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New guy in Bonney Lake, WA

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Jphoenix

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Hi everyone,

New here, planning to build a biplane someday, looking hard at a Charger or a Skybolt - but right now I'm building a Wittman Model W - aka Buttercup.

I building the Buttercup first so I can get proficient with tailwheel. I'm a long time open class sailplane pilot with not many SEL hours but lots of sailplane hours in a Nimbus 3 and other stuff over the past 30 years.

I'm an A&P, former IA, but lots of fabrication experience from the 80's when I worked for Varga Aircraft building Kachinas and then working on air tankers in Arizona for a few years before moving into the airline business. So, I'm pretty good with TIG or gas and have covered a couple of rag and tube gliders I restored (Schweizer 1-26's).

First question for the forum is that I see Wicks has two varieties of 4130 tubing, AG (for American or German) and Chinese. Priced accordingly. ACS has only one variety and they don't specify Chinese or otherwise and their prices are better than Wicks.

Anyone have any experience with Chinese 4130 - and any idea if Spruce's 4130 is Chinese?

Thanks,

Jim Phoenix
 

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