I am so close to finishing the B17 I can taste it and smell it!  It's been forever since I added anything to this blog. Mom worked real hard las week and is sleeping in this morning. We went to Bingo at the church last night and as usual I didn't win but mom got a little win. Thankfully it's an inexpensive Bingo. I miss the days of being able to go to the casino, their pots were MUCH higher but the win rate was about the same.

 

So I am about to lay down the fiberglass cloth on the wing. This will be the last part of the construction of the B17. After that there is nothing but sanding, filling, more sanding, priming, more sanding, painting, sanding and more sanding. Once I get about 5 light coats of finish colors on it I can use the stencils to put all the markings on the plane. This is when it really takes shape. I still have a fair amount of work on the wing so this won't be anytime this year. I am hoping to get airborne by spring or earlier. I love B17's and never tire from building them for more than a week or so. I am thinking about building a second one already! LOL!

 

That's about it, we had the Shootout contest at TIMPA, I volunteered again and wore myself out real good this year. I will not be able to do it again next year, as much fun as it is chating with and watching those world class pilot fly their planes as they do. It's World Champion contest so the best of the best are the only pilots allowed. Mark Leesburg won over all again this year. He is a commercial pilot and is also the Nevada State Golf champion. WOW!

OK talk to the blog soo again I hope.

I am still working on the B17 as well as a Spitfire now. I built the Extra 260 finally, what a great flying plane that is! I haven't been out to the field in over a month or more. It's been too hot and had too much going on. I am going to try to make it out this weekend, it at all possible. Becky said she wanted to come by a get some pool time with mom.

 

I have about another 2 months of work on the B17. It is VERY close to the painting stage. I have to finish up a few details on the wing and then I can fiberglass it. Then it's primer and sanding, primer and sanding until I get a good finish with panel lines and rivets. The the final coats go on and she will be flight readied after that. (Radio, mechanical and pneumatics).

 

Well Lori just popped on so I am going to try to say howdy...

 

OK back already!  I built a small electric plane for the neighbor. It took me all of about 20 minutes to assemble! He paind $125 for it, way too much but these electrics are in high demand right now. This plane will only withstand one crash, most electric planes for beginners will hold up pretty good but this is designed to get the pilot to spend more money!  Me, give me a gas or glow engine and a nice 80" to 138" wingspan!

 

OK, that's about it. I got an Apple Mac finally. I just love that machine, it is on an entirely different realm than the PC. Just syaing that it is better than a PC is not a true or valid statement. It's what you want from a computer that makes it worth anything to the owner. Now, the Mac does things with video and graphics unlike anything I have ever seen on a PC and I have a low to mid price range Mac! They come bundled with some great software, not enough but quite abit. It does not have the Adobe Acrobat like they used to come bundled with, I was sorry to see that because I use Acrobat on the PC... not the reader, the word processor. The iLife bundle of software is so cool and so powerful, iDVD, iMovie, iWeb, iChat, iPhoto and a bunch of good stuff. The video and photo software is so easy and yet so powerful and I could fill up 3 pages talking just about any one of these software packages. The iMac also comes with a very complete email program, networking for wireless, 10/100 and gigabit ethernet built in. 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 1394 Firewire ports, the Mighty Mouse and slim keyboard. The Design of the iMac is very cool as well and they have incorporated a 17" cinema wide screen HD video in it as well! It has iPicture camera and mike built in... and of course the Intel Core Duo that is essentially two seperate CPU's on one chip so it screems to say the least. I only have 512MB of ram and may increase that but haven't ran into any problems because of it. Oh yeah, the OS X is based on Unix so virus scanning software really isn't needed since the OS is protected from the user and any other users other than the administrator and only via the local keyboard so virus's are a PC headache!

 

OK, nuff on my new computer... I have always wanted a Mac or at least ever since I saw the Mac Classic when I was working as a programmer in NY many years ago.

 

That's it for this entry... oh you wonder about Windows, am I giving up on it? No, I will keep my laptop up to date and with the latest PC/Windows software on it.

 

Later,

 

Rispoli!

