> 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