Turning the Page
I have been thinking about this blog for rather a long time. The Club’s last excursion to the pond was actually at the beginning of last October and I had intended to get a wrap-up of the activities nicely packaged well before Winter set in. No such luck! My family has had to contend with an abundance of problems that stemmed from an electrical pump failure and which necessitated the removal of large areas of flooring and wall trim ….. and of course all the furnishings and “other stuff”. My work area in the heated garage was taken over for household storage and now, as repairs advance, for the supplies ……. so work on the models that I had been planning will just have to wait a bit longer. Relocation and the arrival of new family pets have added a further layer of discombobulation (I love that word, it’s so descriptive).
So now, as we approach the heart of Winter, many of us have to contend with the somewhat exhausting array of seasonal gifts from Mother Nature, snow shovelling, freezing rain, and ……… Think Spring (and turn the page), when I can look forward to reporting on a new season of Club activities and our model constructions.
How did we end the season at the pond? Well, Stan brought some “goodies” that he was selling for a friend. Bob had another test with his lobster boat (previous overheating seems to have been caused by fouling, but this time the prop came loose). If you’re under the “curse of the pond” it can be hard to keep a positive attitude but Bob did well. John McK had a trunk-load of kit and his non-flying Catalina was given a waterline check. He said it was just a little oversize to fit in his bathtub …… it did have a small leak, so another test will have to wait ’til next season. It’s a good looking bird.
Nathan was good enough to send me some more information about the 1/20 scale Graupner jet boat that he’s been working on. He thinks it’s in a fictional Pilot livery. Most of the build has gone well but there’s a small leak around one of the Jet mounts that he’s been trying to patch. Access is a bit tight. He is also fitting it with lighting because ……. well, that’s what he likes, even if they can’t be seen in daylight! The boat will be running on a 2s lipo with twin Graupner 600BB brushed motors and a Quickrun WP 880 dual output ESC. I get the feeling this boat will need more than a bathtub for sea trials!
John McK is making progress with his cardboard “Mega Puffer”, and it ’s really starting to look pretty sharp. He’s been making many of the fitting from scratch and the deck looks fantastic (I pity the poor deckhand given the job of cleaning a deck like this with a holystone). It looks like there will be a suitably grumpy old man on the bridge, as well (the scale looks good).
Don’s been unbelievably busy, working on his model of the USN Enterprise CVN-65. He scratch built the hanger deck, and even the tie-down points have been marked for the planes! The kit came with parts for 32 model planes and Don purchased extras for another 18 and 6 heli’s! The hanger floor and inside walls are now in place, and there is a lot of deck equipment, as well. Authentic decals are to come. The model may be better equipped than the originaI! It seems the ship deployed quite a variety of aircraft at any one time, happy painting Don!
Lastly, and with great sadness, I must report that “Biker Bob” Crossed Over the Bar, just before Christmas. He was a much liked member of the Club, always interesting and willing to help others, and a fun companion in all our circumstances. We shall miss him. We extend our deepest sympathy and heart-felt condolences to his wife and family; his loss will be felt by us all.
