Monday Morning Blues...or...Big Otto Bites the Dust! The Rebuild Begins...

Thanks Ron !

Nope...Big Otto is down but not out, and I intend to do a couple things to the front end to make him a little better upon his resurrection!

One thing for sure, I'm taking him out to 40 foot lines whenever I fly him with Bernie's Monster up front !!! The sucker was FAST !!!!!!!!!!

Ouwy that hurts, sorry to see that disappointing landing. I've admired Big Otto from afar since you first introduced him to us. I thought he might be too big for an .049, even an Extreme. And 13 has some battle scars now too, oh well it will wear them like a badge of honor. I see the vents are sideways, looks like the inboard vent is capped. Is that your usual stunt configuration?

I planned to try and get some wingovers on camera next time I take the Streak out, but this gives me second thoughts. I have done some 3/4 wingovers with the Chopper, but I usually pull up too soon, so I need to gut up and just do it. I hope I have a better go at it.

Let us know how Otto is doing.

Too LARGE ?????!!!!!....I wouldn't want any smaller airplane behind that little smoker! I'll need 40 foot lines just to keep him in my field of vision!

I had to hit out for work, and so didn't get to do a prog on Otto...just piled the remains on my work box.

Yeah, on these wings, I like to have everything on it's side, so if I'm caught inverted with an engine failure, stuff doesn't dig in or grind off as much on landing. I don't know whether it's real or imagined, but I FEEL like the plane doesn't vent raw fuel with one filler plugged.

Got some petrified 1/16th balsa to rebuild Otto's snout somewhere in my stock pile, so I may start on his surgery tonight!

Cool thing about vertical impacts...the debris field is REAL small and manageable !

Kim wrote:Too LARGE ?????!!!!!....I wouldn't want any smaller airplane behind that little smoker! I'll need 40 foot lines just to keep him in my field of vision!

I had to hit out for work, and so didn't get to do a prog on Otto...just piled the remains on my work box.

Yeah, on these wings, I like to have everything on it's side, so if I'm caught inverted with an engine failure, stuff doesn't dig in or grind off as much on landing. I don't know whether it's real or imagined, but I FEEL like the plane doesn't vent raw fuel with one filler plugged.

Got some petrified 1/16th balsa to rebuild Otto's snout somewhere in my stock pile, so I may start on his surgery tonight!

Cool thing about vertical impacts...the debris field is REAL small and manageable !

as i was suggesting to ron C on his baby ringmaster demise try a little 1/64inch plywood in those nose areas, as a liner, that may need it now. maybe even 1/32 or 1/16inch ply if you think you need the extra fuselage strength after the break. i always used CA glue, hot stuff, or whatever, as it weighs very little. then epoxy in those appropriate areas where old and new have to be strong. and "keep em flying". happydad

Appreciate it HD ! Probably do a 1/32 ply doubler while I got the patient open. Of course, it's also a good idea to just miss the ground as much as possible !!!

Think Otto's gonna get his Black Widow back whenever he flys in my front yard. I'm limited to 35 foot lines out front, and with Lucky 13 pulling it, the plane is simply too blessed fast for me to have a good time flying it.

I can fall back on my 10% Bigger Big Otto in the meantime...got a .051 in that one, and it does all I can do, but without trailing shock diamonds !

I have a question, Kim. When I get set to do a wingover, should I first turn my body a quarter turn ahead of the plane and then pull up? That seems like the best way to keep it in my field of vision without stumbling trying to turn my body as I follow it up and over.

RknRusty wrote:I have a question, Kim. When I get set to do a wingover, should I first turn my body a quarter turn ahead of the plane and then pull up? That seems like the best way to keep it in my field of vision without stumbling trying to turn my body as I follow it up and over.

Well, some of the real stunt flyers may be better suited to answer this than me, but at least with 1/2A, I plant my feet, follow the plane by twisting at the waist, track it over the top, and follow it down the other side the same way. This saves me any high speed shuffling as the plane goes over the top. Of course, I also risk, as in today's flight, having the plane go to a place where I can't extend enough to see.

