So it has been 2.5 months since last posting any flying updates. Time flies when you are having fun and being lazy too. I have been flying but am just not into this blog anymore. I will summarize by saying I flew several times each week since the end of July. Only in the last couple weeks has flying been less frequent than that because the rains and winds are starting to seep into the Fall weather pattern here. It is after all what keeps Oregon green and mossy. I can say I likely flew every plane in the fleet...Bravata, RV-4, Toledo Special, Giles 202, P-47, Val, Stinger II, RV-8, Sbach 342, Intruder, Dirty Birdy, Kaos, Aerostar 76, Aerostar 40F, Starstream, Yak 54, Shoestring 60, and lil Dragonfly.
The ones I have flown most are the big RV-4, Dirty Birdy, and Toledo Special. I also fly the Dragonfly very often because it is the plane that takes so little space and can be packed into the truck even with the Bravata and RV-4...it fits in jump seat area of the cab. That plane allows me to have something to fly when the others fail to start or they crash. No fuss, no muss.
Regarding some maintenance issues. The bearings on the Toledo Special made the plane sound like a tractor in the sky. I asked Don to replace the bearings for me, which he gladly did. I supplied new bearings I had for the engine. He found a broken piston ring in the engine, bought a new one, and replaced it while doing the bearing job. He also replaced the valve gaskets with some he had in stock, and did not charge me for them. Cost was $28 for the ring. Don is so generous, he even ran the engine in with the new ring, on his engine stand for me. I have it ready to install in any plane when needed. While Don did that work, I installed another Saito 82a into the plane, the one that was in the T-28 when it expired a couple years ago. I had to replace a rod cover , the only part that bent in the crash. Have since flown the plane a couple weeks ago, and it sounds great again, and the plane is as smooth as ever.
In another engine issue, the OS 160FX in the Giles failed to start about a month ago at the field. I removed it later at home and did not find any scratches or scoring in the piston or ring, so I left it for future closer inspection and repair. I have a NIB same engine that I got on RC Universe eons ago. I installed that in the Giles and ran a couple tanks of glow through it at home for initial break in. Also took one flight with a very rich setting at the field. Next few flights I will lean it out slightly each time, but it sounds and seems fine.
My Val is a nice flying plane but the last time out a few days ago, the engine quit at the top of the loop, and I had a forced landing in the back 40, way out. Trying to make it to the runway, I stalled the plane, and she started her death spiral. I did the right thing, let the controls go, kept the nose down, then leveled her out for a decent flat landing in the sparse but ugly field. That tore both pants back into the wing. I did some work at home to replace the ultra thin plymash that VQ used for LG mounting. Cannot even call them blocks....only about 1/4' "thick" and made from plywood mash, not good grade dense plywood. The work is done except the plastic wheel pant mounts shattered in the crash landing, so I am mailing the one recoverable one to Alex for 3D replication and printing.
Let's see....I added 4.5 oz of lead to the nose of the RV-4 to help make her more groovy. It does help. Now the plane will drop its nose a wee bit at the top of the loop, to continue the second half of the loop. It used to just level out, and require up elevator to pull the nose down at the top. While a lil more lead would help, I am gonna live with it this way. Oh last time out, I thumped the left LG hard on a pancake landing, so I removed it and bent it back at home.
Final news...I ordered the Phoenix Model Stinson Reliant a month ago and have yet to really start assembly. At least I mocked it up to test fit the wing and stab alignment, which looks darn good. I ordered six new Hitec D645MG servos, which arrived. Now contemplating ordering the Saito FG-30B gas four-stroke engine, but am waiting to see if maybe I can get a better price around Black Friday sales.
See there....I have been busy but just too lazy to post about events!
This is just a place for me to ramble (sometimes rant) about my hobbies which include radio controlled airplanes, oil paintings, my sports cars, and any other random blithering from me.
Aloha and Welcome to my small speck of cyberspace! Dec 8, 2010 is the birth date of my blog. Never had one before, but my son encouraged me to have one, and it seemed like a good way to at least keep a log of my RC airplane building and flying. With the initial design kicked off by my son, I'll carry on from here and have fun with it. Now that I have it, I will use it to also keep track of my oil painting efforts, and any other ideas, hobbies, travels, or whatever else that come up. LIFE IS GOOD!
Update on 02/25/2011. It's been a few months since I began this blog, and I am enjoying creating and having it! I like documenting the things I have done in my hobbies, and sharing with my small family. I think Jer and Tad actually view it fairly regularly, as a means to see what I've been up to lately. At worst, it serves as a reference for my own use.
Update on 12/22/2011. This blog stuff is habit forming. My blog is a year old now, and I make an entry about every other day or so as that seems to be the frequency of doing something in one of my hobbies. Like my hobbies, this blog is a lot of fun, and it has become in itself another hobby that I enjoy.
Years are flying by...update on 01/11/2013. Still enjoying maintaining this blog even though hardly anyone sees it. I don't advertise it anywhere or to anyone, and it is mainly just a way for me to keep my own notes and thoughts on my flying, painting, and cars. If a stranger happens upon it, I think it is by pressing NEXT at the top of the current blog they are visiting, lol. It's a great device for me.
August 2014: still here! Took up flying RC helicopters one year ago and got hooked. Had flown micro Helis up to then, but got serious with 450 size for a couple months, then bought the Goblin 500 and Gaui X5 . Also got my Boxster in April 2013. Most importantly, Ariel was born 12/02/12 followed by Skylar 07/20/13, and they are little beacons of joy in our lives. Life is indeed good!!!
