spadblog

OK, so it has been a while since getting down to writing. Why? Because the shop is more fun than the computer, that's why. Chip and I were batting around a few ideas, and it was clear that Chip had a burden for a Coro Cub. We decided that SPADflyer's R & D money would be well spent on seeing how popular this would be, assuming it is economical to produce it. A sheet of Yellow 4mm Coro and we are on our way! Now the plans are on http://www.spadtothebone.com/ in the "beyond STTB" section of the free plans tab. There is a pretty good build description there. We looked at it and decided that if we decide to offer this as a SPADflyer build, it should be possible to ship it without bankrupting a customer. So-o-o we immediately went to a split wing so we could get around the shipping cost associated with the length of the wing. Priority mail requires a length and girth limit of 84" and there is no way to ship a finished 78" wing of those dimensions at a reasonable cost. It was easy enough to design a wing joiner in the center after the style of the 60" dihedral wing we have shipped in the past. Well after a little thought and some intensive measuring and study we started cutting up the Coro. The whole thing will come out of one sheet. The initial cuts are critical, though because miscues will make alignment really difficult. Went to our favorite connection to get the pieces we will need. Mike Hanratty of Mike's Hobby Shop in Yakima is one of the last of the old-style Hobby shop operators. The old timers will remember the narrow-to-non-existent aisles with as many kit boxes as possible crammed in. Mike, amazingly enough, can remember where all of it is and prove it by walking right to the item you ask about with no hesitation. We get a lot of fun busting his chops about his erratic ways of merchandizing, but there is no one I have met that can handle Hobby world questions like Mike. Mike got us a deal on an ASP FS 65 four stroke. We don't plan to get funky out there with this plane, and we are looking forward to the "cool" factor of the four stroke sound in what to all intents will be a piper-cub-look-almost-like (semi-scale?). So far as of this writing the fuse, wing and tail feathers are built and waiting for the expensive stuff like radio gear, engine and control rods, etc. We should be ready for the Yakima Valley Aero Modelers Big Bird show in April. A SPAD grinding around the pattern will surely add to the show with all the very expensive and elaborate planes that will be there.