Skybolt (taken
out of mothballs 2006)
Very recently revived was this Sig Skybolt powered by a HB 61
PDP. Interestingly, I built it for the American Bicentennial
celebration during 1976 thirty years ago when age thirty. Turning
sixty this year, it is half my age so I celebrated our birthdays
by pulling it from moth balls. Like the Quickie 500, it has
thin wings and flies fast. I also wanted to have it ready to fly
on the 4th of July to celebrate the nations birthday. Will I be
around, will it be around to fly twenty years from now for the 250th
birthday?
Note:
Because of an installation error installing new radio
gear, the aileron arms jammed (slightly larger aileron servo hung the
pointy z bend rods on a cross platform) on the third outing and
steerage lost,
which could
easily have caused the loss of this old plane. Cutting power and
glided into a grove
of trees fifteen feet off the ground proved fortunate. There was no
structural damage, not even a broken prop but the epoxy paint finish is
brittle with age and chipped in many places on the leading edges of
wings. When the plane hit the trees, it sounded like it shredded
but amazingly the smaller limbs that caught and held it must have
absorbed the impact. Some touch up has it looking ok, but the
model can't be flown regularly without it's finish suffering, though I
will fly it again July 4th and as many following years as it and I are
able. Some where a set of wheel pants are stored... finding them
could be a challenge.
