102 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Aerobatics Mike Riggs
Trying something new can be a game-changer
Sportsman of the Month is Paul Mathis, pictured with his O.S. 160-powered
Pentathlon EVO. He is a longtime modeler who recently began flying Sportsman.
Right: Here is a side-view drawing of the Contra Drive’s
engineering. Brenner Sharp photo.
Above: Jim Hiller’s Option 160 stressed-skin fuselage construction
technique allows all components to be mounted and rigged before
the fuselage is skinned. Jim Hiller photo.
Also included in this column:
• FAI F3A World Championship
• Contra Drive
• Building season
• Painting catastrophe
• Sportsman of the Month
CONGRATULATIONS to Team USA and
its 2011 FAI F3A World Championship
first-place finish. Team USA members
Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and Brett
Wickizer finished individually in third,
fourth, and 12th place, respectively.
Congratulations also to Christophe
Paysant-Leroux of France for his F3A firstplace
finish and to Tetsuo Onda of Japan for
his second-place finish. Semifinal scores
were used as a tiebreaker for first and
second places. I did not attend the event, but
from the scores it appears the caliber of
flying was unbelievable.
A “game changer” can be a visionary or a
strategist who uses creative innovation to alter
“the game.” The game to which I refer is RC
Pattern Aerobatics; the prospective gamechanger
is the innovative Contra Drive.
Ring Gear
Planet Gear
Pinion Gear
Gearcase Housing
Drive Shaft
Front Prop
Rear Prop
Motor
November 2011 103
This is a CAD 3-D rendering of the Contra Drive with a Neu
motor. Sharp photo.
This drawing displays the Contra Drive’s assembly. Sharp photo.
The idea of developing Contra Drive for
Precision Aerobatics began with discussions
between Brenner Sharp, a principal engineer
for Whirlpool Corporation, and Mike
Gaishin, owner of Gaishin Manufacturing.
After discussing the original Contra
Drive designed by Michael Ramel and
flown by Silvestri Sabatini in Europe, Mike
offered to manufacture a “made in America”
Contra Drive if Brenner would design one.
Brenner completed initial design work
for the Contra Drive in the fall of 2009.
With Mike Gaishin handling the milling and
his son Andy handling the lathe work, the
first prototypes were constructed during the
winter/spring of 2009-2010.
Contra Drive was debuted by Brenner
and Mike at the 2010 RC Aerobatics
Nationals.
The fundamental aerodynamic concept
of the Contra Drive is to cancel the
asymmetric blade effect (P-factor) of one
spinning propeller by spinning another
propeller in the opposite direction. Brenner
describes this as absorption of power,
effectively canceling trim changes as
airspeed changes. Pilot workload is greatly
reduced because torque effects are canceled
and absorbed regardless of the airplane’s
attitude.
Contra Drive designer Brenner Sharp
finished 12th in Masters—matching his
highest Nationals finish in one of the
most competitive fields in years. Contra
Drive fabricator Mike Gaishin finished
eighth in Intermediate.
The partnership of Brenner, Mike, and
Andy continues to make improvements to
Contra Drive. Version two is currently
available with changeable gear sets and a
variety of propeller sizes.
In preparation for this column, I asked
those on the National Society of Radio
Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA) mailing
list for some help coming up with a list
of historic Pattern game-changers.
Someone inferred that former RC
Aerobatics columnist, Ron Van Putte,
was flying Pattern before air was
invented. The list also included
proportional radios, retracts, tuned pipes,
computer (mixable) radios, four-stroke
engines, rubber isolation mounts, electric
motors, etc.
With the Contra Drive costing more
than $1,000, I doubt the lower classes in
which I fly will be seeing Contra Drive in
numbers anytime soon. However, for the
fierce competitor looking for that
competitive edge, Contra Drive may be a
ticket to the podium.
History will tell us if Contra Drive
joins the long list of game-changing
innovations dating back to the beginnings
of RC Aerobatics, when competitors flew
horizontal patterns with single-channel
airplanes.
Before the weather gets too cold to
paint, my building season plans include
putting a finish on my Black Magic,
which has been waiting for my attention
since the end of last building season. The
current (August) plan is to MonoKote the
wings and horizontal stabilizer. The
fuselage and rudder will be fiberglassed,
primed, and painted.
My choice of paint hasn’t been decided.
