Whirlygigamabob

Well, I've been at it again. I ran across this interesting little German piece of engineering some time ago and it, like the Pitcairn Autogiro, has been eating at me ever since. This is a Focke-Achgelis Fa 223, a somewhat awkward attempt at helicopterous flight -- as most of the attempts were back then. Still, the design intrigued me so much I felt I had to do it once I could figure out how to set off the rotors. Then came along my Lego Space Shuttle kit and there were several red truss pieces I thought might work for this. So, I spread out the boxes of pieces all over the floor this morning and had at it. Here's what I came up with:


Not too bad, really, but as you can see, I had to once again take some liberties with the design. (I also gave it a huge shove into the 21st Century by adding turbojet engines.) You can see the tail is way too short, but if I'd built it to scale, the thing would be too tail-heavy and would sit down on its butt. Even so, I still had to find a piece of lead and stick it in the nose to keep it sitting up properly. Oh, well . . . I also had a really close representation of the Focke-Achgelis' vertical stabilizer, but it, too, was too heavy to use. This stuff can be maddening, believe me.


And here's an overhead 3/4 view of this little creation, showing off the red truss assemblies used for the rotor supports. I admit, they're a little bulky and clumsy-looking, but until I can figure out how to use those gray cuffs and black rods at an angle, I guess this will have to do. Thank God I finally got this out of my system!

Pitcairn Autogiro -- Lego Style

For some time now, I've been itching to drag out the Legos and have a go at this odd little duck -- the Pitcairn Autogiro. An "autogyro," as it is technically known, is a rotary-winged aircraft much like a helicopter, with the exception that the lifting surfaces (the long rotors above) aren't powered by the engine, but by aerodynamic forces through a phenomenon called "autorotation." The propulsion for this particular type of aircraft is provided by an engine mounted in the nose, much like a conventional aircraft. Apparently, these aircraft fly fairly well, as there have been numerous manufacturers over the years, even up to present day.


And here's my attempt at this odd little duck. There were numerous problems associated with the construction of this particular machine -- some I won; some I didn't -- but all in all I think I captured the essence of the thing. I really wanted to have the four rotors of the Pitcairn, but there were not enough long pieces to achieve them. And anyway, there wasn't enough room to make two cockpits in this one, so two rotors should do it for one guy. You have to be flexible when dealing with Legos.


Here's a different angle, the better to show off the fuselage. One of the particular features of autogyros I've found is that they always have these enormous, broad vertical stabilizers, I assume to counteract all the torque from not only the engine, but from the spinning of the rotors, as well.


Yet an other angle to show the upper surfaces and cockpit area. The vertical stabilizer is really evident here, especially the two-toned paint job due to the lack of the proper size and shape of black pieces. How can I let this kind of thing happen? Come on, payday!


And last but not least, a shot showing the cockpit detail. I just love trying to fancy these things up and add a little spice of realism. Again, a healthy imagination goes a long way.

So, now that I've gotten this thing out of my system, I can move on and enjoy the rest of my evening. I really miss my big glass front door at Big Bend to shoot these against, with the scenery in the background, so I guess I'll have to work on that some here. Those shadows on the wall are killing me. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with.

Great Day in the Mornin'

Well, I finally did it! After wasting (not really) all these beautiful Maine summer mornings lately sitting here at the computer until noon or better, I decided upon rising that today I was going to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and that was go over to Little Long Pond and try to recapture a shot I took back in 2000 or so. As usual, it didn't come off exactly like I'd hoped, but I got fairly close. Here's the original shot, scanned from a photo:


One thing I forgot was the original composition, which may have been part of the problem, but I liked the way it was set up in today's shot pretty well. (Except that tree in front of Pemetic Mountain is much taller now!) I still like this shot a lot, though. Boy, it was an absolutely gorgeous morning. Just look how glassy that water is. It's perfect!


Anyway, since I was there I thought I'd mosey on across the road and take a few shots of Seal Harbor while I was at it. (By the way, Martha Stewart lives around these parts, for those who might be interested.) I've always been intrigued by the beach, especially at ebbing tide when things are revealed.


