Stick 'n Tissue

Fairey Barracuda - The biter bit.

2011-11-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Barracuda was going down.

At the controls the captain knew something was wrong when he felt a rush of cold air around the knees and the torpedo bomber went into a series of dizzying loops.

Most of the front end was gone and the DT was completely shot away.

“I can’t hold her,” shouted Flt. Lt. Benson to the navigator. “You better get out!”

“But what about you sir?”

“Don't worry about me. Just leave me here alone at the controls. As long as you're alright.”

The navigator baled out, and the stricken Barracuda looked like it was headed for a crushing future.

More to come . . .

Marin Aero Club's 2011 Bostonian Contest

2011-10-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Paul takes all the marbles in this years Bostonian shoot-out.

His original design puts in an amazing performance, beating all previous winners.

First prize was a pair of ChannelLock round-nose pliers.

Congratulations Paul, on a well deserved win!

Indoor models in action.

Mike's tandem-twin engined Skymaster Bostonian
is still in testing, didn't compete.

George shows us how its done...head down, prop held with left hand,
start timer with right hand, breathe deep...and follow through.

Mike winds for another rescue mission.

Beauty...although that prop may be slightly out of scale!

Tom frees the Flying Fish

Ted brought this well built model to show...
a Bucker Jungmeister. (thnx Dave D.)

Haoyang built the "Ichiban"
from Model Builder plans.

Flight training for a couple of Santa Rosa natives.

Tom has a new app for his iPhone

that automatically fudges his flight times.

George brought this little guy back from the Amazon.

Notice that he circles left, for indoor.

Peter flew his trusty Prairie Bird...an amazingly
popular kit from Peck-Polymers, still in production.

Sept Indoor Session 2011

2011-09-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

This indoor session saw many Bostonians being tested and tweaked for next months contest... trying to squeeze every last second of air time from these little workhorses.

Which motor / prop combination will work best?

Action in the pits; how many winds will it take to
just...barely...reach those rafters?

Its fun to make stuff fly.

MAC has some very creative builders / designers in its ranks.

Ed found time to fly his stick, when the air wasn't being
churned up by Bossies.

Ed's Pacific Ace Bostonian is ready for action.

Haoyang built the Basic Bostonian, a nice T-tail model.

Here's Paul's original design for Bostonian class.

And here's another of Paul's designs; the Barracuda.
A very cool cabin job with nostalgic appeal.

Jim came up with this very interesting design.

Still in prototype stage, but a really neat model with
a lot of potential.

j

Notice: none of these model aircraft were designed / developed
to be used for terrorist activity.

Sowing a seed.

2011-09-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

How hard can this be?
Let's give it a try .......

Sunday, September 25th was the last chance you all had to trim your Bostonians indoors before our yearly competition planned for October 23rd. Lot's of new and old Bossies were seen .... many of them flying nicely ... if you have a Bossie in your collection and intend flying it on the 23rd then you need to test fly sooner than later. You haven't heard the last of me on this subject I intend to moan at you regularly over the next 4 weeks to make our Bostonian Contest a hard fought event and erase last years meager showing from our history books.

Arado 440

2011-09-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a picture of the Arado 440 before it got crunched.

No, seriously. It flies fast, high, and on the rails. I used my own plan, developed from the best three view I could find. The only deviation to the original is that the nacelles are lowered to allow the rubber motors to avoid the leading and trailing edges of the wing.

I like three bladed props - they suit my preference for a scale looking flight, rather than duration. They counter rotate and are made from a Smart Balance container. Guess what - they balance. But because they don't freewheel too well, the drag was nosediving the model when the winds came off. So trim consists of a tiny bit of lead in the tail countered by downthrust. The glide to the right is now flat and sidethrust gives a lefthand climb.

Right now the model is missing the big vertical vane at the very rear of the fuselage, but I kind of like the way it looks.
The silver finish may be more accurate because with only three prototypes made towards the end of WWII, it's doubtful that the real thing ever received camouflage paint.

I will have some in-flight photos soon.

Tom

PS Motors are each four loops of !/8 - it's fast!

JOHN PRATT MODEL EXHIBITION AT PETALUMA MAIL DEPOT

2011-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

John Pratt, one of SAM 27s most prolific builders and flyers of freeflight rubber models, has 30 of them on display at downtown Petaluma's Mail Depot at 4th and C from now until September 6th.

John will be in attendance on Saturday August 20th - at a reception between 11am and 1pm.

You can see the collection during the Mail Depot's regular hours (Mon-Thurs 8 - 6, Friday 8-5 and Saturday 9-3)

John has flown his exceptionally wide range of models competitively all over the US and in Europe, and his models are beautifully built, as evidenced by this classic 1932 Gordon Light Wakefield which was performing at Lakeville this morning along with Paul's similar model.(Despite the wintry appearance, it wasn't long before the fog blew away to reveal clear blue sky.

Skymaster, skokies, 49er, bostonian, bees and "the boys"

2011-08-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

Skydate August 14, 2011.

Having failed to find a Swift Tuttle particle burning up like an HTV-2, a few of us tried to create a daylight meteor shower at Lakeville this morning.

Mike L muscled in in his Mustang, opened its cavernous trunk and produced another two miniature marvels. Brian S posted an article on the all-sheet 49er earlier this year and Mike took up the offer to build one. It proved a great flier.

Not content with this, he unveiled his new Bostonian. Wow! Not only does it fit the Bostonian rules, but it happens to be a perfect scratch built scale rendering of the push-pull Cessna Skymaster. And on top of that in Spanish Navy markings. Again it flew really well as the overhead shot shows.

THERE WILL BE A BOSTONIAN CONTEST AT THE SEPTEMBER INDOOR MEETING

Mike claims the Skymaster is a "bit heavy". This could be subterfuge of course, but maybe offers a chance for one of us to pip him at the post this year - maybe Jim's pelophylax could leapfrog to victory.

Paul flew his p30 - beautiful - blew by and beyond us, bothering the busy bees, two of which stung Paul as he attempted a retrieve. Don't wear yellow. When the bees find out you're not a pollinating prospect they attack.

