Al was a great mentor to me not only for the quality of his work as a craftsman
but as an inspiration for self-imposed quality control.(This would serve me well in later life building 1/16th model aircraft for museums)
In October of 1969 Air Progress magazine did an article on the building of our aircraft.I will put excerpts of that piece by Budd Davisson to include in this thread.
"The Reid approach to airplane rebuilding is simple.They chose not to restore,but to remanufacture. Practically nothing original was retained,except as a template to make a new part.Where the strength of the original design left something to be desired,it was beefed up.The intent was to build a brand new airplane,modernizing where necessary,but still retaining all the original lines.(closest other example is the Pepsi D4D)
When CF-JLW is first sighted,the eyes are automatically drawn to that hulking but exquisitely shaped cowling.It looks like power,and the Wright J-6-7 helps it live up to its appearance.Rated at 230 to 260 horses,depending on whose rating system you use,this particular engine came out of a parts yard in Illinois and its original mission in life was to drag an N3N through the air.Reid had a better future in mind for it,and equipped it with a full inverted fuel and oil system ,as well as a smoke generator.It doesn't look like he plans to bounce around the pattern." to be cont.....