YESTERDAY AT THE GIG HARBOR NARROWS AIRPORT FLYING SITE

[Shultzie]

After doing my "honey-dooo-daaa-daze" yesterday...Just before packing the old Super Chipmunk into pickup...
I made a fatal mistake in trying to "squeeze"  with a pair of pliers...the flat spot out of one of the rubber treads on the inside wheel of my vintage-fossilized old stunter...
 "SNAP-KRAKLEE'-POP!"
BELIEVE IT OR NOT! the rubber O ring tread on those old Williams scale wheels turned to shards and dust...leaving only the axel in tact.

I packed it up anyhoooo, took it to the new Narrows flying site where Pete Peterson, Pete Fergie' and Randy Powell were cutting some holes in that rare blue sky on an equally beautiful warm day. (RARE INDEED here in the NW this year so far.)

After arriving late as h-ll! At least I had the pleasure of watching Randy and the Pete-n-Pete put in some beautifully flown patterns.  The wind was extremely varible...changing from one direction to the other.
Randy flew his beautiful "SLIDER"...Peterson  flew his equally beautiful VanLoo Chipmunk..and Fergie' flew his awesome biggins' stunter (help me here Pete? short term memory loss at my old age, I can remember the name of that big honkin all business flying machine?)

Here attached are a few photos...starting on my arrival, I caught them taking a break from the flying. RANDY SEEMS THE MOST RELAXED OF THE BUNCH, warming himself on the warm cement tarmac in front of that beautiful "SLIP-SLIDER" model.

Although I chose not to risk flying my model on the wheel rims...of the old Chip, IF WE'D BEEN FLYING ON GRASS...AND "JIVE COMBAT TEAM MEMBER AND STUNT GURUUUU' PHIL GRANDERSON had been there...I would have REMOVED BOTH WHEELS and would have had Phil HAND LAUCH THAT OLD SLED OF MINE.

Sorry for the suspect photos...MY PHOTOGRAPHY, COSTCO'S QUICK PROCESSING, AND MY CHEAP CRAPPY SCANNER...THE QUALITY SUCKUTH...but check out this really nice FLYING SITE AT THE NARROWS AIRPORT here in exiled GIG HAAABA, WA.
(One last thought! HEY GANG! THESE THREE GENT-GRUNTS...put on some really beautifully flown patterns...be for-warned!!!! If you wanna beat these guys...better get out there and burn some fuel or toast some batteries...cause!!!

Pete-Pete-n-Randy are out there practicing-practicing practicing.

[Mark Scarborough]

Well at least were getting closer, you carried a plane to the field. NOW if we can get you to quit breaking stuff before you go,, sheesh were stunt flyers man, we see right through that "accidental " wheel breaking.. now if we were RC guys we might fall for that,,
 

[Shultzie]

Well at least were getting closer, you carried a plane to the field. NOW if we can get you to quit breaking stuff before you go,, sheesh were stunt flyers man, we see right through that "accidental " wheel breaking.. now if we were RC guys we might fall for that,,
 

Hummm?
MARK...I WAS MORE THAN A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT I WASN'T OFFERED A "FREEBEE" GOOD FEELEEE' FLIGHT ON AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE PURTY STUNT MACHINES?
Guess they were worried when I showed them my old stunt handle that it too or the hand that was holding it...just might crumble into pieces, just like those wheeeeeeeeeeeels?

[Peter Ferguson]

Don, My Strega is not pretty and you can fly it anytime. But your right, I should have offered. I thought yours was flyable. I didn't think a little thing like wheels would stop you.

[Randy Powell]

Don,

You can take a turn on mine any time you want. Like Pete, I shoudl have offered. Just didn't think of it, I guess.

[Shultzie]

Don, My Strega is not pretty and you can fly it anytime. But your right, I should have offered. I thought yours was flyable. I didn't think a little thing like wheels would stop you.