George B, Jerry L and me flew Jimmie Allen Skokies. My huge four loops of one eighth proved useless against a vicious windshear, but switching to three loops and more winds worked wonders when the thermals picked up. Both Jerry and George enjoyed high flights and easy limits which bodes well for the upcoming Jimmie Allen contest.

It was a fun morning with Jim B confessing that his recent reintroduction to free flight had presented him with some of the happiest times of his life. If ever you wanted a celebrity endorsement of a sport/hobby there it is. Thanks Jim

Beautiful day - friends, sunshine, laughter. Where else could a retired packaging expert, airplane mechanic, chemist, retired engineer, musician and sculptor begin to believe they were boys again - all for a couple of gallons of gas and some rubber lube.

Tom

Where Hobby dreams come true

2011-08-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Great news!
Ian Dauth and his wife Caryn have opened a hobby shop in San Anselmo.
Jim B and George B attended the grand opening last week of Dauth Hobbies - 224 Greenfield Ave #2 San Anselmo 415 454 3087
http://www.dauthhobbies.com

George helped Caryn and Ian put together an order for freeflight materials and I urge you to support the new venture whenever you can.

Best of luck to Ian & Caryn - at last there's somewhere for me to get what I just ran out of at the last minute and usually end up "borrowing".

I wrote a small piece on Gale W's sculpture and giant rubber models called "BIG" for the SAM 27 folk's website - you can view the pdf right here

Tom

July indoor flying

2011-07-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

It has been about a year since my last indoor session.

I'm noticing some changes around good ole St Vincents...

sorry to see the massive old eucalyptus trees at the entrance fall.

New fences going up, new paint job on the gym, and new faces

in the club.

The membership may ebb & flow, but I think MAC will be

around forever.

And on to the flying....

Haoyang has built a fleet of interesting models.

He modified a Peck One-Night 16 into a Stuka.

His very stable flying wing.

This biplane is also from a One-Night 16.

Shows how much fun a little kit-bashing can be!

Dave brought this sleek looking Micro-X Hornet.

I once built the outdoor, 36"version, and when

I finally got it trimmed...it went O.O.S.!

Jim was developing his Bostonian design. It flies very well on

winglets and no dihedral.

He calls it "Pelophylax", which I believe is some sort of

tree frog with psychoactive properties.

A riveting flight sequence.

Mike's amazing F7F. Structure is 1/32 balsa, covering

is condenser paper. He says it weighs in at under 7

grams!

The Broussard MH1521 was a suggested group build for peanut scale. Mike has thrown down the gauntlet...anyone need the plan?

Wind alert

2011-07-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto a new weather reporting site, called "WindAlert".
It has a real-time feed from a weather station at Burdell CA (Gnoss Field), which is approximately three miles away from the SAM Lakeville site (just across the river), so hopefully it will be accurate...we will see.
In addition to present conditions and predictions, it also has history graphs for previous years, and wind statistics.
Fascinating stuff for us wind watchers.
WindAlert

How about a Nordic glider, for a change of pace?

2011-07-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the "Rapid"...an easy, quick building A-3 Glider that will fly
well on a towline or hi-start.

Construction article by Stu Richmond.

From the pages of Model Builder magazine, March 1986.

Origami, Broussard and Tigercat

2011-05-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

It looks like Mike L has a firm grip on 2011 indoor flying and it's left some of us scurrying for the heaps of peanut plans.

You may remember towards the end of last season I waxed lyrical about the Holste Broussard we'd seen at Schellville. There was talk of a contest, plans were circulated - an outdoor version contemplated. Then nothing from any of us, until Mike revealed a 5/6g peanut that immediately flew on the rails in slow circles in the Gym on Sunday.

This was followed by an exquisite Tigercat also flying slow. Must be very light.

"Great props Mike. what are they made of?"

"Origami paper," Mike casually responded, and explained how you could laminate two sheets around an appropriate form, then dope.

I immediately thought of bad models I'd crunched that could have flown had I known this secret. Like this one that now works better on a tuk tuk courtesy of Georges' recent travels in the orient.

Who knows what other secrets lie in the pages of Mikes impressive flying log.

Tom

Outerzone

2011-05-10T09:22:00.001-07:00

I just found out about Outerzone, a new website dedicated to the preservation of vintage model airplane plans. The website is run by volunteers who collect free plans from the Internet. The idea is to create a stable, easy to search, backup depository. The founder says Outerzone is built on an "industrial strength" platform with enough storage space for about 25,000 plans. There are already over 1,000 plans on the site. This could be the start of something special. Check it out: www.outerzone.co.uk

Season Opener

2011-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

We were back in the gym last Sunday for our first meeting of 2011. Around 12 people were on hand, not a bad turnout considering it was Easter. Some of the regulars did not make it and were missed.

In this video: (1) Paul's modified Peck Polymers Bostonian Pup. (2) Mike's peanut scale Broussard MH1521, just built and making its maiden flight on Sunday. (3) Todd's Big Pussycat. Will it end up in the lights?

2011 MAC Schedule

2011-04-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Marin Aero Club meets on the 2nd Sunday of each month (outdoors, weather permitting) and on the 4th Sunday of each month (indoors) from April to November. Our winter break starts in December.

OUTDOOR FLYING
at the SAM 27 field near Lakeville

May 8
June 12
July 10
August 14
September 11
October 9
November 13

INDOOR FLYING
in the gym at St. Vincent's in Marinwood

April 24
May 22
June 26
July 24
August 28
September 25
October 23
November 27

The Livesay Files

2011-03-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

A lot of people in the free flight community miss Dave Livesay's Briefcase, a huge online collection of free plans that disappeared in October 2009 when Yahoo pulled the plug on GeoCities. For the past month, there's been a lively discussion in the Small Flying Arts forum about making the files accessible again. The question is how to do it.

A group of SFA members is working on a project to distribute the files on CD in the same manner as a chain letter. That will get the collection (over 1200 files) into more people's hands, but it doesn't address the problem of making the plans permanently and readily accessible to anyone who wants them.

