New Skills and a BIG Surprise
Getting home with my new prize I quickly opened the box to look at what I'd gotten myself into. On the box it listed everything that was inside. All those accessories I had to purchase for my first plane were included in this kit. If they weren't a SIG product they were from some other top name manufacturer. I went about looking at those items then moved to that bundle of wood. The die-cut sheets were all perfect. No trimming needed this time. The location for the fuselage parts was printed right on the wood! This was going to be easy. Next I looked at those foam core wings and thought I better start reading the instruction manual. Not just notes on the side of the plans this time but a real manual! It had about 30 pages and went over all the aspects of how to build that plane. The plans also showed a lot of detail. I was more than pleased at this development. I now understood why a SIG kit cost more. The pre-printed wood, all those accessories, great plans and a comprehensive manual made for a top notch kit! It was time to get to work.
New workspace
This time I was going to use a building board. I realized how lucky I had been that my first plane was straight with no warps, considering I had built it free hand out on the patio. Some people would set up in their garage a hollow core door on sawhorses to use as a workbench. I was living in an apartment (no garage), and the girlfriend said "No Way" was I setting up a workbench in the living room. So...What was I going to do? Then I remembered earlier that year I had picked up a solid wood bookcase really cheap at an auction. I had removed one of the shelves to make a larger opening and that shelf might be just what I needed. It was long enough and after checking that is was straight a compromise was reached. I would build my plane on the kitchen table on top of that shelf. The girlfriend agreed to this as long as I moved that shelf out to the patio each night when I was done building (The things we do for love!). I now could start on my second plane.
The Build
With the excellent instructions, superglue and quality wood parts the fuselage went together very fast. I had picked up some builders squares and a straightedge to help ensure that this plane would also be built true. With the fuselage done I started on those foam core wings. That also went quick. I butt glued the thin balsa wing sheets together to make 4 panels. I used spray adhesive on the wing cores and the balsa panels and pressed a panel onto each side of the wing cores. I then placed both wing halves back into the foam blocks and weighted it all done for 24 hours. Finishing up the wing required adding and shaping the wingtips and the leading and trailing edges. Lots of sanding was done and much balsa dust was generated. Probably should have done that outside! After several nights out with the girlfriend and a my thorough vacuuming of the apartment I was able to get back to working on the plane. Not much was left to do. I just had to join the wing halves together. Interesting enough this plane had no wing spar. Just a small amount of epoxy glue was used to coat the ends of the wing cores and then they were pressed together. One end you would block up and then use masking tape at the joint line to hold the wings together and keep the epoxy contained. You couldn't use super glue for this as it would eat the foam away! Once the epoxy had cured I removed the masking tape and wrapped the center section of the wing with fiberglass tape. Much more epoxy was mixed up and then applied over the fiberglass. This was a bit messy and smelly. After several more nights out with the girlfriend for dinner and dancing I got back to completing my plane!
Getting Close
Finishing up was just like the first plane. Hinge and install the flying surfaces. Install the radio gear, landing gear, control horns, fuel tank and motor mount. Even though the instructions showed a side angled engine I had decided to mount it inverted. The cowl which covers the exposed engine looked like it was made for an inverted engine. This would require moving the motor mount from the stock location but this also was easily accomplished. That Fox .40 I had bought for my first plane now had a home. Lastly I mounted the cowl to the fuselage, added a bright red spinner to the engine and took a look at my completed but still uncovered plane. It looked NICE! With all the building done it was time again to cover the bare airframe and wing. MonoKote once more was used but this time I also purchased a Top Flite hobby iron and a Coverite temp gauge. The iron being much smaller than a household iron was easier to use. Heeding advise I'd gleamed from my magazine reading I would need to use low heat (hence the temp gauge) and a Coverite product called BalsaRite on that foam wing to avoid melting the foam! BalsaRite is a liquid that you paint on the surface of whatever you are covering. This stuff reacts to heat and bonds the covering down tight. Bright yellow for the wing and I again used red for the fuselage. Some red paint for the cowl and I was done.
Return to the R/C Field
Another BIG DAY had arrived. Saturday seemed the prudent choice as it worked out so well the first time. I got to the field early and picked out a space in front. I got everything unloaded but this time I didn't have to go looking for someone to inspect and flight test my plane. Some of the top pilots came right over and started asking me some questions about plane. Things like "What engine?" "How much does it weigh?" I told them a Fox .40 and just under 5lbs (the box said it should weigh 5-1/2lbs but using superglue and MonoKote made it lighter!) then they asked "How's it fly?" I told them "Don't know" and that I needed someone to inspect and do a flight test. Several of the guys said they would do it but one just stepped up to the plane and started to do the pre-flight. Once again that involved a lot of pulling and pushing and checking that everything was secure and in alignment. He said all looked good. As soon as my radio frequency was available the engine was started and tuned and a range check was done.
The plane was ready to go.