I have had good results using Klass Kote
Imagine flying a stall turn with a singlepropeller
airplane. As the airplane slows
near the top, motor torque induces changes
in the roll axis, requiring corrections. Not
only does the airplane try to wander off the
desired vertical line, it also tries to twist
around the turning propeller providing
much-needed airflow over the tail surfaces.
During the downline, motor-breaking
changes such as roll axis are corrected.
While adding power during the pull to level
flight, downline corrections often result in
not-so-level wings entering the straight line
exit. (Note: I am an expert at not-so-level
wings; ask any District 8 judge.)
Downline braking is improved because
of motor-generator effect and doubling the
propeller surface area. Contra Drive allows
more precise airspeed control going up or
coming down.
With Contra Drive, the pilot can take off
by simply pushing the throttle stick forward
without concern for yaw (right rudder)
correction. A 10 on every takeoff? Nice try.
Let’s leave it at takeoffs are less work.
The highest finish in this year’s
Nationals for an airplane with Contra Drive
was Dave Snow’s third place in Masters,
followed by Tony Frackowiak placing
fourth in Masters.
These three Contra-powered airplanes were flown in the Masters at the 2011
Nationals: Dave Snow’s Spark, Brenner Sharp’s Integral, and Tony
Frackowiak’s Onas. Sharp photo.
epoxy paint without clear coat. Using
polyurethane clear coat over water-based
paint is also being considered.
My microbiologist wife appreciates Klass
Kote not containing isocyanates (something
about isocyanates being bad for my health).
My only problem with Klass Kote is waiting
for it to become tack-free in my less-thandust-
free garage. Tack-free in 15 to 20
minutes has been my experience. Klass Kote
is a great product; the environment in which I
spray is the problem.
The idea of using water-based paint is
intriguing to me. Not only does water-based
paint offer easy cleanup, a heat gun can make
it tack-free.
The canopy on my Insight is coated with
water-based paint. Specifically, the
transparent blue and underlying silver sparkle
is Faskolor paint, commonly used on Lexan
RC car bodies.
Painting the Insight canopy was a
calamity. With the best intentions, the
glassed and primed canopy was sprayed with
Klass Kote silver. After masking a canopy
frame, the remaining exposed silver was wetsanded
with 320 wet/dry sandpaper.
Faskolor transparent blue was sprayed
directly over the masked silver using an
airbrush. Between light coats, I used a heat
gun to dry the paint. When dry, the sheen
was flat but the paint looked great. Isopropyl
alcohol was used for both paint-thinning and
equipment cleanup.
After waiting 24 hours, I sprayed the
unmasked canopy with a thinned coat of
Klass Kote clear. Bad move on my part. I
was horrified with the “fish-eye” (dimpled)
finish left behind. After a short wait I
followed up with another, much thinner coat
of Klass Kote clear, making the results even
worse.
After progressing through several stages
of denial, the canopy was wet-sanded down
to the Klass Kote silver undercoat. Thinking
that preparation was the problem, I used the
same process again and got the same
disastrous results.
My friend, Lorin Finney, told me epoxy
paints react to moisture in the underlying
water-based paint. Polyurethane
(isocyanates) clears actually contain moisture
and that is why they are the clear coat choice
of many professional painters.
With knowledge gained, the canopy was
again sanded down and painted—this time
with frustration running high and a need to
fly. Rattle-can clear lacquer from the local
home improvement center was used for the
clear coat. The finish is not perfect, but it was
cheap, fast, and is presentable. I hope you do
not make the same mistakes I did.
I have not decided which paint I will use
on my Black Magic. Look for an update in
the future.
My main goal for this building season is
to build an RC airplane with my daughter.
Mary wasn’t interested in buying an ARF.
She insisted on building a balsa wood
airplane in my (our) workshop. At least I
succeeded in getting her to agree to build
from a short kit instead of plans. Perhaps in
the future, Mary and her Super Scratch will
be Sportsman of the Month.
I am running low (aka empty) on Sportsman
of the Month nominees. Since the pictures of
my Honda Element in the July 2011 issue
drew an overwhelming response, I am
expanding reader contributions to include
Hauler of the Month. Please send a picture
and caption of your Sportsman of the Month
or Hauler of the Month.
Flight complete. MA
Sources:
NSRCA
www.nsrca.us
Brenner Sharp
[email protected]
Gaishin Manufacturing
(269) 934-9340
www.gaishinmfg.com
Klass Kote
(612) 243-1234
www.klasskote.com
Faskolor Hobby Paint
Parma/PSE
(440) 237-8650
www.parmapse.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/11
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/11
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
102 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Aerobatics Mike Riggs
Trying something new can be a game-changer
Sportsman of the Month is Paul Mathis, pictured with his O.S. 160-powered
Pentathlon EVO. He is a longtime modeler who recently began flying Sportsman.
