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| hjlittman | HJL Models OD-17 Plain Plane | Build | 24-Aug-17 13:53 |  | | Views : 2991 | | Here's what it looked like at the end of the next day's building session. |
| hjlittman | HJL Models OD-17 Plain Plane | Build | 24-Aug-17 13:50 |  | | Views : 2676 | | Every summer, when my grandson goes to science camp at the California Science Center, I sit in the food court of the Science Center and build model airplanes while I'm waiting for his class to end. This year I build the definitive version of the OD-17 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and started on the production version of my Irish Jumping Bean, Bo0stonian, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I get about two hours of working time each day. Since I also become something of a museum exhibit I am also answering the question of passers by. The redesign of the OD-17 is subtle (Compare the "bones shot" photos.) but it is now even easier to build and what I consider some weak spots have been eliminated. I don't know how much time I will get to test it at the O.F.F.C. meeting on Wednesday, since there is a contest, but I will attempt a video. Some of the comments that people make when seeing someone building a stick and tissue model are interesting: The best millennial comment was, "Doing something like that is like Chitty Chitty Bang Band old!" One teenage girl asked me how long it would take me to build the model I was working on (Irish Jumping Bean). I told her about 10 hours. She turned to her friends and said, "OMG, ten hours for just one of those? I can't imagine working on anything like that for 10 hours." The best one was the 8 or 9 year old kid watching me pin down the plans. "What's that?" he said pointing. The kid had never seen a thumb tack! This pic was on 07/24. |
| hjlittman | HJL Models OD-17 Plain Plane | Build | 24-Aug-17 13:47 |  | | Views : 2651 | | Another view with the skin on. It flew quite well but I decided to make some changes to the structure of the fuselage to make it easier to build, |
| hjlittman | HJL Models OD-17 Plain Plane | Build | 24-Aug-17 13:45 |  | | Views : 2665 | | This year, I am the CD for the O.F.F.C. One Design contest in October. It's usually some very simple model, either an old classic from the 30s or 40s or something the CD dreams up himself. Some of the members (a few in their 90s) complained that they were beginning to have difficulty building frames with 1/16" square stock. Since I manufacture my own kits and have a laser cutter I decided to design a model with sheet sides, a heavier wing structure, with laminated formers and tail group outlines that could be built more easily, by someone loosing the feeling in their fingertips, while still being a good flier. My intent was to kit some up for the members who wanted to enter. I announced it and showed the prototype at the meeting last Wednesday and, so far, I'm producing a dozen. This model, the OD-17 (One Design 2017) should be an easy and satisfying project for a beginner. I'll be sending a few to selected modelers to get feedback as to whether or not I should make it into a regular production kit. The photo is the first prototype stuck together for a "bones shot" on July 07. |
| LASTWOODSMAN | Dumas Kit #1803, Pietenpol Air Camper | Parked | 24-Aug-17 10:33 |  | | Views : 3851 | | CLIMBING IN A GUST OF WIND This morning at about 10:00 AM, the winds and gusts were getting too strong, blowing in through the open end of the Cricket Wicket Field - 8 mph from the North gusting to 12 mph, 64 deg F, and even with 63% humidity, the tissue was getting moist and wavy from the dew evaporating - hence, the best flights were 25, 22, and 29 seconds on 1050 stretch winds with a stooge and winder using two strands of brand new 1/8" rubber, each strand 15" long (prop hook to rear motor peg is 7 inches). But, it was still nice to see it in slow flight against the wind, almost sitting still in the air like a hummingbird ... |
| LASTWOODSMAN | SIG Customaire # FF-26 | Parked | 23-Aug-17 23:26 |  | | Views : 913 | | Just got my order in the mail from Volare - three - 1/2 pound hanks of rubber - 3/32", 1/8" and 3/16", and a whole lot of other stuff - now I am going flying ... !! Two rubber motors are built, stretched and lubed and ready to go ....AND low wind and low humidity tomorrow morning ... |
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