Now what are you Makin’?

Well, the shopping malls are not as crowded as they once were. Another week-long festival has come and gone, with the vow that we won’t eat that much for a while. I have been trying to get my new old welder to work as it will have to go to the shop in the middle of January. I bought it for a really good price, but you get what you pay for. I spent more on wiring and breakers than for the whole machine.

I have had two projects that were recently completed. I made a cargo pod for the Korsair, and I was able to make it in the shape of an under-fuselage type 500lb bomb. It has a hinge on it for storing stuff inside. I used a timed-out 10lb propane bottle. I took the top and bottom off of it and extended the middle. I had hard points on the frame that I attached it to. It looks a bit cartoonish… just the way I like it.

The other project was a smoke system. After reading what a number of other pilots had done, I used some of the best ideas to make my own. I tested it earlier and was happy to report that I did not set the plane on fire. It uses an electric fuel pump and a line that runs to the tailpipe. I made my own connections (the welder that my wife bought me for Christmas four years ago is still paying off). Once the fuel is delivered to the tailpipe, it is heated enough to boil but not ignite the diesel and oil mix. I tried it on the ground, and the whole plane was covered and smelled like an eighteen-wheeler.

At lower RPM and on the ground, the airflow and heat aren’t enough, and it goes everywhere 360 degrees around the plane. In the air and at cruise power, it works like an airshow act. If I fly slower than that, I am looking for the sudsy brush. On a gallon of mix, I have about four minutes of smoke. At that rate, my cost per hour just went up. Thanks to Elmer for the first batch of videos.

I am looking forward to the next project, the GK2. I will be able to start it in the new year… more fiddling and more welding. Just the way I like it.

Wishing you,

Tail Winds and No Bumps.