What an amazing journey that started with a young man only 16 years old sitting in a movie theatre in a moment that would change my life forever.
That film so amazed me it set me on a life’s course I’m still living today.
It went full circle and it went from me watching Moonwatcher on the big screen up to Moonwatcher Dan Ricter visiting my studio a few years ago to be in a podcast at your studio with Gary Lockwood. He even asked to wear the replica I made of Moonwatcher. That moment you can see on my face.
To say I have been blessed is a true understatement.
Adam Savage, who also shares my sentiments about one of the most amazing films ever made, asked me to make him a copy of the mask too. Another amazing moment for me.
I did a rather long video as requested of the painting process involved in these masks that is currently uploading to Youtube. It will be posted later today.
But in the meantime here’s the painted Gorilla and two chimps for customers.
Today I’m putting hair on the Gorilla only using a different hair from crepe hair. I ordered hair from burmans 4 dyas ago now from Van Nuys not Pitsburge and it’s still not here in the US mail. Normally they use UPS and it would have been here the next day. hopefully it will show up today so I can finish the chimps and ship them.
This was the moment for me. For three years I have been working to get a decent flight out of one of these stick and tissue wonders. As you all know it’s not easy at first. I say at first because after flying Rc successfully for years I found something really challenging in flight. Free Flight. I thought to myself, “how hard could this be after scratch building and flying things that should fly well in RC?” I have flown everything from the X-1 to the SR-71. You may also know it as the Sled. 😉
I thought again, “I already know how to build and fly well. Winding up and getting a free flight plane to fly should be the easy part”. I laugh at myself now thinking back on that. Just getting the CG right and the declege is clearly not enough. It takes a lot of knowledge, but moreover and sense, a finesse , a feel for these planes that verge on a magic touch.
I’ve seen some struggle and never achieved much more than a brief hop through the sky. And I have seen others launch a plane that stops the field in silence as everyone there watches in awe a magical moment. And when this moment one day happens to you? You are forever captured in that moment as you pursue undaunted more such moments.
It happens with RC too. But with a plane you can control and all the electronic aids to assist you it just does have that same magic. And one can never know this until they try free flight themselves.
This picture I took myself with my phone. I had just launched George Bredehofts Square Eagle P-30. As I watched mesmerized I suddenly realized for the first time I could grab my camera and take pictures! For the first time it was really flying long enough as it circled the Grassy Knoll to do so.
And as I watched it land perfectly on it’s belly I thought to myself, “I’m starting to get this”.
I get asked often, “Why Free Flight when you have radio control?” I think I just answered that question. Build, dream, and fly. There’s nothing like it.
Yesterday it was overdue to make a new mold of the X-15 nose cone. With orders being held up by the rotting molds I had to move on it.
The original molds were one piece and promoted trapped air that eventually revealed small air bubbles beneath the surface of the skin. Even with air evacuation over time they would happen again.
This time I made a two piece mold. This way each side of the mold would allow the air bubbles to rise up away from the surface skin. It takes longer to make the mold and you have a seam to sand away but overall it makes for a better product and it’s consistent.
Today I’ll make the second side mold and tomorrow I can make the kits.
I also pulled another POTA Chimp mask and the first Gorilla mask. Today I’ll paint them.
The Art of Steve Neill 