Snaggletooth progress photo

LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-03 AT 10:58 PM (CST)
 
Snaggletooth 2 is coming along. I thought I'd post this progress photo. Last night I also came across this 40 year old photo I thought interesting.

Back then, I could fly it but still had to learn to tighten the oil tank cap before acro. Gee, was I ever that thin?

LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-03 AT 10:49 PM (CST)
 
Al,

Plan to paint it like the original?

I'm afraid I'm working on the second set of elevators for my new plane. The first didn't come out quite as planed (too heavy). Should be able to start the finish in a week or so.

Thought I would send along a picture that Matt sent me of the progress he is making on his. Maybe we can get a a squardron going.

Wow.. It's NOT a Stuka!

Then again.. if you build it as an A-36, then it WOULD be a "Stuka" (i.e. a dive bomber).

He is doing this as a classic fun plane, and Al's photos and assistance have been invaluable (not to mention the videos). Matt has modified the internals of the nose because he is using a rear exhaust 61 on a beam mount. He is also using Al's latest belcrank mount, etc., but it will be true otherwise (Well, it won't have Al in it as the pilot, but then...)

Aa an A36 it would be an "Apache". The Stuka if you look at it carefully is very much like the USAAC Shrike of the 30's. State of the art???

As it turns out, "Stuka" was an abbreviation for the very long word in German that translates to "dive bomber", i.e. "sturzkamfflugzeug" (the Germans like abbreviations, because descriptive words get strung together to make really long words). The Ju-87 got stuck with this name because it was the most modern and numerous one in use at the time, but the term supposedly applied to all dive bombers.

>As it turns out, "Stuka" was an abbreviation for the very
>long word in German that translates to "dive bomber", i.e.
>"sturzkamfflugzeug" (the Germans like abbreviations, because
>descriptive words get strung together to make really long
>words). The Ju-87 got stuck with this name because it was
>the most modern and numerous one in use at the time, but the
>term supposedly applied to all dive bombers.

You know, when you remind us of the origin of the word, I get to thinking that there are a lot of stunters that really should be called "Stuka" (Dive bomber).

Al,

Love the pic of the oily P-51!
Please tell "the rest of the story".
Is that P-51 still around?
What is the full n-number? I'll do a search.

That is a cool picture Al...

Al,

Did someone forget to put the cap back on the oil tank? Or, (does, did) this on throw that much oil on a regular basis????

>
>Back then, I could fly it but still had to learn to tighten
>the oil tank cap before acro. Gee, was I ever that thin?
>
>Al

Didya ever try opening the canopy when the radiator pressure relief valve popped? Whoa, talk about a sauna!

>
>Back then, I could fly it but still had to learn to tighten
>the oil tank cap before acro. Gee, was I ever that thin?
>
>Al

C'mon Al--you've got to tell us the story!

Andy

LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-03 AT 11:26 PM (CST)
 
Well, since you ask.

In 1962 and 1963 I worked as a flight instructor/charter pilot/aircraft salesman in St Petersburg, Fla. for an ex-auto dealer named Ed Cantrell. I was sort of the resident pilot gofer. At the time we had a somewhat junky Piper Commache we were trying to pedal for $10,500 with no buyers. To make a long story shorter, Ed traded that broken down Commache for three licensed F-51s located in Elkhart, Ind. Ed arranged for the first one to be delivered to Fla by someone claiming to know how to fly one. Anyway, the best of the three arrived intact. N6306T. It was a really junky son of a gun but it was all ours. In fact all three Mustangs were is such poor condition for newly liscened airplanes it was hard to tell who got screwed worse. N6300T's altimeter proudly displayed "CUB". The cover was missing from the electronic junction box. In flight, there was a 400 MPH blast of slipstream blowing in the gun ports in the leading edges and out the shell ejection slots near the wing trailing edges. One could only hope this would remove some of the straw and debris from the gun bays and evict some, if not all of the resident mice. None of these Mustangs had any radio and only military equipment (sans guns). They could be flown from St. Pete using tower light signals.