Right: Here is a side-view drawing of the Contra Drive’s
engineering. Brenner Sharp photo.
Above: Jim Hiller’s Option 160 stressed-skin fuselage construction
technique allows all components to be mounted and rigged before
the fuselage is skinned. Jim Hiller photo.
Also included in this column:
• FAI F3A World Championship
• Contra Drive
• Building season
• Painting catastrophe
• Sportsman of the Month
CONGRATULATIONS to Team USA and
its 2011 FAI F3A World Championship
first-place finish. Team USA members
Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and Brett
Wickizer finished individually in third,
fourth, and 12th place, respectively.
Congratulations also to Christophe
Paysant-Leroux of France for his F3A firstplace
finish and to Tetsuo Onda of Japan for
his second-place finish. Semifinal scores
were used as a tiebreaker for first and
second places. I did not attend the event, but
from the scores it appears the caliber of
flying was unbelievable.
A “game changer” can be a visionary or a
strategist who uses creative innovation to alter
“the game.” The game to which I refer is RC
Pattern Aerobatics; the prospective gamechanger
is the innovative Contra Drive.
Ring Gear
Planet Gear
Pinion Gear
Gearcase Housing
Drive Shaft
Front Prop
Rear Prop
Motor
November 2011 103
This is a CAD 3-D rendering of the Contra Drive with a Neu
motor. Sharp photo.
This drawing displays the Contra Drive’s assembly. Sharp photo.
The idea of developing Contra Drive for
Precision Aerobatics began with discussions
between Brenner Sharp, a principal engineer
for Whirlpool Corporation, and Mike
Gaishin, owner of Gaishin Manufacturing.
After discussing the original Contra
Drive designed by Michael Ramel and
flown by Silvestri Sabatini in Europe, Mike
offered to manufacture a “made in America”
Contra Drive if Brenner would design one.
Brenner completed initial design work
for the Contra Drive in the fall of 2009.
With Mike Gaishin handling the milling and
his son Andy handling the lathe work, the
first prototypes were constructed during the
winter/spring of 2009-2010.
Contra Drive was debuted by Brenner
and Mike at the 2010 RC Aerobatics
Nationals.
The fundamental aerodynamic concept
of the Contra Drive is to cancel the
asymmetric blade effect (P-factor) of one
spinning propeller by spinning another
propeller in the opposite direction. Brenner
describes this as absorption of power,
effectively canceling trim changes as
airspeed changes. Pilot workload is greatly
reduced because torque effects are canceled
and absorbed regardless of the airplane’s
attitude.
Contra Drive designer Brenner Sharp
finished 12th in Masters—matching his
highest Nationals finish in one of the
most competitive fields in years. Contra
Drive fabricator Mike Gaishin finished
eighth in Intermediate.
The partnership of Brenner, Mike, and
Andy continues to make improvements to
Contra Drive. Version two is currently
available with changeable gear sets and a
variety of propeller sizes.
In preparation for this column, I asked
those on the National Society of Radio
Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA) mailing
list for some help coming up with a list
of historic Pattern game-changers.
Someone inferred that former RC
Aerobatics columnist, Ron Van Putte,
was flying Pattern before air was
invented. The list also included
proportional radios, retracts, tuned pipes,
computer (mixable) radios, four-stroke
engines, rubber isolation mounts, electric
motors, etc.
With the Contra Drive costing more
than $1,000, I doubt the lower classes in
which I fly will be seeing Contra Drive in
numbers anytime soon. However, for the
fierce competitor looking for that
competitive edge, Contra Drive may be a
ticket to the podium.
History will tell us if Contra Drive
joins the long list of game-changing
innovations dating back to the beginnings
of RC Aerobatics, when competitors flew
horizontal patterns with single-channel
airplanes.
Before the weather gets too cold to
paint, my building season plans include
putting a finish on my Black Magic,
which has been waiting for my attention
since the end of last building season. The
current (August) plan is to MonoKote the
wings and horizontal stabilizer. The
fuselage and rudder will be fiberglassed,
primed, and painted.
My choice of paint hasn’t been decided.
