May 25, 2009

Getting ready for the Nationals!

I suppose it's time to post an update, if nothing else to quell the rumors of my demise (it's funny how if you get quiet, rumors spread fast). I assure you we're alive and VERY well. We have kits in stock and lead times are shorter than ever.

So what have we been up to? Well, if you're hoping to see a suprise at the Nats from us, don't hold your breath. Yes, it's true I am working on something new, but I have been for a long time now (over a year already). But if you're familiar with the way I do things, you know that I won't ruch anything just to get it to market in a certain time frame. If you're in that big of a hurry, our planes probably aren't your cup of tea anyway =)

But I will give you a bit of insight. At the Lakeland contest last April, the prototype VF3 went in due to a broken wing tube (and/or loose bolt....which one failed first doesn't matter). The bottom line is lack of maintenance on my part. That plane had over 2000 flights on it with no real maintenance. Shame on me. I have now built 22 VF3s, and not a single one for myself. So I sit here at the end of may with nothing to fly. I'm working furiously to try and get a new plane done for the Nationals, but it's taking all of my time and energy to do so. So when the stock I have is gone, it'll be after the Nats before I complete another run of kits. Currently I have a couple of basics, a couple of electrics, and a few more pros. I currently am out of stock on wing and stab tubes so be advised.

This year Custom Airframes is again sponsoring the Concours de Elegance at the nationals. This event is growing, and we are doing our best to keep pace. That trophy is bigger than if you won the nats flying, and it means you are "the man" for a year. Only a couple of people have won this prestigious award, so the champions are in rare company. Details of this competition can be found elsewhere...

As a result of all of this, the 110 project is still on hold. I'll warn you now: the demand for this plane is higher than anything I have yet seen. So if you want one be ready when it becomes available or the wait could be VERY long. These will be hand picked, hand made and laser cut kits so it takes a great deal of time. I won't settle for "good enough". It has to blow the doors off everything else in it's class or there's no point in making it at all.

Other than that, yes, new stuff is coming down the pike. I won't go into any details yet but it's going to be cool. I will say it's not close to ready but when it is you can bet it'll raise the bar. The challenge I have is topping the VF3. I have a short list of improvements but nothing major. The VF3 already does everything I could ask of it and good luck finding a plane that flies better. It comes down to your style at this point. The VF3 is slow and stable, but highly agile. We're playing with a razor's edge on flight characteristics and I don't want to shove the balance too far in any direction. Still there is room for refinement. I don't forsee the successor being available this year, and would hesitate to guess at a time frame. I also wouldn't guess the differences in flying to be that much different from the current VF3. Most of the improvements thus far are in construction. The changes to the aerodynamics are minimal. Don't even ask for pics, it's still a drawing.

In case you missed it, Mark Atwood and Bill Pritchett won best aerobatic plane at the Toledo show. In fact the Black Magics he built took first and second place! If you haven't seen these planes up close, they are masterpieces. I want to personally congradulate and thank Mark for his work and his support through this process. He has provided valuable feedback and I am applying some of his advice in the future.

That's all for now. I'll see you all at the Nationals, and with any luck I'll have a new plane to fly!

-Mike

December 2, 2008

What a whirlwind year this has been! It's hard to believe it's already December. Where does the time go?

We are currently experiencing longer than normal lead times on Pro and sheeted kits. These are seemingly in great demand right now. Sheeted kits are always made to order, and always take a while longer. I make these myself, in my own shop, and it's about 40% of the entire build on one of these planes. The pro kits are simply much more involved as we have an extra step in the manufacturing process, and carbon supply is sporadic at best....

That being said, the "normal" lead time on a basic kit is about a week to 10 days from the time payment is recieved. Holidays and contest season are usually the busiest for me, and hence it just takes a little longer to get things done. We are in a stage where we as a business have outgrown this shop, but the next step is nothing short of massive. This is usually where someone throws in the towel and just contracts ARFs out to China....sorry but if you're waiting on me to do that, you have a heck of a wait.

At some point the demand for this plane will dwindle and I will have them just laying on the shelf. But that could be a ways off. It's just very very hard to beat the value of this thing for what it is. Obviously we touched on something that was greatly wanted or needed, and I am very happy and proud to be able to fill that for you all. A wood 2 meter pattern plane...who woulda thought? The success of this design is a testament to YOU, not me. You made this plane what it is, I just designed it and cut parts. Each and every one of you have my appreciation as well as my utmost respect.

One question that keeps coming up lately: What's next?