Ed asked if I wanted to fly our first arrival, N6306T. I said sure, I would fly it the next day. That afternoon I sat in the cockpit studying the manuals until I thought I could get it started and just possibly fly it without breaking parts of my posterior I valued. Just as I climbed out of the cockpit, the realization struck me that tomorrow I was going to have to fly the thing. I had told everyone I was going to fly it, and now I would have to. The thought was so distracting, I lost my balance and fell weak-kneed out of the cockpit onto the wing. Fortunately, there was nobody around to witness the great Mustang driver slide butt first off the wing.

The next day, we rolled the Mustang out. I got aboard and spent about fifteen minuted figuring how to arrange the parachute harness. Luckily, the engine started without a stack fire which is what that shield around the six exhaust stacks on each side are for. You just can't imagine that first engine start. When I hit the starter that 12'6" four blade prop began to turn. You should have seen it. It sorta blocked out the world ahead of the airplane. The tower flashed green and I was cleared to taxi. reaching the runway, the run up was uneventful. I double checked all of the controls for freedom of movement and loosened the throttle friction to obtain smooth throttle movement. I closed the canopy and the tower gave me a green. I taxied into position and started a rather tentative throttle advance. The noise was hugely intimidating in its deafening roar and I wasn't even half way up to the take-off power setting of 3000 RPM and 61" of manifold. P-effect and gyroscope precession of that huge propeller started me drifting toward the left side of the runway as the tail slowly lifted. I was too scared to use much rudder to try to straighten it. I figured it would have flying speed before I reached the runway edge. As the power was advancing through about 45" the Mustang lifted off. I let go of the throttle lever to retract the gear and the engine quit. No wait. When I released the throttle to get the gear up, it simply closed. No one flies a Mustang without a lot of throttle friction to hold the throttle position while the pilot uses his left hand with cockpit routine. There I was about 50' high with the gear coming up and idle power. I slammed the throttle to the firewall, and fortunately the Merlin responded with a deadening roar. I held tight to the stick and the throttle and just drove the airplane to 5000' without touching anything else. the engine was still screaming its 3000 RPM and I was afraid to turn loose of anything to reduce it to the climb value of 2700 RPM and 46". With altitude under me, I held the stick with my knees and used my right hand to tighten the throttle friction. Normalcy returned as much as possible when you look out and see what must be insufficient wing area to hold up a 7000 lb airplane with a ton of engine up front. Anyway, there I was, and sooner or later I would have to go back and land the thing. To get the feel of the monster, I did some steep turns, slow flight and stalls, clean and with flaps and gear down. actually, the Mustang flew easily when I got over my fright. It was stable and predictable and didn't seem much interested in biting during stalls. Finally, I had to go back to the airport. Controlling the glycol temperature was a bit of a worry but turned out to be no problem. The auto position of the oil cooler and coolant radiator doors controlled nicely the temperatures and I had only to concentrate on normal operations to control the attitude, speed and altitude. On downwind, the tower flashed me a green. I manually ran the oil cooler and coolant doors open to cool the engine on approach and to avoid overheating the engine after touchdown. The approach was easy, the airplane settled into a nice stable descent at 105 kts (based on its 75 kt observed in dirty stalls). Over the fence, I closed the throttle slowly and began a gentle flare. with the power off I kept bringing the nose slowly up, feeling for the ground. Higher and higher the nose went until it wouldn't go any higher. It was stuck in that attitude. Finally, I realized I was on the ground without ever being aware of where or when it landed. The landing was perfect! The handling characteristics were reassuring, in fact, in retrospect the Mustang had proved to be easy to fly, if you just remembered to use throttle friction. It was a fairly scary first flight. If the landing had been a poor one, I probably wouldn't' have had the courage to try it again. I shot three More landings that afternoon. They weren't as good as the first one but they weren't frightening, either. I WAS A MUSTANG PILOT!