With the .35 powered stunters, everything happens much slower and I can track them easier. If I want to go for an inverted recovery, I have plenty of time to turn and get a head-start on the plane even before it gets close to it's turn.

This is purely my own "never-been-in-a-contest" hillbilly style, so others' opinions may conflict wildly here!

Hmmmm, good question Rusty!

I am really not at a place where I can give advice, but what I do is follow the plane to top of the circle and then I shift my focus to where the plane should come down. Luckily it has always come down in that spot. It happens quickly so we are talking milliseconds of no eye contact.

Ron

Feelin for ya Kim
As a cautionary observation..
Be careful when adding too much reinforcement.
The shock from a crunch has to transmitted somewhere and if an easy repair is fixed too well the shock from
the next 'arrival' may break something more important, expensive or harder to fix.

Witness 2 weekends ago I tore the U/C plate from my Capiche.
Cameraman Glen (joiner by trade) did a repair of increadible invisibility and a little stonger than stock.
Last Saturday I 'tested' the repair (DOH! ) unstead of the plate just coming off it tore the plate, broke the
fuzes structure and dented my (V) expensive Hatori pipe.
Result prob 6 hour repair not the 1 hour it might have been.

cribbs74 wrote:Hmmmm, good question Rusty!
...I shift my focus to where the plane should come down. Luckily it has always come down in that spot. It happens quickly so we are talking milliseconds of no eye contact.

Ron

I read about the guys that fly combat learn to be able to keep their plane aloft without looking at it. I haven't tried that so far.

Rusty, my suggestion for you is to lead the plane and not the other way around. As you approach the wing over, you need to spread your legs apart and give yourself a firm stance. The front of your body, your chest should be parallel with your lines at the point of entrance with the footstand as I described. At our field, we have groups of large trees in the background. I used to line the plane up with one particular tree and this would keep the plane as vertical as possible and not splayed over as most do.At the top of the circle, you may then begin to slowly rotate your body around. Your arm must be fully extended all the way through the maneuver until the plane reaches shoulder height. When this is done in a synchronized fashion, the maneuver is executed very smoothly with no abruptness. It's all about timing and any correction you try and make is going to exaggerate the smoothness. This is what makes flying the pattern so difficult. The next problem is the pull out to level. This is probably the hardest part of the maneuver. Finding a horizontal reference in the background helps just like the tree did for me in the vertical. Keeping your bottoms at a proper height and knowing that height at all times makes everything work. If bottoms are consistent at the correct height, is more important than how the maneuver is executed due to you allowing the proper room for the maneuver to work. The next step is refining your moves. Many fliers cut the maneuver short or fly a bottom too low almost blasting the plane and then it's a quick up jerk.

Flying combat is something that needs to be done in a repetitive fashion. You need to block out your opponents plane and focus on the streamer at all times which takes a bit of time to learn how to do. When you focus on your opponents plane and not the streamer, you fly through his plane. I've been there and done it. My best description is of those pictures that you need to stare at for a few seconds and the image comes together after your eyes focus on it. When that happens, following now becomes much easier, it's just that your eye focus doesn't last too long initially and you once again need to separate until that happens again. If you follow the streamer you typically won't hit the ground. It's a game of chase and not a free for all where you just do anything you want to do in the circle. Although some do so, it typically ends up in a line tangle or a mid air. If I get separated from my opponent, the last place I want to be is in front of him. Looking over your shoulder means taking your eyes from your plane. Knowing your elevation and not moving your hand other than to loop is important. This keeps your eyes on your opponent and your plane out of the ground. Ken

Good Stuff, Ken !!! Thanks!

Ken, thanks for all of that info.

Ken Cook wrote: Rusty, my suggestion for you is to lead the plane and not the other way around. As you approach the wing over, you need to spread your legs apart and give yourself a firm stance. The front of your body, your chest should be parallel with your lines at the point of entrance with the footstand as I described....

