Braved the next step of cutting more of the top cowling .. I need to get the front end down to provide a neat streamlined finish and also need to get the gap around the larger fin cooling heads cut to achieve this.

Getting there …. the fall of the cowl to the backplate looks much closer now ….

Next challenge – cutting the engine cylinder head ducts to get them to fit inside the cowl line !

Tidying out the garage last night at home and found this screwed to the bench for test running ! an old OPS 60 glow engine …. seem to remember it was fitted in a model called Super Star back in the 70’s when I lived in Suffolk. The model was a very sleek world championship model with really neat inboard flaps with a leading edge that came up and acted as airbrakes (the aileron torque rod ran through the centre hinge line of the flaps (amazingly simply and efficient).

We used to fly off the top end of the Westerly runway at Duxford in what I think was the South Cambridgeshire Model Aero Club. Remember looping this at a distance at low level and thinking this could be very tight … what I should have done was half roll out and fly on .. but kept pulling the stick – thinking if I pulled it harder it MUST pull through …. the ‘plane did indeed pull through but suddenly really slowed down …. there was a big bang a  second later .. (time-lapse) .. and it turned into a glide as all the undercarriage was ripped off and the prop shattered … it missed pulling out by about 3 inches !

Then there was the time I spent a fantastic unforgettable crisp December day flying my friend (Brian Harris) beautifully finished CAP10. We used nearly a gallon of fuel in the day … it culminated with lots of buddy lead connected flying training so that Brian could get used to it. The final pass was meant to be a long sweeping run down the runway .. the vapour trail pouring out in the cold clear air … then as it got level with us pull up into a big loop to break off and turn into land …. only problem was I started the routine INVERTED ……

The model passed us doing about 150 as I pulled full UP….

The sound of metal, plastic, balsa, spruce, servos and an (earlier) very nice 40 engine as the runway at Duxford pushed the driveshaft through the backplate …..

Brian was so so philosophical … saying it was simply the best days flying he had ever had …. we left with lots of smiles and a few plastic bags full of parts !

Finished the seat fittings last night.

Managed to get the base of one seat the wrong way up ! oops – so the holes didn’t align … flipped it and got the rivets and washers out and cleaned and re-riveted into place.

Then got the pop studs in place which was miles easier than I thought !

Then front seat

Starting to focus more on this as I want to try for my first engine test run in January !

The fuel bits I have got don’t quite match up as the angle tube at the bottom doesn’t match the thread of the lower tank fitting .. will check with TLAC.

Update 18 December – Paul emailed to say that the elbow connector I had sent back was indeed correct – it’s a tapered fit so deliberately tight to ensure a good tight fuel proof seal. I have the steel braided fuel tube and it is already routed through the firewall, so just need some pipe clamps.

Noticed my single bus bar has a top and a bottom row so should be able to use this bar for positive and negative feeds. The next stage is to cross check the Jabiru manual – page by page – to check I have all the parts before starting to plan wiring up.

Sam wrapped up with his hood up and a face scarf to file the last inspection panels !

The fabric terminations were riveted on last night to finish off the strut work

As its is starting to get so cold and damp now – although I have treated all the wood this year with 10% thinned polyurethane, I decided to warm the place up and then put dust sheets over the wings to protect from dust and damp

Boy it was cold in the barn last night …. new heaters are going to be ordered !

Finished off the top wing tip brackets with numb fingers but now ready to have trailing edge shaped to accept tips .. then all need the self tappers locating then they are ready to be removed, finished and painted .. couldn’t decide between Yellow or Olive drab .. may go drab for a differentiator !

Also started to cut the removable wing inspection panels. These are very nicely die cut by TLAC and simply need separating and then finishing so you don’t have any sharp edges. My cutter ran out of power so these have been taken home to finish as I also want to etch prime them and the temperature of the barn would not be good for the paint to stick !

Dropped a colleague off in Oxford on Saturday morning – one of those crisp clear Autumn days you seem to get occasionally nowadays !

Viz was great as we climbed out of Jersey and headed for ORTAC then SAM then CPT skirting the Brize zone and into Oxford. My son Sam was along for the company and flying experience which was nice.

Oxford were quite busy with ‘Grand Prix 1’ taking off just before we landed .. love the call sign !

We landed on 01 but weren’t allowed a straight in from the South due to other traffic. Nice tight left turn onto right base then onto finals. Quick ‘show of the face’ to clear customs and landing fee and MORE IMPORTANTLY pick up the 3 sheets of Balsa that my other son Benjamin had left. (£9 for the balsa and £30 to ship to Jersey ! – so had opted to pick it up next time in).

Oxford Ops were there usual brilliant courteous helpful team.

Then back in .. find the Duxford maps in the ‘plane and take off for the 25 min hop to Duxford. Mist had started to settle on this leg which made the sky look amazing even if straight ahead went down to around 5k !

Duxford were fantastic… so so helpful .. we had a ‘plane load of Christmas presents to drop off AND pick up for Jersey and my Dad and Sister had driven over from Cavendish to meet us. Instead of paying the entrance fee for a short pickup Duxford Tower kindly called the gate and said let them through to park near the tower … actually at the foot of the tower !

They then took the trouble to go to the car and suggest they move to the warm room under the tower. They even then asked me to report 5 miles and 2 miles out so they could go down and point out to the West and say ‘There he is” !

Duxford announced “Welcome to Duxford …. continue to the end and taxi to park right in front of the tower where your visitors are ready and waiting”
 

Nipped into Hanger 5 to see what was being worked on … paint job on the F15 makes my decking look tame ! also the split Mustang cradle was neat

The whole departure “service” was repeated on Sunday morning when we left… Sam did the take off from Duxford so he could say he had actually taken off from where Douglas Bader did … grass was a bit wet so we used paved … zero wind and luckily the thick fog lifted just in time

What service …. cant wait to bring the Sherwood into there