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I was feeling very hopeful, almost confident, going into Saturday’s Embryo event.  My Tomahawk was dialed in.  With the 7″ Superior Prop and one long loop of 3/16″, I can pretty much get 90 seconds in dead air – and Saturday was full of light to moderate thermals.  On top of that, people (including me) were dropping flights, so no one was going to max out.  My first flight was roughly 90 seconds and as I watched the slow climb-out on the second flight, I could tell the air was better.  Eventually, I got that little wing rocking and it started an assisted ascent.  As we were on the extreme eastern edge of the southern portion of the AMA site, you have to be mindful of tracking your model:  if you take out on your chase bike and you’re relying on your timer to watch you for the “plane is down” arm wave, you need to stay on top of the various ridges on the gently rolling terrain.  Well, I stopped on the last ridge and watched.  As is passed through what surely was 2 minutes, I was pleased.  Another minute later and I was getting concerned that it might not come down.  Then, as it was approaching the far western edge of the site, it was clearly coming down.  I saw it come down – into the corn field – over 4 minutes.  It didn’t look like it went in too far, but mature corn has hidden many a model – including my trusty Tomahawk.  There will be no third flight for that plane.

Even though the loss of the Tomahawk caused Embryo to slip through my grasp, we are all there to fly and have a great time.  Flying anything is better than flying nothing.  So I got out my Durham Mystery Plane – a rather unconventional Embryo design that I had built for the FAC Outdoor Champs two weeks earlier.  It is a stubby, fat-winged, cartoonish little plane.  The wingspan is no more than 14″ and the body is about 10″ or so.  While I was building it, it dawned on me that this “could” have  potential: the plane is essentially the size of a Peanut model with the area of an Embryo.  Built light and flown like a Peanut, it could be thermal-bait just like any other plane.

Part of the fun that we have in FAC is battling with your buddies.  I nearly always pit with fellow Cloudbuster, Winn Moore.  This event was no different.  After the Tomahawk flew away, I was recording flights for Winn and his Debut.  Winn got a max in his first flight and a 90+ seconds on his second flight.  I put up a couple flights in my Durham and got a 90 and a max (thermals are fun!)  Winn’s last flight came in at 1:23.  A little bit later he timed my last flight – it was 1:23, the same as his last flight!  We were incredulous – did we tie and now would have to have a fly-off to determine the winner of Embryo?  (Yes, we knew we were the leaders)  We hurried over to the scoreboard where the scores are tallied for all to see.  My first flight was exactly 90 seconds.  Winn’s second flight was 95 seconds – my improbable little model had nearly beaten the vaunted Debut, losing by only 5 seconds and coming in 2nd in Embryo – what fun!  Here is a photo on the Durham Mystery Plane on an official flight.

Durham Mystery Plane in Flight

My latest NoCal, a Chambermaid, was a rush build before the FAC Outdoor Champs two weeks ago.  The weather was crappy then and I didn’t get a chance to give it much more than a couple of test flights; I don’t think I even got an official on it.  Well, I tested it on Friday this weekend and decided to switch from the blue 6″ prop to a silver 7″ prop.  Saturday was beautiful and after the fog and dew burned off, there were thermals in the air.  I got progressively longer flights until the third official hooked a big one.  For quite a while my NoCal and Ted Allebone’s Double Feature were right there together in the same bubble.  Right after it got on the elevator up, I noticed that you could see the occasional soybean leaf fluttering down from on high.  It was a real trash mover.  After 6 minutes, I gave up trying to follow the little model as it specked out.  The 8 minutes (total of three flights) was more than enough to win NoCal.  Here is a photo of me launching one of the Friday test flights, courtesy of Mark Rzadka.

me and my Chambermaid NoCal

I finished the Wisp this weekend.  I didn’t get to fly Sunday as our local contest was cancelled due to wind and rain.

I am very pleased with the way this model turned out.  The coloring took time, but I am really happy with the red and black.  The tissue is red and black Esaki that has been over-colored with Sharpie marker.  The colors are really intense now.  The prop is hand carved to the specs on the original plan.  It is an 8″ prop, but the pitch is very low; somewhere around 6 or 7, I estimate.  The overall weight, without rubber, is 28 grams.  I think that is pretty good for a model that is just about 75 square inches!

I will have this down at the last FAC contest of the year at the Muncie Flying Site; the Ted Dock Memorial.  This will be next weekend, the 27th and 28th of September.  Again, this model fits into the FAC Events – OT Fuselage and 2 Bit Plus One.

Well, I am afraid summer is fading into fall here in Michigan.  It has been VERY busy here since mid-July and I’ve neglected posting on here, among other things.

A couple of evenings in front of the TV with glue and sticks have produced these bones.  This is The Wisp; a Dan Heald plan first published in the January 1946 Model Airplane News.  I have liked the lines of this plan for a few years since I found it on Outerzone (I think), however, the date had prevented me from building.  January 1946 is the date before which all planes are designated as Old Timers in the Flying Aces Club.  Therefore, this model was not eligible.  Well, the Cloudbusters did some digging and inquiring – it paid off.  Since the January magazine contained photos and flying reports of the built model, it was accepted that the plane was designed and constructed BEFORE January 1946 – at least, acceptance for the time being.

As this has a 25″ wingspan, this qualifies for FAC OT Fuselage (models with landing gear) and FAC 2 Bit Plus One (max 26″ wingspan OT ROG models).  With a bit of luck, this will be ready for testing at our Cloudbusters contest on Sunday, the 21st.  Of course, I traced the plan and laser-cut the parts, so look for a Short Kit in the near future.

–george

I am leaving this afternoon for Muncie and the McCook Squadron FAC Contest on Saturday and Sunday.  I feel very much behind the curve; not prepared to sell or fly.  I have shortages on certain products, I am trying out a new trailer, and I have several new models that are relatively (or completely) untested.  Not a good way to start the weekend!

Here is the most recent new model – Don Campbell’s Tomahawk Embryo.  Don was a fellow Cloudbuster who passed away last year.  This is sort of a tribute to him.  This is done in Silver and Turquoise Esaki tissue and has a 7″ Superior Prop.  The logo on the side is just how Don has it on the plan and it is printed right on the silver tissue.

I do have a new Embryo – my Sky Rocket – but it weighs in about 25g or so without rubber.  I am sure it will fly well, but I wanted a light weight Embryo again.

As you can see in the gallery photos, the Tomahawk weighs in at 18g without rubber, 28% less than the Sky Rocket.  The Tomahawk will likely be my next kit, as I laser cut all the parts and traced the original plan for a new, fresh plan.  I did adjust the windscreen to gain full raised cabin bonus points.

See you in Muncie!

Tomahawk Embryo