So I guess my blog has turned into a monthly report! I have been very busy with the R/C hobby lately in a few ways. We had a huge swap meet a couple of weeks ago. I sold a BUNCH of stuff including my scale Cessna that I built while on chemo. I only flew it twice and it sucked to watch such a pretty plane sit ad collect dust and grime. So that was sold as was a smaller junky plane, I wanted to sell my Yellow Monocoupe but there were three of them there so everyone knew it was not a desirable plane if everyone was selling them. I will not fly it again so it gets sold for $100 to a guy at the flield it looks like. I tried to sell a engine that I don't like without success but I may end up using it, who knows. One of my motivations to sell off a bunch of stuff was to pay back the credit card for the newest plane in the hanger... a Hangar 9 27% Extra 260. Now for those not familiar with scale or model types, this is an almost 1/3rd scale aerobatic plane that is currently the hottest plane on the full scale aerobatic circuit. I went all out and got a Desert Aircraft 5occ DA-50-R gasoline engine for it as well. It turns a 23x8 prop and has 5 horsepower out of the box. I got the smoke muffler for it as well but could afford the smoke pump or tank right yet but it is just a matter of dropping it in. I have had 4 or 5 flights with this plane and it is by far the best flying plane I have! It holds a line like an arrow shot from a compund bow! It has enough power to climb straight up until it runs out of fuel. Anyhow, it is a full 3D aerobatic airplane that is small enough to fit in the van yet big enough to satisfy the crowd!  It's a beautiful red white and blue metal flake covering with DA decals and a smoky canopy. I will include a photo at the end of this entry.

I have also been back on the B17 for a change. I am getting close to then end stretch of the wing, applying the sheeting to bottom surface after installing as much of the hardware as I could. Once the sheeting is done I will plank and sheet the engine nacelles and then it time to fiberglass it. Then we are talking about sanding and priming the fuse and wing until it is ready for final paint. So we are getting close boys and girls. I would eastimate another 2-3 months to give myself some room. I am particulalry interested in this plane again because of our trip to California to help my buddy maiden a Don Smith B17 for a customer out there. These big B17's fly very scale, slow and enormous!  They have an authority that is hard to describe. Everyone stops to watch the planes engines run, let alone watch it fly. Also, I am going up in the full scale Nine-O-Nine next Tuesday! (not tomorrow). They are in town after the Easter weekend and I picked Tuesday for the day. I am going to take the camcorder on board instead of the camera. I am large and the plane is built for slim, fit 20 year olds to be manning it. I will get to anywhere in the plane I want with the exception of bothering the pilots during flight. Should be a great flight and a great video. I am getting very anxious about it. They give you hearing protection as you get on board due to the loud engines... too cool!

That and I have been working on planes for my friend Mike who totes me to and from the air field 1-2 times a week. The man is very generous and I try to help him in any way I can. OK, that's about it for the R/C.

 

I sure miss talking to the kids and the grandkids, we seem so far away from everyone. Hopefully we can get together with some of them this year. Becky doesn't even call but maybe once a month. She might as well be in Kalamazoo... I guess she is doing ok with the boyfriend who won't commit to much of anything, seems to be a bit jealous of her being sucessful. Shouldn't be hard for a career sandwich maker.  I know that was a shot but who can work in a sub shop for nine years! Even though he is a "manager" the guy is 30 yrs old and doesn't have a good paying job yet. So it won't be vacations and Mercedes for Beckster... love is blind though.

Jim and Lori are still struggling to get used to their situation... Bryan, well I don't even get an email from him anymore. I log onto this and try to page him but never get any response.  I guess he is busy with girlsfriends or trying to deal with the ex.

 

Well that's abou tit for this month guys and gals... talk to you next time!

 

Here's the photo I mentioned:

Wow, it's been over a month again since I added an entry to my blog. We have been real busy, a trip to California and simply this and that going on.  I have completed more on the B17 but it is severely behind schedule. I started work on the new Extra 260 this week. I hope to get the engine for it this week, Desert Air has had them on order for about a month now so this huge plane kit has been sitting in the garage.

 

So I am working on a plane for Mike, the B17 and an aerobatic 27% Extra all at once and it is hard keeping and up feeling. I am starting to get burned out on the hobby a little. So I work a couple of hours a day or when I have a cig and that's about it.  This hobby is about the biggest thing I have in my life other than my wife. During the week, I spend about 12 hours by myself and I have to keep busy with something to keep from going batty. So I work on the planes, watch movies and try to stay sane.