HEY GUYS!!!SOMEBODY STOP ME!! TRULY!!! I WAS JUST RAZZIN N' JAZZIN!
  .....I TRULY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE UP ANY MORE FLYING TIME...
Everyone was ready to wrap things up...and it was truly pick-up time to leave anyhoo and eveyone had their flying in for the day. Again, who knows how much extra time it might have taken...getting that old sled airworthy again?
MOST OF ALL I would have FELT MORE COMFORTABLE AND WOULDN'T HAVE TOUCHED ANY OTHER MODEL EXCEPT THAT OLD TOY CHIP OF MINE . Further more...I feel very very comfortable in flying that old airplane. My reflexes are surely tuned to that old stunt machine anyhoo.  I have proven to myself many many times that ol Chip of mine flies so predictable and reliable.
 Flying any one elses model first would BE OUT OF THE QUESTION!
Bottom line:
I wouldn't have hesitated to take-off and land  on those brittle n' little plastic Williams bros. hubs...IF I HAD ENOUGH PROP-CLEARANCE.
However until I raised the aft end up yesterday out there on the field.... to check my "newly found ground clearance" sadly it just wasn't enough and would have had to swing a smaller dia. prop, besides nuttin buggs me more than a SHAFT RUN or a chipped out of balance prop if I had chosen to fly with that same larger dia. prop.
I AM CERTAIN THE VIBRATION ALONE WOULD HAVE LOOSEN THOSE TERMITE-TEETH that certainly must be the only thing that is keeping that old crate in one piece.

Although it is a blast to fly other flyers stunt machines.. ...I WOULDN'T HAVE UNLESS I COULD RETURN THE FAVOR-------"FAVOR" isn't quite the right word since I had no idea if that ST 46 would even run consitantly after all this time sittin on the wall.
Who knows what kind of gunk, n' critters might be pulled through that venturi...after sitting on that wall for almost 2 years.

Thanks for the offer my dearly beloved brotha's in balsa! It was a pleasure  just to hang yesterday.

[Steve Helmick]

Friday night, I mowed our backyard before it rained (no grass in the front yard), then spent most of Saturday out at RiverView with Pete & Pete & Mike & Mike & ? mowing in the rain for next week's Fun Fly. By Sunday, my sinuses were telling me to stay inside. I'd have liked to have been there, particularly if Don had conned Pete F. into a test drive of the ARF Stregasaurus Rex. Nothin' like havin' a 10cc donk up front...    Steve

[Shultzie]

Friday night, I mowed our backyard before it rained (no grass in the front yard), then spent most of Saturday out at RiverView with Pete & Pete & Mike & Mike & ? mowing in the rain for next week's Fun Fly. By Sunday, my sinuses were telling me to stay inside. I'd have liked to have been there, particularly if Don had conned Pete F. into a test drive of the ARF Stregasaurus Rex. Nothin' like havin' a 10cc donk up front...    Steve

Steve!
If I can't get my wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeels fixed on the ol Chip by next week-end. I will unscrews those 4 little bugga's that hold the gear into the wing. I will simply remove the gears and have some of our combat flyers give me a hand launch?  Plus if it start raining like last Sat. Perhaps I can quickly make up a set of foam sea float gears for that old Chippy of mine? 

[john e. holliday]

Great to hear you guys got some flying in with the exception of Mr Excuses.  Also Randy is just too relaxed.  Big Pete may have to take a cattle prod to him.  Me I have been working on my new kit every day it is not raining.  Of course Sunday was taken up mostly with Church and fund raising for kids camp.  Later, DOC Holliday

[Shultzie]

Great to hear you guys got some flying in with the exception of Mr Excuses.  Also Randy is just too relaxed.  Big Pete may have to take a cattle prod to him.  Me I have been working on my new kit every day it is not raining.  Of course Sunday was taken up mostly with Church and fund raising for kids camp.  Later, DOC Holliday

Mr. Excuses!!! HEY DOC! I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!

