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Brodak 38 Special

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Ron Hofacker:
Not a New Product but one worth bringing up. Very nice kit. Quick and easy to build. It's die cut, not laser cut. Oh My, how spoiled we've become! Once a kit this well diecut would have had us singing it's praises. Now all it gets is "nice, but not laser cut". The only parts I had any problems with were the plywood parts: The 1/8 "lite ply" fuselage doublers needed a fair amount of clean up but were useable. The 1/16" inter plane struts didn't cut well at all. I ruined them trying to get them cut/punched out. I replaced those with some I made from scratch. As far as deviations from the plans: (I don't think I've ever built a kit exactly to the plans  :D ) I wanted to address the typical profile FTS (Floppy Tail Syndrome) so I cut lightening holes in the 1/2" balsa fuselage stock and laminated 1/64" ply on the fuselage sides. This really improves the stiffness with out adding much (if any) weight. I also used a different technique building the wings: The plans show building the wings with the trailing edge elevated off the building board. Since this is a sheet trailing edge I didn't think I could get it straight this way so I built it with the T.E. on the building board and the spar setting on a spacer of the appropriate height. I spent an extra amount of time fiddling around getting the wings, tail plane, and thrust line all lined up and parallel. Power will be an OS 40FP. Wings are silk covered.

john e. holliday:
I think you will be happy with your 38 Special.  I have had mine for several years.  It started out with the old tried and true Fox 35 Stunt.  Then replaced with OS 25.  Both engines would not co-operate on decent runs.  Even used different tanks.  After putting OS 35 FP on it with Zinger 11-5 prop and restricting the uni-flow I now get patterns that I am happy with.   May fly P-40 with it.   DOC Holliday

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