I don’t know where to begin with this project. I hadn’t planned it, it was spur of the moment and it started in almost a state of mental stress and sadness.
I had welded up a V-Witt fuselage and finished the ribs for the wings when Coronovirus broke the news. It was weird. Still is. I never ever watch news but this drew me in. I was watching this Coronovirus overseas and watching how everyone was locking down and I swear I could see the future. I saw it coming in February and knew that the way we here in America panic and fight with one another that it was just a matter of time before we’d be doing the same.
Day by day I was watching this unfold and then I received a call from our daughter who’s in the Army. Soldiers had it, then her roommate had it. Then they were quarantined in a little 15’ x 15’ room.
I was sitting in my shop and I’ll be quite frank, I was in shock taking all this in. I sat on a stool for like 2 hours and the whole time I’m thinking “wtf is going on these days” . A lot of people around me look to me for advice and I had none. I was actually quite sad, not clinically depressed, just really in the dumps. My daughter was all I could think of.
So I started reflecting on memories of her and wanna know what I saw in my minds eye? A little tyke sitting in a Baby Ace fuselage on it’s gear in my old driveway. I had gotten rid of it years ago but that Baby Ace fuselage was a big memory for all of us.
Somewhere during this shop sitting thing I poured myself a glass of Russell Reserve 10 year bourbon. Did some more sitting. Did a lot more thinking and reflecting. It was maybe 9:00 pm I think? Hard to recall. It was late February, around the 20th I’m sure. Things were shutting down, Americans were choosing sides and I was in my shop with a bourbon. Lol.
This is where my project begins.