PRODUCTS
This morning, I finished up loading all of the remaining products into my new storefront – that is, except for the Superior Props items, which are still on hold (I think I got them all).  I streamlined many items, so you will have to make selections of what size you want.  This reduces the number of items for sale and makes the site a little more manageable, – I think.

Two discoveries:

1. You do NOT have to register an account to buy product.  I did not import the old accounts (I don’t even know if that is possible), so (as some have found out) your old ID and Password will not work on the new site.  But, as I said, you can complete an order without an account, so I guess that part is up to you.
2. Shipping should now show two options: Flat Rate and Contest/Event Pickup.  I thought I had the Event Pickup programmed, but it wasn’t working and I had to make some changes.  Event Pickup will not charge shipping.  Obviously, it will be used if we are meeting somewhere and you want a hand-to-hand transfer of products.  Also, I advise customers to use this on a second, active order when they want to combine orders.  Of course, If you choose this, your product will NOT be shipped.

I should now be moving on from site maintenance.  The rest is up to you – go ahead and try it out.

PROPS
I’ve been making replacement props for several of my Indoor models.  You might be able to connect my end product with a certain jig that has been online, but I will wait to provide details until after I get some testing done the day after tomorrow, when I go to the Cloudbusters February Indoor Meet.  Here’s a photo – I’ve made 8 props to date and they all are using calculated and laser-cut Larrabee blade shapes.  Performance reports after the contest.

PLANES
I set aside my Mega Caudron for a bit.  I needed to get a Greve Racer ready for the AMA Indoor Nats at the end of May.  I will be testing it on Thursday, also.  Here it is – The Elmendorf Special.  This is the Keith Rider R-5 in its first livery.  It was later black and yellow and known as the “Jackrabbit”.  The plan is a Tom Nallen design and this is built from my Short Kit   It is the second one I have built.  The first flew into some neighborhood last summer and could not be found.  This is much lighter and, at 14 grams, should do well Indoors.

You can find both Short Kits HERE and HERE.  Strangely, I have seen quite an up-tick in Elmendorf sales in the last year (over the Jackrabbit).  For a long time, the Jackrabbit was the more popular.  I have come to think that it is because of the new FAC Rules and the Greve Race Eligibility List that came out last year.  The list was simplified to list a plane only once, even though it might have had multiple colors and race numbers – and it lists the earliest version.  The old list referenced the Jackrabbit, and the new lists the original Elmendorf Special.  This problem is that it might be confusing – maybe people are thinking the Jackrabbit is no longer eligible – which is not true!

This is a day or two early, but I think I’ll write about the past year, the past eight years, and the past decade, in general – today.  Good-bye to the 2010 decade, and hello to the 2020 decade.

This year started out like a steamroller that disorganized everything.  My business saw record-setting activity – in January through June, five of the six months had their highest monthly totals in both orders and dollars and I actually saw daily averages over four orders per day.  Now that might sound wonderful – until you have to fill four orders a day.  This is really just a hobby for me – it is not (and will not be) a Hobby Shop in the traditional sense – and a flood of orders set me on my heels for a time – and I am still a bit behind.

In addition, the weather was really uncooperative and before we knew it, Geneseo in July was upon us, and we had had little outdoor events up until that time.  Then it just seemed like contest upon contest until we closed out September in Muncie – before we knew it, the year was over.  It seemed like we got little flying done, but that’s just the way it went; and that is the way the decade went, too.  I returned to the hobby and started “Volare Products – the Parts Biz” in 2012.  It now fills my daily life – more like an obsession than a hobby, I guess.  But I like it.

I bought Superior Props in 2013 (with the generous help of many supporters) and it continues to be a success.  It has taught me a lot about propellers and, importantly, it has reinvigorated my dad as he really enjoys being back in the machining world.  It has kept him active in his later years (he will be 81 next month).  Unfortunately, I have had to disable the sales of the Superior Props line again, as he has taken up a new role.  It is one that he struggles with physically and emotionally, and while temporary, it will have a permanent impact on our lives.  He has had to become full-time caretaker for my mom.  She has struggled with severe rheumatoid arthritis all of her adult life and now she is in the late stages of renal cancer that has spread through her body.  This was discovered in November and we do not think she will be observing her 81st birthday in May.  It will be a trying time for all of us.

Looking at my records, I have only release eight new kits this year – that is a bit below average, but they have two NoCals, two Embryos, and FOUR Peanuts.  I don’t mind saying that the Peanuts are pretty good kits, especially the Corsair and SRE.  I do have two large Scale models that could/should be kitted (24″ Caudron C.460 and Jumbo Aircraft Designs Stallion), but they are complex and the plans need much editing and many annotations.  The Caudron is closest to being finished – really, it is ready to package, but I’ve been busy.  I also have two Old Timers (2-Bits) that need to be built and flown, then they could be kitted.

My “to-do” list for 2020 has 16 projects on it.  After a flurry of late autumn activity, four of those are finished (and already kitted).  But, as I like to say, I “bumped my head” and one project has become an obsession within my greater obsession.  A month or so ago, I was talking to Vance Gilbert about my desire to build a “Mega” (54″ span or greater).  This is a strictly unofficial FAC event, although any planes can and do qualify for the official events of Giant (48″ span), Jumbo (36″ span) or Scale (between Jumbo and 13″ Peanut) – depending on which events are hosted at the contest.  I clearly remember telling him that I wanted to do one, but it would certainly be as simple as possible given the inherent complexity of the largest of rubber-powered models.

Well, I may have really bumped my head on this one.  I quickly went for simplest high-wing monoplane ever to a complex low-wing twin-engined behemoth.  I have started drawing up the Caudron C.640.  Caudrons of the mid-30s are some of the most streamlined and beautiful airplanes ever and this one may be the epitome of their designs.  The C.640 is basically a twice-sized C.460 with two engines instead of one.

I’ve been steadily working on drawing up a 55″ model.  I have got the wings and nacelles just about drawn up to working prototype level.  Here is a screen cap of the nacelle design.  This model will swing 10″ props – they probably should be bigger, but cheating the nacelles outward would start to change the look of the plane (they were very close to the fuselage on the full-sized plane).

that rectangle is 24″ wide. and the F1-Motor Peg distance is 15.5″

Anyway, I have committed myself to this plane and having it ready for Geneseo in July.  It is unlikely many of those remaining twelve 2020 projects will see much work until this is done.  Right now, I’ve gotta get back down to the basement and pack up some more orders to keep all of you customers happy.