Resolution: No new build till I complete this rehab of my Solo Star...
Got this In 2011 from a fellow flyer, when she was already 8-10 years old.
Mainly for something to carry my Super Tiger ringed 40 that had sat in its original box since 1996.
But flew her rarely due to (1) almost complete conversion to electric power since 2007, (2) initial difficulties with the ST 40.
Little by little, discovered that the ST 40 needed to burn some 2 gallons of fuel to get properly broken in.
And that it treated well, it would last forever.
And that a bit of nitro (1-2%) helps a lot.
And that rotating the fuel inlet a bit can help in transition (the pickup nipple now points a few degrees south of straight aft)
Still running it a bit rich, but have leaned the slow speed needle 45deg and the high speed needle 2 click leaner.
Last month took it to the field after a 6 month gap, after giving it a small squirt of WD40 to free the carb barrel and the crankshaft. After 3 turns of the prop to prime, it started on the very first flick (by hand). Onlookers were amazed!
Back to the airframe.
Last year I hit a tree branch with a wingtip on approach. Perhaps 10’ high.
She got spun around but landed on her feet.
Didn’t look too bad till I got home and found major breaks in the fuselage in the cabin area.
Did some major surgery, but it was still a patch up job (see unrelated green on white/red/blue fuselage)
Now I found
stretch marks (like my wife had on her tummy when our kids were born) on the green film.
Flew her anyway.
Till getting careless on a landing in a 90deg 5-6 knot crosswind, allowing her to drift off the grass runway into the rough.
Where she hit a clump.
Result, a lovely 20 yearold Top Flite 10x6 gone, and the left half of the stab broken.
Time for major surgery.
Maybe it’s time for a complete skin off rehab. Even the wings have a lot of patches anyway.
Once I strip off the covering and fix the woodwork, I’ll have to choose between a Monokote clone and Doculam (something I’ve not tried so far). The existing covering is some silver coloured film stuck on with rubber cement, and then painted over in the original Solo Star scheme.