Scale Build-Off – Fred Reese 40" span RV-3

[jhitesma]

Time to dust this build and this thread off again

I'm re-entering the build into this years contest since I didn't finish for last year.

Haven't made any progress since my last post, summer hit and it was too warm in my dining room for to to want to spend much time at my "workbench". And forget about going outside to hot wire cut anything!

Plus my wrist is still REALLY messed up. But...should have news good or bad on that later this week, finally found an Orthopedic who specializes in hands/wrists, takes my insurance, and is seeing new patients. I go in to see him this Wednesday. So we'll see how that goes. I finally finished the crazy work project that was eating all my spare time and making me put off seeing a doctor in case he insisted on immobilizing my wrist. Still have a backlog of work that a cast would REALLY interfere with...but this pain isn't going away with what I've been doing. The week off I took in July that I wore a brace just about 24/7 (other than while building a Bloody Wonder at Flite Fest!) and stayed away from computers helped quite a bit...but since then it's been back to the grind.

Anyway, really busy the next two weeks with halloween prep (building an animatronic "flying crank" ghost for my daughter to scare people with) but I'm making progress on dusting off the build and clearing space on my table. So hopefully by November I'll be back at it...even if progress is slowed by whatever the doctor tells me on Wednesday.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Yay for 2nd year entries. We should start a 2 year build club.

Seriously though, I hope you're able to finish this year, the RV-3 is an awesome platform.

 

[jhitesma]

I hope I can finish too...but I'd rather push it into a 3rd year and make it "perfect" than rush it just to finish in time

I'm also hoping to whip up a similar DTFB build just to make sure my flying skills are ready when it's time for the maiden. I've been flying too many multis lately and not nearly enough fixed wings The only thing similar I have right now is my spitfire and it hasn't been flown in almost 2 years! The only fixed wing I've been flying lately is my mini scout since it's just so darn relaxing to toss in the air in a small park!

 

[Tench745]

Just make sure you don't get to covering/painting or you won't be eligible for next year.
I hope your wrist behaves for you and you can make some progress.

 

[jhitesma]

So saw the specialist about my wrist today.

Good news is doctor says nothing is broken in my wrist, it's not carpal tunnel, and I'm not looking at any kind of surgery. Oh, and it only ran me $30 for my copay despite a minor scare from my insurance company when their website told the doctors front office my coverage was inactive <eek>!

Bad news. It's tendinitis and there's not much more than rest that will help it Basically keep doing what I've been doing and wear a brace as much as possible, use some cream that contains aspirin to help with inflammation. He suggested I try a touchpad instead of a mouse or trackball. A cortisone shot could give me some temporary relief but would probably result in more damage since I'd be tempted to use it more without the pain.

So maybe this will turn into a three year build as I'm going to be making slow progress due to the wrist pain But at least I've now got two doctors pretty much backing up my own diagnosis.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Well, at least now that you know what it is you can go on from there. Don't push your self too hard.

 

[roversgonemad]

I have had tendinitis for many years. If you are right handed, switch your mouse to the left, if your are left handed, go right. I mouse left handed, but am right handed, and it has made a HUGE difference in the pain. Mine is primarily in the tendon for my thumb, so unfortunately, flying RC aggravates it. However, mousing left handed has made it bearable. Plus, it really aggravates the IT guys when they remote in to fix something, since the buttons are backwards (you don't have to switch them, but it was more intuitive for me. I think you'll be amazed how little time it takes to get proficient with the other hand running the mouse. Not to derail your thread, but tendinitis really sucks, and having some experience with it, I hope I can help.

 

[jhitesma]

I don't mind a little derailing - I brought it upon myself

I've been trying to mouse left handed since March...but I'm just not coordinated enough to pull it off. I did switch to a trackball that helped a little, but mostly just shifted the pain from one side of the wrist to the other. The doctor today suggested trying a track pad which I had also considered but was shocked to find cheap ones are tough to find anymore. Today though with the doctor saying to try it my boss agreed to pick up a nice logitech trackpad for me so hopefully that will help some.

I had to switch to ergonomic keyboards about 20 years ago because my wrists started acting up using normal keyboards, that took some adjusting but I've been a touch typist since high school...funny story that - I signed up for a summer school keyboarding course my freshman year because I wanted to learn to type better but didn't have time in my schedule to fit it in during the school year. This was back when it was still taught on typewriters! But between the time I signed up for the class and when the class started I discovered IRC and being someone who likes to take part in a conversation not just read it...quickly found I had to learn to type or I couldn't keep up. So by the time I started the course I was already doing 25wpm with no errors blindfolded Ended up being a total walk in the park easy A and I spent most of the class talking to the hot upperclasman blonde who sat in front of me and wound up dating her for most of the next year. So the class was TOTALLY worth it We actually still keep in touch too, turned out she trains therapy dogs and volunteers her time with them at the nursing home my grandmother was in and she remembered meeting my grandmother when we were dating because they had the same name.

I really wish I could get used to mousing left hand because it's the mouse that really causes the biggest problems for me. I've gone through 4 different mice and the trackball in the past 6 months trying to find something that's better for the pain. Tried big mice, small mice, "ergonomic" mice....they all feel good for a day or two...then the pain just shifts

I've really held back on my building this summer trying to let things heal...but that's just adding to my frustration. And since the doctor said it's the repetitive mouse stuff that's really the problem and not the random use I give it building things I'm looking forward to getting back into some builds - If nothing else it keeps my mind off the pain while I'm doing it and helps with the frustration.

Hopefully I'll have some build progress within a few more weeks. Just getting things organized still and trying to remember where I left off

 

[jhitesma]

Good news....

The trackpad has been helping my wrist a lot. Well, that and a liberal slathering of aspercream 2-3 times a day, a support glove, and an aleve in the morning. Feeling better than I have in a year and seem to be getting better every week finally

And as of last night my "workbench" is completely clear! Kind of had to since it's our dining room table and we're hosting an open thanksgiving dinner for friends/family tonight

So progress will hopefully be made again later this long weekend!

Which has me thinking more actively about this build again...and the ongoing HK sale has me thinking about motors...

Kind of thinking about this guy:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=14342

No thurst numbers but the looks to be in the range I think I'm going to need. And on sale for $10 is tough to pass up....
But it's a NTM and I know they're a crapshoot on quality with questionable bearings....the 2826 I have in my bigger swappable pod has held up well though so again I'm tempted....

Then again international warehouse so $$$ on shipping...

Dunno...still not sure just how heavy this will come in and just how big of a motor/prop combo to run. Heck still not sure what size servo's to run and I'm a lot closer to needing to figure that out

So yeah, any thoughts or feedback appreciated as I dig back in on this project!