Shark 25 nearing completion,,,

[Paul Smith]

My latest project is nearing completion.  This posting is the initial test of my new Dell computer and Corel PaintShop Photo.  Hopefully, after some self training it will be better than the old.

This particular Shark is a racer, not a stunter, but it's primarily a test of some finishing techniques for my future 45 stunter.

[Paul Taylor]

Looks cool Paul.

So is this dyed poly span with monokote wing tips?

[Paul Smith]

No.

The covering is Dharma 5.5 silk dyed to a sharkskin gray and doped with seven coats of Randolph clear.

The trim is all Brodak color dope, sprayed on using handcut stencils.

[john e. holliday]

Good looking plane.   Maybe we can get some class back into racing.  I have the plans that were published in MA a while back of the Shoestring I think is the name.  Now do you have pans of your Shark?

[Paul Smith]

I haven't made up any marketable plans.   This is for the Ontario-Michigan racing circuit, which features up to eight races per year, but isn't flown anyplace else, so I'm not sure it there's any real demand.  

This is the fourth in the series, all with the same basic wing.  
The first was the Goldfish, which was an all out, minimum compliance racer, back in the "Fox 35 Stunt" days. Foam core & MonoKote, but the same basic design.
The second was a Walt Musciano Giant Kingpin, modified for racing.
The third started as a Musciano Gulfhawk (double size), but was morphed into a Ringmaster for the big fly in.
This one, the fourth, is patterned after the Shark 45.

I learned some more about a composite dyed silk & dope finish.  One thing is, I can do a six-color, complicated paint job in two days, at 90% humidity, and it will look OK in pictures and 15 feet away.  

The other thing is that if you build a fully sheeted, fully painted plane, you can correct your paint errors.
But with open bays and dyed silk, what you get on the first pass is what you get.

[David M Johnson]

That plane speaks to me!! Beautiful job what is the square area of the wing if I may ask.
David Johnson

[Paul Smith]

All four planes were built with the "Voodoo-style 1" machined balsa leading edge and enough builtup structure to make up the 300 sqin x 1" thick rule.  The area in they (thinner) wingtips is a bonus, so the total out at about 310 to 320.

Incidently, these LE's, which are still on the market, can weight from 1.5 to 4 ounces, so if possible, heft before you buy.  I use the middleweights for racers, the light ones for stunters, the heavy ones are still in the bin.

Incidently, the Goldfish was built back in the days when they had both Fox 35 Stunt racing & combat around here and it met its demise in a combat match.

[David M Johnson]

So are plans for the goldfish or the shark available?

[Paul Smith]

I got it together and flew it today.  A very successful first day of testing. One mistake, I forgot to bring my stopwatch, but it feels fast.

The next available racing contest is Friday, the day after tomorrow, in Canada. If my pilot deems to flyable, we'll enter it and post the result in the Racing part of the forum. This project will join the queue of possible CLW articles for when the snow flys.

[john e. holliday]

Does that mean plans are forth coming or a kit?