The Internet is obviously better than CDs for distributing digital media. So why doesn't someone create a new website for storing the Livesay files? That's what Chris Boehm decided to do. He just started the merlin236 Yahoo Group (Merlin's Free Flight Group) and has already uploaded hundreds of peanut plans. In so doing, he's used 78% of the group's storage space, meaning an upgrade will be needed to accommodate all of Livesay's Briefcase.

Incidentally, it is possible to view some defunct websites (or parts of them) using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. For example, here's a snapshot of Livesay's Briefcase back in 2002. And here's a look back at another site we miss, Deathtrap Squadron Plans.

Hey, why not build one of these?!

2011-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

An easy to build, all sheet model by Dave Thornberg.
From the pages of Model Builder magazine.

In the News

2011-01-13T15:21:00.001-08:00

Ray Bazzurto on the cover of the current issue of Antique Flyer, the SAM 27 newsletter

2011-01-03T09:10:00.001-08:00

Welcome aboard

2010-12-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

We welcome Tom Ryan, a new follower of the MAC blog.

Tom is a pilot with a pretty neat blog of his own:

The Building Board

Dave K Wins Another One

2010-11-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

Winners of the 2010 "G" Challenge were announced yesterday. In the words of contest director Howard Littman, "Dave Krinard flew away with the flying prize" with his Guillows 500 Series FW-190. This was Dave's first entry in the annual postal contest since 2007, when he won first prize overall with his 500 Series Hellcat.

If you're not familiar with the "G" Challenge, the object is to build a Guillows model from a designated series of kits. Builders are required to use kit wood, but pieces may be cut or sanded to save weight, provided the outlines remain intact. This year, prizes were given for flying, speed dash, and appearance. For more information see the Guillows "G" Challenge Yahoo Group.

How To Build Your Own Airplane

2010-11-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

I found this video on another blog, The Building Board, and thought it was worth re-posting here. This is about constructing a full scale airplane, but many of the same principles apply to model building.

Field Trip

2010-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday was mostly a bust because of the wind, but we did manage a few flights. There's a picture below of Jerry & Phobi with Heinkel and Jimmie Allen yellowjacket, and of a beautiful bi-plane that someone is sure to identify.

Some of us headed over to Schellville to enjoy the open day and an opportunity to browse the hangar - pics below.

The military plane at the bottom is a Broussard MH 1521. We agreed that it would make a great build. George has subsequently obtained a plan for a peanut version from Bill Hannan, and we think it would make the perfect scale contest build to kick off the 2011 season.

Copies will be available soon - please let us know if you'd like a copy.

Ahh, the good ole days

2010-11-18T08:24:00.001-08:00

Pre-sanded balsa, what a luxury!

What's new?

2010-10-18T20:59:00.001-07:00

You never know what you'll see at MAC, but there's always a good chance to see some new models, gadgets, plans, and maybe a new face or two. Seen at our last indoor meeting:

Tom brought a new model for the Bostonian contest. The all-red pusher prop driven Bostonian is one of Tom's own designs. The color is hot, but I think this plane is really cool.

One of our friends from SAM 27 attended his first MAC meeting last month. He flew this micro R/C Prairie Bird and I think he learned some things about free flight, too. Welcome!

Not your average Prairie Bird.

A work in progress. Haoyang has covered all of this biplane except the fuselage. The parts are not attached yet, just set up temporarily for this picture.

Mike showed us the fuselage of a Grumman F7F Tigercat he is building.

Haoyang and Daniel studied a plan.

When you build from plans, there aren't always a lot of instructions. Figuring out what the designer intended may be part of the fun, but I'm grateful for other modelers who are ready to help -- at club meetings, online, or via email. Thanks, guys!

FROG Delta 16

2010-10-06T10:21:00.001-07:00

I posted a picture of Mike flying his FROG Delta 16 last month and remembered that model from my first outdoor MAC meeting in 2006. That was before we started this blog, so my pictures from that day were never posted... until now. Here is Mike on May 14, 2006, in the field behind the St. Vincent's gym in Marinwood (we moved our outdoor sessions to Lakeville in 2007).

Mike built his Delta 16 from plans which are available to download free from the House of Frog website. The video below shows the model flying in 2006. I guess it isn't easy to trim a flying wing, but Mike is doing okay. (Tom: "The glide is superb." Mike: "Yeah.")

Sartorial elegance on the flying field

2010-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jerry Long, shown here with one of his his Bostonians, doesn't usually dress as finely for outdoor flying sessions, but he was playing a gig right after,
And Roger, with an excellent Jimmie Allen BA Parasol has a kind of East Coast Ralph Lauren layered look.

Record 10 entries in Bostonian contest

2010-09-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

We had a really good turnout for the Bostonian contest at our St Vincent’s indoor meeting on Sunday (9/26). The Jim Bearham trophy goes to Mike L for an outstanding performance with his Bay Watch model, but all contestants worked hard to make it a rewarding and fun event. Some pics below.

Best three times out of five flights . . .

Mike L - Bay Watch - 303 seconds
Jerry L - Own design - 207 seconds
Tom W - The Fish – 152 seconds
Dave W - Celtic – 145 seconds
Ed S - ? – 132 seconds
George B –“Volksplane ripoff” – 122 seconds
Daniel N – Sorta Senator – 105 seconds

Haoyang, Bob and Jim (who provided the trophy and flew a Canuck #1) didn’t record times as they were having trimming issues, but they put a lot of effort in and will doubtless be in a better position next time.

There was no attempt to handicap for weight, but Mike’s advice is to build light and use a prop with a high pitch. Most of us struggled to stay under the rafters, off the walls and out of the bleachers with varying degrees of success. I think there was a least one three point basket. We all felt that we should have done better, and it would probably have helped morale if Mike had been forced to fly last. But he has given us a target for next year.

We missed Brian who would have been in the top three if past performance is anything to go by.

Thanks to everyone, and let's make the most of our October indoor session with a open scale contest - Dime, Nocal, peanut etc.

