Inspired by A2A Piper Cherokee

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still a little bit more to do, but I thought I would take break here and post a couple of progress shots - near completion
 
with Special Thanks to the guys at GAS for their beautiful Reliant -8 for FSX.

(This is a -10 but was the closest big balsa kit available)

I am honored to be a small part of your beta test team and I really appreciate ALL the work you all do to bring these Golden Age marvels to us who would otherwise not be able to experience them in flight.

Thank You All
 
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not the best lighting...time of day I guess
Here I have added the oar and attachment brackets for it, the rudder control rigging and pulleys, the side doors and handles, and the cleats.
 
I hope everyone has enjoyed these builds - I know I have had a good time working on these projects and posting their progress here. Not everyone appreciates the hobby or its enthusiasts (it isn't something I bring up at parties or job interviews) but I do - and since no one has stopped me from doing so - here they are. lol

I don't know if I will be doing any more for a while - life intervenes..

For those of you who have encouraged me and my humble efforts - I thank you. If anyone is inspired to build balsa models in this style, I can answer questions about techniques I used or direct you to other websites that are helpful.

I hope everyone gets a good shot at the life they would like to live, but if not - I hope you can at least make this one work and be happy in your time.
Carry on then
 
grip tape applied to the float decks

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and here you can see the rudder control line standoff distance from the fuselage - equal on both sides..cant have any scraping or chafe
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Paul, I'm just happy to be part of something fun. Thank you for that. It means a lot - this is just a very small token of appreciation for what you and the GAS association are doing.
 
You have done it again mate a superb model
I started model building 50 plus years ago but I think I was never up to your standard
looking forward to your next project
John
 
musterpilot said:
You have done it again mate a superb model
I started model building 50 plus years ago but I think I was never up to your standard
looking forward to your next project
John
Click to expand...

Believe it or not - The very first model I ever tried to build was an SE5 Balsa kit - I couldn't say which company made it, all I remember was that beautiful green biplane on the box top, with brightly colored roundels on the wing and fuselage. Diving through the clouds guns blazing...
We had driven across country from Atlanta to Pt Colbourne, Ontario. Somewhere along the way we went through a hardware store and they had a very small stack of boxes next to the counter. I remember my grandpa saying, "you wont be able to build THAT" but he finally broke down. It sat on my lap unopened for about 400 miles and I just kept imagining it flying alongside the car. This would have been 1967 - I was six years old.
Needless to say when I opened the box once we got 'home' I was dismayed to see that it was just a box full of sticks, paper and a block of wood the size of a pack of cigarettes...
I went about gluing things together as you would expect any little kid to do - high quality craftsmanship my ass - just give me something that looks airplane-ish.
In the end and after some help and swearing about a waste of money from gramps (prolly $2.50) , we had something to throw across the yard. Once.
Never forgot that experience. Not something you would expect to 'build' on, eh ?

Thank you for your encouragement, musterpilot - I have another couple of kits here in the shop that are unopened, nother Widgeon that I want to put radial engines on (it comes with parts and provisions for the Ranger engines but I want to model it with P&W radials) and a German Pfeil Do335 and a Navy Grumman Tiger. I don't know when I'll be able to get to any of them though..
 
So I may or may not be able to begin the next project shortly.

It's another Dumas Widgeon only this one will be painted in more conventional colors. I am also thinking of replacing those Ranger inline engines with a pair of more reliable radials...

I bought some aftermarket cowlings for the job and I think they'll do the trick
 
Dumas Widgeon volume II

work has commenced on the new Widgeon. This one will have an enhanced interior, radial engines, and a more conventional paint scheme.
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fortunately I have a few friends, extended family, and a customer or two to take them off my hands - sometimes I plant one in the middle of a yard sale to get folks to stop. I've had some good conversations with people that way. Old pilots, their surviving family members, mechanics and A&P guys - sold a couple of 'em that way.
It's about time to clear a few out again. This time of year it's pretty easy.
 
the cabin and cockpit interior are under construction. I am working on the panel - then I will make an oar to mount on the cabin interior sidewall along with a fire extinguisher for the bulkhead.
then the seats and a pilot will be installed. The cockpit rear bulkhead also needs a control panel - this aircraft had its fuel tank, mixture, and related levers and switches mounted on this bulkhead just above and behind the pilot..
 
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