Well, the 110 is next. Yes, I'm busy like you wouldn't believe and this project has taken MUCH MUCH longer than I ever anticipated. However, it is slowly taking final shape. There are no "public" pictures of this plane for a reason. Let me restate that what I have built and what is the final plane may well be 2 different thing. Although the overall shape of the finished plane will be very similar, the construction may be vastly different in certain areas...so after the first of the year, this is priority #1, second ONLY to building myself planes for next season. I will keep you posted when I have something new to report.

Now to crush a rumor before it gets started too well. No, I am not releasing a new 2 meter before the nats. I AM doing a lot of testing and experimenting with new ideas, but in order to release something by next summer I'd have to be fully geared up already. And the problem (if you can call it that?) is that I can't find enough about the VF3 that warrants a change to justify anything new. IE, there's nothing wrong with the VF3! Except that it's 2 years old, which is archaic in terms of pattern designs. I like new stuff as much as anyone else. But no, not any time soon.

After a lot of flight testing with the anhedrals, here is my verdict: They are the shizzle for FAI. But they are not different enough to scrap your straight stabs and replace them, unless you have rolling circles in your nats pattern. They do tend to make the plane a little faster and more responsive, as well as nulling out ANY mix, but they are not without subtle drawbacks. The most pronounced is in severe turbulence, you have to stay on top of wings level. It's subtle enough it took months to even put my finger on it, but it's there. In short, if you fly a lot, it's not really a drawback. But the straight stabs are like cheating in this respect.

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for sticking with us and supporting us through this wild year of growing pains and strange setbacks. This "business model" is fairly unique and not without it's own highly irregular learning curve. We've stuck it out and refused to say "die" and you've stuck by us. And for this, we'll forever be in your debt and you have our utmost respect. And we hope to grow and continue to serve your needs for many years to come. You guys are the best there is, and the reason we do this.

One final note for this update: Come the first of the year we will be launching a new website. Same address, but much easier to navigate and with a lot more content. And possibly a suprise or two. Until then....make some dust, and score 10s!

-Mike

September 10, 2008

Ok, I spose it is time for a quick update on the Black Magic1.10 !!

It's 6 feet from me right now. The prototype is built minus composites, I'm working on the plugs as time allows. Mike D is cutting me out a couple of beta kits to spread around to my guys and get some feedback. We're tweaking the wing roots and as far as the kit itself that's the last piece. The fit of this one exceeds even the VF3. The building techniques are similar, but the tedious process of building the front end has been eliminated....if it holds up to this YS.

So, as soon as the molds are completed, it flies. This process takes as long as the plane itself, because any minute defect is in every single part ever pulled from then on....so it is time consuming. Unfortunately it is still not my top priority as I have a couple of planes to paint, and the weather and my shop equipment haven't been cooperating very much. but now that I am fully in painting mode the plugs are in the mix on the forefront with 3 other planes.

And this is the busiest time of the year for me under normal circumstances. This year has been uh....interesting to say the least. And to top it off, I still haven't found the time to build myself a plane yet LOL

So to sum up, it is progressing very nicely, just not as fast as I would prefer. But it's getting there, and just ask the couple who have seen it, it's going to be worth the wait. I am doing up 2 versions, one glow and one electric. I am testing a particular electric system that seems better tuned to this particular plane than any other out there. It uses a 250kv outrunner and 8s packs....but can use 10s for obscene power. Target weight for the electric is around the 8 lb range. This plane is pretty large for it's size category, so I doubt a 90 sized 2 stroke would be enough, but we'll see. It's a little more like a 120 sized plane, but not as large as say, the Aquila....but a bit larger than the Focus sport. I have aplied everything I have learned from the 2 meter Black Magics so this one should be unique among it's peers. My goal is a plane capable of winning masters and FAI, but smaller, more affordable, easy to build and maintain....the perfect practice plane. I wanted a plane that I could go practice FAI unknowns with and not worry if I dirt napped it on the back of a 3 roll reversed rolling circle. But capable of doing it as easily as my 2 meter. I think I have one heck of a head start down that path.

My largest hindrance is the size of my shop. CAA is a 2 car converted garage....5 work tables, 4 of which are constantly in use for making the kits. So it has spread into my camper, my upstairs of my house, my basement, and in some cases the driveway! My wife has drawn the line at storing cores in the bedroom though. LOL

If things keep going smoothly next year we are planning on moving into a new place, with a HUGE shop and a little land. If I had that kind of room the 110 would have been done a year ago. Upon the lauch of this 110, if it goes anything like it looks from here, I may have to get some small warehouse space. But I'm just "typing out loud" here

I am still in a search mode for landing gear. I decided to do full kits, so sourcing that landing gear has become a PITA. The most likely solution is an aluminum gear, etched with some nice engraving. Costs about half as much as a carbon gear, but the weight is pretty close. And boy you should see how these things polish up, they look like chrome! With an engraved dragon running down the legs....it's pretty cool. But I still have my eyes open for a reliable inexpensive carbon solution

So that's where that is....this weekend and next I am out of town for contests, so I'll see you guys out there in Huntsville and next weekend at the D4 champs!