Late Summer at Lakeville

2010-09-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the Bay Area, an example of the great weather we usually get in September and October. If we had any control over the conditions, we would've turned down the wind a few notches, but it wasn't too bad. Models filled the air and we witnessed some impressive flights. Also new models on display, discussion of plans and building techniques, a trivia quiz, two dogs, a new car, and some R/C planes thrown into the mix.

Jim lets one fly.

Mike's FROG Delta 16 is one of my favorite models. I remember seeing it fly at my first outdoor MAC meeting in 2006.

This is Mike's newest model, a scale-ish looking Bostonian. Tom said something about flying ROW (rise off water) but in reality that seems unlikely, to say the least.

Ed had the runway all to himself until late in the morning when a few more R/C guys showed up. Here is Ed, starting the engine on his Tutor.

Daniel brought a couple of new planes: a Skokie and this nicely detailed Junkers D.I built from the Rocky Top kit.

Tom also has a new Skokie. This plane shows a lot of potential, possibly owing to the all-red tissue covering.

Expect to see more Skokies at the Jimmie Allen contest rescheduled for Saturday, September 25.

BORN LOSER C OF G

2010-08-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

We had a question a few days ago about the balance point of the Born Loser.
I put the question to Kermit Walker, who made this model, and here's his response. Kermit has a medical procedure coming up next week and we wish him all the best. T

I got my Born Loser out and checked its C of G is (fore and aft balance point, more correctly). It balances roughly 1/2" back from the leading edge of the TOP wing. I seem to remember starting out with the "CG" a bit further back (like at roughly the LE of the bottom wing), but had to add a bit of nose weight. It also has quite a bit of left rudder - like at least 1/8" and maybe more. It also has quite a bit of washin in both left wings - something like 1/8" in the bottom wing and more like maybe 5/32"/3/16" in the upper wing. The right wing panels are roughly flat, as is the horizontal stabilizer. I did make a provision for an adjustable incidence stab (fixed middle spar, with the LE "floating" in a tapered slot in the fuselage and the LE just tack-glued to the front of the slot. I started out with the LE of the stab at roughly half way down the tapered slot (like maybe 1/16" negative) and have never found it necessary to change (figures! if I had made it "fixed" with no adjustment possible, it would've needed some!). I would probably set up the model with different adjustments for outdoors - like maybe 1/2 as much left rudder and washin in the left wings. The amount of left rudder I have in it now is to be able to get it to circle tight enough consistently so as to not hit the walls at St. V's gym Oh, also, I have just a smidge of right thrust built into it. Please feel free to use whatever of the above you might feel to useful on the website. --Kermit Walker

Small Rubber Contest

2010-08-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Some of us participated in the SAM 27 Small Rubber Contest at Lakeville on Saturday, August 7. (The contest was originally scheduled on July 24, but had to be postponed when the fire department set the field on fire early that morning as a training exercise.) Roberto Soncin Gerometta captures the atmosphere and action in this video:

Fahrvergnugen

2010-08-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Vanquishing volks vie for volksplane victory at St Vincents

2010-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

We finally held our peanut Volksplane contest!
Amid a swirl of media attention and hounded by hordes of paparazzi, five contestants faced off before a small but fanatical group of spectators on Sunday July 25, 2010. When the props stopped and the dust settled one man emerged to bask in the glow of victory.

Mike L, with his exquisite model - decorated to perfectly mimic a real Volkspane - emerged head and shoulders above the rest, and not just because he is a lot taller.

Mike won all 4 categories as follows

BEST THREE TIMES OUT OF FIVE

Mike L 169.5 secs
Ed S 112.6
Tom W 80
George B 72.1

LONGEST SINGLE FLIGHT

MIKE 1 minute 02 secs
Ed 40.4 secs
Tom 28 secs
George 24.1 secs

CONCOURS (a totally subjective scoring method by myself)

Mike 85 points
George 84
Jim 77
Ed 76
Tom 65

MASS LAUNCH (IF YOU CAN CALL FIVE MODELS A MASS)

Mike (still going after the rest of us had gone home)

So first prize of a Gizmo Geezer went to Mike, and Ed as the runner up received a packet of rubber bands - both provided by George.

Jim broke his prop during a final trimming session and was unable to compete in the main section)

Models from top right clockwise - Ed, Mike, George, Tom and Jim.

Thanks to everyone for a great session and lots of laughs. We invite anyone to email us with times and photos of their peanut Volkspanes.

Summer Time

2010-07-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Part of a mural painted by students outside the St. Vincent's gym

One of several models competing in the Volksplane contest on Sunday. I will leave the reporting of that event to others who took better notes and more pictures. Hope to see a report here.

An example of the Easy Built Models variation of the Little Richard design. Distinguishing features include polyhedral breaks near the wing tips and tail feathers extending aft of the fuselage.

Ed shows his finely crafted mini-square.

At his first St. Vincent's session, Haoyang flew a Phantom Flash and then this GM Aero-Bat.

Thanks to those who brought cookies.

Dave K just built this immaculate dime scale D.VII from the Skylake Models kit. This one flies really well both indoors and out, and of course it looks fantastic.

Wassup?

2010-07-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

The wind was up yesterday. No problem when you've got a trusty hound to track lost models.

Ding and Ray assess the wind conditions.

Does size really matter?

Brian had some long flights with his Flying Aces Moth, which handles the wind pretty well.

I think this is the first time I've flown my Born Loser embryo outdoors. This model seems to like the calm air inside the gym better. But it was a nice Sunday to be outside, windy or not.

Photos by my cousin Mark, visiting from Berlin

6-27-2010 Indoor flying

2010-07-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday's session saw many versions of the peanut scale Volksplane being readied for the upcoming event.

Jerry concentrates on trimming his VP, in Luftwaffe livery.

George's VP is a real lightweight.

Much attention is paid to keeping the weight to a minimum.
Tom knows the importance of this, and he shows us how its done.

Part of Jim's air force.

Mike's Sparrow & VP.

Dave K's Fokker returned to base with battle damage.

Jim pauses to answer questions, in midst of winding.

George's Bostonian-sized VP suffered major damage after encountering an immovable object.

More of Mike's handiwork, an Aeronca L.

Additionally, heres some pics from the previous indoor session that didn't get posted...( better late than never!).

