Putting RC on hold for a more "rewarding" project
 

I've decided to put my RC dreams and wants on a hold for a more rewarding project. I finally have the time a money to put into something to define myself and to set myself apart from the crowd. I've seen my college friends drop enormous amount of money on things from dedicated wake boarding boats to sports sedans such as the most recent Lancer EVO. But how many actually get that 3rd degree of freedom?

I'm starting my Zodiac 601XL, Starting kit minus motor: ~$24,000.

http://www.zenithair.com/zodiac/pic03/xl-tradimpex1.jpg

Good candidate for a Spektrum DX6. :smile:

Good luck man, and make sure you can walk away from every landing.

the wings are on the bottom, you'll have to fly upside down to see anything:lol:

seriously though, thats pretty cool. guarunteed to seal the deal if you take a date for a flight on your plane. :yes:

Wow talk about expensive hobby! I have grown up around aircraft all my life, my Dad has his AI/A&P. When the oil bust hit in the 80's my Dad took me along when he would do work on peoples private planes mostly Cessna 150s and 172s, Beechcraft Bonanzas, Piper cubs and the like.

We used to go flying all the time and I loved it even in the dead heat of summer down here. I remember doing touch and gos and we would get beat up pretty good. He even let me fly all the way from Montgomery County airport to just over the boarder in Louisiana (he took off and landed of course).

One day my Dad brought home a Bell 47J (think MASH for the rest), we had that thing sitting in the driveway parked like it was a car. The tail boom was removed and engine and trans were removed. My friends and I even would play in it. Then he got a Cessna 150 that a guy landed in a muddy field and folded the nose gear and smashed up the firewall and underbelly. I remember he got a second 150 that was just the fuselage (a 150 will fit in a 2 car garage diagonally without the wings and tail section FWIW). He basically mated the belly skins and firewall from the donor to the wrecked one. I remember it had so many Clecos it looked like a porcupine. I never want to buck another rivet as long as I live. I felt like Bugs Bunny with the jackhammer. Now he is on to the next project It’s a UH-? I only know it by Bell 206 (think it’s the Jetranger not the LongRanger). And there is another in the garage. Let the you might be a Redneck jokes fly.



So what powerplant are you going to go with? You going to stick with the traditional Continental or Lycoming, or go the Subaru or Rotax route?

Jeff

Did you see that guy on the news who took his kid up and threw candy to people then smashed into them yesterday LOL. I went up with a buddy then once we are in the air cessna single engine tells me this is his 1st solo flight. I never felt so free or so close to deaths door. Good luck with that man. I'll co pilot, made it through 1 listening to the tower guy

Wow I didn't hear about that.

I feel so much safer in a small aircraft than I do in an airliner. I fly all the time now (actually supposed to go to Tampa in the morn but lost my wallet). What makes matters worse is that the last 3 years in a row I miss getting Elite by about 2 points, and last year I actually went over by 6 points but they wouldn't count them because they were over 6 months old(didn't notice my 1 pass number didn't get entered). A few weeks ago I went to IAH my home airport and they are trying out the new mm wave machine (think X-ray, but it only penetrates clothes.) I refused to go through. They may have "dumbed it down", but still, they push and push next thing I know I'm going to be singing "Moon River". I love he small planes but hate the cattle cars. If someone told me you have to fly and crash a plane I would pick the small one anyday.

Now the Media has started targeting small airports saying that "you can just walk in and steal a plane and do who knows what with it". Now my private waterway/drainage ditch fishing hole is closed up at Hooks. I gotta get my dad to let me in now then radio up to the tower and ask if it's alright to cross when i used to just be able to get to the side of the airport I wanted to and fish without crossing the runway.

Anyway sorry for the Jack

Jeff

A couple weekends ago I went up in a small Cessna. It was my first time in ANY airplane!! Talk about freedom! I loved the feeling in the air! Then I got the bright idea to jump out the plane! Damn glad my chute opened!!! I'm happy to say that I'm not addicted to Skydiving...

are you retarded ? I saw that jump its like flying in a car and looking 5000ft down. You have some balls. Couldnt pry me out of that plane, bet there are still grip marks on the dash board


whats really scary is being co-pilot, the towers yelling at you 500 feet to your left is Jayz's jetliner and you have to dive. friggin LA, Why no radar in those planes

The standard used to be the Rotax 912, but they're using a Jabiru 3300 now as part of the standard platform. I imagine that is what I'll go with. But the cost of an engine sets itself way off from the purchase date of the airframe kit. I'll worry about that when I have the wings built and avionics installed.

I willingly jumped... I'll become solo-jump certified within a year or 2...:party:

Flying.
 

I fly alot on airliners these days. Flying is flying. When you hit the ground it wont matter one little bit if it is an airliner or a single engine job. Dead is dead. I went up with a friend of mine a few years back and he was a terrible pilot. I was scared to death watching him trying to figure out how to fly that thing. Never again. Good luck with that dream.

Thats awesome william, ill have my private very soon, and those were my plans upon finishing school was to start my plane, i really like the Rv8s with the larger subaru engines, a guy in eldorado has one and its a total hotrod... very fun.

speaking of which i have a check ride today at 4 so i hope the weather stays nice....

Best of luck to you in your new hobby

Good luck man! I have beem around flying a lot in the last few years since my dad got into general aviation. I don't know if I ever want my license but I enjoy the exposure.

He started with a 1998 Cessna 182, then on to a 2007 Beechcraft Bonanza, and no has a 1979 Cessna 414A with RAM engine conversions, all new interior, all new paint, and updated garmin avionics. This thing is bad with the twin turbo charged engines. I went up with him and his instructor the other day and the power is immense. His instructor is a senior pilot with continental and has flown almost everything large and small. He is a constant teacher and I always learn more about aviation every time I am around him.

After some further investigation I might end up finishing an already started CH-601 HDS, rather than the XL model. Wings are already finished minus installment of leading edge fuel tanks, the elevator/ horizontal stab. is finished, the rudder/vertical stab. is also finished. What's left? Mounting the leading edge fuel tanks and adding on a nav/strobe kit would finish the wings. The fuselage kit needs to be purchased, as well as the systems kit (landing gear, control cables and arms....) and assembly. Out of pocket I'm looking at only $6000 for a finished air frame. Engine will run me about $16,500 but that's much further down the road and if I want I could prob finance it by the time I get the frame built.
This afternoon I cleaned out my garage for working space to build the work table. Tomorrow I go shopping at my local hardware stores for some basic tools and table building supplies!