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Yo u
can see that my repairs are underway on the blue Kitten. I had
forgotten the outboard wing had been broken off at one time. The
repair is still solid. The old stabilator was broken, but repairable;
however, it was too warped to bother with.
I had to cut
into the sheeting over the bellcrank to install new leadouts. The old
ones had rotted and broke with only a few pounds of pressure.
At right, my
red Kitten awaits my X-Acto  knife.
The covering is split and torn in several spots. The ribs at each
wingtip are shattered.
The bottom of
the red Kitten shows my hasty repair after I cut into it to fixr a
broken leadout many years ago. I used a repair  cloth
product you dipped in dope thinner, which made it soft and pliable.
You applied it like a patch, and when it dried, it set up very rigid
and was extremely strong. I can't remember the name of the stuff. |
 The
Top Flite Combat Kittens came as a set of two in one box. Since
these planes are intended for combat flying, they're designed to be
simple to build and cheap. At right, I'm showing off my pair of Kittens.
My plan right
now is to remove the remaining silkspan covering from both planes,
make the necessary repairs and updates, then sand the airframes
smooth and recover them with silkspan and dope.
These planes
were a handfull to fly 25 years ago. It'll be interesting to see if
they survive long enough to fly again!
JULY
29, 2001: I have the blue Kitten nearly ready to cover.
I'm still sanding and filling dents and the cracks from my cuts to
the sheeting. I stripped the covering from the red Kitten. It has a
couple of splintered ribs I'll have to repair before it is ready to
prep for covering. I have some medium silkspan and dope to paint both planes.
DEC.
4, 2001: The blue Combat Kitten is finished with the
exception of decals. I applied silkspan to the red one today. Once I
shrink the covering, I'll begin doping. Both should turn out well.
DEC
24, 2001: The blue Kitten needs only decal and an engine
to fly. The red one is nearly complete. The stab needs final coats of
paint. A little touch up here and there, and it's ready to fly too.
No swastikas on either plane.
MARCH
1, 2002: My rebuild of both Kittens is complete, sans the
engines (see pics below). No emblems have been put on them, they're
simple blue and red. They are very light; with a strong mill, these
babies will turn a hot circle.
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At right, the
pair of Combat Kittens nearing completion of their rebuilds. Neither
was originally built with wingtips. I did not replace the wingtips,
but I did take time to reinforce the end rib to strengthen them. |
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