Later, I found out why Ed trusted me with his Mustang. It turned out that he wasn't particularly impressed with my aviating skills but simply wondered if I could fly it. If I could fly it, then he could probably fly it. To be sure, he next offered to let the low time line boy try to fly it. Line boys gas airplanes. The line boy had only about 300 hours of Cessna time and never flown a tail wheel airplane. I briefed him as best I could but he repeated my takeoff performance by bringing up the power so slowly the Mustang used nearly all of the runway to get airborne. Twenty minutes later he returned, made a fair landing, ran off the runway, through a drainage ditch, disappearing completely from view. We heard a great roar and the Mustang climbed from the ditch and taxied in as though nothing unusual had happened, belied by the Mustang's adornment of wet grass and weeds. Now Ed was sure he could fly the Mustang. He saddled up and flew it, well, with all the assurance that if the line boy and I could do it, he could too.

For what ever reason, I was a Mustang pilot and Ed let me use the Mustang as much as I could afford with Ed providing fuel at half price. I didn't clear much of my pay those days. Ultimately, I picked up the other two Mustangs, N6311T and N6300T, from Elkhart. With one of them I satisfied every boyhood's fantasy. I beat up my small home town of Versailles, Kentucky in a fine style with passes down main street below the city hall clock tower followed by loops and rolls. There was NOBODY in town that day who wasn't watching some idiot trying to kill himself in a most delightful way.

The day I dumped the oil out, we had a prospect for possibly selling the Mustang. Ed asked me to give him a ride. I was giving my best sale pitch while preflighting the Mustang. The oil dipstick indicated a gallon low so I opened the tank, added a gallon of oil, and to be absolutely careful beyond question, I reinserted the oil dipstick and safety wired it to hold it closed. Then I left the oil tank cap completely off. The prospect was a professional wrestler. I loaded him into the back seat, fired up and climbed out over the Gulf, west of St Pete. the prospect wanted to see some acrobatics. I obliged with a nice slow, slow roll holding lots of forward stick while inverted to keep the nose from falling and causing the Mustang to "scoop out" of the roll losing altitude. When I went forward with the stick while inverted, somebody turned out the lights. The canopy turned completely black as if hit with a bucket of black paint. That dirty old 100 wt oil hit the cold windshield and canopy and instantly gelled making the windscreen and canopy completely opaque. I had to crack the canopy slightly open to find the horizon to recover the maneuver and then had to crank the canopy farther open to look out the side to return and land. The rest of the flight was uneventful. We landed, taxied in and shut down. then I turned around to help my passenger to alight. He looked like an actor wearing black face makeup and drops of oil were slowly gathering and falling from his handlebar mustache. I was relatively clean, the oil having blown from the windscreen edge past my head into the face of my passenger. Ed was pissed. I only lost a gallon of oil but it covered more airplane than I would have imagined. It took about 20 gallons of solvent to get the worst of the oil off and it was awhile before Ed let me fly the Mustang again.

Believe it or not, this was just the first of several adventures in a Mustang which finally led me to swear off aerobatics. I had used up all of my luck escaping from stupid situations which scared the hell out me. I learn slowly, but I learn. The last time I was upside down in any airplane, I tried a slow roll on takeoff from Tampa, Peter-O-Knight airport in a Mustang. I was low on gas and worried about losing fuel flow to the engine when inverted, so I didn't hold enough forward pressure while inverted. I "scooped out" big time and flew though an oil refinery on the east end of the airport. Yes, through, not over. I was down among the towers and tanks dodging first one then another obstacle rushing at me. I prayed then, "never again" if I survived this one, and sure enough, there was "never again". I was young and foolish, a stupid daredevil until finally realizing I had use more luck than most people are allowed. Today I am a thorough, checklist reading, conservative professional, and by golly, I'm going to stay that way.

Great story, Al!

>In 1962 and 1963...

>To make a long story shorter, Ed traded that broken down Commache for three licensed
>F-51s located in Elkhart, Ind....

>Ultimately, I picked up the other two Mustangs, N6311T and N6300T, from Elkhart.

