Thunder Gazer

[tom brightbill]

Better to ask this now than later--   Given that the kit I have is a few years old (I don't know it's actual date), are there any updates that I should know about before starting?  Thanks.

[Tim Wescott]

Tom, if you're going to keep building at this rate you're either going to need to start either selling planes or crashing them.  Do we need to invent a "stunt plane combat" class to keep you from filling your house with stunters?  (Lessee -- your overall score is a combination of your pattern score plus ten points for every ribbon cut you get on the other guy while you are both doing the pattern).

[tom brightbill]

We could start practicing that tomorrow!  (Must keep building, must keep building, must........)

[bob whitney]

where do i sign up  chop chop

[Randy Cuberly]

Better to ask this now than later--   Given that the kit I have is a few years old (I don't know it's actual date), are there any updates that I should know about before starting?  Thanks.

Tom,
My first question is;  Have you built a Geodetic wing before?  It's a little difficult (not impossible, maybe) to build one straight without a lost foam jig.  It definitely is a lot easier with the jig.

I'm not aware of any updates to the kit but the fellow that would know is Eric Rule at RSM...give him a call.

Bob Hunt, of course supplies the lost foam jigs but I have no idea if his jig will work with the kit ribs.
I have one of these kits also but haven't built it.  I have built several Geodetic wings using Bobs lost foam system...fall together easy...without the jig alignment is tricky...

Photo shows a similar wing for my Whitely Shoestring built with a Lost Foam Jig.  I tried building one over a plan with rib jigs and it was a disaster...I'm not trying to say it can't be done but it didn't turn out very well for me until I got the LF Jig.

Randy Cuberly

[tom brightbill]

Thanks Randy, I will  bone up on that (as in do a good search here ). I see you have full span flaps, unlike the kit. Just noticed....

[Tim Wescott]

Bob Hunt would be happy to set you up with cradles, and leading edge forms if you want to go that route.

[Randy Cuberly]

Thanks Randy, I will  bone up on that (as in do a good search here ). I see you have full span flaps, unlike the kit. Just noticed....

Hi Tom,
If you're referring to the Whitely Shoestring wing, it was not built from the kit just plans.  I fly with Bob and actually have his original in my posession (been flying it for a while after my Geo XL was stolen from the flying field here in Tucson.
The original was built with a Bob Hunt Saturn wing and this one is being built with a Hunt Geo Super Saturn wing!!!  I had built one of these before and already had the Lost Foam Jig.

The wing size and shape is changed a bit from the original which makes this one the Shoestring II.  There are a few other minor changes that Bob and I have discussed.

It's all been put on the back burner while I finish my Colossus for VSC.

Randy Cuberly

[Matt Colan]

The ribs in the kit don't work with Hunt's lost foam jig. When I was putting together mine, my grandfather and I noticed that the ribs were almost like a different airfoil compared to what Bob gives you.  If I remember correctly, the chord was longer on the ribs supplied in the kit than the chord on the lost foam jig. My grandfather and I decided it was just easier to make new ribs rather than try to make the laser cut ones fit.

[tom brightbill]

Hi Matt,
If the canted angle of the ribs are different, they certainly not match in length. Thanks for the response, I'm still trying to get all the ducks in a row.....
Tom