Again, as with the recent shots at Sand Beach in an earlier post, I find myself fascinated with the rivulet patterns caused by the outgoing water left in the sand. The addition of the rocks is an added bonus and I may have to return some other morning and do them in detail. I just had too many things I wanted to get in this morning. I was fired up.


The next thing I had on the menu was . . . well, breakfast. This is something I've promised myself ever since I got here back in May -- breakfast at my favorite all-time restaurant, Cafe This Way. Isn't that a great name? It's named that for the signs that point to a little hidden alley wherein the restaurant lies, but whether that's the original name of the restaurant or not remains a mystery to me, and I keep forgetting to ask. Whatever the case, it works.


They have the menu and other related items about the place on a board at the base of the sign in hopes of drawing in the casual passers-by. Lots of good stuff here. Yum!


And here it is! Isn't this just too classic? There are several tables on the outdoor patio, but by the time I got here, they were all taken. No problem, though, as you can see they have a rollaway wall on the front to let the outside in. (Or is it the inside out? I'm not sure which.)


And here we are, inside and seated at my table. The two suspended awnings, which are quite bold and colorful, are new additions to the decor, and are beginning to replace the pointing finger logo on their coffecups. (The new logo can be seen on the "10th Anniversary" notice on the menu board.) That had me worried, as I had intended to purchase one for myself on this outing, but there are still some to be had. Whew!


Here's a better shot of the two awnings -- kind of a yin and yang affair. On all of my previous visits here, I always felt that something was missing, and they must have, too. I feel this really gives the interior a lot of character.


And here is the third thing on my list of Things To Do (it's always in threes): To stop at the Trenton Airport and shoot this yellow Waco YMF-5 used for scenic flights around Bar Harbor. (You can check it out at http://www.acadiaairtours.com) I'd happened across the pilot, Phil, on one of our trails earlier this season and we'd chatted up airplanes for a while, and as he was leaving, he suggested I come out and take a look at the operation someday. Well, hell, yeah! You don't have to ask me twice. It took me long enough to get out here, but it was well worth it, as I now have another classic plane for my photo collection.


Here's Phil himself giving his first morning's passengers a briefing on the route (they chose the lighthouse tour) and some ins and outs about entering and settling into the rather cramped -- for two -- front cockpit of the Waco. I could tell they were a little nervous about the flight, but excited at the same time, and I envied them. What a beautiful morning for a flight in a biplane!


Well, they made it into the front cockpit at last and are now getting instructions on what things are on the floorboard and why you don't want to push on them -- rudder pedals and such -- and soon will come tips on the operation and wearing of the David Clark headsets used for communications. With that big radial engine banging away up front and making all that noise, you really need something to be able to hear what's coming up and where to look. Those big engines are really loud!


Finally, with a gutteral cough and a roar, the big 275-hp Jacobs radial engine springs to life, swinging that beautiful wooden propellor into action. A lot of pilots these days prefer to use metal propellors on their planes for ease of maintenance, but some still insist on the look of wood, especially on an antique biplane. (Technically, this particular ship is not really an antique, having been built by Waco Classic Aircraft in 1999, but the design is from 1935, so it's still an antique in my eyes.)


There they go, taxiing out past the airport's rotating beacon for an exhilarating and fun-filled hour into the very air of yesteryear. It's amazing, but when you're up there flying in one of these old birds with struts and wires all around you and a big wing right up over your head, it's almost impossible to keep yourself seated in present day. That's one of their great appeals, I think. They're magic.


And they're off! Our two happy (I hope) adventurers on their way at last for the ride of their lives. I overheard Phil telling them about all the lighthouses they were going to see along the way, which were quite numerous, so they should have a very spectacular hour's flight around every lighthouse in the area. I wouldn't mind taking that flight myself some day.

So that was my morning this morning, and now it's time to get on with the rest of my day. I don't quite know what I'll do to top this, but I'll think of something. Oh, one final shot:


And with that, I sign off for now. Guess what I'll be drinking my coffee out of tomorrow morning?