I have had good results using Klass Kote
Imagine flying a stall turn with a singlepropeller
airplane. As the airplane slows
near the top, motor torque induces changes
in the roll axis, requiring corrections. Not
only does the airplane try to wander off the
desired vertical line, it also tries to twist
around the turning propeller providing
much-needed airflow over the tail surfaces.
During the downline, motor-breaking
changes such as roll axis are corrected.
While adding power during the pull to level
flight, downline corrections often result in
not-so-level wings entering the straight line
exit. (Note: I am an expert at not-so-level
wings; ask any District 8 judge.)
Downline braking is improved because
of motor-generator effect and doubling the
propeller surface area. Contra Drive allows
more precise airspeed control going up or
coming down.
With Contra Drive, the pilot can take off
by simply pushing the throttle stick forward
without concern for yaw (right rudder)
correction. A 10 on every takeoff? Nice try.
Let’s leave it at takeoffs are less work.
The highest finish in this year’s
Nationals for an airplane with Contra Drive
was Dave Snow’s third place in Masters,
followed by Tony Frackowiak placing
fourth in Masters.
These three Contra-powered airplanes were flown in the Masters at the 2011
Nationals: Dave Snow’s Spark, Brenner Sharp’s Integral, and Tony
Frackowiak’s Onas. Sharp photo.
epoxy paint without clear coat. Using
polyurethane clear coat over water-based
paint is also being considered.
My microbiologist wife appreciates Klass
Kote not containing isocyanates (something
about isocyanates being bad for my health).
My only problem with Klass Kote is waiting
for it to become tack-free in my less-thandust-
free garage. Tack-free in 15 to 20
minutes has been my experience. Klass Kote
is a great product; the environment in which I
spray is the problem.
The idea of using water-based paint is
intriguing to me. Not only does water-based
paint offer easy cleanup, a heat gun can make
it tack-free.
The canopy on my Insight is coated with
water-based paint. Specifically, the
transparent blue and underlying silver sparkle
is Faskolor paint, commonly used on Lexan
RC car bodies.
Painting the Insight canopy was a
calamity. With the best intentions, the
glassed and primed canopy was sprayed with
Klass Kote silver. After masking a canopy
frame, the remaining exposed silver was wetsanded
with 320 wet/dry sandpaper.
Faskolor transparent blue was sprayed
directly over the masked silver using an
airbrush. Between light coats, I used a heat
gun to dry the paint. When dry, the sheen
was flat but the paint looked great. Isopropyl
alcohol was used for both paint-thinning and
equipment cleanup.
After waiting 24 hours, I sprayed the
unmasked canopy with a thinned coat of
Klass Kote clear. Bad move on my part. I
was horrified with the “fish-eye” (dimpled)
finish left behind. After a short wait I
followed up with another, much thinner coat
of Klass Kote clear, making the results even
worse.
After progressing through several stages
of denial, the canopy was wet-sanded down
to the Klass Kote silver undercoat. Thinking
that preparation was the problem, I used the
same process again and got the same
disastrous results.
My friend, Lorin Finney, told me epoxy
paints react to moisture in the underlying
water-based paint. Polyurethane
(isocyanates) clears actually contain moisture
and that is why they are the clear coat choice
of many professional painters.
With knowledge gained, the canopy was
again sanded down and painted—this time
with frustration running high and a need to
fly. Rattle-can clear lacquer from the local
home improvement center was used for the
clear coat. The finish is not perfect, but it was
cheap, fast, and is presentable. I hope you do
not make the same mistakes I did.
I have not decided which paint I will use
on my Black Magic. Look for an update in
the future.
My main goal for this building season is
to build an RC airplane with my daughter.
Mary wasn’t interested in buying an ARF.
She insisted on building a balsa wood
airplane in my (our) workshop. At least I
succeeded in getting her to agree to build
from a short kit instead of plans. Perhaps in
the future, Mary and her Super Scratch will
be Sportsman of the Month.
I am running low (aka empty) on Sportsman
of the Month nominees. Since the pictures of
my Honda Element in the July 2011 issue
drew an overwhelming response, I am
expanding reader contributions to include
Hauler of the Month. Please send a picture
and caption of your Sportsman of the Month
or Hauler of the Month.
Flight complete. MA
Sources:
NSRCA
www.nsrca.us
Brenner Sharp
[email protected]
Gaishin Manufacturing
(269) 934-9340
www.gaishinmfg.com
Klass Kote
(612) 243-1234
www.klasskote.com
Faskolor Hobby Paint
Parma/PSE
(440) 237-8650
www.parmapse.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/11
Page Numbers: 102,103,104
102 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Aerobatics Mike Riggs
Trying something new can be a game-changer
Sportsman of the Month is Paul Mathis, pictured with his O.S. 160-powered
Pentathlon EVO. He is a longtime modeler who recently began flying Sportsman.