FABULOUS FREEFLIGHT ON A CALIFORNIA SUN DAY

2010-06-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

The weather at Lakeville last Sunday was about as good as it gets. Hardly any wind for 4/5 hours, hot but not roasting and even a few thermals.

We were joined by Walter Hicks - visiting from the south - who is getting back into rubber free flight after a period dedicated to control line flying. He asked a lot of questions about tissue, dope, wood, shrinking, rubber and a lot more, and I think we managed to give several different answers to every question. Good to see you Walter - come back again.

Jim flew a variety of Prairie Birds, Mike had some great flights with the new Comet and almost went OOS with his Bostonian. Jerry's Heinkel is nearly under control, Dave Ks Albatross performed predictably, and Phobi's peanuts were delightful until one landed on the road right in front of a passing car. Dave W took most of the photos after the warps on the Mustang proved unfixable. My Gypsy is promising and George's Dayton Wright Racer put in possibly its best flight in 15 years.

Mike's new Volksplane looks like it will be tough to beat.

Tom

What a day!!!!!

Volksplane Cookup

2010-06-08T09:17:00.001-07:00

Here it comes! Marin Aero Club's 2010 Volksplane cookup is about to begin.

George and Tom suggested the Evans VP-1 Volksplane because the model is simple to build, a well-documented scale subject, and... what's the other reason? It's always good to have three reasons. Oh, I know! George already built one, so he can proceed directly to the next project. But seriously, I'm sure there are many other good reasons to build this model.

The VP-1 model pictured here belongs to Jerry Long. He flies it both indoors and outdoors. The WW1 German markings accurately represent a specific full scale Volksplane whimsically decorated in this way.

Some of us are building Volksplane models from plans prepared by Tom, based on David Aronstein's excellent peanut scale design. Tom has cleaned it up, added templates for all the 'print wood', and provided an option to build the fuselage with a saddle allowing a one-piece wing.

There are at least two other peanut scale plans for the Volksplane: an all-sheet design by Walt Mooney and a box-frame fuselage design by Stephen Hales.

This cookup is open to anyone who wants to join in. You don't have to fly with MAC, but if you build a Volksplane we'd like to see a picture and post it here. If you need plans, send us an email.

May Indoor Meeting

2010-05-26T11:35:00.001-07:00

Ed's 2010 Science Olympiad model

Tom's Pussycat

Mike's just-finished Supermarine Sparrow built from the Diels kit

Another new model: Jim's One Nite 16

A view from the bleachers

Please don't sit here

Ding's box of AMA Darts

Tech Talk: Mike displays the adjustable wire thrust bearing from his new Sparrow

Some of George's models

My Celtic ended up on the hoop, which seems only fitting

Eduardo's father (second from left) and mother (next to Eduardo) are visting from Chile

Eduardo's father is a free flight enthusiast, too. This is his self-built winder.

Ray looking at the fantastic photography in a book Tom brought, Ghosts of the Skies by Philip Makanna

Tom's dime scale BA Eagle

Mike winds his no-cal Bronco, Jim prepares his Prairie Bird, Marco supervises

Where were you?

2010-05-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well I went to Lakeville. more to met Ed than with any hope of flying. And of course it was blowing and then raining. We didn't realize until it was too late that there had been enough rain to turn the parking area sticky.

We left without creating a mess, but not before Ed was wet and frozen, and Jim discovered that every step was building up half an inch of clay on his soles.

Sunday Indoor Well Attended

2010-04-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

At least 20 people came to Marin Aero Club's second meeting of the year on Sunday. About two-thirds of them brought models to fly, the rest came to watch and hang out with friends. It was an interesting session with many new planes, and some old ones that we haven't seen in a while.

Jason McGuire returned to MAC for the first time in about eight years. This is the prototype of his Twerp design.

See the plane? Tom's Flying Fish Bostonian is one of a kind, his own design.

Phobe's 1/2 scale Baxter Pussycat flew OOS (out of sight) indoors, landing inside the top of an I-beam. Jerry tried unsuccessfully to retrieve it with our telescoping pole.

Brian's sheet balsa Ford Fliver

Jason's Fiat G.50

Phobe with Jerry's Cub

Mike's winter project, the Cessna C-34 posted here in February, is almost complete.

Ed's micro RC Diddle Rod. It has an electric motor and faux cylinder.

Need a balsa shim? George has two different kinds.

Tom's Latécoère 26, a French mail carrier

More of Tom's models. If you look closely, you'll notice the wing from the Latécoère, separated from the plane by a hard landing. The damaged pylon can be fixed easily.

Mike's dime scale P-47

These are the Fether Plane (sic) kits Jim bought on eBay, posted here two weeks ago.

I had a little problem with my Little Richard, absentmindedly putting in the wrong (1/8 inch) rubber motor and watching the plane shoot out of my hand like a rocket. What a surprise! In one second it hit an I-beam, ripping the wing off. The fuselage continued to climb until it hit the ceiling and crashed to the floor, while the separated wing spun around its lateral axis making a slow descent. We all had a good laugh, and I only wish there was a video.

Towards the end of our meeting, Gale dropped by with his new rubber-powered free flight P-47 before taking it up to Lakeville for its maiden flight. You have to see this extraordinary model up close to appreciate how beautifully built it is.

A detail for model builders to appreciate: the P-47's hand-carved, carbon-reinforced prop with freewheeling assembly.

Gale force winds at Lakeville

2010-04-27T09:45:00.001-07:00

No, it's not what you may think.

Gale Wagner, renowned East Bay sculptor, continues to amaze us with his flying art.

At first glance this is a scale P47 Razorback, but looking past the obvious you will find much much more. I snuck out of our indoor meeting at St. Vincent's to follow Gale to Lakeville - where his creation tasted and tested the wind and long grass for the first time.

There may be some work needed to get predictable flights, but the art is undeniably vertical take-off, the irony vast, and the beauty as exquisite as David or Narcissus.

The craftsmanship is so out of sight that it is rendered moot and mute.

Gale's Vietnam experiences are spread thickly over this model, and you should let it speak to you.

