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Montana ALES

Updated 2024

DVD's Reviews

George Voss reviewed both Instructional DVD's for RCGroups in 2011

"A Beginner's Guide to Cutting and Bagging Foam Wings"

"A Beginner's Guide to Composite Pod and Boom Fuselages"

DVD mini-review
by Will Newton
Wilson, North Carolina

I have the pod and boom video set from Curtis and it is really neat. A lot of composite work can be intimidating for the first-time builder. It can also become expensive quickly when you have to buy a lot of specialized tools and materials.

This is an area that Curtis' DVDs really address. In the boom DVD, he achieves results that are as good as what is commercially available (outside of VERY high end planes) and how to do it on your benchtop with a minimum of tools. He shows you how to make some of the tools you will need rather than buying them as well.

In the pod DVD, again, he shows how you can be frugal, but achieve very good results. The techniques shown are fairly simple and do not involve a lot of exotic knowledge and tooling. He takes the process and breaks it down simply so anyone can get started quickly and get a result quickly.

Personally, even before watching these videos, I had a fairly good knowledge of pod-making and boom rolling. In many ways, I have progressed to levels beyond what this video set offers. It is because of my experience that I recommend this video set. If only I had access to something like this when I was starting out, it would've answered a lot of questions for me. I can only imagine the number of folks that get started, get in over their heads quickly, and then give up. Curtis' DVD's are going to show you how to get some easy success quickly. THEN, once you are hooked, you'll have a good foundation to keep building on.
Even though I do have some experience, I still learned things watching this video. If anything, Curtis has shown me techniques that I have only read about, but never tried myself. I am sure to use a few of his techniques to do some rapid pod prototyping. If you are an experienced builder, then you know that even watching someone else do something you already know how to do can provide some very good insights into your own work and there's always a chance to learn a few new things.

This is an unsolicited review, but it came about through a continuing series of random acts of kindness. A long while back, Curtis contacted me about some info on boom making, so we passed along some PM's and e-mails and after it was done, I didn't think much more of it. Unexpectedly, a few weeks ago Curtis asked for my address and said he wanted to send me something as a thank-you. After a few days, I received this set of videos in the mail! What a nice surprise!

Of course, I sent a thanks back to Curtis for the unexpected gift, but I saw this listing a little while ago and thought a mini-review of his video set would be a great way to say thanks again. You guys should a least hit up his website and check out some of his plane design spreadsheets as well!

Thanks Curtis!