Another First Flight
Refueled and with that Fox running real well (I had broken in the engine over the course of several visits here at the field) he taxied out and lined up on the center line. After a moment he gave it full throttle and off it went. He lifted off after about 20 feet and went up high and checked out the controls. After a few circuits of the field he proceeded to really wring it out. This guy's skill level was amazing. He did maneuvers that few others could do. He put on a mini air show with that plane. He flew it so long it ran out of fuel and he had to make a dead stick landing. No problem for him as that plane dropped right in and he flared it for a perfect landing. After he landed it he looked at me and said "Sorry, I was having so much fun I forgot to let you have a go". What he said next came as a great surprise. "Want to sell it?" I was like "Huh?" He goes "I'll give you $250 today". I said "I didn't think so, it's brand new and I have more than that into it". He said "Ok, but can I fly it again? "Yeah sure" I said and refueled it. This time he went right into it. He tore up the sky. Everyone was watching him. The other guys flying landed so they could watch too. He flew that plane like it was on rails. I thought his first flight was spectacular but this was watching a true master at work. This time he landed under power and taxied back to the pits. Just like my first experience with R/C those many years ago in Seattle we clapped and cheered when he shut down the engine.
He stood there just looking at plane and then he said "I have to have it, how much?" After his first offer I had figured in my head I was into this plane for at least $300.00 so I said "Well, how about $350.00?" He said wait a minute and walked off. He was still holding my R/C transmitter so I watched where he was going. He went to his truck and got in and then started the engine! He backed out so I started to walk pretty fast to catch up to him. He was moving forward and I was about to break into a run when he pulled his truck into a space next to my car and got out. He was holding money in his hand and walked over and counted out four $100 bills and thrust them at me. I stammered and said something like "That too much, I don't have any cash". He said "Just take it". I must have looked real confused. He told me that during the initial inspection he could tell the the plane was well built with all the right accessories, it flew great and he needed an agile practice plane. He was a pattern flyer (a type of aerobatic competition) and with this plane he could work out his flight routines without putting one of his pattern ships at risk. Pattern planes were much more complex. They used very powerful engines with tuned pipes that gave them even more power. They had retractable landing gear and many had fiberglass fuselages. These were big planes with much time and money invested. They also used a lot more fuel. To be competitive required much practice and with that Fox engine he would be able to get in many more flights per gallon of fuel. He did say he would swap out my radio for one of his Krafts but my radio would go into a club trainer. Hearing he had more than one Kraft radio (those puppies were expensive!) I took the money and and sat down in my car to reason out what had just happened.
I had sold my plane!
I had made money on the deal!
Enough money that the loss of my first plane was also covered!
TODAY WAS A VERY GOOD DAY!
I also learned that people would pay me for building a model plane!
An idea began to form,,,
Getting home with my new prize I quickly opened the box to look at what I'd gotten myself into. On the box it listed everything that was inside. All those accessories I had to purchase for my first plane were included in this kit. If they weren't a SIG product they were from some other top name manufacturer. I went about looking at those items then moved to that bundle of wood. The die-cut sheets were all perfect. No trimming needed this time. The location for the fuselage parts was printed right on the wood! This was going to be easy. Next I looked at those foam core wings and thought I better start reading the instruction manual. Not just notes on the side of the plans this time but a real manual! It had about 30 pages and went over all the aspects of how to build that plane. The plans also showed a lot of detail. I was more than pleased at this development. I now understood why a SIG kit cost more. The pre-printed wood, all those accessories, great plans and a comprehensive manual made for a top notch kit! It was time to get to work.
New workspace
This time I was going to use a building board. I realized how lucky I had been that my first plane was straight with no warps, considering I had built it free hand out on the patio. Some people would set up in their garage a hollow core door on sawhorses to use as a workbench. I was living in an apartment (no garage), and the girlfriend said "No Way" was I setting up a workbench in the living room. So...What was I going to do? Then I remembered earlier that year I had picked up a solid wood bookcase really cheap at an auction. I had removed one of the shelves to make a larger opening and that shelf might be just what I needed. It was long enough and after checking that is was straight a compromise was reached. I would build my plane on the kitchen table on top of that shelf. The girlfriend agreed to this as long as I moved that shelf out to the patio each night when I was done building (The things we do for love!). I now could start on my second plane.
The Build
With the excellent instructions, superglue and quality wood parts the fuselage went together very fast. I had picked up some builders squares and a straightedge to help ensure that this plane would also be built true. With the fuselage done I started on those foam core wings. That also went quick. I butt glued the thin balsa wing sheets together to make 4 panels. I used spray adhesive on the wing cores and the balsa panels and pressed a panel onto each side of the wing cores. I then placed both wing halves back into the foam blocks and weighted it all done for 24 hours. Finishing up the wing required adding and shaping the wingtips and the leading and trailing edges. Lots of sanding was done and much balsa dust was generated. Probably should have done that outside! After several nights out with the girlfriend and a my thorough vacuuming of the apartment I was able to get back to working on the plane. Not much was left to do. I just had to join the wing halves together. Interesting enough this plane had no wing spar. Just a small amount of epoxy glue was used to coat the ends of the wing cores and then they were pressed together. One end you would block up and then use masking tape at the joint line to hold the wings together and keep the epoxy contained. You couldn't use super glue for this as it would eat the foam away! Once the epoxy had cured I removed the masking tape and wrapped the center section of the wing with fiberglass tape. Much more epoxy was mixed up and then applied over the fiberglass. This was a bit messy and smelly. After several more nights out with the girlfriend for dinner and dancing I got back to completing my plane!
