Today's last chance to tune up and confirm#1 and its #2 backup

Last practice before next weekend's contest. I'll be flying Profile Saturday and PAMPA Stunt Sunday morning. The wind was forecast to be light at 10:00 and gradually pickup every hour after that. Blowing through the trees, but not towards the sun. Early it was okay and for the first time since last winter I was able to fly a couple of patterns on the Cardinal without white knuckle pullouts and who knows what up top. The new clunk tank is great. plenty of fuel for the way I like the engine to run and I can measure it by eye inside the tank. The LA.46 is sweet and always cranks with two choke turns and a back flip. After the second flight, I called it ready and parked it. This time next week Me, Holley and the Cardinal will be in Huntersville. Sitting by the pool with a bunch of other pilots of various control line disciplines. That'll be after a couple of Friday flights to get the needle and fuel in sync.

After post flight inspection of the Cardinal on Sunday, I found that the glue had failed on every single hinge. Damn! The gap-sealing tape was all that was holding the flaps and elevator on. Lol. Or else someone who shall remain unnamed forgot to glue them in the first place. I drilled and pinned every one with toothpicks and CA.
It's only got half the pins in the pic but you get the idea.

Yes I cut them off flush. And I think it flew better, but it's been so long since it flew in only a light breeze, I may have forgotten.

I wanted one or two flights on the Oriental, one of my favorite flyers ever. The engine is finally on song and using much less fuel, besides there were 50 or so soldiers watching, and who am I to miss the opportunity for a show, even though the afternoon wind was picking up pretty good. More of those sand devils I wrote of on Sunday.

After getting beat around by the wind, I gave myself the cut throat signal to just fly it out. A lull came along, so I got back in to it with a pretty confident V8 and HG. I pulled up into the OH8 and, as I sometimes do, turned into the first loop too soon and bled off enough power for the wind to slap it hard. I caught the lines too late and it was flying full speed straight down vertical.


It had been a good plane and won me a couple of trophies and a fair placing at last May's Joe Nall. It had been busted and fixed before but nothing like this. This was the fp.40 that I'd finally l got back running well with Bob Z's help. One of the tab's bolt holes broke off, but with a Windy bar mount, the fp can live on.

At least it simplifies things, I only have one plane to worry about next weekend. I possibly could have run harder and faster and caught it, but it all happens so fast, it's hard to know. I'm not too bummed except that I really liked flying that plane. I think I'll get a Cardinal or profile Oriental kit to pair with the upcoming Twister. I'm done with full fuse planes for the skill level I'm at right now. But despite this, I feel pretty good going into next weekend.

Rusty