This beautiful uke is a KoAloha Red Label Custom concert with Port Orford Cedar top, and deluxe koa back and sides. Has the biggest sweet sound of my concerts, and real easy action from the soft strings. Note the Wagara design on the fretboard, the special logo on the head, and the red label inside the body.
Just gorgeous deluxe koa back and sides with cedar top, and Kamaka roping for the sound hole and binding. This is one punchy concert by Kamaka!
My favorite Kanile’a ukulele! D hole, side port, thin slotted head, so pretty!
The Kwik Fli III is a vintage pattern plane designed and flown by Phil Kraft (founder /owner of the Kraft RC systems of yesteryear) to the National and World Championships back in 1967. I bought this one off Cliff who got it in one of his lot buys. I fixed it up substantially, modding from one center aileron servo to one in each wing half, fixed hinges and horns, repaired and fuel proofed the engine bay, added the OS 61SF, added all electronics, and repaired covering here and there. This plane flies pretty fast for old school pattern aerobatics, and is pretty much on rails all the time. A joy to own and fly!
This is currently my fave plane due to the beauty of it, flying characteristics, and wonderful sound of the engine. It is a Seagull Models airframe with 98.5” wingspan, powered with a Saito FG41TS, which is a four-stroke twin engine fueled with gasoline, not glow fuel. Hitec servos throughout. It’s a blast to fly low, slow or fast, with flaps deployed. It will be my go-to plane for our annual Warbird Day.
My squadron of RC planes has changed some since my last blog about them years ago. Just off the top of my head, here’s what has departed the hangar:
Giles 202 - sold to Bob
Yak 54 - sold to Bob
Astro Hog - crashed due to elevator failure
Kavalier - crashed on takeoff due to xmitter being on wrong plane with ailerons reversed
Venus 60 - gave airframe to Bob
Additions to the hangar:
Kwik Fli 3 - got used airframe from Cliff via one of his lot buys. Added my own OS61SF, made major changes for two aileron servos, rehinging, control rods, my own servos, etc.
Spitfire - Phoenix Models, VVRC 32cc, stock retracts
Bird Dog L-19 - Seagull Models, Saito FG41TS twin gas four stroke
Been a long time since posting. Still flying a lot each year, just not much during the Winters like now. Still driving the Boxster during fair weather. Haven’t painted since the last post about painting back in 2023!
Picked up a new pastime in learning to play the ukulele since Christmas of 2021 when I got my first uke, partly as a present from Tad. Since then, I’ve been in love with collecting them and learning to play them. I’ve bought 13 quality ukes, all from The Ukulele Site in Haleiwa, HI and mostly all Hawaii made brands. I already passed on three of them to my sons, and am retaining the other ten until they go to the sons after I pass. Great fun, plus a challenge to play (never thought I could play a musical instrument), and I think it helps exercise the old grey cells.
Without getting into model numbers, here are ukes I have:
Kanile’a: Koa tenor with D sound port and a side port. Koa Super tenor . Both Low G. Koa concert.
Ko’Aloha: Koa Pikake tenor. Koa Red Label concert with cedar top.
Kamaka: Koa tenor . Koa premium concert with cedar top.
Oli: Rosewood tenor with cedar top. Premium Koa tenor. Both Low G. Myrtle concert with torrified spruce top.
I play just a handful of songs, all by tabulature because I cannot read music notes. And all not very well:
Silent Night
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
House of the Rising Sun(two versions)
Here Comes The Sun
White Sandy Beach
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
The Prettiest Ukulele Song
Some short Hawaiian riffs
I also learned Michelle, but just could not get it to sound smooth, so I gave it up a couple months ago, and cannot even remember a note of it now, lol!