Tom.

Wow.

Indoor Flying in Sacramento

2010-04-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

Ed and Kermit fly indoors with a group in Sacramento, meeting on the 3rd Thursday of the month at Sacramento Turn Verein (a German exercise club and social organization).

Ed reports: "Chris Borland is instructing a group of middle school kids how to build and fly Science Olympiad models. They are all good flyers and did well in a recent contest with other school groups. They all do about 2 minutes. Some adults fly these also and don't do any better!"

Turn Verein's auditorium has a smooth ceiling about 22 feet above the floor (no girders or hanging lights like we have at St. Vincent's) so models that touch the ceiling are likely to deflect gently downwards. You still need to stay away from the walls, though.

Ed has done about 7 minutes here with his EZB.

Anyone interested in the Sacramento group may email Ed for more information.

Season Opener

2010-04-12T16:32:00.001-07:00

It's a good thing we scheduled both of our April meetings inside the gym, because it was pouring rain yesterday in Marin County. We normally alternate outdoor (2nd Sunday of the month) and indoor (4th Sunday) throughout our flying season.

George is always working on something interesting. Here are the bones of a B.A. Swallow he started building after seeing an article about the plane in this month's issue of Flight Journal magazine. The outlines of George's model are based on David Aronstein's plan. George enlarged it from 16-inch wing span to 30 inches and redesigned the structure to provide a more robust airframe.

Mike built a balsa sheet profile BD-8 in a few hours on Saturday night. He didn't have to build the motor stick and prop assembly. He already has one that fits a series of models that he's scratch-built.

While we're on the subject of balsa sheet profile models... Jim built a pair of feather planes (a biplane and a monoplane) from a Japanese kit he found on eBay.

I like the minimalist design of these little airplanes.

And now for the feature you've all been waiting for! A video of Dave K's twin-rubber peanut scale He-219. I started recording this only a moment after launching my Little Richard (which you'll see at the end) and once again I found myself spinning around in the middle of the circular flight path. When will I ever learn?

For some reason, most of the pictures I took yesterday didn't turn out very well. Maybe because I was dizzy from making that video. Tom also had his camera and perhaps he'll post a few more pics. In any case, we'll be flying again in two weeks and will have more to report then.

2010 MAC Schedule

2010-03-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

April 11 - Indoor
April 25 - Indoor
May 9 - Outdoor
May 23 - Indoor
June 13 - Outdoor
June 27 - Indoor
July 11 - Outdoor
July 25 - Indoor
August 8 - Outdoor
August 22 - Indoor
September 12 - Outdoor
September 26 - Indoor
October 10 - Outdoor
October 24 - Indoor
November 14 - Outdoor
November 28 - Indoor
December - No meetings

We have two regularly scheduled meetings most months, usually alternating between outdoor flying on the 2nd Sunday of the month and indoor flying on the 4th Sunday of the month. Note that in April two indoor dates are scheduled; our winter hiatus starts in December; outdoor meetings are "weather permitting."

Outdoor flying is at the SAM 27 field near Lakeville.

Indoor flying is in the gym at St. Vincent's in Marinwood.

On the Road

2010-03-05T13:10:00.001-08:00

Photo by George Benson
Street Sign at Highway 62
Yucca Valley, California
(1991)

No gym? No worries.

2010-03-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Mehmet from Istanbul built this Pemby's Kid for the current Bill Brown Memorial Cookup at Small Flying Arts.

What's on your building board?

2010-02-19T07:52:00.001-08:00

Mike Leadbetter is building a Scale Flight Model Co. kit of the Comet Cessna C-34 (25 inch span).

Mike says, "After looking at the light structure and large wing, I am in the process of fitting a DT, eternal optimist that I am."

Baby Zephyr Reproduction

2010-02-11T16:59:00.001-08:00

Ed Solenberger is working on a project to reproduce a kit of the classic Testors Baby Zephyr with the original K&B .020 Infant Torpedo engine. Ed sold ten kits/engines last year, and he says "They flew out of here like a flock of quail!" More kits will be coming from the laser cutter soon. With over 80 on the waiting list, that's good news!

Baby Zephyr ready to be painted

Ed tells us the original Testors kit came out in about 1949 -- especially for the Infant Torpedo. The little .020 was the very first pure glow plug engine on the market. As you can see in the picture, the kit sold for 98¢. The engines were $7.95. Considering that it had precut, formed parts and a full-size plan with plenty of instructions, that was a one heck of a deal, even in those days.

Ed's reproduction kit was featured in Flying Models magazine last year. It has laser cut parts, with rolled tube fuselage. You would have to make a special mandrel to roll such a taper, as the usual suggestion of a pool cue wouldn't work. Ed can do one per day, or maybe two, as the balsa has to dry well.

Ed has been busy building up an inventory of vintage K&B engines. Restoring these little gems is not a problem for Ed, a talented engine builder. But if anyone has spare parts/engines of this type, Ed can probably use them.

This picture shows one of the restorations -- an exact sized fuel tank. Some engines are missing parts such as this.

Ed is selling the laser cut reproduction kit without engine for $39.95 plus shipping. The price for kit with engine is $96.95 plus shipping. Anyone can get a kit without engine fairly soon, but if you aren't already on the waiting list it could take awhile to get an engine. Anyone interested in these kits should email Ed.

Harfang Chronicle and Mail

2010-02-02T10:50:00.001-08:00

FAC Squadron 71 from Montreal, better known as the Escadrille Harfang, has begun publishing a newsletter called The Harfang Chronicle and Mail. The newsletter is available as a PDF via email, free to the first 25,000 subscribers.

Yes, they like to joke around. But the Harfang group is serious about modeling -- evidenced by their massive thread on the Small Flying Arts forum, YouTube videos, sponsorship of the FAC French Design Mass Launch, and willingness to fly rubber powered models in the snow.

Ronny Gosselin, editor of the Harfang newsletter, writes "We'll try to get the Chronicle out every 6 months and will attempt to always get you at least one original plan or three views every time." To subscribe, send an email to Ronny.

