Your fancy schmancy dream machine

Corrie wrote:

David, what you say makes a good deal of sense. You can read about a
fancy-schmancy design in this month's Flying - Pete Garrison finally
got his Melmoth II in the air.

But even first-time builders with modest ambitions may have certain
requirements. Example: I'm looking for a moderately-performing
2-place low-wing wood design such as the Piel Emeradue or Cvjetcovic
CA-65, with a folding wing so that the aircraft can be stored
off-airport and trailered. Is that so much to ask?

The kind souls on the Emerauder list have clued me in about one
particular 3-piece-wing design for the Piel. With a couple of hours
of hard work, it appears possible to remove & replace the outer wing
panels - not what I'm looking for. Perhaps the Cvjetcovic design is
more "user-friendly" - at least the outer panels stay attached - but
information is hard to come by.

However, I've got time to do some more digging - I probably won't be
able to even begin building for another couple of years. I frankly
doubt that I'll be able to build more than one airplane. I'm 41 now.
It's clear that the process takes from 5 to 10 years, especially if
you have a family - and I do. Maybe I'll have to settle for a
Volksplane in the end. But here at the beginning, I prefer to keep my
options open.

Corrie

David O wrote in message . ..
There have been many posts in recent months by people contemplating
their own complicated and even radical designs. Reading between the
lines, it appears that many of those people have yet to build their
first plane. May I kindly suggest that one's first plane should be a
time-proved kit or plans-built plane with no major builder
modifications. Build it, fly it, and maintain it for several hundred
hours. After you've accomplished this, revisit your fancy schmancy
dream machine. I expect that by that time, for most people anyway,
reality will have dawned.

David O -- http://www.AirplaneZone.com -- Oshkosh Bound!!!

A couple of things, Corrie?

One, I'd hardly refer to Melmoth II as fancy-schmancy.
Maybe it's more airplane than most.
But there's nothing wrong with that.

And two, IIRC, Melmoth (I?) was a first-time origional design -
designed, built, and flown by one man - Pete Garrison.
Nothing wrong with that, either.

But for the likes of most of our gentle readers, dream on.

That's what P-51 Syndrome is all about.

For you to build something like Melmoth (either) could indeed
take a dozen years or more. (Pete? What was it? 6 year?)

There's just so much you have to learn how to do, and do well.

It would take me a lot longer than that - just to pay for it!

It's just not a reasonable thing for most people to do.

Let me offer a suggestion.
Take five or siz thoushand bucks and Build something a lot simpler.
A SINGLE seater. Perhaps like a Volksplane (although I like my
parasol a lot better. Go figure)

If you are 41, and you want to build an airplane,
you maybe better get off your dead a$$
and get started - on something.

Even if it's not a P-51...

Richard
http://home.flash.net/~lamb01/

Richard Lamb wrote ...

... get started - on something.


And THAT is the fundamental difference between a dream machine and a flying machine.

Daniel

I'd love to. But it's probably going to be at least a year, perhaps
three, before I'm able to *begin* construction on an airplane. Y'see,
I have some "home-building" projects queued up ahead of the
"homebuilt" project.

However, please feel free to explain to my wife why I need an airplane
before she gets a garage, or the kids get their own bedrooms. I'll
show her the best of them, and post her responses here.

Corrie - planning ahead



(Daniel) wrote in message . com...
Richard Lamb wrote ...

... get started - on something.


And THAT is the fundamental difference between a dream machine and a flying machine.

Daniel

On 30 Jul 2003 09:33 AM, Corrie posted the following:
I'd love to. But it's probably going to be at least a year, perhaps
three, before I'm able to *begin* construction on an airplane. Y'see,
I have some "home-building" projects queued up ahead of the
"homebuilt" project.

However, please feel free to explain to my wife why I need an airplane
before she gets a garage, or the kids get their own bedrooms. I'll
show her the best of them, and post her responses here.

I can't help you much with the bedrooms issue, but at some point you are
going to have to explain to your wife that the garage (henceforth to be
known as the "shop") is for building the airplane, and not for storage
of automobiles and/or overflow of household items. You might as well
start prepping her for the idea, rather than hitting her with it all at
once. My own "shop" is not terribly huge, but it works fine for my
purposes since the ground transportation sleeps outside. I don't know
where you live, but it works for me here in Anchorage, so quitcher
bitchin and start building.

Though on second thought, I am reminded of a friend of mine, who grew up
sleeping on the couch in his parents' living room since his dad wasn't
willing to give up the gun room....

----------------------------------------------------
Del Rawlins-
Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email.
Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:
http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/bhfaq/

Corrie wrote ...

I'd love to. But ... I have some "home-building" projects
queued up ahead of the "homebuilt" project.

Me too. Floor beams & joists, plumbing, septic, 2 & 1/2 baths, all
wiring, new kitchen, 3.5 tons of ceramic tile, roof, dual heating &
AC, attic insulation, french doors, brick work.... The plus side of
it is that I find a great many new tools and materials are
indispensible for plane building. Ooops, I mean homebuilding.

"Can't put on new roof without a big air compressor."
"Gotta have a big router to duplicate interior trim."
"Yes honey, that's a LOT of sandpaper, but it's cheaper that way."
"Yes, I need a LONG workbench, it's faster to finish 2 doors at once."
"Of course we need a disc/belt sander."
"Spraying gives a better finish"
"That aluminum? I used it to line up the walls. It's straighter than
wood & I'll find another use for it."
"The angle grinder? For cutting off nails & rebar."
"A random orbit sander is a must to refinsih those cabinets."
"My old drill bits were shot."
"You need good bolts or we'll end up redoing it in 4 years."
"You need a high quality paint mask with this varnish."
"You need MEK to clean it before you seal it & 5 gallon pails are much
cheaper."

The possibilities are endless, but you have to be careful. I'm open
to suggestions. Strobe lights to keep kids from falling in the hole
for the septic tank might not fly.

Daniel

Richard Lamb wrote:

But for the likes of most of our gentle readers, dream on.

That's what P-51 Syndrome is all about.


And I think that even old Barnyard would agree that tickling someone's
P-51 dreams is a lot better than than discussing the shape of Bill
Clinton's ******.

(Please, for the sake of aviation, SOMEBODY back me up on this one point!!!)

--
----Because I can----
http://www.ernest.isa-geek.org/
------------------------

Richard

You'll have to define the meaning of the word "is" first.

Big John

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 18:01:18 GMT, Ernest Christley
wrote:

Richard Lamb wrote:

But for the likes of most of our gentle readers, dream on.

----clip----.


And I think that even old Barnyard would agree that tickling someone's
P-51 dreams "is" a lot better than discussing the shape of Bill
Clinton's ******.

(Please, for the sake of aviation, SOMEBODY back me up on this one point!!!)