, I wouldn't have wanted to be around at 6 in the morning.
Brett
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Brett thought my engine run, impressive. My pattern, irredeemable. Prophetic. A Shaman. What's the point of a an impressive engine run. If. Even an impressive engine run on a throw away FP40. If. At the moment I'm in recovery. Merlot in the evenings. And Netflix.
Let's not get crazy, I found your engine run *acceptable*, in that it was about the right speed and seemed to stay that way. That's a pretty good way to be for your level of skill right now. It's not helping you too much, but it is also not hurting you too much. The flying was far from irredeemable, you are flying at about a mid-Intermediate level and that's OK. Everybody has to develop as they can, we have all been at your point. How you progress or how fast you progress is dependent on your level of commitment and how much help you have.
Brett
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Thanks Brett. I had great fun and enjoyed our chat.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Hi Howard,
Your drove by on 84 and didn`t stop at the Hotel in layton. Ba Hum Bug. I guess I`ll have to lower the rates.
Gordy
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Thanks for sharing your adventure, Howard. I enjoyed reading that.