Tomorrow I'm going out to a One design contest/Fun Fly with the Cactus Squadron of Arizona and I wanted to tell you one modelers feelings about your "Pussycat". I still remember the day I opened up Model Builder magazine and saw those plans, Normally I will copy plans before I build, but the pussycat was so tempting I just had to get it built right away. It was a pretty good flyer as I remember, and the simple construction was a nice change of pace. Months later while I was flying with the Marin Aero Club a fairly new modeler showed up with a beautiful fuschia Pussycat, everyone there already knew the reputation of your ship and expected a good flight. We weren't disappointed, It was the most amazing flight I've seen. It went up up up in a thermal in what was clearly an OOS flight. Then it fell out of the thermal and gently circled it's way back to Earth not 40 feet from where it had been launched seven and a half minutes earlier! Thank you for your "Donation" to our sport with the Pussycat"
Happy landings,
Mike Reiner
From: Randy Cox
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998
Subject: [FFML] Success with the Big Pussycat
When I completed my Big Pussycat last Friday evening, the sun had long since gone down, but I could not wait until the next morning to fly it. I managed to find a large grassy area next to a well-lit frozen yogurt place, and it flew just as well as everyone said. The plane weighs about 10 grams with rubber, and using a plastic prop, I ended up having to add weight to the tail to get the balance right. The biggest problem was that it flew too far on the small number of winds. I had to trek into the darkness a couple of times to find it.
Yesterday, I finally got to fly it in the daylight. The noseblock is a bit too loose, so as the rubber wound down, the prop would "eject" from the plane and dangle by the rubber. I think it is a testament to the stability of the Big Pussycat that even when it happened high in the air, the plane didn't seem to notice much. It glided majestically to the ground in large gentle circles every time even with the dangling prop.
If you are new to the hobby, like I am, you should definitely build one of these planes. It was simple, cheap (the plans free for the taking on Thayer's website), and rewarded me with spectacular performance-- big encouragement for a beginning modeler. Thank you, Dick Baxter.
From:Scott Prince
Subject: [FFML] My Big Pussy Cat flight report
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999
Hello all,
Finally got to fly my Big PC. After some trim tests which resulted in a bit
of clay on the tail, I cranked in around 300 turns of rubber and let her
go. Flew nice and S-L-O-W and in tight left hand circles. Progressed up to
around 800 turns and she flew steady each time. Don't have any times,
forgot my watch. All flights were conducted in doors. Can't wait for a
chance to really crank her up and fly it out doors! All in all a nice
little flyer. Its really the first time I came home with several solid
flights with little fuss and still in one piece!
I just want to say thanks to Dick Baxter for the plan and Thayer for making it available on the web.
Scott
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