More highlights from 2009 flying season

2009-11-29T16:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009 Flying Season Closes

2009-11-27T17:36:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-11-14T14:46:00.001-08:00

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.

Halloweenpfaltz

2009-11-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Photo by Roberto Soncin Gerometta

Why free-flight?

2009-10-19T10:11:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

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 doweled balsa center and 1/16th 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 countersink the hubs so as to leave enough axle showing for the stops.

Thanks Brian & Roberto

2009-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

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!

The Fine Art of Flying Rubber

2009-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Roberto made this video at yesterday's TOFFF session at Lakeville. More information about the weekly Thursday gathering may be found at the SAM 27 website.

Fleet

2009-10-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

My latest project is the Fleet 16B (Finch). Paul gave me this super R/N Models kit (for power RC or rubber.) I cut out some of the wood and it looks like finishing up around 100 grams. It'a simple build but making the radial engine has been time consuming - the model just wouldn't look right without it. I have plenty of time I guess - it will be around 5 months before we get gliding grass.

Tom.

The trick is in the stick and a very secret new product evaluation

2009-10-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Mike L has a complete airforce with only one motor between them . . .

Here's another pic of Dave's owl and Eduardo's A-6 confronting the light fixture

At Lakeville today I put the GB1 Bellywinder through its first field test. I can't disclose too many details, but it performed well and will require some modifications.

September Indoor Meeting

2009-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's indoor meeting was well-attended with several newcomers and spectators in the crowd.

Mike brought something new, a tiny catapult launched glider. It is sitting on a standard #10 envelope here.

The tiny CLG makes my Little Richard look enormous.

The Little Richard, with a 12 inch wing span, is easy to build and fly. Mine flew right off the board and has been a reliable flyer ever since I built it two years ago. This video shows what happened yesterday when I wound it up too much.

Smacking into an iron beam isn't good for stick and tissue airplanes. This broken wing will be easy to fix, though.

Here is another Little Richard. Mike modified this model by reducing incidence (notice how the trailing edge is raised) and carving a lightweight balsa prop. The CG has been moved back to about 70% of the wing cord. Mike says trimming was more difficult with this arrangement, but performance is greatly improved.

Norman's Pussycat, a Dick Baxter design.

The wing of Norman's modified Cougar is covered with gift wrapping which, when wetted, resulted in a nice mottled pattern.

Tom showed his Deperdussin racer to Marco. This old model from the Nowlen Aero kit was flying well on Sunday.

Refreshments included coffee, cookies, and these delicious Chinese snacks (main ingredients: glutinous rice, sugar). Breakfast of Champions.

Eduardo is one of our newest members. The U.C. Berkeley student brought some of his models, like this A-6, from his native country of Chile. These are definitely carry-on items!

Eduardo says the P-25 class is popular in South America. This example, a good beginner's plane, was designed by Cacho Lastiz.

The transparent P-25 passes under a bright light.

Dave K used an unusual technique to build his new peanut scale Heinkel He 219 Uhu. The wing is conventionally built, but the fuselage and nacelles are built around carved foam forms; the foam is melted away when the wood structure is complete. Dave has posted more information about this project in the discussion forum at Small Flying Arts, here.

Dave is not done trimming the He 219, and he plans to add more scale details, but the small twin is already flying nicely as you can see in this video.

Several years ago, Dick Baxter's Akro design was the subject of a Marin Aero Club group build and contest. Tom decorated his Akro with a Kermit Walker motif, which starts to make sense when Tom explains that Kermit was judging the contest. The strategy didn't hurt, as Tom won that contest.

The pilot looks familiar.

Driving home, I took this picture of wild turkeys on the grounds of St. Vincent's. When I see these birds I'm reminded that Benjamin Franklin proposed making them the USA's national bird. Interesting idea.

Secrets of Free Flight Revealed

2009-09-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ray shows how to get a 2-minute max flight with his Senator:

Step 1 - Put in the turns.

Step 2 - Fix the front end.

Step 3 - Set the DT. Don't forget!

Step 4 - Fly.

wings over wine country

2009-09-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Scenes from this years Sonoma County airshow.

Thursday perfect

2009-09-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

George claimed it was the best ever.

Hardly any wind, hot, a few clouds.

Everyone flew well, but the Benson jumbo Pfaltz was dreamy. A little more rubber, a few more winds and the giant fourbladed in-line prop sliced through the blue sky like a hot knife through butter lifting the figment of George's imagination way up high. Next a timed torpedo release.

And Gale's buttery biplane sliced through the star thistle in a hard but safe landing.

Red. yellow and bluebird.

2009-09-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday 9/3 was a bust because of the steady wind. A few of us enjoyed some short flights and long walks. Certainly not the conditions for Paul's exquisite JA Bluebird. It's built exactly to the plans and is covered and marked in Paul's unique style - (can someone fill me in on the significance of the numbers?

The master Jerry is explaining something to Paul that is over my head.

Paul has enough of this red and yellow tissue to last at least until the Jimmie Allen Centenary.

Just Right

2009-08-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was just right. Not a regularly scheduled MAC meeting, but some of us were at Lakeville anyway taking advantage of near perfect conditions. It was the kind of day that makes you feel good to be outdoors. The kind of calm, sunny day we've been missing for most of the summer.

My new dime scale P-51B was ready for its first powered test flights. Long story short: it flies! Thanks to everyone who helped with trimming: Dave K, Jerry, Phobe, Tom, Gale, and Ray. We experimented with different rubber motors, moved the CG around, shimmed the nose block, put a tab on the wing...and there's still more trimming to be done.

Ray's new Senator features the German colors of red, black, and gold. He says it wasn't by design, he was just using up scrap tissue! Anyway, the plane looks good. It flies good, too.

I'm sure that some of our readers recognize the character on the fin:

Senator Jack S. Phogbound from Li'l Abner.

This is Jimmie Allen on steroids. Gale doubled the size of the Jimmie Allen BA Parasol, from 24 to 48 inches, keeping all of the outlines intact but modifying the structure for a stronger airframe. This model is covered with medium-weight silkspan.

