My Shoestring Stunter is RTF

Halloween colors!!! You should name it The Flyin' Witch or Witch Hunter.

It looks really good all decked out in its new clothes.

Hey rusty that is one sharp looking machine good work am loving the colour scheme

glad to see that all your effort payed off! Looks mighty fine!

Witch Hunter, I like that. It is kind of orangy looking in the pictures. It's Monokote Missile Red. I was hoping for more like Garnet and Black Carolina Gamecock colors, but unfortunately the red isn't quite that dark. I just put my black AMA numbers on the wing, 7 digits, what a number. I'm too old to have so many digits. I'm a late bloomer. If it flies as well as the last three planes I've built, I'll be happy. My mission is to get good at the stunt pattern with it.

Beautiful work Rusty !

Thanks. I got the decals out and looked it over. I'm going to use all of them except the goofy pilot heads. I wish I had a skull decal to grin through the silver canopy. No flames or fancy trim this time. I'll decorate it after supper tonight. The fun light is flickering out, I'm ready to fly this thing.

Looks sharp, good call on the decals. Flying the thing is where it's at.

Ron

Nicely done.

Phil

hey Rusty,

It looks good!

Can somebody that's AMA current check their book, I think you can use just the last 4 digits?

I haven't seen that, but I'll go to the site and see if I can find it. Glad you told me before I sealed them. Actually it looks fine on this plane, but it might look kind of silly on the Baby Flite Streak.

If y'all aren't sick of pictures yet, here are the decals:

Rusty you did a darn good job on that resto. I think the decals turned out real well. I see you looped the tailskid. I assume so you could rig it up to a stooge? That's sort of how I do mine. Except I just bend them into a hook and use a piece of nylon string and run stooge pin through that.

Hope to see it flying soon!!!!

Ron

cribbs74 wrote:Rusty you did a darn good job on that resto. I think the decals turned out real well. I see you looped the tailskid. I assume so you could rig it up to a stooge? That's sort of how I do mine. Except I just bend them into a hook and use a piece of nylon string and run stooge pin through that.

Hope to see it flying soon!!!!

Ron

Thanks Ron. Actually the tail skid was the part that wasn't busted. It was only loose so I secured it with an inch of fiberglass tape epoxied to the sides of the fuse. I think my old brick and skewer stooge will work. If it drags the brick, I'll tie another one to it.

I took the warm clear coat out to the shop to do the final finishing. I decided to check the balance and see how it looked with everything mounted. So I bolted on the LG, that looked good finally sitting up on its own paws. Then I put the engine on and ran a bolt in. The next bolt wouldn't fit, so I backed out the first bolt and looked and realized the holes are NOT in the right place after all. I had used my engineering compass to check before I did all the work and They Looked About Right... "about," being the operative term here. I fooled with it and there is no way in hell they will go in unless I dig out the blind nuts and widen the holes and use some other type of fastener on the backside. I briefly thought of widening the holes in the engine. Briefly.

No clear goes on tonight. With the one bolt holding the engine in I checked the balance and it was an inch forward of the plan's CG. It takes 40 grams on the stab to balance it without the muffler and 50 grams to balance it with the muffler. It's going to be fat after all. Crap.

So I just closed up the shop.

I wouldn't pay any mind to the original CG requirements on the plans. I truly believe they're incorrect anyhow. I've seen many Shoestings come out slightly tail heavy from the start so I'm sure it won't be a issue. Fly the plane and make that determination. The plane isn't going to fly out of control or into the ground. If you feel more tail weight is needed, then just install it. I said it once before, you can easily bury weight into a fuse by smashing 1/4 oz lead paper thin. You can use a hinge slotting tool and make a clean install with a little epoxy in the underside of the fuse. Lightweight wheels help and if needed a tongue muffler. Ken

Sorry to hear about that Rusty, I just put the engine in place and marked the holes through the mount.

I didn't see your previous comment about the brick/skewer stooge. I can guarantee it will pull the brick over and or possibly snap the skewers. Lot's o torque on these big guys. I would go overkill on the stooge at first. Just my thoughts don't want you to lose the plane or worse yet hurt yourself.

If you have the room you could slide the engine back a bit and remark the holes. Just fill in and paint over the old ones.

Ron

Ken Cook wrote: I wouldn't pay any mind to the original CG requirements on the plans. I truly believe they're incorrect anyhow.

Yeah worst case scenario is it won't loop well enough being so nose heavy. I'll take some test lead to the field. I just wanted it to come in under the recommended max of 30oz so I could call it a good build. The engine mount is the part that's the main trouble now.

cribbs74 wrote:...I didn't see your previous comment about the brick/skewer stooge. I can guarantee it will pull the brick over and or possibly snap the skewers... If you have the room you could slide the engine back a bit and remark the holes. Just fill in and paint over the old ones.

Ron

The skewer is 12" long stainless steel and I'll take an extra 10 hole brick and stake it down with 2 more steel skewers.

The engine is all the way back. I think I might bore out the holes and epoxy dowels to fill it, then re-drill. Hopefully I won't knock too much pretty off of it.

Ok Rusty, I was thinking Bamboo in my head. I was envisioning it pulling over the brick and slicing you up!!!

Sorry if I sounded condecending.

Plug and drill is the way. Take it easy and careful, you should be able to not muss the finish up.

Wrap everything in blue tape before drilling, that way you can hang on without worry, and if you misplace the drill it has to go through the tape first.

Phil

Hi Rusty,

I'd rather start out with CG 1" forward of recommended CG any day for the first flight!

Remember your first several flights you're gonna be busy getting a feel for the plane and focusing on line tension, needle settings, etc. once you get comfortable with how it pulls and how it tracks then worry about CG trim.

Like Ken was saying, bolting on stuff work great for CG adjustments (nose heavy) tongue muffler, lighter spinner, add a tail wheel or go with a heavy/larger one.

You'll do well, we all have confidence in you!

A tail wheel, that's a great idea. More bang for the buck, weightwise. Or I could also try wrapping some lead solder around the tail skid to add some weight. Funny how particular I get the more I build. I was really hoping to come out underweight, but with a repair of a wreck like this one, I guess that's hoping for too much. I don't have to run a muffler on a .25 or less at my club, but I would rather have one for #1, my ears and #2, the pressure tap.

I'll go to Hobby Lobby and see if they have 1/4" birch dowels to plug and drill. If not, will any hardwood be okay? Oak would probably be good.

look for a heavy solid rubber with aluminum hub tail-wheel i think Du-bro makes them?

Have you looked at threaded brass inserts to mount engine? How much off are the holes? I'd think any dowel would work, but soak the crap out of it with thin CA once it in.

The holes are very close, probably 1/16" off left-right and top-bottom. I was thinking 60 minute epoxy. Do you think CA would be better?

Threaded inserts would be good if I can find them. Or not threaded with a washer or plate on the other side. I'll rummage through the bins at the hardware store.

jeez that's tuff....to be so close, yet so far! lol

I was thinking CA to turn the dowel and area around it rock hard. You could just hog out the engine!!!!!

Maybe use a smaller dowel, just big enough to press into already drilled holes?

if you could find threaded inserts they'd probably drill into the same area as present holes?