This sounds like what I was describing, at least for a wingover starting from upright CCW flight.

As the plane approaches the starting point, I turn so at the moment the pull-up begins my right arm is straight out to my right with my head turned looking down the lines and feet planted. Pull up and turn with it as it goes over the top so I'm slightly leading it as it descends for the pull-out. A wingover from inverted will be a different story as I don't yet fly with my left hand.

Does that sound like I understand it?

I'll try some 3/4 overhead passes to practice and when it feels right go for it straight over the top.

Rusty, that certainly sounds like what I was describing. Just like you said, arm out and head turned looking down the lines. By the way, good description. I fail to convey certain points I'm trying to describe while typing. Sometimes, it's just easy to think that everyone understands but that may not always be the case. I would certainly spend some flying sessions just doing repetitive wingovers. One thing I found to be most helpful at first. While in your house preferably alone, fly your plane moving your wrists and arms through the maneuvers. As if you were playing air guitar. Realize what hand and wrist motions do to make your plane fly in the direction your pointing it. This helped me through the squares and it may just be the best advice I can give someone who wants to learn the maneuvers. It doesn't cost anything if you crash em this way. Ken

Good NEWS, friends and neighbors! "Lucky !3" Lives !!!!

Ken Cook wrote: ...One thing I found to be most helpful at first. While in your house preferably alone, fly your plane moving your wrists and arms through the maneuvers. As if you were playing air guitar. Realize what hand and wrist motions do to make your plane fly in the direction your pointing it. This helped me through the squares and it may just be the best advice I can give someone who wants to learn the maneuvers. It doesn't cost anything if you crash em this way. Ken

Already did it. While my frozen pizza was cooking I used a cabinet door for my starting reference and went through the motions. I realized something I didn't necessarily know... I normally lead the plane a few degrees already. And when I did my invisible exit, I naturally ended up in the same position as in my entry.

Kim wrote:Good NEWS, friends and neighbors! "Lucky !3" Lives !!!!

Bravo! She's still beautiful too. I like mine a little rough around the edges. Hopefully the pickup tube didn't move.

Xlnt news Kim.
Did you put the other head on it to slow it down a bit?

John Goddard wrote:Xlnt news Kim.
Did you put the other head on it to slow it down a bit?

Hey John, the other head succumbed to a "moment of confusion" that saw it take 12 volts instead of it's preferred 1.5 !!! I've got some ordered, but will still probably use the regular glowhead if I run Lucky 13 on any of my smaller 1/2A planes.

I was never very quick, and time has definitely NOT sped me up any !!!!

Kim wrote:

John Goddard wrote:Xlnt news Kim.
Did you put the other head on it to slow it down a bit?

Hey John, the other head succumbed to a "moment of confusion" that saw it take 12 volts instead of it's preferred 1.5 !!! I've got some ordered, but will still probably use the regular glowhead if I run Lucky 13 on any of my smaller 1/2A planes.

I was never very quick, and time has definitely NOT sped me up any !!!!

Yeah, me either.

It'll be more cooperative, get better fuel mileage, easier to needle, plenty powerful... and last longer with a Bee head on it.

Keeping with my long-held tradition of NEVER staying on one project long enough to totally finish it, I present: "Big Otto Gets a New Nose" .

Should I actually get him airworthy, he shall receive one of my Cox International built-up Black Widow'ish powerplants, rather than that supersonic monster he got back when I felt "The Need For Speed" and face-planted him firmly in the front yard.

As my hero Clint would say, "A man's GOT to know his limitations."

Gonna throw some 1/16 across his innards here in a bit, and enjoy that Ambroid-Patented 'Airplaney Aroma' !

Ha Ha.. Love it!!!

I'm glad to hear that some people still use old school Ambroid after the CA revolution of a few years back.

Happy to see that you still have flying weather. Low 20's and snow here in WV today.

I love OTTO. It's next on my build list. It's actually been there for a while and I keep opening the box and looking at the parts. Awesome Kim, I'm sure it will fair well. Ken