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Total BUST on the Smith Miniplane

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littlebiplane

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Geez, am I tired! Just got back from a 472 mile round trip to go see and pick up the Smith Miniplane I was talking about earlier in another thread.


As expalained the builder did a great job but it's WAY different than the plans and he made so many changes that (I found out after I got there) he tried for years to sell it but couldn't. Nothing is similar to the plans, the guy just chose his own direction and went with it. I have always admired people that experiment with design but it's just not for me. He also had a list of problems he was working on that happend because of the changes. It was as if he did it with out much thought. Anyhow, Harold is a VERY kind person, so I bought him supper, talked airplanes and said no thanks. I can't imagine I would ever turn down a free (partial) airplane but this would be the last thing I need right now.


So the question becomes "now what?"


Well, i'm sure that any of you folks that have followed me on this forum know that this process has been a little grueling. Let me do a recap for my own sanity.


Since I was a kid I have always loved biplanes. Early on I became in love with the Pitts special. I can even remember the first Pitts I ever saw up close. It had a neat little sticker that said the words "a very special airplane" or something similar. Anyhow, as any little kid would, I had dreams of one day owning one. Year after year, airshow after airshow, I would always track down and take pictures of the Pitts specials. I would build carved outwood ones, build plastic ones, and go to the principals office for drawing little biplanes on my textbook margins.


Years past and I never ended up with one. Instead of my little biplane I ended up with a monoplane, infact,a coupleof them.


Then I get married and pound out a few kids. Once I got past 35 I started thinking that if I want to build a Pitts I had better get started.


So what happens? Turns out there is a biplane forum, wow, great news. I get excited because it has a Pitts section and after all, that's my goal. My wife watches me as I clean the garage, gather tools, and prepare for my long awaited journey. My wife is awesome but she never flies and somehow talks me into building a two seater because she sees no point in a single seater. I cave in and look for a 2 seater and bought plans for an Acrosport2 (still a great biplane).


At this point I'm building a rib jig and starting to plan my build, then comes a phone call for a single seat Smith miniplane partially completed project for free. I hate changing directions once I make decisions but hey, it's free and is pretty close to a pitts because it small and a single seat, plus I have an engine......what's not to like? My wife thinks it's great..........?????(keep in mind she pushed me to build a 2 seater! How does that work out?)


Anyhow, all excited, I wait a couple weeks and finally make a seriously long drive to go pick it up and it turned out to be a total bust.


OK, that brings me current with my life in the world of biplanes, or at least when I jumped in my truck to make the trip back home with an empty trailer.


So here is where I'm at. Tomorrow morning I'm ordering plans for a Pitts S1-C, the same airplane I have loved for close to 30 years. When I jumped in my truck it became clear as a bell for me, the plane I always wantedwas something I wasn't building but somehow I was trying to substitute.I called my wife and explained that this is what I want and this is what i'm gonna build. If someday the kids are older and still want a2 seatbiplane then I'll justsell one of the planes buyone already done, buti'm not gonna worry about it becauseI'm gonna build theonly airplane I ever wanted......A Pitts Special!!!


WhoamI kidding? No matter whatI look at or try and compromisea Pitts is a Pitts, and it has no substitute. My wife figured I would be upset when I got home but nothing could be further from the truth. Today couldn't possibly be a better day for me,I'm gonna start to buildthe airplane I always wanted, and i'm feeling great about it!!!


I just want to say sorry for asking questions about other biplanes and as it turns out it was all for nothing. Thanks to all of you who answered my questions about Meyers Toots, Acrosports, and Smith Miniplanes. I love all these biplanes but my heat has always belonged to a Pitts and If I don't build one then I know that someday when I'm old and grey I will regret that I tried to compromise on the only biplane I ever wanted.......my very own Pitts. Driving close to 500 miles to figure this all out was well worth it.


LOL, looks like I'm back to my very first post on the forum. I'm ordering the CAD version from Steen, it's gonna be built light and with minimal features.....and holy crap am I excited!!!!!


Sorry for the long post but I did it out of respect for those on the forum who have helped me find my way.


Mike



 

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