I have a lot of updates for you. The business was quite busy this last month. Keep reading for more information about the Toledo Show, Carbon Fiber, and more.
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The Toledo Show
I will be attending the Toledo Show.
You will find me on the second floor in the swap meet area. I am not sure the exact location until
Thursday afternoon. It is my
understanding that the tables are first come first serve. I plan to get there early to get two tables
that are side by side. I am planning to
bring a variety of carbon fiber, EPP foam, 24″ – EPS 2412 wings of various
chord, and Spec Wing kits.
If you have specific foam sizes and quantities you would like me to save for
you, please let me know before the show so I can set it aside for you. If there are any other special requests,
please let me know ahead of time and I’ll do my best to help you out.
Carbon Fiber additions
I am expecting my latest shipment of carbon fiber to arrive on
Friday. I am expanding the varieties
that I carry. All carbon fiber is 1000mm
long. The website will be updated soon
with the following sizes:
Rod: 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm
Tube: 3mm x 1.5mm, 4mm x 2mm, 5mm x 3mm,
and 6mm x 4mm
Strips: 3mm x 0.6mm, 4mm x 0.6mm, 5mm x
0.6mm, 6mm x 1mm, 7mm x 1.2mm, and 10mm x 1mm
If there is a size you would like me to carry, please contact me. I cannot guarantee I will get it, but I can
see if my supplier has the tools to make it and possibly add it to my next
order.
#1.9 White EPP
You asked for it, I got it. #1.9 EPP is now in stock. Some of you already found it. Thanks for your business. I plan to carry #1.9 EPP from this point forward. I currently only have 2″ thickness in stock, however this Summer I’ll be able to cut it any thickness up to 2″. More on that further down.
Spec Wing
I
am doing my best to release the Spec Wing kits.
It is my intention to have several kits ready by the Toledo Show. FPVWRA also ordered ten kits for their online
website. These kits will be certified by
FPVWRA to be within spec. I am planning
to have several kits at the table in Toledo for sale if all goes well. My newest design for the carbon fiber spars
is working out better than expected. I
have to redesign the 3D printed motor mount.
I have two prototypes being printed as I write this article. I am also planning to make the winglets a bit
smaller and lighter.
I am way behind on R&D due to an illness in our family. More on that further down.
Slicer
I am purchasing my own slicer. It will be capable of slicing any thickness between 3mm up to 2″. I am expecting delivery of the slicer sometime in June. This means more accurate cuts and I’ll be able to better keep up with demand with any thickness. The slicer will only be able to cut up to 24″ wide EPP of any length.
EPS
I have a supplier for EPS foam and plan to offer custom cut wings in EPS. EPS is Expanded Polystyrene or as most people know it, Styrofoam. It is not as durable as EPP, however the benefits are that it cost less, more rigid, and is lighter compared to EPP.
We are currently negotiating a price. I hope to have this in the store within the month.
Custom Cut Wings
In
the next few weeks I will have a form available on the website to help with
custom quotes for wings. Lately I’ve
received a lot of messages from people looking for custom cut wings and
fuselages. I find myself answering the
same questions often. I’m hoping this
form will help answer the basic stuff and get all the needed information for me
to write up a quote in a timely manner.
This should help make it faster for both myself and my customers as well
as get the information to my customers as soon as possible.
As an FYI, I’m currently able to accurately cut airfoil thicknesses within +/-
0.03″ in #1.3 EPP foam.
R&D and Family
R&D
is behind on several models. One of the
several reasons is due to my granddaughter, now 8 months old, having
cancer. She is currently receiving
chemotherapy and after over 45 days in the hospital was allowed to finally go
home last week. She has ten more months
of chemotherapy, if it is working. I am
spending more time with family in support and visitation when I am able which
limits the amount of free time available for research and development of the
various models I am working on. Thank
you to everyone for your donations, understanding, thoughts, and prayers for
our family. We really appreciate the
support from all who are able to give.
To give you an idea of what I’m working on, here is a list of various kits I
hope one day to have available. This
list is in no particular order:
WC Spec Wing (almost finished) – Designed for FPVWRA racing.
Das Krieger – 36″ Wing designed for full contact combat and FPV flight.
Citabria – Slow flying and designed for general aerobatics and FPV flight.
iWonder – My own designed inspired by the FT Bloody Wonder. Currently 6 prototypes out of XPS have flown
great and are a blast to fly. I need to
convert it to EPP and test.
Cub – One prototype cut out of XPS, but has not been assembled yet
Lofty 48 – Very light weight 48″ wingspan designed for indoor/outdoor
flying. Current prototype out of XPS and
partially assembled.
Dragonfly – Biplane of own design.
Currently only on paper. Unique
design.
Sky Dancer – 3D plane currently only a thought, but I intend to make an EPP 3D
plane eventually.
Wind Catcher RC priorities
Wind Catcher RC is currently a sole proprietor. I am currently doing everything on my own. Shipping out products, ordering, and R&D all have specific priorities. I am getting product shipped out as soon as possible which is usually the next business day. Ordering new product, answering customer questions and quotes, and sorting product all take priority over new RC plane kits which is another reason I am behind on R&D. I am working towards being more organized so my time can be used more efficiently. I recently rented a local storage unit and built one set of shelves. This is used to keep some of the extra EPP foam, but will also hold other equipment and materials to free up space in my workshop so I can better focus on this business over anything else.
Your Pictures
I am looking for pictures to place on my website of projects you do not mind sharing. I would like to post what other people are doing with the EPP, carbon fiber, and RC plane kits.
Website Pictures
I have several new items on the webpage that need pictures. I expect to get to these sometime in April. For now, you will see blank pictures for these new items and menus. Thank you for your understanding.