Geese, Al, I grew up in Elkhart, graduating from highschool in 1963. I remember seeing Mustangs and, I think, a pair of B-25's or B-26's at the Dunlap airport, a grass strip south of town. Is that where you got the Mustangs? I was not really flying CL at that time, but I did like to fly my Roy Clough free flight saucer from the Dunlap airport. We flew gliders there too.

There were also a T-6 and at least one Mustang at the grass-strip East Side airport, just across the corn fields and RR tracks from my house, but I'm sure that was earlier. I don't remember seeing any at the larger paved Elkhart Airport NW of town, but they may have had some. Do you remember any of those places? I always wondered how they flew the warbirds in and out of these small grass strips. Any adventures there?

These strips are gone now, replaced by a mall and an industrial park, as is the quarter-midget track at the Eastside Airport where I had many good times and my first airplane ride. I only piloted a plane out of EKM, as it was called, when I took the folks up. It all passes, but "we had Mustangs", as we kids used to say in our proprietary way. I never dreamed that you flew them out.

SK

Serge,

All I remember was, it was a grass strip. I don't remember which one.

Wow, Al and I both flew off the same grass strip! If you count my FF (1961-1965), it was the same year. Cool.

Serge

Beautiful story. Had me on the edge of my seat better than any novel I've ever read, and it's true to boot!

Thanks Al

Enthusiastically,

...Believe it or not, this was just the first of several adventures in a Mustang which finally led me to swear off aerobatics...

Al,
If you get the urge to reminisce and feel like writing it down, I'm sure we'd all like to read about your experiences.
I think if anyone does not get a thrill when they see and hear a Mustang do a fly-by, they just don't like airplanes!

Thanks, guys for the comments.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-28-03 AT 05:17 AM (CDT)
 
Al,

Your escapades in the Mustang remind me of a few stunts in my previous life that I now wonder where my common sense was. God Bless and Happy New Year. There seemed to be some thrill in motoring around southern California and Nevada at 100 feet at 600 knots. Eighteen wheelers made great "Maverick Missile" training targets.

Al (E.K. Gann) Rabe. Neat story. Kinda like the series in Flying Magazine, "I learned about flying from that". I love to hear those, "there I was at 10,000 inverted when this Zeke came out of the clouds" type stories. I only scarred myself silly once, by doing cross wind landings because I "thought" the tower said "winds at 180" but they said "winds at 090". Big difference when you have only 50 hours. Heh, heh!!!!

Ty,

If you want a real X-Wind thrill do some X-Wind landings in a PA-12 or an Aronca Champ with about 25 Kts wind!!!

Ahhh the stories of aviation. I'm glad to see that I am not the only pilot that ever got into a plane to fly without really knowing much about it.

It was 1986 at Warrenton Va airport and I had just put my Pitts S1-S in the hanger. I stopped by my friends repair shop as a T-6 Texan had shown up on his ramp while I was flying. The plane ended up belonging to another of my friends, Joe Natolie. He wanted Sherman Joyce, my friend with the shop, to paint the rudder and elevators that were done up thru silver. Well Joe said " Hey Kirk, why don't you and Sherman take it up for awhile and play some before the surfaces are removed to paint". I looked at Sherman and he at me, and we said sure!

Now I had never flown a T-6 before, but I wasn't worried as Sherman used to fly a mustang based out of Manassas Va when I was younger so he would have had to have flown one to get ready for the Mustang. We jumped in after a good preflight and proceeded to get the thing started. Well sort of... It was running, but not to well. After a quick scan I noticed that Sherman had moved the prop lever back to low RPM. I told Sherman that he may want to recheck it and sure enough after moving it forward it was nice and smooth. On the Taxi I was reading all the plaguards I could. The one I found interesting at the time was the one that read to push handle down to activate the hydrolic gear and flaps. They would remain charged for 30 seconds then return to nuetral.

