Archive for March, 2008

White Gorilla Cocktail

Sunday, March 30th, 2008

White Gorilla Cocktail

  • 2 oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. coffee liqueur
  • 1 tsp. Gorilla Glue mixed with water

Just in time for the beginning of April, this drink for cool spring evenings is a perfect pick-me-up after a hard day of flying and/or building model airplanes. So loosen your toolbelt and grab a glass, an ice tray and a bottle of glue.

Pour vodka and coffee liqueur over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass. Top off with Gorilla Glue mixed 1/1 with water and serve.

White Gorilla GlueDrink quickly, before the Gorilla Glue starts to foam. Blot carefully after drinking to avoid lip bonding.

Tip: For that Ultracoat gloss white color, use new white Gorilla Glue.

Posted in Elsewhere | 2 Comments »

Quadrophesia

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Four Wings

Last October (let’s see… that’s five months ago!) I started building a pair of Mini SpeedWings so Mike Nadler and Gary Morgan could join Dave North and me in foam-slamming combat sessions at Baylands Park.

I finally finished them last night and delivered them this morning.

Why did it take me so long?

Work was speeding along for a few days in October, then I made a mistake.

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Posted in Baylands | 5 Comments »

More Photos! Better Photos!

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

Tom Launches his Executive Jet

I’ve been shooting more pictures.

Last month saw more than 160 new pictures in the Photos section, which is nearing 1,000 photos in all. This month I’m on a clip to top 100 new photos.

I hope to maintain this rate. It’s easier now that we’ve hit better weather.

The pictures are getting better, too.

I’m shooting in RAW mode, which provides more latitude for adjustments, and I’m editing the photos with Apple’s Aperture software, which delivers great results. I also use Photoshop, which lets me use even more tools.

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Posted in Web | 3 Comments »

Talking Timers

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

Talking Timer

I launch my little wing, punch Memory and then Start/Stop on my talking timer.

It begins silently counting down.

Next to me, Bic is flying his Formosa. He’s been in the air for a few minutes already.

Bic was the first person I saw using these $12 talking timers.

At first I thought they were weird, intrusive, gimmicky, annoying.

I enjoy a quiet flight. Conversation is often enjoyable, but silence is a pleasure, too.

The timer was intrusive. But … I like to time my flights, and I really don’t want to take my eyes of my plane while I’m flying.

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Posted in Baylands | 4 Comments »

The Fall

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

A Walk Around the Park

As flyers, we’re fascinated by gravity. We can’t escape it, but we try to minimize its effects on our aircraft through weight reduction, large lifting surfaces and efficient power sources.

Oh, and good judgment. In the hands of an inexperienced flyer, even a lightweight plane can turn into an earthbound meteor.

As Mike Nadler likes to say, “Gravity, not only a good idea, it’s the LAW!”

On Monday I was walking from my house to my eye doctor’s office—a four-block trip—not thinking about much of anything, particularly not gravity, when my foot caught on an uneven patch of sidewalk and I tumbled forward.

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Posted in Baylands | 6 Comments »