 

OK, back to the TV, watching Survivor with Sandie.

 

Love to all my family!

I was just reading your entry for Christmas Jim... you should re-read it.  Life can change in a blink, that's the hardest part of living I think. I know that our big family has had it's share of sudden changes. That's everyone, in-laws and sisters brothers, etc...  If you take any given year, there is a disaster in it. You can also take that same year and find a spectacular moment of change for someone.

 

It's not something you can plan for, hell if you do try to plan for it then what kind of life is that? Always waiting for doom or always waiting for a good moment, either way it sucks as far as living is concerned so you have to let it go. You know in you heart it could happen, but you have to also know that the living keep on living and so can anyone that has a bad or great change.

 

Geezus, did I say all that?  I guess I could say that I am not the best person to be an example of one who gets on with the living, I sit and consider the doom part of my life almost every day. I think to myself, is today the day? Or if I am feeling good then I tend to think that ahh, it's all crap... I am not sick or gunna die. Then I am back on the doom side again. I try to keep focused on the moment. That way things don't get out of control. Sometimes I need help though, that's for sure and we have a huge family that we can depend on. Usually just a phone call away.

 

I ponder sometimes what life would be like if I had been able to do things differently back when... but then would I be the same person I am today if I hadn't learned those hard lessons? Would my kids be better or worse off if things would have been easier for them?  I know what it was like growing up being a spoiled child. It wasn't until BOTH my parents died that I finally faced reality and got a job, a real job and fealt that I could take care of myself because now I had too. Those years where I depended on my parents to pay my way, or be there for a buffer whenever I had too much fun with my money were nothing more than a holding pattern until I learned how to support myself financially. And it wasn't always good after that learning that. I fell into the old habits quite often. And it was always the same outcome too... isn't that odd, Right! I wish my parents had made me do chores and earn more. I did have an allowence that I had to earn. If I wanted spending cash I had to earn it around the house. If I didn't then I through a fit until they got me what I wanted. And I could throw some doozie fits... and manipulate them until they would give me what I wanted... what a way to grow up. I can't imagine giving a child everything he wants, or even most of the things he wants just so you say he is a happy child. One day there will be a day of recononing, that's a given. A day when that child will either have to get off his ass and work, earn or figure out how to manipulate someone else to get what he wants and needs. Wouldn't it be better to learn that at a early age? Even young kids, say 4-6 yrs old...?  I don't know, I know this much... I HATE that I was spoiled. I essentially wasted 30 yrs of my life trying to figure out how to get stuff from my parents for free, without having to work for it. It was a bad thing and I am sure of that.

 

OK, I am getting off the mount and going to take a piss, how about that for a revellation! Sandie will be home shortly I hope, we had a spat this morning over somethign silly and it hasn't been resolved completely yet. I hate it when we argue because she is the closest person to my heart and it hurts both of us. Yes, I said I am sorry.

 

Rickles out.

Still working on the B17. I really would like to maiden her in March but that keeps looking like it isn't going to happen. I guess April is OK, there is a lot a crumby weather in April, usually rains during that period and winds suck. We will see how far I can get on the bird first.

 

Been working on the wing details that can't be done after the fiberglass goes on. Wing vents for superchargers, batteries and oil coolers... each of these have an intake vent on the leading ede of the wing. I have to build a box basically that slides into the leading edge and each has a screen to make it look scale. Very time consuming.

 

Check out the latest photos for a peek at what I am talking about. I was going to add the spacer ring for engine nacelle #3 but the pieces I cut are just slightly too short. I picked the longest ones I had left and no go so will have to wait for my order of wood from Balsa USA.  These vents could take another 3 days, they are really slow and difficult to get right.

 

Got connected with Jim yesterday on video and audio for the first time in a couple of years, that was a blast. I hope he gets back online today. I haven't talked to Bryan in awhile, he must be doing good with his newest girl friend and that's keeping his spare time used up.

 

Becky is about the same as Bryan, has no time because of work and future ex-spouses...

 

OK, nothing else at this point...

 

Rickles out