Right: Here is a side-view drawing of the Contra Drive’s
engineering. Brenner Sharp photo.
Above: Jim Hiller’s Option 160 stressed-skin fuselage construction
technique allows all components to be mounted and rigged before
the fuselage is skinned. Jim Hiller photo.
Also included in this column:
• FAI F3A World Championship
• Contra Drive
• Building season
• Painting catastrophe
• Sportsman of the Month
CONGRATULATIONS to Team USA and
its 2011 FAI F3A World Championship
first-place finish. Team USA members
Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and Brett
Wickizer finished individually in third,
fourth, and 12th place, respectively.
Congratulations also to Christophe
Paysant-Leroux of France for his F3A firstplace
finish and to Tetsuo Onda of Japan for
his second-place finish. Semifinal scores
were used as a tiebreaker for first and
second places. I did not attend the event, but
from the scores it appears the caliber of
flying was unbelievable.
A “game changer” can be a visionary or a
strategist who uses creative innovation to alter
“the game.” The game to which I refer is RC
Pattern Aerobatics; the prospective gamechanger
is the innovative Contra Drive.
Ring Gear
Planet Gear
Pinion Gear
Gearcase Housing
Drive Shaft
Front Prop
Rear Prop
Motor
November 2011 103
This is a CAD 3-D rendering of the Contra Drive with a Neu
motor. Sharp photo.
This drawing displays the Contra Drive’s assembly. Sharp photo.
The idea of developing Contra Drive for
Precision Aerobatics began with discussions
between Brenner Sharp, a principal engineer
for Whirlpool Corporation, and Mike
Gaishin, owner of Gaishin Manufacturing.
After discussing the original Contra
Drive designed by Michael Ramel and
flown by Silvestri Sabatini in Europe, Mike
offered to manufacture a “made in America”
Contra Drive if Brenner would design one.
Brenner completed initial design work
for the Contra Drive in the fall of 2009.
With Mike Gaishin handling the milling and
his son Andy handling the lathe work, the
first prototypes were constructed during the
winter/spring of 2009-2010.
Contra Drive was debuted by Brenner
and Mike at the 2010 RC Aerobatics
Nationals.
The fundamental aerodynamic concept
of the Contra Drive is to cancel the
asymmetric blade effect (P-factor) of one
spinning propeller by spinning another
propeller in the opposite direction. Brenner
describes this as absorption of power,
effectively canceling trim changes as
airspeed changes. Pilot workload is greatly
reduced because torque effects are canceled
and absorbed regardless of the airplane’s
attitude.
Contra Drive designer Brenner Sharp
finished 12th in Masters—matching his
highest Nationals finish in one of the
most competitive fields in years. Contra
Drive fabricator Mike Gaishin finished
eighth in Intermediate.
The partnership of Brenner, Mike, and
Andy continues to make improvements to
Contra Drive. Version two is currently
available with changeable gear sets and a
variety of propeller sizes.
In preparation for this column, I asked
those on the National Society of Radio
Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA) mailing
list for some help coming up with a list
of historic Pattern game-changers.
Someone inferred that former RC
Aerobatics columnist, Ron Van Putte,
was flying Pattern before air was
invented. The list also included
proportional radios, retracts, tuned pipes,
computer (mixable) radios, four-stroke
engines, rubber isolation mounts, electric
motors, etc.
With the Contra Drive costing more
than $1,000, I doubt the lower classes in
which I fly will be seeing Contra Drive in
numbers anytime soon. However, for the
fierce competitor looking for that
competitive edge, Contra Drive may be a
ticket to the podium.
History will tell us if Contra Drive
joins the long list of game-changing
innovations dating back to the beginnings
of RC Aerobatics, when competitors flew
horizontal patterns with single-channel
airplanes.
Before the weather gets too cold to
paint, my building season plans include
putting a finish on my Black Magic,
which has been waiting for my attention
since the end of last building season. The
current (August) plan is to MonoKote the
wings and horizontal stabilizer. The
fuselage and rudder will be fiberglassed,
primed, and painted.
My choice of paint hasn’t been decided.
