Maiden Flight of my Red Mamba 70cc and Smoke System Test - Sept 9th, 2018

Slideshow Soundtrack Credits (00:19:30):
OverClocked ReMix Title: "Cloud Garden"
Remixed by: Dweezil Zappa & Tommy Tallarico
From the Namco Video Game: Pac-Man
Original Title: "Act 1: They Meet", "Forest" & "Start Music"
Original Composer: Toshio Kai

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02734/
   • OC ReMix #2734: Pac-Man 'Cloud Garden...  

------------------------

I had my “bluff” called…

Some time ago I had some correspondence with Quique Somenzini regarding an Aura8 flight controller purchase that I had made and I happened to inquire if he and his Flex Innovations team had given consideration to releasing his highly respected “Mamba 70cc” model in other color schemes than the current yellow scheme and that I was particularly fond of his previous “Beast” models and found the bold red to be very striking everywhere it flies.

I thought Quique almost sounded “insulted” in his reply as he explained the additional overhead in stocking all the replacement parts in duplicates with an additional color scheme and that the yellow scheme was very well received as he wished me well with my Aura8 configured Beast models.

So… I felt that I was put squarely in my place.

Or was I?

Fast forward to August of 2018 when I clicked on one of my Flex Innovations advertisements and the default page opened to an image and advertisement for the Mamba in the “new” red color. I quickly brushed that advertisement off as I was aware that the “little” foamy Mamba had been released in “red” for a long time now and that smaller model wasn’t really of interest to me. A few moments passed when the memory of that image struck me as “odd” and I was motivated to re-examine the advertisement. Imagine my surprise when I saw that this wasn’t an advertisement for the little red Mamba foamy, but an ad for the big “Mamba 70cc” that I inquired about maybe a year-or-two earlier.

Now the guilt kicked in!

After filling my home with UMX Beast models, Beast 60e models and Hangar 9 100cc models, I felt a strong “obligation” to purchase my first “Mamba 70cc” model. All these years I’ve excused myself from the Mamba as I wasn’t keen on the color scheme and wasn’t willing to incur the expense of recovering and painting a new Mamba while an inventory of “Beast” models still existed.

I really didn’t need another Pitts Model 12 biplane and I really don’t have a lot of space or time for all the models I already own.

What to do?

My feelings of guilt got the best of me and I purchased the new model with all intent to build it over the winter. Once I saw that beautiful color scheme and the grand size of the model, I couldn’t wait to get the remaining parts ordered and installed. While I’m at it, why would I incur all the expense and time if I wasn’t going to have a smoke show? So… I hunted down Harlan again to obtain a second set of “Bad Dog Smokes” smoke nozzles and I ordered a newly released “Holy Smokes” smoke pump to experiment with.

Within two weeks, the model was quickly approaching flight readiness and I was planning on my maiden flight without the smoke system. However, Harlan was on-the-ball and corresponded quickly over the Labor Day weekend. Apparently, Harlan doesn’t take time off and he added expedition to my shipment Tuesday morning at his own expense, having the smoke nozzles in my hands within 24 hours. Again, I felt an obligation to getting the smoke system live as well, being Harlan spent the energy to get me my new nozzles so quickly.

So here I am, on a beautiful Sunday with my new plane fully functional, ready for its maiden flight. LuAnn drove up from North Mankato to offer her services as videographer, so the pressure is really on now.

Note that it was a bit breezy for our maiden flight, but the plane’s flight wasn’t troubled too much for the turbulence. Unfortunately, the turbulence broke up the smoke trails quickly, but this was more of a test of the systems functionalities anyway. Also note that I had a lower right aileron linkage strip out at the end of the first flight. Good that it was one-of-four aileron linkages and not the one-and-only elevator linkage. I simply pushed the stripped linkage together for the second flight, meaning that my second flight was going to be far tamer than I had planned, instead of more aggressive.

Enjoy my maiden “test flight” of my newest Pitts Model 12, built to my own specifications. (including color scheme) After a full replacement of control linkages, I hope to have this on in the air again before the snow flies.

Thank you, Quique!

Thank you, Harlan!

Glenn