More highlights from 2009 flying season

The good flying days were infrequent, but we managed to get a few flights in.

2009 Flying Season Closes

Marin Aero Club's final meeting of 2009 was on November 22 at St. Vincent's gym. For some reason the meeting was not very well attended, but we had fun and several newcomers dropped by to learn more about the club. We look forward to seeing you guys next year!

Our 2010 meeting schedule will be posted here as soon as we've determined the dates. In addition to scheduled meetings, we have impromptu flying sessions fairly often. Anyone who wants to fly with us should get on our email list. Send us an email here to be notified of club events.

Anyway, here are some photos from Sunday...


Brian showed us his newest model, a No-Cal MiG-3 built from Lidberg plans. Brian created the graphics himself.


MAC usually organizes one or two group building projects each year. How about a No-Cal Cookup for 2010?


FAC No-Cal Profile Scale emphasizes duration. No maximum flight time in this category. This could get interesting.


Speaking of cookups, here is my Little Richard, built in 2007 and repaired after crashing hard into the rafters two months ago. Good as new, just a little heavier.


Ed has a number of models that belonged to Earl Hoffman, our senior member who passed away early this year at age 96. This canard was not quite airworthy when Ed got it, but he restored it to good flying condition.


Ed also restored this EZ-B from Earl's collection. This model belongs to the lightest class of EZ-Bs, 0.5 grams.


Ed explained how Earl built the propeller, covering a balsa frame (outline and ribs) with very thin balsa shavings, just 0.002 inches thick, effectively using balsa in lieu of microfilm.


Dave K brought a couple of Bill Hurley's pistachio biplanes. The incomplete models were framed but not covered or assembled when Dave got them from the retired modeler a year ago. Dave finished the delicate models and is now flight trimming. At this point the planes fly erratically, but they fly.


Dave K's peanut Fokker Dr.I turns in tight circles above the hardwood floor. Curse you, Red Baron!

Worth more dead than alive.

I thought you'd like to see what a $160 collector's kit looks like when you've turned it into a $5 model. I got the kit recently from Brian and I won't mention the price. Brian - let's talk.



And here's one of the last photographs taken of Jerry Long's Heinkel, just before it disappeared into the blauer Himmel northeast of Lakeville.

Confessions of an eBay addict

Currently offered on eBay, an original, mint condition Senator kit.

And would you believe....he only wants $125 for it!

I'm selling off all my R/C gear to raise the $ before the auction ends.

PS: and then theres this, Tom.....DOH!

Halloweenpfaltz

It turns out Ed's ancestors were just about as fun loving as he is. Here's his grandfather - who has convinced comrades that he just made it back with the wings of his airplane shot off - about to reveal the joke.

Fly Me to the Moon

Photo by Roberto Soncin Gerometta

Why free-flight?

I started to get interested in free flight several years ago when I discovered Mike Stuart's excellent website. I remember seeing a question at the top of Mike's home page: Why free-flight? At the time I couldn't think of an answer, but Mike's explanation made sense and it wasn't long before I showed up at the Marin Aero Club.


Our friend Roberto Soncin Gerometta answers the question in his own way in an article featuring George Benson: Model Airplanes for the Purist, published at NewsPlink in May 2009. If you haven't already seen this item, it is definitely worth checking out. (Photo by Roberto)

Fleet Wheels

Brian asked how I made the Fleet wheels. I bought a pair of RC wheels with light foam tires and heavy rimmed plastic hubs, replacing them with a roughly dowelled balsa center and I/16th sheet discs glued to its ends. I then drilled the new hubs for Al tubing.

After all that work I found I had cut too much off the wire axles - already part of the fuselage structure - and had to counsersink the hubs so as to leave enough axle showing for the stops.

Thanks Brian & Roberto

Thanks for the posts guys - how can it not elevate the profile of the pastime.
Here's my Fleet, finished just in time to put it away for the winter.
Tom

Another blustery Lakeville meet

Grey skies and a chilly wind greeted the hardy souls who made it to Lakeville on Sunday.
We were lucky to get some flights in before the storm arrived, as four inches of rain fell a couple of days later, turning the field into a swamp.



I launched my trusty Senator a few times, as did Ray...and they quickly made their way towards San Pablow Bay.

George was flying his excellent Blackburn Airedale, a real floater with its huge multi tapered wing. It flew well, even in the stiff breeze.

Tom was chasing his Keil Kraft Achilles around, whilst trying out the prototype belly-winder rig that George designed.

We'll be fortunate if we get another MAC outdoor session this year.
Hopefully better flying weather will be had in 2010!