Joe Wagner Sioux free flight

I just finished up putting on the cabin stripe yesterday on the Sioux. The weather is turning quickly as were expecting rain for the next several days. Brodak dope is horrible when it comes to even remote humidity. I thought for certain the stripe would blush. I don't like to use retarder as it can cause many problems so waiting for a good day is always in order. This is what makes winter time a great time to paint due to low humidity. Currently the model is in nitrate dope, I will shoot Sig Lite Coat over the model when the weather gets better.   I lost my Dakota a few months ago and it's been bugging me ever since. My flying partner insisted that to get over it, build another one. I do have another kit and the Dakota was started last evening.

               The Sioux is quite large compared to the Dakota spanning 36". I have drilled the firewall for a standard Babe Bee, the other holes are for future use if I want to use a product backplate. This model will be diesel powered. I have both engines product backplate and integral Bee setup for diesel use. I have growing concerns on the economy of the diesel. This plane will utilize a eyedropper style fuel tank just like my Dakota was.


                       
  A good tip is to not glue the dowels in that retain the wing. In the event of a crash, just replace them. I also placed 1/64" gussets of ply on the inside of the cabin where the dowel passes through. As viewed from the front, a Babe Bee bolt pattern is 1/2 shared with a product engine. The lower holes are the same therefore if one mounts a product engine or a Babe Bee using the lower holes, the engine projects and sits at the same height. There's a lot of F-1 offset in the engine, this is why the engine is when viewed from the front is so far left. It also provides a area to protect and house my eyedropper on the right portion.


                  The model offers a great nostalgic appearance. I truly believe it's the cabin windows and flowing curves. Just like Juan's Scientific catamaran, those distinctive shapes dates the model. For some reason, this styling has been lost and everything today seems a bit boring to me as if it requires time to do, we no longer do that.