Boris Sergeev's Shoulder wing...

. "I've cut the wing leading edge out of blue foam (I've hollowed it leaving only about 1/4" foam thickness) and fiberglassed it, added ailerons, lowered the wing, added the canopy (out of soda bottle), etc., etc. I've used composites wherever possible: wing and tail spars are laminated with CF, the firewall is made out of end-grain balsa and 90degr lay-up unidirectional carbon cloth layers. I did research in composite airspace structures in college, so, it was a chance to put my knowledge to the test. ;-) The total weight is a bit under 3,000g (6.6lb) with Webra Speed .60 engine and a tuned pipe."

George Nichols writes: "I modified a Kadet Sr. to resemble a 1929 Travel Air that was used by Johnson Flying Service of Missoula, MT. It was a fleet of 5 or 6 of these planes that Mr. Johnson developed the art of fighting fire from the sky.... It is powered with a Magnum .80 and flew quite well and realisticly. I have dropped smoke jumps as far away as Hawk Springs, WY and Pocatello, ID. I had been flying her for about 4 or 5 years and having a great lot of fun with her. This year at our May Fly In I tried launching gliders with her and I have done alright until I tried an electric powered glider and we bit the side of the mountain" The full-scale this is inspired by is owned by Jim Eldrege, in the first picture'

E-mail to: Paul J. Burke