We lined up on runway 14 and off we went. Pushed the charge lever and called for gear up to Sherman. Sure enough the gear came up and the lever returned to mid position after 30 seconds. Up for altitude and we played for an hour. We looped, rolled, almost everything else we could think of. We found out real quick it had a float carb as it quit whenever negitive G was put on the plane. It's good to have altitude...isn't Al???

It was time to land and Sherman won the flip of the coin on the ground, so he got the first one. I thought it best as he had the time in these things and he could show me what to do before I tried. We lined back up with runway 14 after flying the traffic pattern. Hit the lever to pressurize the system and Sherman lowered the gear and flaps. Sherman was using 100 indicated and asked me if I thought that was a good speed from where I was sitting. Sure, felt good to me, he was the one with the experience. In ground effect and a nice flare. You couldn't even feel the wheels touch....smoooothhhhhhhhhhhh!

I said "Wow Sherman, that was great!!! All that time you have in these things really shows." He says "Time??? I've never been in one of these things, but thats ok, I knew Joe wouldn't have let you fly it unless you had flown them so I wasn't worried a bit".

You should have seen his face when I told him I had never flown one either. I then told him how I had read the intructions for the gear and flaps. He had no idea I was actuating the system. His lever didn't have the instructions for the hydrolics on it. He was just just moving the gear and flaps not knowing I was pressurizing the system.

Needless to say, that after finding out neither of us had time in this type...WE PARKED IT!!!

Since I started flying airshows I have had the pleasure to get time in a bunch of planes. I have flown the T-6 for many hours and even have time in the Mustang. Even have some jet time now. Never thought I would have the chance to fly a flame thrower.

Then there was the marriage proposal at 50 feet inverted .......

Ahhhh thats another story and I'm older and wiser now...

Kirk,

Yeah, been there , done that, in my own inimitable (stupid) way.

A couple of years before the Mustang incident, I learned about checklist from an experience in a T-6.

A friend of mine in Lexington, offered to trade me some time in his T-6 for time in my Globe Swift. This seemed a great idea. I really wanted to fly a T-6. Fortunately, he didn't know what a self-assured incompetent he was dealing with. After a cockpit check out with a description of that intermittent hydraulic system, I was off to check myself out. Actually, it went fairly well for awhile. I made three or four touch and go wheel landings and went around for another. On the downwind, I reduced power, selected 1/4 flaps and dropped the gear. On base, I was a little high, so I went to half flap and pulled some more power off. On final, I was still a little high so I pulled the rest of the power off and landed normally, if a bit long. After landing, I added power and started another take-off. After lifting off, I reached down, put the gear handle up and selected the hydraulic power button to power the gear up. The airplane came to a shuddering stop, at least it seemed so at the time. With full power, it would only indicate 70 in level flight just above the runway with the gear up and I needed 90 to climb. A glance at the flap indicator showed what had happened. The flaps were full down. I "milked" the flaps up and made a normal climb back onto a downwind where I analyzed my recent debacle. Obviously, on the preceding circuit, I had failed to activate the hydraulic button. The reason I was high on the approach was because I was selecting flaps and not getting any. Unknowingly, I FREE FELL THE GEAR and was just plain lucky it locked down. At least I think it locked down. I didn't check, assuming it had extended and locked with hydraulic pressure. Anyway it didn't collapse on landing.

I guess I was distracted by the unusual landing, so I also forgot to move the flap lever from "DOWN" to "UP" for takeoff. In fact the flaps were up, never having extended for landing. When I hit the hydraulic button, the gear retracted and the flaps extended to the selected full "DOWN" position. It was a wonder that the gear didn't collapse on landing or that I didn't scuttle the airplane on take-off.

I did a VERY thorough check on downwind, landed normally, and never flew my friend's T-6 again. I don't think I ever failed to use a checklist again, either. At the time it didn't bode well for a successful 53 year 28,000 hour (so far)career as a professional pilot. It is said, God protects the young and stupid. It must be so.

In those pre-lawyer days, we didn't insure our airplanes. If I had "dinged" the T-6, somehow, I would have paid for it. the subject of law suits would never have occurred to anyone.

