Attention Ted Fancher about the original Imitation paint sch

Hello everyone,
This message is primarily for Ted Fancher but if anybody else knows the answer please feel free to respond as well. Ted, I am currently building an Imitation and I went to the AMA archives and downloaded your 1979 article on the design of the plane. I am building exactly per plan with the all of the standard modern features along with a foam wing with wing- mounted gear. After studying the article and the black and white photos, I decided to replicate the scheme based on the original design of the graphics from the cover photo of your 'better half' displaying the plane. I can derive the graphic proportions from the photo close enough but what were the original colors so I can match them as close a possible with the current line of Brodak paint? I can assume the colors were obviously red, white and blue but what red, and what blue were used? Thank you for your imput.

Olive you keep
on flyn'

>Hello everyone,
>This message is primarily for Ted Fancher but if anybody
>else knows the answer please feel free to respond as well.
>Ted, I am currently building an Imitation and I went to the
>AMA archives and downloaded your 1979 article on the design
>of the plane. I am building exactly per plan with the all
>of the standard modern features along with a foam wing with
>wing- mounted gear.

One thing to change - DO NOT hollow out the fuselage to save weight. The one potential issue with the airplane is that that the large tail and profile fuse tend to result in in-flight misalignments. Taking out 90% of the wood really doesn't help it much! One modification that has proven beneficial is to split it in two spots lengthwise and embedding .014x1/2" graphite laminate all the way from above the wing to below the tail. Then fiberglass the fuse with 1/2 oz glass and epoxy.

Aside from that, it's one of the best stunt planes ever designed, and in fact most of the West coast designs are at least influenced by it, if not attempt to reproduce it's flight characteristics exactly. My airplane went from stock full-fuse Imitation with a Nobleresque fuse, to extended Imitation (Imitation XL) to Infinity #1 (same as Imitation XL except for wing) and Infinity #2 (Infinity #1 with fuse shortened back to original Imitation and airfoiled tail similar to original but thinner) and slightly larger flaps. And now it flies about as well as the original.

After studying the article and the
>black and white photos, I decided to replicate the scheme
>based on the original design of the graphics from the cover
>photo of your 'better half' displaying the plane. I can
>derive the graphic proportions from the photo close enough
>but what were the original colors so I can match them as
>close a possible with the current line of Brodak paint? I
>can assume the colors were obviously red, white and blue but
>what red, and what blue were used? Thank you for your
>imput.

Ted can answer, but I seem to recall some gold pinstriping on there, too. I guess K&B dark red, K&B dark blue, gold, and white (Monokote and K&B).

Brett,
Thank you for the prompt reply. I have already done exactly what you had recommended with the fuse using the carbon veil and thinned epoxy between the fuse halves. The fuse is nearly completed with the exception of the glassing. The wing has the gearblock mounts in and has been sheeted. I watched Windy's video about foam wings regarding material weights and technique. Right now I am carving and hollowing the wing tips. These will be my first 'Pro Stunt' tips and I have been studying Windy's Nobler Video Series on how to install the lead-out guides and create the tip weight box. I have a Neumman MagnumXL .53 engine which is on loan from Walter Hicks. This is the first plane I have built since I finished and flown my white and burgandy T-Bird in Intermediate for Woodland's Meet & Meat and Clovis' Golden State Contests. I am looking forward to flying the Imitation! I flew Mark Wasnick's Imitation after last season and fell in love with it immediately! Thank you again for your comments!

Steve,
Thank you for the photos. They will help!

Olive you keep
on flyn'

Steven Yampolsky
Webmaster for www.control-line.org

Steven,

Thanks for posting the pix. At my age the memory ain't what it used to be and I simply don't have many pix of my old planes except those sent to me by kind friends. Don't know of any Imi.. pix in my house.

Martini Guy.

This pictures should give you a better idea than would my memory. What I do recall is that the wing and tail were covered with white monokote and the fuse painted (probably K&B Superpoxy as Brett suggests) to match. The trim on the wing was all stick on monokote so you should be able to get an exact match at the hobby shop. Red and Blue as is obvious, plus gold for the stars. The fuse trim was probably painted with colors matching as close as possible from the K&B line. Of course those aren't avaiable anymore. Too bad since they were great paints for stunt ships. I think but am not sure, that the 1/4 inch or so trim line around the red on the fuse was gold and was probably some sort of striping tape.

It wasn't exactly a high zoot paint job but it looked good and lasted a long, long time. And the airplane, like Brett says, was probably the best and easiest to fly design I've done. The nice thing about it is how insensitive to trim it was while retaining competitive performance. I encourage those looking for a good intermediate to advanced airplane to check this one out. Ultra Hobbies has a pretty nice laser cut kit for it available now. Is that where you got yours, by the way.

Good luck and good flying. I know you'll enjoy it.

>This isn't a flame, as such,
>but whatever it is, let's
>not take it as entirely
>negative. Several times the
>last few years, the Houston
>group has tried a Super
>Slow event with the engine
>limited to a Fox 35.
> As anyone who has
>been around these forums any
>length of time should know,
>I developed a strong affection
>for those old Foxes and
>have no hesitation about admitting
>to it.
>
>But even with 52 foot lines
>instead of 60's, the old
>Fox engines don't keep the
>planes out at the ends
>of the lines in the
>kinds of sudden maneuvers that
>Combat consists of. I
>had plenty of fun flying
>that version of Super Slow,
>but don't think it really
>meets the definition of what
>combat is, any more than
>some of the early stuff
>with wheeled, fuselaged planes did.

Yeah, the mistake was specifying the Fox Stunt. Even in Super Slow, the Fox Stunt is inadequate. They're hard to start when hot. Most won't even do 70mph and slow down in the turns, to boot. They may be a nice stunt engine, but a really poor choice for Combat.

Hear Hear Amen and two beers from the front pew.
Bigiron