Had an Idea. Please Read!

[StefanJ]

I wish I was able to participate in this.

As it stands, my Cessna 180 has been two dabs of glue away from completion for months. I need to glue the wings on! (Oh, and tissue the area over where the wings meet.)

One they're on I'll need to find a place to safely display the plane!

I'll be watching the thread carefully for good ideas. I have an Arrow up for building next.

[MakMov]

Never too late, you could jump in with the Cub.

[ADW 123]

stefan, hope to see pictures of your plane.

[SteveM]

So Here is the idea: Any one who is interested goes out and buys a 180 form your LHS. Then we all build it at the same time.

And Alex if you are watching, I'd probbably suggest a really long notice period to give everyone the chance to get tooled up and ready to go.

As far as timing as concerned we'll see how many sign up over a period of say 1 month. Then we'll do a "go, no-go for launch" type thing.

Same here for the Flying weather, so no hurry to start, hey perhaps after Christmas? Everyone could ask for a kit from Santa?!

We won't be starting for a while, so those that need to save up or sneak money out from their Wives and partners purses to buy a 180 kit have plenty of time! Early Christmas present maybe?

When I first saw the build thread pop up I was a little dismayed because I was under the impression that we'd not be starting any time soon, possibly not even till early next year. Just to be sure I wasn't imagining it I went back and noted every reference made in this thread by the organizer as to when the group build would commence and if we'd be building at the same time or not. I'm in the middle of building the Storch for the G challenge and have till the end of the month to complete it. Others who build Guillow's kits might be likewise occupied. Maybe some experienced builders could be recruited by waiting till the G challenge has ended for the year then inviting those group members to join in here.

I won't even go into the mess that has become of the sign up thread which shows lack of discipline and respect.

[Steve Blanchard]

Hey Steve,

I'm sure you can join in at any time. I don't believe I saw any time limit to complete the build. Most cookups end up going this way with some starting before others which I'm sure you already know. You'll probably start well after others that will finish well after you.

Steve

[SteveM]

Most cookups end up going this way with some starting before others which I'm sure you already know.

Perhaps you missed the first quotation where Andrew mentioned that everyone would be building at the same time. Sure, you have late comers and slow builders so it tapers off a bit at the end, but an official and unified start date is what kicks it off. Otherwise all you've managed to do is create a thread with multiple build logs and tips regarding a single kit. Not a bad resource to be sure, but call it what it is and a coordinated group effort it is not what I see starting to take place.

[ADW 123]

SteveM- Im not woried about when people start their builds. dont see why you are. people will start building when they start building. their is plenty of time, with no "due date" and all. dont worry.

[SteveM]

SteveM- Im not woried about when people start their builds. dont see why you are. people will start building when they start building. their is plenty of time, with no "due date" and all. dont worry.

I wasn't worried, I was trying to reconcile my understanding of a "group build" with what this is turning into. It's still a great idea, but I was interested in the idea of a group build and that isn't what is being done here so I'll just be on my merry way and look for other stuff that interests me.

[Phugoid]

Hi Guys,

There was no easy way to kick this off. I got PM's from various folks to tell me to kick things off before people lost interest, and now I've had a bashing for making a gentle start. I could not think of a way within the constraints of the forum to get everyone on the start line at the same time, if I have upset some people I appologise, but no one was forthcoming with timescales when I suggested them (and qouted on them it seems), so I made a call.

If it makes some folks feel better, I could curl up on the floor so it's easier to kick me?! Or alternatively if it is so probelmatic to some I'll simply pull the plug and do somethings else instead.

SteveM has a point despite my gentle persuation the sign up thread fell to pieces within days so any form of discipline was never going to be easy to enforce or justify, this is a hobby we do for fun, so I decided to simply go with the flow and make the gentle start and see what happened.

What I have covered so far represents about an hour of work, and is a gentle start and forms the notice, that I spoke of.

The words "rock" and "hard place" spring to mind...

Andrew

[MakMov]

No fear, man, just do it.

getting everyone on the same page is next to impossible on a message board.

No prob, you have a fantastic idea, and list of people to go. more will come and some will go that is the nature of the beast.

You did the right thing, and now you can edit so it makes all the more easy to do.

I would just create an OFFICIAL 180 Group build thread, in the first tread you can say what it is, when it is ending, and who is envovled. And just let the posts and builds run. I think it is a great idea for you our leader to show the basics and let whoever add on from there. That way a newbie can get it and maybe pick up a few pointers.

Yes, that is the whole idea, to have fun, trust me on this, you don't want to bog it down with a bunch of rules and specifics. First of all it will never happen. I think there might have been 1 who followed the sign up directions and that was for a NO no big surprise there. You just need everything in one spot with some kind of flow, you build is the flow and don't let those who get ahead or fall behind bother you becasue that is just going to happen as well.

Anyone who wants to jump in will have everything they need to catch up, there should be plenty of progress reports from the group.

