Not long ago, I wrote about the imaginary flow chart of model aircraft building.  As you recall, I tried to briefly explain how it speeds up when you're gluing large pieces together such as the fuselage on a profile and slows down - a lot - when you get to other parts like wet sanding and masking for paint and trim.  This is exactly where I'm at, times three.

My P-40, Thunderbird, and Bob's Firecat are all at about the same stage.  After serious consideration I can sum up my position on the flow chart with two simple words:  painting sucks.  I tired to break up the monotony of paint a coat - sand a coat - paint a coat by building an A.R.F. Flight Streak but it didn't work.  From the time I opened the box until I had it finished was only 5 1/2 hours and that includes the changes I made and lunch.  Not nearly enough time to get my painting juices flowing again.

This Flight Streak is meant to be a club trainer so I decided to upgrade it with a Fazer landing gear, tail wheel, and better hinges for the elevator.  Even after engineering these changes, it took only 5 1/2 hours to build and with a Fox 25 weighs in at a whopping 27 oz.

Here's a plane that for about fifty bucks comes out of the box straight, light, and looks better than most planes I build.  Very cool.  Did I mention that it takes only about 5 1/2 hours to build?

I've heard through the grapevine that Brodak will be marketing several A.R.F. planes in the very near future and I believe that a large A.R.F. wave is about to come crashing down on our small control line pond.

Last month at our meeting we had the annuals swap meet and for the most part it went real well.  I know that I replaced a lot of stuff with a lot of other stuff and I know a few others that did as well.

At this months meeting, we'll be handing out the Micro-fastener items that people ordered.  I'd expect to see some new demo planes and maybe get a first hand report from Jeff Welliver who is in Tucson, Arizona right now for V.S.C. (Vintage Stunt Championships).  We'll also set up a date for our field clean up.

With the flying season fast approaching there are some items that need to addressed.  Most importantly is safety.  We have a few new members that I'm sure will need guidance from our older members.  I don't care much about airplanes or equipment but at the end of the season, I'd prefer that everyone at our field leaves with the same number hands, fingers, eyes, etc. that they started with and not require any stitches to remain that way.  Glen Peterson is our safety officer and has my FULL backing on any safety issue he says needs attention.  Glen is not out to pick on anybody and as one of most experienced members I rely on his opinions.  Bottom line is that if he has questions with some practices or some equipment (or lack thereof), don't take it personally.  All planes will be pull tested at least once and spot-checked after that and as usual sound will be measured and enforced.  Another key item is our field rules.  These rules spell out what can and cannot be done at our field if it is to remain our field.  They cover days, hours, sound, motors, etc... we'll go over these in detail at our meeting and while I don't want to be the bad guy, there can be no exception to these or our safety rules.

Finally with the flying season approaching, it's a good idea to check all of our equipment.  Tighten motor mounts, props, wheels, check the handle lead outs, clean flight boxes, you all know the routine.

See you at the meeting,
Keith Sandberg

Vice President's Column

Do to an unforeseen commitment, I will not have a column this month.  Sorry

Kelvin Heath

Editor Comments

As we all can see the snow is just about gone and soon we will all be on the field flying and having a ball.  Keith mentioned the rules and safety so in this issue you will find the "CLUB FIELD RULES".  Please read them and if you have question, please ask for clarification.

Bob

Norm's Design Page

Greetings readers,

I want to make the point that "Norm's Design Page" was intended to be "The Design Page".  In keeping with that idea, it is not suppose to be my personal column, but rather a place where any of us can throw out ideas that might improve our planes, our flying, and our hobby.

With that thought in mind, I want to ask a serious question to anyone out there who can help me with a recurring problem afflicting my building.  The problem is probably common to most of us, and I want to know how to solve it the BEST and EASIEST way.

My trouble is with FILLETS!  They have been driving me crazy ever since I started building model planes around 1968, and they have cost an incredible amount of time and frustration.  I have done, and redone the fillets on my current project at least 8 times, and they still suck!  I have tried just about every material and trick imaginable; to no avail.

Here's the scenario (and you all know it...): You use whatever material you want, you make your wing fillets either small or large, you get everything perfect, and even try to fortify the materials (if the are weak or porous) and then you start applying your finish.  That's when things go bad.  It might not be the first few coats of dope, but by the time you're working toward those final coats, when it seems like the interminable project might actually come to an end, BAM!  You've got a bubble.

The long and the short of it is that DOPE SHRINKS with considerable force as do a number of other "paints" we might use.  Even Low Shrink dopes still shrink.  And the trouble is, dope shrinks better than it sticks.  So, when the paint film follows any kind of concave curve, it simply pulls free - forming a nice ugly bubble.

There's no pressing the bubble back into it's place.  The dope is now too short to span the curved surface.  This is when I start fussing with things.  I might poke a hole or cut a slit in that bubble, work some CA into the wound, and massage the darned dope back into place.  And that may actually work for that spot, but tow days later when I have another look, the stupid fillet has pulled away in 17 other places.  Sometimes, you don't really notice this happening, but you look at your fillets which were beautiful, even and smooth, and suddenly they are lumpy and look like crap.

I have tried flexible additives (plasticizers), drying retarders, coatings of CA, coatings of epoxy, think dope coats, thin coats, and a variety of substrates; fillers, micro-balloons, acrylic caulks, various glues, etc.  Perhaps there are some heavy enamels or something that would work well on fillets, but we can't be "building light" with enamel.  So, can we use dope, and still solve the problem?  Certainly, there are builders out there who do it - HOW?

Someone, help me solve this problem please!

If you don't want to write something up and send it to Bob for "The Design Page", then email me at nandersen518@mac.com or call me at 612-823-6454 with your thoughts and I'll work them into the next newsletter.

Thanks so much.
Norman Andersen