Working on The Precipice

As most of you may remember from last year's blog, Mother Nature had a major falling-out here back in October and really put the hurt on some of our trails -- The Precipice, in particular. This is a shot from our earthquake assessment tour we went on the next day, as we traverse the heavily-hammered bridge section of the trail. You can see quite clearly what can happen when a huge boulder meets a mere 2"x10" plank of wood. Our job -- my YCC crew and I -- was to haul 22 of these 3' planks almost a mile up what is considered a non-technical climbing trail and put this to rights. Some fun, let me tell you, as it took us four or five trips. Ugh!


This is the scene Thursday morning as we ascended the trail, looking out at what should be Frenchman Bay. It looked more like a scene out of a movie shot in the rain forests of Venezuela.


Welcome to the Boulderfield. This is a tricky little section to navigate on a regular hike, but just try it with a couple of 3' planks on your shoulder or hauling tools and whatnot on your back and in your hands on your way to your worksite. And, yes, you're seeing it right -- the trail goes in the hole. There's another one just on the other side of this one. Yee-ha!


At the worksite at last, we take a look out over Frenchman Bay once more (now that we're above the fog) and can espy Schoodic Peninsula sitting lazily on a bed of cotton on the other side. Still looking good.


And here are my kids (two out of the three, as Felicia was sick this day) working diligently. While Alex removes the nails from the old planks, Zach is sawing a piece of plywood into strips for use as shims under some of the planks, since the stringer underneath is at varying depths and we try to keep each plank level with the next. You don't want a misstep here, folks. You can barely see one of the new planks at the bottom of the shot as we move closer to the next old one, knocking it up a bit with a hammer, then prying it the rest of the way with a crowbar. The string line is used to keep all the planks edges even along the course. Our crew leader, Keith, strung the rope between the railing supports to help keep us safe and secure while working, as it's a long way to the bottom.


And Viola! She is done. The finished product all nice and tidy and ready for foot traffic, although it may still be a while before that comes to pass -- at least for the visitors -- as there's still much work to do up here. At least now the crew working just behind us can move themselves and their tools (I'm sure we'll be in on that!) on up to the next project site safely when the time comes. Check out the plank in the foreground. I not only had to cut a corner off to fit against the piece of ledge, I had to bevel the cut as well. Pretty nice work, if I do say so myself.

Tools dropped over the side but fetched by Yours Truly (yikes!):
Crowbar (once)
6' folding ruler (twice)
Hammer (once, but fortunately it stopped on the small ledge just under the bridge and was easily retrieved.)

End of Report

Space Shuttle(ette)

Well I know I promised you another Lego plane, but I think I came up with the next best thing. A cousin of mine sent me a PowerPoint presentation of the Space Shuttle being assembled and readied for launch, and it got me onto wanting to build one for myself. Now I knew I didn't have the required pieces (I'd tried some time ago and failed), so I went to the Lego site to find one, but I'm afraid they don't offer a kit anymore.


Going further online, I came across some used kits and purchased this one here, kit number 1682. As it was used, there were some pieces missing (like the whole solid fuel tank!), but enough were there to build the Shuttle itself, anyway. I also found another kit available -- the kit number 7470, a beautiful 826-piece creation -- but it cost $199.99 and I wasn't willing to go in quite that deep. I do have my limits, but someday . . .


As we drift closer in on the Shuttle, you can see the open bay area better with the remote arm used for launching a satellite. Great care must be taken not to drift too close, as we can't have Mr Newton's laws of physics taking over and creating a catastrophe.


Finally, we drift on past the Shuttle on our way to whatever region of space might strike our fancy -- such as the first star on the left, perhaps. (For all you Peter Pan fans out there.) Be sure to wave to the commander as we leave.


And here's our brave commander now. I'll bet you never knew the Space Shuttle was so tiny, did you? NASA would like us to believe that these things are huge and could hold seven or eight people, but now we can see that Lego has debunked that myth once and for all. I mean, these are educational toys, after all. They must be right!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed today's rendesvouz with the Space Shuttle, as this is something I've wanted to build for some time now. I'm still looking to get the larger version someday, but this has satisfied my wants for now. I'll get on that actual next Lego plane soon, I promise. Thanks for checking in.