SOMEPLACE NEAR GATORS -- Yes folks, it's true,
The Broadway Bod Busters participate in local cultural events in the off season.
Many people ask, "Just what exactly do Bod Busters do in the off season?"
"How do they come up with all those incredible ideas?"
For the most part we think about next season and get ready for it. Some of us are off in the Southern climates getting sun while others are tromping through the snow convincing themselves it's just as fun, but no matter what, we are all thinking as a finely tuned bassoon just waiting for the chance to pounce. Ever see a Bassoon pounce? I have.
How many countless picnics have been ruined by the heartbreak of bassoon attack, it's a lot believe me.
We first noticed the phenomena while all attending the symphony
at Benaroya concert hall in Seattle. As the orchestra warmed up, The Buzz
Man noticed one of the slippery things sidling away unnoticed, and quickly
alerted the sleeping Combat Monster Don McKay. By this time, The Rein Man
had too become aware of the wayward instrument and shouted "BASSOON!!!!"
I was napping at the time and jumped to my feet ready for the fight. Our
Stunt Guru, Dirty Dan tossed aside his bag of symphony popcorn, sprang to
his feet knocking over several old ladies in the process. The Bod Busters
were mostly prepared to protect the crowd from the monster. Steve
however had not seen the meandering three-octave threat and being taller,
was the one that the approaching security guards listened to. "I
don't see no Bassoon" He said.
We were escorted to the nearest exit and summarily dismissed from the concert.
The Broadway Bod Busters will remain vigilant to this seldom heard and unseen threat.
Should you encounter one, give it a wide birth and contact Mike Hazel.
(See attached picture of typical stunt flyer attacked by Bassoon)
The Technology center has been busy in the planning stage for next season with several new ideas afoot.
I can say that you've not seen the last of us in the racing circle.
A recent breakthrough in fuel mileage will hand us the record in the much ballyhooed clown race, Now if I can just remember what that was.
We will add one more event to Regionals assault and it will be either Quickie Rat or the more popular Super Sport Race. To quote the Combat Monster, "I want to go race. I just don't remember who it is I'm supposed to be racing"
As more of the recently cloned Combat Monster's brain cells generate, he seems to be remembering much guarded secrets from R/C car racing!
We don't know how this can be, but new ideas keep bubbling out of him like gas from a fizzie drink.
On the combat front, Jeff, Buzz, Don and I have been collecting more F2D equipment, and testing the new and improved FAI version of the H&R shut-off. To date we can not make it fail or even sag the engine when the wing gets light on the lines. As the deadline gets closer for mandatory shut-off's in F2D, look for the H&R to be leading the way.
Some of us have started the long and difficult process of getting into shape for next years F2D contests. We will be traveling the 2D circuit in 2008 and one trip involves most of the U.S F2D team. More on this later, but we're running in a fast crowd here so not just the models need to be in shape, we do too!
Most of our equipment is ordered, the engines are being sent from Profi via Jim Booker at Profi Engines Worldwide.
Airplanes from Mike Willcox,, who has his own quality builder, and various other items from Viko and Tom Seigler. So far I'm impressed with the Fora Engine I purchased from Tom Seigler. It's as fast as the Zorro that Mike Willcox used at his last World Championships. Tom has the right prop for it too. It's a red one.
I might as well say it here, you'll find out anyway. We BOUGHT
our 1/2A's.
Not so sad, but very true, Jeff and I sent away to our secret 1/2A builder guy, Jeff Dawson (Did really say that? OK, not so secret builder guy).
Anyway we did it, so no more Swords of Death and the like. Jeff Dawson is the only one who can build a 1/2A as good as the Rein Man, we also purchased a few from Viko.
The engine of choice is still the Fora and Cyclon. My luck has been with
the Fora but both are plenty fast. Profi continues to talk, but the 1/2A
engine needs some work, Jim Booker says it's on the project list for the
New Year.
To keep myself better organized, I have split
much of the combat equipment into the event it is used for. To do this I
purchased cheap aluminum boxes from Harbor Freight, and fitted them with
holding devices, parts boxes and so on. I can carry six sets of lines, two
engines, plugs, props and there's even room for one specific Allen driver.
For F2D, I just pick up the one marked F2D and so on for Fast, 1/2A and 80 mph.
It may sound cumbersome but they all have different lines, parts, props and all that jazz, this keeps it organized. Click here for info on the pit box.
The Combat Monster never did get around to writing the pit box article so I'm adding some pictures of the new pit box he designed. It is equipped with a power panel, 12v battery, lots of room for syringes and what-nots.
There are as many of these things as one can imagine, Buzz will be submitting an article on the "stooge" soon. Mine is an adaptation of the sleeve variety but with some good ideas added for a greater variety of wings. The Buzz man is writing up the detailed article on our Southern Bod Buster Mike Rules version. It's a mouse trap that is pretty cool.
Obviously our strong suit, we will lead with one maybe two new "secret projects" that are now in the works. We have tried calling our mentor "Stunt Guru" Dirty Dan, but so far he hasn't answered the phone. Some say it's because he's busy doing whatever it is that Stunt Gurus do, others say he has a call waiting device and knows it's us.
Whatever the case, we'll track him down, I'm sure he'll be very happy to see us.
The speed project has disappeared somehow. I purchased all of the parts, engine and wood along with a beautiful pair of aluminum wings from Partner. The FAI Pink Lady has just vanished into thin air. If it shows up I'll finish it and fly the nostalgic thing at the next seasons contests.
The fallback plan is the old formula 21 I have ... we'll see.
This could be the most interesting part of next year.
We have one scale entry (not a whale), one carrier, possibly two, a novel idea for fund raising at the NWR and the ever present threat of building a Free Flight. I actually have built a nostalgic Viking (ultimate jigsaw puzzle) But the fuselage fell behind the dryer and to get it out would require a crane to get the thing moved.
So there's lots of activity going on in the Technology center, we may call a meeting at the BBB winter retreat (Gators) as soon as they complete the remodeling project.
We'll see y'all soon.
Happy Holidays
Kenny B and the Bod Busters.
This page was upated Dec. 22, 2007