At the last meeting ...

	Cal Branton introduced our guest speaker, Major Bob Zenz, a B-17 pilot who flew 38 missions in Europe in 1944.  He was interviewed by Dan Boomhower.  Personal notes of one of his 38 missions is a must read and can be accessed by clicking the following link; One Day In The Life of the Diamond Backs. Don't forget Click Photos to Enlarge	Scott Russell presented his F16, a Fly Eagle ARF.  1:5 1/2 scale, 108” long, 55 lbs ready to fly, 44 lbs dry.  Small frontal area.  Two gallons of fuel in 4 tanks.  JetCat P200 turbine produces 52 lbs of thrust.  Scott is considering adding vectored thrust for more aerobatics. Thrust restrictor engages when gear retracts but full power is needed only for take-off. Scale landing gear rotates 90 degrees. Two elevon servos each have 420 oz-in of torque.  Two air cylinders for the canopy ... one to move it and another to lock it.  Will fly with full ordinance, which adds 6 to 7 lbs of weight.  Multicolor scheme will improve visibility, Scott hopes.

Kirk Hall showed his very scale 1/3rd scale L4 scratch-built by Ontario’s Norm Murphy from Bob Nelitz plans. 50 cc engine. Kirk says the plane is “kinda boring at times.”  Plug-in wings are attached per f./s . Scale functioning door.  Fuselage stringers are 12 dowels.  Stab incidence is adjustable with a jackscrew like f/s.  Wing panels weight only 4 lbs each.		Cal Branton displayed his beautifully detailed Don Smith B-17 that has 140 flights so far. Four OS 91 four-strokes. Phil Schwartz and Tim Johnson repaired it after a severe crash about 3 years ago.  No sign of damage remains. Cal also showed the fuselage view of an even larger B-17 he has under construction.  1/6th scale.  Will have four G-62s with belt drives and operable turrets.
Roy Maynard showed us how to replicate fiberglass parts from vacuum-formed ABS.  The results are much stronger and just as light.  He also demonstrated Snap Stand  by Redplane Models. The stand is very strong and light and folds and adjusts to a variety of model types.  It's a new product from Bisson Mufflers $140.		Share Your Scale Projects With US! We'd like to learn your tips and tricks! ... Join Us,  We Love Aircraft Too!
Dave Andersen described his method of making rib stitching.  First, the surface to be rib-stitched is covered with silkspan, Koverall, Coverite or other fabric.  Brush on one coat of clear butyrate dope. A glue pen is made by pinching one end of an aluminum tube with a pliers, leaving just a slit opening.  The tube is dipped into a bottle of white glue that has been diluted about 10% with water and is about one inch deep.  Placing a finger over the upper end of the tube, withdraw the tube and wipe clean with a paper towel. Remove your finger and capillary action will hold the glue in the tube. With a ruler placed alongside a rib, the end of the tube is touched to each rib stitch position. For a quarter-scale model, rib stitches are typically spaced about ¼ inch apart.  Merely touch the glue pen to the surface and remove. One load will make 6-10 stitches, leaving behind a string-shaped bead of wet glue.  It will look too big at first, but will shrink as it dries.  Next, pinked rib tape is applied over the dried stitches. 3M Hairset Tape is just right for 1/4th to 1/3rd scale. Drugstore paper tape bandages can also be used for other scales.  Seal the tape with another coat of dope over the entire surface. It will soak thru the tape and bond it to the dope surface below.  It will also raise fuzz.  Sand it off with #400 sandpaper and apply more dope.  Repeat until smooth

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