Getting Close
Finishing up was just like the first plane. Hinge and install the flying surfaces. Install the radio gear, landing gear, control horns, fuel tank and motor mount. Even though the instructions showed a side angled engine I had decided to mount it inverted. The cowl which covers the exposed engine looked like it was made for an inverted engine. This would require moving the motor mount from the stock location but this also was easily accomplished. That Fox .40 I had bought for my first plane now had a home. Lastly I mounted the cowl to the fuselage, added a bright red spinner to the engine and took a look at my completed but still uncovered plane. It looked NICE! With all the building done it was time again to cover the bare airframe and wing. MonoKote once more was used but this time I also purchased a Top Flite hobby iron and a Coverite temp gauge. The iron being much smaller than a household iron was easier to use. Heeding advise I'd gleamed from my magazine reading I would need to use low heat (hence the temp gauge) and a Coverite product called BalsaRite on that foam wing to avoid melting the foam! BalsaRite is a liquid that you paint on the surface of whatever you are covering. This stuff reacts to heat and bonds the covering down tight. Bright yellow for the wing and I again used red for the fuselage. Some red paint for the cowl and I was done.
Return to the R/C Field
Another BIG DAY had arrived. Saturday seemed the prudent choice as it worked out so well the first time. I got to the field early and picked out a space in front. I got everything unloaded but this time I didn't have to go looking for someone to inspect and flight test my plane. Some of the top pilots came right over and started asking me some questions about plane. Things like "What engine?" "How much does it weigh?" I told them a Fox .40 and just under 5lbs (the box said it should weigh 5-1/2lbs but using superglue and MonoKote made it lighter!) then they asked "How's it fly?" I told them "Don't know" and that I needed someone to inspect and do a flight test. Several of the guys said they would do it but one just stepped up to the plane and started to do the pre-flight. Once again that involved a lot of pulling and pushing and checking that everything was secure and in alignment. He said all looked good. As soon as my radio frequency was available the engine was started and tuned and a range check was done.
The plane was ready to go.
Another First Flight
Refueled and with that Fox running real well (I had broken in the engine over the course of several visits here at the field) he taxied out and lined up on the center line. After a moment he gave it full throttle and off it went. He lifted off after about 20 feet and went up high and checked out the controls. After a few circuits of the field he proceeded to really wring it out. This guy's skill level was amazing. He did maneuvers that few others could do. He put on a mini air show with that plane. He flew it so long it ran out of fuel and he had to make a dead stick landing. No problem for him as that plane dropped right in and he flared it for a perfect landing. After he landed it he looked at me and said "Sorry, I was having so much fun I forgot to let you have a go". What he said next came as a great surprise. "Want to sell it?" I was like "Huh?" He goes "I'll give you $250 today". I said "I didn't think so, it's brand new and I have more than that into it". He said "Ok, but can I fly it again? "Yeah sure" I said and refueled it. This time he went right into it. He tore up the sky. Everyone was watching him. The other guys flying landed so they could watch too. He flew that plane like it was on rails. I thought his first flight was spectacular but this was watching a true master at work. This time he landed under power and taxied back to the pits. Just like my first experience with R/C those many years ago in Seattle we clapped and cheered when he shut down the engine.
He stood there just looking at plane and then he said "I have to have it, how much?" After his first offer I had figured in my head I was into this plane for at least $300.00 so I said "Well, how about $350.00?" He said wait a minute and walked off. He was still holding my R/C transmitter so I watched where he was going. He went to his truck and got in and then started the engine! He backed out so I started to walk pretty fast to catch up to him. He was moving forward and I was about to break into a run when he pulled his truck into a space next to my car and got out. He was holding money in his hand and walked over and counted out four $100 bills and thrust them at me. I stammered and said something like "That too much, I don't have any cash". He said "Just take it". I must have looked real confused. He told me that during the initial inspection he could tell the the plane was well built with all the right accessories, it flew great and he needed an agile practice plane. He was a pattern flyer (a type of aerobatic competition) and with this plane he could work out his flight routines without putting one of his pattern ships at risk. Pattern planes were much more complex. They used very powerful engines with tuned pipes that gave them even more power. They had retractable landing gear and many had fiberglass fuselages. These were big planes with much time and money invested. They also used a lot more fuel. To be competitive required much practice and with that Fox engine he would be able to get in many more flights per gallon of fuel. He did say he would swap out my radio for one of his Krafts but my radio would go into a club trainer. Hearing he had more than one Kraft radio (those puppies were expensive!) I took the money and and sat down in my car to reason out what had just happened.
I had sold my plane!
I had made money on the deal!
Enough money that the loss of my first plane was also covered!
TODAY WAS A VERY GOOD DAY!
I also learned that people would pay me for building a model plane!
An idea began to form,,,
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