> Same things I was building LAST winter, more or less. And the winter
> previous :-P
>
>
>
I have a bit of attention-deficit disorder in that I start a whole bunch of
projects and really get thru each one about 80 percent or better in one manic
panic session, then I hit some small delay for ordering a part or whatever, or
family and work responsibilities come up, something else will catch my eye or
brain and I'll jump onto another track. My bench(es) get all clogged up to the
point I have to stop building ANYTHING because I'm out of room, plus, the
basement isn't heated so it's kind of uncomfortable building when the cold is
at
it's worst. When it rains, I get seepage down there and everything has to be
put up off the floor, making the space off limits until I dry it out again.
Then again, I also spend too much darn time on the computer simming or reading
about modeling instead of DOING it:-)
We got a warm snap recently and I made a little progress. Here's what's in
process:
Project1) Refurbishing an antique Dodgeson Saratoga Windsong, it will have a
period-authentic 6 channel Aristocraft radio with electronic mixing in it that
needed rebuilding (cracked pots on the sticks). Yeah, I know, for a pure
Dodgeson fan, you would eschew electronic mixing, but the plane came more or
less
set up this way, so it will be part mechanical and part electronic. I really
HATED the floppy rudder pushrod system for this plane, it was originally
mechanically slaved to ailerons but just didn't ever work right. I got some
RDS
parts from Harley and I'm working on driving the rudder for this plane using
RDS
driven long-distance by a carbon torque rod and a servo up front in the radio
bay where I need the counterweighting. Figuring out the geometry for that and
how to lay it into an already-built fuse without surgery is the main holdup,
kind of a "ship in a bottle" thing. About six hours to put the radio bits in
and add the towhook, I figure. Second holdup is I don't have or want a winch
and
have to save up for a suitable new or used histart big enough to reliably
launch this bad boy. This is a very intimidating project for me; though I've
flown a 100-inch foam thermal flying wing years ago, I have never successfully
launched and flown an open-class ship, most of my time is in 2-meters and
2-meter
electrics. I was given this plane gratis from a friend who picked it up at an
estate sale for like ten bucks. I've put about a hundred into the "free"
plane so far in new servos, radio parts, and whatnot, got a lighter duty 2
meter
histart already and really don't want to lay out more green for the HD histart
for just one plane that might die on first launch. When the wings are on it,
the span is bigger than my garage door! I don't know that I can find a field
big enough to turn this baby around in!:-) Yeah, but the plane was FREE,
Mark!:-)
To be continued Mark S.
**************
Start the year off right. Easy ways
to stay in shape.
http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