So lets get the show on the road and lets build something.

[rayd]

Phugoid is to be commended for trying to do what is a tough project, no..not building a Cessna model, but presenting this on an interactive forum. The logistics involved on a large board to a wide range of people and personalities can be a daunting experience. (I tried such things before on a different subject and wasn't able to come this far.) I think we should try to help this guy trying to help others and keep this hobby alive...I sense some discouragement and suggest we try to help out, very soon. I would imagine Guillows would highly support this position. It can be an overwhelming project at times. There's a lot of good talent here between all of us, if we can't pull this off to help out Phugoid, who can.

Let's hear a positive twist, encouraging suggestions and make it work. Perhaps indicate your ideas here, maybe on this topic thread, perhaps forget sign ups (honor system, unless there's some big prize to win). Have 2 topics for this project...1 for actual build maybe without interruption, and another for our questions/answers/interaction. This is Phugoids project, I'm sure some have learned (or re-learned) some of the things he said or from pictures he posted already. (Ask me how I know, as I've also relearned from many of you). Sure, I imagine others here have tried these things, maybe worked, maybe not...let's see if we can collectively help, for the sake of this craftsperson hobby. Unlike the past, let's move forward...and if our builders finish, great, if not, thats ok also, point is the attempt was made.

Phugoid, you build that plane, take your pictures, answer questions as your time permits, you're doing well and I think most here know and appreciate that..I know I do, and I'm sure Guilows does. Keep up the good work. Ray

[Phugoid]

Thanks Ray and Makmov,

I have to say I felt pretty low after reading what I did yesterday. The entire aim of this is to try and get a good comprehensive guide and resource for now and for future reference for all who will build along now, and for newcomers. Trying to keep this dying hobby of building and flying alive is at the heart of what I was aiming for. Guillows kits are in some respects far from ideal, but they retain a grain of simplicity, honesty and fun which I really do like and want others to enjoy. If in what we do improves the kits then so much the better, but if it what we do shows how to get around the imperfections in a simple and easy way the outcome can still be something than can fly and be fun, then there's value in that too.

As for Ray's suggestion...... I did think about asking that no comments be made under the build thread and starting another for comments, but it did seem a little pretentious I suppose, but might not be a bad idea for the Dynamic and to leave a clear path in the thread so there's not too many distractions. Everything I've written so far has been done in a word doc offline, so starting from scratch is no biggy, and there might be advanatges too since we can now attach files. I'll Investigate the options.....

I suppose the thing is that you can please some people some of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time.

Andrew

[granpa]

Got my plane, Got my sticks sorted, Got got my parts in baggies...Whats next?

[MakMov]

Thanks Ray and Makmov,

I have to say I felt pretty low after reading what I did yesterday. The entire aim of this is to try and get a good comprehensive guide and resource for now and for future reference for all who will build along now, and for newcomers. Trying to keep this dying hobby of building and flying alive is at the heart of what I was aiming for. Guillows kits are in some respects far from ideal, but they retain a grain of simplicity, honesty and fun which I really do like and want others to enjoy. If in what we do improves the kits then so much the better, but if it what we do shows how to get around the imperfections in a simple and easy way the outcome can still be something than can fly and be fun, then there's value in that too.

As for Ray's suggestion...... I did think about asking that no comments be made under the build thread and starting another for comments, but it did seem a little pretentious I suppose, but might not be a bad idea for the Dynamic and to leave a clear path in the thread so there's not too many distractions. Everything I've written so far has been done in a word doc offline, so starting from scratch is no biggy, and there might be advanatges too since we can now attach files. I'll Investigate the options.....

I suppose the thing is that you can please some people some of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time.

Andrew

but if it what we do shows how to get around the imperfections in a simple and easy way the outcome can still be something than can fly and be fun, then there's value in that too.

Exactly.

The Hellcat I recently built, which was an old kit, I built as a challenge to myself becasue I thought no way possible. It was horrible, and that was just looking at the stuff fresh out of the box. I figured if I could build that than anything is possible. I was also seriously considering clearing out all my Guillows kits dumping the wood and just saving the instructions sheets - and never again get anything but laser cut kits. I started building it and it was looking hopeless without cutting a bunch of new parts. However, I kept pressing forward and found some work arounds for the terribly rough diecut parts. I learned a lot just building that one kit, and I did not end up throwing away any of my old Guillow kits, in fact I filled in some missing holes in the collection. I figure I get through a few of those and I will be a master craftsmen on the more expensive laser cut kits. Then maybe I can tackle some of those Dave Diels kit I have.

Well, even some the of the worst of the worst kits are buildable.



Flyable, well that's another story LOL. That is where the 180 comes in. Not only do I get to work on my crafting, it's one the might actually fly.

The Hellcat, however, just looks cool sitting on the work bench. It LOOKS like a Hellcat.

[Phugoid]

just trialling the new file attachment thingy.....

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