IMAC Build: Dalton Extra 300

[Notorious B.E.N.]

No telling. I've had the kit since 2009 since I should be able to get it done in 2 years while in graduate school, right?

I'm hoping to finish it by next September or to at least get it to the ARF stage. The company I work for is probably going to be moving me to Manhattan, KS. Problem #1 is that my wife is a veterinarian and K-State has a vet school. Problem #2 may be the flying field there but from the research I've done, a 150cc plane shouldn't be a problem.

Either way I'm looking forward to the possibility of getting out of the Texas Panhandle and to an area with better weather so I can do more flying whether the Dalton is finished or not.

 

[Jlc]

Good luck with the move! I'm a K-Stater. You will like Manhattan.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

Yeah, I'm sure we will like Manhattan and I've been there a few times. I almost moved to Manhattan in 2007 to do my Ph.D. Plus my wife and I like to kayak and with Tuttle Creek Reservoir there, we should be able to go on a regular basis.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

Well Happy New Year to everyone and I hope 2016 is better than 2015.

I got some work done on the Dalton today. First I had to clear off my workbench though. I was working on trimming down the sheeting on vertical fin so that I can do leading and trailing edges. I noticed part of the sheeting didn't adhere to the core so I ran a bead of poly glue and heated it up a little bit to get it between the core and skins. I then clamped it and I'm currently letting it cure.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

Well, proof that the gov't isn't weighing too much on my spirits. I got a gift certificate to EspritModel.com for Christmas so I ordered another MKS HV777 and a neck strap. I combined that with 11% off and spent a whopping $4.13 out of pocket. Granted the gift certificate was essentially $100 in my pocket but I could only spend it in one place.

I went with one of the Esprit Model neck straps even though it says 'Duplex' on it. Will see on how things go before I invest in moving over to Jeti. One of my goals this year is to become a pinch flyer instead of thumb flyer so this is a part of the transition. What I really would like to do is eventually go over to a tray type radio but before I do that, I'm going to start pinching with what I've got and then work on transitioning to a tray if I go that route.

 

[Joe Hunt]

QQ flies thumbs. I'm just saying. Haha

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

I think Leseberg in a thumber too.

Personally, I want to try it and see if it improves my precision flying not that I compete anymore.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

Had to get some of the annoying things out of the way. I got my TREX 600N rebuild done so now it's time to get back to the Dalton.

 

[Jetpainter]

Had to get some of the annoying things out of the way. I got my TREX 600N rebuild done so now it's time to get back to the Dalton.

I had to rebuild my Trex 550e last year after a crash. I managed to break everything but the electronics. It even knocked two magnets loose in the motor. I just got it back together and all the bugs worked out in time for the weather to get bad. I also bought a never flown used Goblin 570 at the end of last year I had to pull it completely apart because the guy that built it didn't Loctite things. I only got half a dozen flights on it before it got cold. Since they are both fresh, I didn't have any heli maintenance to do this winter.

 

[Notorious B.E.N.]

It wasn't a full rebuild but more of a end-of-year maintenance rebuild. I'm getting ready to post it for sale and I want someone to get solid machine and not something that needs a bunch of parts.