[RCSE] WOW! scratch builder results!

["Harley Michaelis" <hmlsf023@xxxxxxx>]

76 fellows responded to indicate they did scratch building in one form or
another. This ranged from strictly using a stack of raw materials as I do,
to building wings and tails to go on stock molded fuselages, to the
modifying of kits. 

Several said they had friends, with whom they worked or associated, doing
such building and these came to a bit over another 50 fellows. Considering
that most people probably avoid voluntarily responding to surveys,  I
thought this was a favorable response, even if only about 12-1/2% of the
assumed 1,000 total who saw my request. 

Chances are that half or more just deleted my post without reading it. If
half, that would indicate that 25% of the guys are scratch-builders. That
strikes me as being a healthy % and I know a lot of you out there who do
scratch-building who did not respond, so 25% is likely a low figure. In any
event if 25% can be projected to the whole fraternity of glider guys,
things are not as bad as we might think. There are still real builders
around who innovate, lead the way and extend the design envelope. 

Don Stackhouse of DJ Aerotech made an excellent observation, I thought,
pointing out that all the many kits put out by numerous small manufacturer
are the result of efforts by scratch-building modelers. I think a huge debt
of gratitude is owed to such manufacturers who largely do a labor of love
to accommodate those modelers who  for whatever reasons, prefer to minimize
assembly time. 

Over several years I put out over 200 parts packages for my Jouster (Sept.
1993 issue of MA) and over 100 such packages for my GENIE vacuum-bagged,
never-published, open-class sailplane mentioned on the
http://www.lsf023.com website. All those 300 or so guys who ordered such
packages would be scratch-builders or at least think they could be, which
is a start, anyway. I heard from only a half dozen or so of those fellows,
but only a few are subscribers to the exchange. 

Maybe one of you involved in surveys and advertizing can better evaluate
the significance of the responses.

If I may wax philosophical, I'd like to say there is great satisfaction in
innovating and being creative, whether it is working from raw materials or
just making some improvement in a kit that works out well. The urge to be
creative apparently is inborn. Either you have it or you don't. If you have
it you know it has to be manifested in the form of experimentation,
failure, success and improvement over prior effort. It is an obsession that
never goes away. Here I am crowding age 80 and I can't put it away and am
thinking about the next scratch-built, having just finished one this very
week!.
 
A friend and I just completed GENIE #18 for him. It has about 10 new
features not used before. . .new wing planform and airfoils, (thanks John
Hazel & Mike Selig) with still flat center with detachable tips,  LE
formation, new break-a-way tip sections securing system, some new V-bagging
procedures, Jerry's trilerons, Harley's Rotary Driver System all around
with Volz servos, etc. etc. There ain't nothin like it in the whole wide
world! It is all so exciting I expect to wet my pants on those imminent
first flights. Today was supposed to be the day but the wind is not
cooperating!

Harley Michaelis, LSF023,  26 S. Roosevelt, Walla Walla, WA. 99362.
(509)529-2562   RDS website: http://www.proptwisters.org/rds2/       


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