Make some dust, burn some fuel, and have some fun!

-Mike

August 26, 2008

Pure ugliness. I will address this once and only once. By now many are aware of a situation that has been plaguing online forums forever. Anonymity makes people believe they can get away with murder...or libel to be exact. When this is allowed to go unchecked, it plants a seed of doubt. And in an industry that lives and dies by reputation, it can do serious harm. And already has.

There is no need to address specifics here as it has been addressed elsewhere. The only thing I wish to convey is the one thing that always draws another round of attacks: CAA is alive and well, and isn't going anywhere. Yes, we've been hurt. No, it isn't enough to take us out of the game. I have no intent of pursuing this any farther than I already have. the offender has been cought, and justice is up to the community, not me. I feel very bad for this person's sponsors because I know they must be very embarassed right now. It will be interesting to see how they react in the coming weeks. I am by no means a large enough company/business/whatever to absorb many attacks like this. So I would ask each and every one of you to use your head. If you hear something negative, about ANYONE, consider the source carefully. if you have never met the person saying terrible things, do NOT let this type of crap stick in your mind. That is the whole purpose of the attacks in the first place: they do not have to be specific to be effective, they just have to make you plant a subconcious black mark against the attacked.

If you would not allow or condone this type of behavior in pattern, I would suggest you contact the companies involved on both sides and speak your mind. "All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing". -Winston Churchill. Since this affects real people in a real community, it's best to handle it in person from here on. I have no interest in persuing this any further than just what I have done already, which is exposed something so ugly that it's very hard to take...but makes you stop and think and not take everything you read at face value.

Pattern is one of the best communities in R/C aviation bar none. It has a higher percentage of good people vs. troublemakers than any other community I have ever been involved with, in any way or medium. While I hope the offending parties (yes plural, you figure it out) get what they deserve, what I do not wish for is for pattern itself to get a bad mark because of it. Keep it in perspective....it's a couple of people in a very large group of decent people. beware of pretenders coming from the outside to spin this in a different light. if you don't know that person, thier intentions should be questionable. What makes this situation so hard to swallow is that it was perpetrated by a VERY well respected member of the community.

I will probably not be posting nearly as much online as I used to, which I believe is exactly what they wanted to begin with. I will however be working on our own forums much more in the near future. One hard and fast rule about the CAA forums: that's my board. Post under your real name and if you start any trouble you're banned with an IP trace. Go and play in the cesspool of anonymity elsewhere. Over here you'll be held accountable for what you say to another person or about another person.

It is not my intent to perpetuate this any further, but simply to address this here because it has affected me, and if you're a customer, it has affected you as well. I look forward to much better days ahead without waking up wondering what anonymous jackhole is spreading lies and accusations THIS morning.

There are some really cool things coming down the pike here very soon, so stay tuned, and let's move forward with resolve!

-Mike

August 5, 2008

Back from the Nats! And what a fun nats it was. From my perspective the flying was the best it has been in years, across the board. Lot's of Black Magics there too!

CAA sponsored this year's Concourse de Elegance, and what a fantastic turnout! This year we split it into a craftsman's award, and a best of show. Todd Schmidtt won the overall with his self designed and built composite Defiant. The amount of work that went into that thing is amazing! The craftsman's award was won by one of the best builders in the USA, Luis Rodriguez. Luis had built a Pentathlon, all paint, and it was TIGHT! The panel that chose the craftsman's award was made up of myself, Don Lowe (yes that Don Lowe), Bryan Hebert, Earl Haury and Ron van Putte. Let me tell you there was serious competition this year. All of us have been around the block a few times, and it was tough to choose. John Pavlick had a SWEET Black Magic that was done in dope and silk, and he would have been hard to beat except he monokoted the wings instead of painting them. That's how close it was...

We recieved 84 votes (out of about 120 pilots, that's pretty good!) and Todd's work on his Defiant recieved the most votes by a narrow margin over Luis's Pentathlon. Let me tell you, these guys earned those trophies! And they were just that, large trophies, not plaques that we're accustomed to recieving. I was wondering how that would be recieved, but judging by the THUNDEROUS applause and the reactions of the winners and their peers, I'd say this is more than worth it and this is how we're going to do it from now on. Except next year I'm raising the stakes a bit, so go ahead and start planning now =)

So how are things here? Well, better than ever before, and that's saying something. We have kits in stock (very short lead times) and I'm playing with new stuff....I'm doing some painting which I'll be documenting for the forum threads, and working hard on this 110.

