Where Are We Today
It's
Been Awhile
If
you follow "Chilin with Patsy" , you would have read that we recently
attended the Forest City Flyers Fun Fly in London Ontario. Forest City Flyers
is a Radio Control (RC) model airplane club, where members build/assemble model
airplanes and fly them.
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| Sign at the Entrance to the Field |
This
is a hobby that I have been involved in since the early 80ties, building from
kits and flying many different airplanes. This post is about one of those
planes, the Stinson Reliant SR9. The real Stinson Reliant SR9 was originally
built in 1937, mine is a scale model of that plane.
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| Stinson Reliant SR9 |
I
started building this Top Flite kit eight years ago and after four years and
many hours it was finished. It has taken another four years to get its maiden
flight in. Mine has a fuselage of about six feet long and a wing span of 104
inches, powered by a DLE 35 cc. gas engine.
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| Bob showing me some control settings on my radio |
First
flights are always nerve wracking, and on scale models, I like someone else to
make that flight for me. This time a new friend, Bob, agreed to that. Being
this has sat for four years with little run time, it was difficult to get
started. Many other flyers have helped to trouble shoot and get it running. So
big thank you goes out to Keith, Al, Paul, Walter and of course Bob.
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| Taxing out for take off |
There
were three successful flights, with Bob reporting it was a good flyer, with little
trimming needed to fly straight and level. That means, I did a decent job
building it.
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| In flight |
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| Smooth Flying |
On the third flight landing, there was a little bounce, which
broke one side of the landing gear. With such a small bounce, I think there is
a weak spot in the construction.
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| Low pass |
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| Back on the Ground |
Definitely fixable, and once I get that new
shed finished, I will have a spot to fix it.
The
RV life style and the RC life style are similar. We come together to help each
other out and to socialize, sit and discuss our experiences, places we have
been or going to and have fun.
Thanks
for following along and I hope you enjoyed a small incite of my hobby. Comment
if you wish and until the next time, take care and be safe.
I've always admired people who can fly those things. Way back when, there was a hobby shop in town that sold the kits. I watched them build and fly several of them, but never had the nerve to try it myself. I didn't want to crash such a beautiful plane. There's a lot of talent involved in the build ... congrats on your beauty and her maiden flight!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy, hope to have it fixed and fly it myself soon.
DeleteI use to build and fly myself but have since found little time for it.However Bill,you did do a great job.
ReplyDeleteThank you Richard, it was the kit I built and have done one ARF since then. Hope to do more building next year.
DeleteThat is one huge plane! Thanks for updating! Looks so graceful in the air! BTW your shed is looking awesome!
ReplyDeleteYes it is and it is graceful.The shed now has doors and I am excited to work on the inside next.
DeleteThat is great you got it running with help and got to see it fly, That is one beautiful large plane and so glad I was able to see to in person.
ReplyDeleteThanks George, I'm very pleased with it. Just like the RV community, the RC community is very helpful to each other.
DeleteGreat job putting your model together. Glad you had the chance to finally get it out for it's first flight. If that is all that went wrong it was put together properly.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Thank you guys, the landing gear can be fixed, one of the guys helping , is building one also and gave me some tips on beefing up the gear.
Delete