[Mark Scarborough]

Hey Shultie,, I have a set of nice light foamie wheels that would work for ya,, if not Joe Just has the Dons racing wheels for the skinny fairings. What size man, were gonna get you up on that thing soon. Next time you have to at least fire the motor even if you dont fly,, I mean it,, we gonna get you sucka!
BTW, the Avenger plans are posted on the wall of contemplation now, its in the que for a summer build it looks like. I have my Ornamental Oriental flying and the 109 is about to get sanded and shiney so, next project up looks like an Avenger,, hm wonder if I can find a photo of the gal from the "New Avengers" tv show, in them tall leather boots, yeah yeah, that would work,,,,

[Peter Ferguson]

"Stregasaurus Rex" I like that, it fits. I'll do the next one in black so it looks smaller.  I have a great quote from Randy from an old thread.

"Back in the day (seems like forever ago), we used ST60s with a monstrous venturis (.320-.325 that easily used 7-8oz of fuel a flight) and turned 14" or more diameter, wide blade props at about 7800-8000 rpm. Initially, this was because we were flying at pretty high altitude (4000 feet) and it was hot. But we discovered that when we came to contests at sealevel, the engines really cranked out power like that. They ran at a pretty constant 4 stroke, only breaking into a 2 stroke under substantial load. I regularly flew entire patterns with the engine never reaching a 2 stroke.

I miss that."

I'm there Randy.

[proparc]

I am definitely loving that Slider!!

[Leo Mehl]

Us oldf guys are going flyin today. These guys all fly arf's so I told them I am surrounded by tutors but I still havn't learned anything.

[Randy Powell]

Thanks, Milton

[Shultzie]

"Stregasaurus Rex" I like that, it fits. I'll do the next one in black so it looks smaller.  I have a great quote from Randy from an old thread.

"Back in the day (seems like forever ago), we used ST60s with a monstrous venturis (.320-.325 that easily used 7-8oz of fuel a flight) and turned 14" or more diameter, wide blade props at about 7800-8000 rpm. Initially, this was because we were flying at pretty high altitude (4000 feet) and it was hot. But we discovered that when we came to contests at sealevel, the engines really cranked out power like that. They ran at a pretty constant 4 stroke, only breaking into a 2 stroke under substantial load. I regularly flew entire patterns with the engine never reaching a 2 stroke.

I miss that."

I'm there Randy.

FERGI'  LL~THAT IS A GREAT NAME! Don't beat yourself up on the appearence of that model...YOU FLY THAT BIG "REX!" WITH STYLE AND GRACE.... Who was the famous person that always said: "IT IS BETTA TO LOOOOK GOOD THAN TO FEEEEEL GOOD!"
 But in your case and that goes for every CLPA flyer alive... "IT IS BETTA TO FLY GOOOOOD THAN TO LOOOK GOOD!"
...Both our models may have some rash-n-trash marks...but HEY! THEY ARE BOTH STILL MAXIUM APPEARENCE POINT MODELS....(humm? Shall we say...they have that maxium....highest quality at least from a distance??? Say perhaps a "FIVE FOOT FINISH? "

Best of all....just like skiing or beautiful new sport kites and CLPA models ..NEW SKIS NEVER SKI RIGHT UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN SCUFFED AND SCRATCHED...same should apply for  beautiful stunt models.....

[Shultzie]

I am definitely loving that Slider!!

[Randy Powell]

And the best part is, the new version is about ready to finish!  He, he.

[Shultzie]

And the best part is, the new version is about ready to finish!  He, he.

RANDY!!!!STOP IT!!! RIGHT NOW!!!! YOU ARE SUCH A TEASE! ....AM I EVUS! ~YES!

[Randy Powell]

Don,

Don't be. The poor thing has been sitting in the rack for 4 months while other projects took precedence. I hope to finally get to it after I finish the current classic plane.