I have had good results using Klass Kote
Imagine flying a stall turn with a singlepropeller
airplane. As the airplane slows
near the top, motor torque induces changes
in the roll axis, requiring corrections. Not
only does the airplane try to wander off the
desired vertical line, it also tries to twist
around the turning propeller providing
much-needed airflow over the tail surfaces.
During the downline, motor-breaking
changes such as roll axis are corrected.
While adding power during the pull to level
flight, downline corrections often result in
not-so-level wings entering the straight line
exit. (Note: I am an expert at not-so-level
wings; ask any District 8 judge.)
Downline braking is improved because
of motor-generator effect and doubling the
propeller surface area. Contra Drive allows
more precise airspeed control going up or
coming down.
With Contra Drive, the pilot can take off
by simply pushing the throttle stick forward
without concern for yaw (right rudder)
correction. A 10 on every takeoff? Nice try.
Let’s leave it at takeoffs are less work.
The highest finish in this year’s
Nationals for an airplane with Contra Drive
was Dave Snow’s third place in Masters,
followed by Tony Frackowiak placing
fourth in Masters.
These three Contra-powered airplanes were flown in the Masters at the 2011
Nationals: Dave Snow’s Spark, Brenner Sharp’s Integral, and Tony
Frackowiak’s Onas. Sharp photo.
epoxy paint without clear coat. Using
polyurethane clear coat over water-based
paint is also being considered.
My microbiologist wife appreciates Klass
Kote not containing isocyanates (something
about isocyanates being bad for my health).
My only problem with Klass Kote is waiting
for it to become tack-free in my less-thandust-
free garage. Tack-free in 15 to 20
minutes has been my experience. Klass Kote
is a great product; the environment in which I
spray is the problem.
The idea of using water-based paint is
intriguing to me. Not only does water-based
paint offer easy cleanup, a heat gun can make
it tack-free.
The canopy on my Insight is coated with
water-based paint. Specifically, the
transparent blue and underlying silver sparkle
is Faskolor paint, commonly used on Lexan
RC car bodies.
Painting the Insight canopy was a
calamity. With the best intentions, the
glassed and primed canopy was sprayed with
Klass Kote silver. After masking a canopy
frame, the remaining exposed silver was wetsanded
with 320 wet/dry sandpaper.
Faskolor transparent blue was sprayed
directly over the masked silver using an
airbrush. Between light coats, I used a heat
gun to dry the paint. When dry, the sheen
was flat but the paint looked great. Isopropyl
alcohol was used for both paint-thinning and
equipment cleanup.
After waiting 24 hours, I sprayed the
unmasked canopy with a thinned coat of
Klass Kote clear. Bad move on my part. I
was horrified with the “fish-eye” (dimpled)
finish left behind. After a short wait I
followed up with another, much thinner coat
of Klass Kote clear, making the results even
worse.
After progressing through several stages
of denial, the canopy was wet-sanded down
to the Klass Kote silver undercoat. Thinking
that preparation was the problem, I used the
same process again and got the same
disastrous results.
My friend, Lorin Finney, told me epoxy
paints react to moisture in the underlying
water-based paint. Polyurethane
(isocyanates) clears actually contain moisture
and that is why they are the clear coat choice
of many professional painters.
With knowledge gained, the canopy was
again sanded down and painted—this time
with frustration running high and a need to
fly. Rattle-can clear lacquer from the local
home improvement center was used for the
clear coat. The finish is not perfect, but it was
cheap, fast, and is presentable. I hope you do
not make the same mistakes I did.
I have not decided which paint I will use
on my Black Magic. Look for an update in
the future.
My main goal for this building season is
to build an RC airplane with my daughter.
Mary wasn’t interested in buying an ARF.
She insisted on building a balsa wood
airplane in my (our) workshop. At least I
succeeded in getting her to agree to build
from a short kit instead of plans. Perhaps in
the future, Mary and her Super Scratch will
be Sportsman of the Month.
I am running low (aka empty) on Sportsman
of the Month nominees. Since the pictures of
my Honda Element in the July 2011 issue
drew an overwhelming response, I am
expanding reader contributions to include
Hauler of the Month. Please send a picture
and caption of your Sportsman of the Month
or Hauler of the Month.
Flight complete. MA
Sources:
NSRCA
www.nsrca.us
Brenner Sharp
[email protected]
Gaishin Manufacturing
(269) 934-9340
www.gaishinmfg.com
Klass Kote
(612) 243-1234
www.klasskote.com
Faskolor Hobby Paint
Parma/PSE
(440) 237-8650
www.parmapse.com
