More planes

I didn't have a plane for the clasic event and I didn't want to build one that was too complicated or big. I found one that should fit the bill called "Peacemaker". I started building it and then the El Dorado contest came up and at the raffle I got a kit of the J.D. Falcon. Not too complicated but on the large size, the same size as my others. Again legal to use in the classic event. I started building it even though it didn't have the instruction booklet. My plan is to get both planes up to the same build sequence spot so I can work on both at the same time. I need to fill and sand the Peacemaker and put a couple more coats of clear dope on the Falcon wing then install it into the fuselage. That will bring both planes to the same build place. I've been having run issues with my engines and after much trouble shooting it seems that the fuel needed some Armor-All to stop fuel foaming. Now if the rains will slack off so the grass can be mowed I will be happy.

A fire drill of unknown parentage.

Getting ready for the El Dorado contest was a chore. I have always had time to select a plane(s) and practiced with it. This year there was rain and then wind and then more rain. I grabbed the planes I was most familiar with at the time and went. The Navion flew good enough for a second place finish in Warbird. The Nomad 6 blew/shook the vent plug off two flights in a row. Real unusual for that to happen. On Sunday I flew the Nomad 6 again and the plug stayed on but the wing tip weight box cover fell off causing the weights to fall out which caused the plane to do strange things during the flight. Just as I was about to start the engine for the second flight I saw the engine was loose. One bolt was missing and the other three were loose. I called it a day and put the plane away. I did get a kit in the raffle and we got home before dark. I got the Nomad fixed on Monday and ready for test flights but it started raining again.

Too much power.

I've had a few flights on the new plane. The Brodak 40 proved to be way too much for the plane. The vibration shook a glow plug to failure but the stick fuselage held up. i removed the 40 and installed an OS .25LA. That is a much better choice for the plane. I'm going through flap tweak sessions now and have huyng it up as I need to prepare for the El Dorado contest in a few weeks. The park has mowed enough grass so I can fly wqithout getting the plane overturned on take off. I learned how to patch a leaking tire today. The local tire shop, Mavis, won't toucj a tire that has been plugged and won't plug a tire either. They patch the leak from the inside. I had to buy a new tire and took the other one home to experiment on. The parts store has "radial tire patch kits". They install just like an inner tube patch. I now have a good tire waiting to be used.

It's ready for test flights.

Another new design.

The Swizzle Stick was an old r/c design that was cheap and easy to build. That came to mind when I had a usble wing to play with. O don't know what category it will fall into as it has no fuselage to speak of, like the Swizzle Stick, and it's too wide to be in the profile category. I'll think of something.

Winter stuff.

The Oriental kit I won in the raffle is built and flying quite well. The local hobby shop had a kit from and estate sale for sale at less than half price of a new kit so I bought it. I figured that I had already built one this should be easier. It was about the same to build and is waiting for the kit of the Yak-9 to be finished so I can clear coat both at the same time with the last can of 2 part spray that I have. Hopefully there is enough to do the job. Our son has been getting the hot rod ready for a "drag and drive" scheduled for the end of Feb. at the local drag strip. It's a 3 day event using the same track so there isn't any hotels to pay for. He is planning on bringing his camper to the track for the overnights. We have been testing and tunning at the track trying to get the Holley Sniper fuel injection working properly. He finally got it clost to what it did on the first ever pass that bent the rear suspension. This starts on Feb.28.

Good idea, bad planning.

A couple years ago I had a flat tire on my Dodge pickup. I wasn't home and had to use the scissor jack that comes with the truck. It took a long time to get the flat tire off the ground and changed. After that I figured that a small hydraulic bottle jack would be much better at lifting the future flat tire off the ground with a lot less effort. I didn't have the chance to try it out on a flat but whenit came time to rotate the tires I gave it a try. It did the fob but was very slow pumping up. After that excercize I realized that the bottle jack just fit under the front "A" arm with the tire at full inflation. If the tire was flat the jack would be useless and I'd be stuck having to use the scissor jack again. I looked at Amazon for small floor jacks and they had one that would fit the bill. I asked my son about a small jack and he pointed at the one he had and we had used at the drag strip. He got it at Harbor Freight. I went to the Harbor Freight store in Zachary, La and bought two of them, one for each truck. I'm ready for a flat now.