Yep Al, I know what you mean about how we handle things now as to back then. I have only had one of my planes damaged one time while being flown by another person. It was my 450 Stearman I use for Airshows.

I had flown down to Augusta Ga to fly the airshow there. There were better tailwinds than expected and I landed heavy with fuel for flying the show. My ferry pilot(Aircraft Relocation Expert) was there to fly the plane to the next show. I was worn down from the flight and told him if he wanted to go shoot some takeoffs and landings to burn off fuel to have at it. The 450 Pratt would burn off the extra fuel in about a half hour of that kind of flying so I went into the motor home to relax... The last time I did that for many months to come!

Well Ben, my pilot, was heard going around the pattern. You can't help but hear a Ham Standard prop in Hi RPM on any 450. Anyway, I happened to look out the window on Ben's 4th landing and caught sight of him on short final. Nice picture perfect approach to a greased on wheel landing. As the plane was loosing speed and the tail was coming down, All of a sudden the whole plane lifted off the ground about 5 feet and rotated 90 degrees to the right and SLAMMED back down! It was still going runway heading, but turned 90 degrees, so as it slammed down the lower left wing smashed into the ground. The prop never toughed the ground and was still running when the plane came to a halt. I was in shock!!!

Everone, including myself, ran to the wreck as soon as we all figured out what we had just seen. Ben was just getting out of the cockpit when we all got to him. His first words were what the f@%* happend? Funny, but those would have been my second words to him after asking if he was alright, but he covered that already.

About that time an FAA on site monitor for the show showed up and proclaimed " I saw everything... It was that helicopter that got you !" Ben, myself, and a few others all said in unission " What helicoter??? " He pointed to a place next to the runway and said that one. We all looked and at first thought he was nuts, but there next to the runway was a helicopter appeering right before our eyes. Next to the runway was a Battleship gray pad with a battleship gray chopper with its rotors still turning. It was like looking at one of those pictures where there is nothing there, but the longer you stare at it, a picture appeers. #####......

As it turned out, the FAA inspector was a high time army chopper jock and was able to explain what happend to Ben. While Ben was down wind for landing the airshow promoters were repositioning the H-60 (Navy SeaHawk Heli) to a static display area. They were talking to the chopper on another freq. so Ben had no idea what was happening on the ground. They told the chopper to hold short of crossing the runway as a Stearman was landing. Ther chopper put down right on the edge of the runway to wait. There was a cross wind from the side the chopper was on, but not a problem normally. When Ben touched down and was rolling out, the rotor wash was drifting across the runway. That is what lifted the plane and slammed it back down...HARD!!!!

After it was all over the FAA guy was telling Ben it was not his fault and to stop worrying about it. Ben was torn up more about me than himself, but I was not mad at him. What made me mad was when the FAA fella told Ben that even though he was not at fault, he would have to take check ride with an FAA rep. to see if he was qualified to fly a tail dragger. Hell, the day Ben got his ticket I turned him loose in my CAP-21!!! He had more tail wheel time as a student than most rated pilots! Ben went back to AZ and a few weeks later received a letter from our FAA buddy. It said that after the accident his boss was pushing the buttons, but that he was able to make his boss see Ben was not at fault. Ben would not have to take a check ride in a tail dragger. Ben then went back to his job of giving aerobatic rides and lessons in an Extra 300L LOL!!!

The next 3 months were spent building a new left wing and repairing the plane. I was able to borrow a 450 from the Flying Circus in Bealeton Va to finish the season so all ended well.

The next year I returned to do the show in Augusta. While checking in to the hotel I ran into a navy H-60 crew coming out of the hotel. I stopped them and and with a big smile asked if they were flying in the show. They said yes they were and asked if I was there to fly also. I said, why yes I am. Oh really they said. What plane do you fly? The BIG RED AND WHITE BI-PLANE!!! Their eyes shifted to looking at the floor and they said " we're sorry... it was our commanding officer that did it". It was like I had caught a little kid at something. I felt sorry for them... well sort of.