Speaking of the 110, I bet that was the #1 most asked question at the nats. "When is the 110 coming out?" Well the short answer is soon. The long answer is, when it's ready. I haven't taken pictures yet because I have made some changes. The plane was designed over a year ago and I have learned a lot since then. After a retool and a second build, we're about to see the light of day with this thing. No I'm not giving hard dates until I know what they are for certain, no guessing. But until I am certain it can handle the -11 FAI patterns and groove and fly like a 2 meter, it's not ready. if you want just a "good" 110 sized pattern plane, there are plenty out there already. If you want one you can truly practice FAI with or an exceptional entry level plane, then save space on your Fall/winter building table for this plane.

While I'm at it I am taking the time to revisit some experiments with the VF3. I have a set of anhedral stabs I made up, and if they do what I think they might without any of the negative side effects, I will make them available to everyone else as an option or upgrade. The tooling for them is little tricky but they are very easy to install and align. if the plane is already flying, and the stab is well aligned in the first place, it should be a plug and play. That is, if it works...

I don't do "promises" unless I know I can keep them, and that's why no dates on any of this. When I get the details worked out, I will let you know.

Again a huge "THANK YOU" to all of the people out there who have supported us and been friends to us. You are the reason we do all of this, and you are the reason that we're still here! We had some severe growing pains this year, due to many wild and unforseen circumstances, but in retrospect I am very grateful because it forced me to take a load off and focus instead of killing myself and my family in the process. It has had the added bonus of sprouting up many new builders out there and this is of value to EVERYONE! It has also forced me to adjust my goals and tought me without question what to avoid for long term staying power.

Now make some dust, burn some fuel and I'll see you out there!!!

-Mike

June 19, 2008

Time for an update.

Things are going well, kits are in stock, the wild events of the last few months have smoothed out greatly. Supply is getting better, although the price of carbon has gone up yet again. Still not so much as to warrant a change, but it does sting a bit. Since carbon is made from crude oil, well, you can imagine. In the future I probably won't make quite so extensive use of carbon just to keep the prices and supply reasonable.

Speaking of the future, one question seems to be on everyone's mind: When will the 110 be available??? I honestly wish I had a firm answer to that question. But soon. I expect to fly the prototype within the next couple weeks and at that time I will begin taking orders. Orders for this plane will be first come, first serve, and I can tell you already the demand for this one is pretty strong. But I will fill the orders in the order that payment is recieved. The best bet is to order early and be patient. It will be worth the wait. How long the wait will be depends on a great many things, but it won't be TOO excessive. I'd do it differently if I could, but the reality is, there is only one of me and my wife, and we are picky. It takes time.

The good news is, it will be a full kit. Pretty much everything in the box except finishing materials. Due to the price I won't be offering sheeted kits, but I do have a couple of professional builders on tap if you really want it done for you. I will list thier contact information soon.

So, why the delays? First as I said, I'm picky. I don't want just another plane, I want THE plane in this size range. I want it easy to build, relatively inexpensive, and flight characteristics that are second to none. The design itself is proven, but the possibility exists that we may have to adjust the dihedral, stab location, etc to get a neutral plane with minimal mixing. This is the main reason I am not yet taking any orders, because unlike some, I won't sell a plane that hasn't been thoroughly tested. And one thing you can count on is ice cold honesty about it all.

The other things I'm looking into is someone esle to make the composites, and finding a reliable source for landing gear that doesn't cost a fortune. It appears this kit will be in the range of $350.00-$400.00, so I want to make SURE it's worth every penny. I may offer a "short kit" version, but that remains to be seen.

One thing I keep getting asked for is pics. One reason I have been hesitant to get someone over here (still don't have my camera operational again) is that I have made some HUGE changes and what you see may not be what you get. I will however take some pics of the plane when it is framed with the plugs in place just to give you an idea. Right now the place is a mess. It looks like a wood chipper exploded. I also have three 2 meter planes to paint over the next couple of weeks and my shop is at it's limit.

So, just be patient, hang tight, and be ready. it won't be long now and we'll have some firm details on this thing!

Also of note, I would love to get together with all of the Black Magic pilots at the Nats this year for a group picture. I realize the logistics of doing this are pretty wild, but I will try and make it worth your time. I think it would be neat don't you?

More soon...

-Mike