They were on there way to the bar as it turned out. Not one to pass up the chance to really make them feel worse, I said " lucky for me your heading to the bar. As I see it all my drinks are free tonight...aren't they guys???" They were for the weekend.....

Kirk

PS. No I didn't sue. I was recovering the plane at the end of the season anyway. Besides, I fly a bunch of miltary shows and why bite the hand that feeds you?

Really looks good, Al. I'm sure it will fly great with the newer RE 61.
Bill <><

Al that is such a funny story! I didnt know you were from Versailles Ky., I was born in Richmond, Ky about the time you were trying to kill yourself in that 51.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-26-03 AT 01:35 PM (CDT)
 
Snaggletooth is making slow progress what with Christmas family doings. I did get to spend some time making flaps.

The flaps will be of unusual construction. I stole an idea from Howard Rush about using a carbon tube in the leading edge of the flap for increased torsional stiffness. It is a little too soon to evaluate the idea as the flaps aren't finished and weighed yet. It is new technology and I'm still figuring the best way to do things (and videotaping the effforts). I used a Dremel router attachment, modified by Bob Wilder, to make a proper 5/16" groove in the leading edge of the 3/8" 4lb balsa sheet. Bob also made a jig for drilling the carbon tube. There is a 3/32" hole in the tube for the flap horn and I drilled (2) .036 (#64) holes for each flap hinge. the small holes are guide holes and are connected to form hinge slots by using Dremel abrasive cut off disks having .020" thickness. Now the whole mess is setting up and I will be able to shape the flaps tomorrow (depending on holiday company).

Why go to so much trouble making such complicated flaps? The airplane is on track to come out 5-7 ozs heavier than the original Snaggletooth and I don't want to build a larger wing or add flap area, so I am trying to add torsional stiffness to the flaps for a bit more lift from my 550 sqin wing. My airfoils are good for .1 oz/1 sqin of wing area for hard buffet free corners. The original Snaggletooth weighed 50 oz with a ST 46 for about .09 ozs/sqin. It looks like this one will weigh about 55 ozs with a Ro-Jett/PA 65 and a larger removable tank. It will probably fly competitively at 57 ozs but I'm working hard to hold 55 ozs.

Every piece of structure weighs a little more than like pieces of Snaggletooth's structure using roughly identical weights of wood. I am fairly sure I'm picking up at least 3 ozs of weight by building with CA. The original Snaggletooth was built with water thinned Tightbond which is very light when dry and still very strong. With the heavier glue, engine, prop and tank, it was a very challenging build to begin witht. Still, with laser cutting, and fast CA building it will be a worthy effort.

I'll post more as the flaps mature. If they weigh much more than 1 1/2 oz each, I may reject them and use conventional structure. For me, that means light wood and 5 layers of glass cloth/epoxy with the cloth applied 45 degrees and cured and sanded one layer at a time.

If this sounds interesting, I will edit this today or tomorrow with photos of the jigs.

Merry Christmas,

Al

The drill jig is very precise. It positions all holes within .001 of the center of the tube.

Small world. I was born and raised in Lexington.
In 1960 I graduated from Henry Clay high school, worked in a small printing shop, then joined the Navy. By 1962 I was no longer around the area.

I graduated from Henry Clay in '62 -

I sure hope Al got good results from the super G.21 .51 I sold him in 1970.

Ralph

RECALLED TO LIFE!

LAST EDITED ON Jan-27-04 AT 07:39 PM (CDT)
 
More pictures.

Al,

Love to see the updates on Snaggletooth II. I was curious about the position of the exhaust exit and the radiator scoop. It would seem that the area around between the scoop and the wing and the interior of the scoop itself would collect loads of oil. Do you do anything special in the way of final covering or initial protection that would minimize or eliminate the amount of oil absorbsion in this area?

Finch

Finch,

Doesn't seem to be a problem. The radiator opening is blocked about 3/4" inside the opening. Exhaust hasn't shown much tendency to accumulate in the opening. Even if it did it would be easy to wipe it up.