Gale launches the big parasol. This one has a mind of its own, being a good flyer but unpredictable. Yesterday, this plane hit a car being driven by a SAM 27 member in the parking lot. Gale's plane was undamaged. The car might be in the body shop for a few days.

Name the Plane

2009-08-27T18:57:00.001-07:00

This month's Mystery Plane is really special. Some clues to make guessing easier:

1. Plane resembles an Airstream trailer with radial engine and wings tacked on.

2. Parked in the pavilion between Terminals 1 and 2 at the Munich airport.

3. Currywurst, French fries, and beer served at take-out window.

Okay, it's not really an airplane. It's Smokey Joe's Cafe. Cut me some slack.

I just spent two great weeks in Germany visiting my cousins. Unfortunately I've missed a lot of flying this summer, so I decided to drop in at SAM 27's regular Thursday meeting this morning.

My new dime scale P-51 barely got off the ground before something broke (the brass tube inside my hand-carved prop is loose, don't ask me why) but I had a good time and took a few pictures.

George with his new enlarged Pfalz Canard. The fantasy flyer is doing nice, big circles.

Rod and George prepare to launch.

Jerry's SNJ Texan

Jay was flying an Earl Stahl design, the Weight Rule.

Tom surely would have lost his new Jimmie Allen Special today if not for the pop-up wing DT. This little plane flew so high it was practically invisible.

Tom's Ta-152

This should be the Mystery Plane. I'm afraid I don't know the name of the model or the gentleman flying it. This is an interesting design and a sharp looking model, too.

Memory Lane

2009-08-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of my dad taken in the fifties. I'm not sure what the models were. One is at a competition for general modeling and the other was taken at Sutton Park to the SE of Birmingham (England). Both airplanes are freeflight. Thanks to Brian for the great pics and video. Tom W

July indoor session / windbreak

2009-08-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

July's gym meeting saw some new faces. A big welcome to newcomers, and a warm welcome back for returning flyers.
The recently relentless winds made us especially grateful for our indoor venue.
Here are the minutes from our last meeting:

(click on any pic, for a better view)

Jay brought a couple of really nice models...
A very competitive looking Lacey M10.

Also, a neatly camouflaged Auster.

Unfortunately, its tail was knocked off during trimming flights.

George was flying his venerable veteran DH Puss Moth, which has more than a few flights on it.
Here he describes the details:

Another rendition of the ubiquitous Baxter Akro,
this one by Ed; a past MACster, returning to the hobby.

Kermit's Born Loser using every inch of available airspace.
It regularly turns in impressive flight times.

Mike put up a few flights with his Bostonian Fat Cat.

And heres a pic of Mike's Peck ROG,
embellished with M&Ms.
When asked by his daughter if it was a peanut,
he replied "nope... its a plain"

Tom was there, but didnt do any flying...
he was busy polishing the huge trophy he won at
the recent SAM rubber contest.

Show and Tell

2009-07-28T09:22:00.001-07:00

The monthly indoor meeting at St. Vincent's on Sunday was well attended. Flying conditions were perfect, a nice change considering how windy it's been lately over at Lakeville. One of the highlights of this day was seeing Kermit's new project, a radio control pterodactyl. That's a flying dinosaur -- but you already knew that, didn't you?

This is not the type of model that we fly in the Marin Aero Club (we focus on free flight) but some of us are into a variety of model types. Kermit has flown most every kind of model airplane, and if you don't believe me just look in the back of his van. He decided to build this unique aircraft after seeing it in the Real Flight simulator on his computer. The twin electric model is available as a laser cut kit from Marsten PteroWorks.

CONTEST & NO CONTEST

2009-07-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

On the 25th July at Lakeville, Jerry Rocha is running a SAM contest with four events.

Hand & catapult gliders combined
Old time small rubber, stick & cabin combined - 150 sq in max wing area - Gollywocks, Senators etc.
P30
020 nostalgia & replica combined.

Nominal entry fee - just a few bucks.

I'm in for the old time small rubber and gliders - how about you.

And now for the NO CONTEST

It's Gale's new almost-built P47, and it's as perfect as I've ever seen. It is intended to capture the spirit of the Jug, not create a small replica. It is art, sculpture of the highest order, as well as being true in form to the original.

It will fly too. Congratulations Gale.

What started it all

2009-07-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of our intrepid leader George with his mother, standing in front of a Fox Moth. It's probably 1935 or so, and for five shillings each, the family enjoyed a pleasure ride. The four seats in the enclosed cabin faced each other and the pilot was up top in an open cockpit.

Happy days, when the world was at peace and there was no wind at Lakeville.

Tom.

Lubomir Koutny and the Czech approach

2009-07-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

Perhaps you know of Lubomir Koutny, the distinguished Czech free flight modeler. He has been a top competitor for decades and many of his scale model plans have been published. In 2003 his book, "Rubber Powered Models," was published in the Czech language.

Koutny's book is said to be an excellent resource, particularly as it explains the Czech approach to design and construction.

There is a chance that the book will be published in English. This depends on gathering a certain number of pre-orders. If you are interested you will find more information at Minimakety.cz including the author's email address.

But wait, there's more. Bernard Guest is organizing a Koutny cookup at the Hip Pocket Aeronautics Builders' Forum. Participating in this cookup promises to be a good way to learn about Czech style models. Many plans are available including peanuts and 1/20 scale from Michael J. Woodhouse and other sources.

Koutny's P-51H

If you are like me (which is to say relatively new to free flight modeling) you may be asking: What is so special about the Czech approach? Bernard explains some of the basics in this excerpt from the HPA Forum:

1. The wings are quite special...look at the airfoil. It changes from near-scale, semisymetrical at the root (which makes the intersection of the wing a fuselage more scale like) to strongly undercambered at the tip.

2. The wing structure is unusual too in that it uses closely spaced sliced ribs near the center section with the spacing increasing towards the tip (lighter).

3. The fuselage is interesting too of course....all those stringers! Why? Apparently, the main reason is that this yields a much more realistic representation of the metal skinned bird.

4. The propellers are light and made using a hot bending technique that involves taking an airfoiled blade blank and twisting it free hand against a hot iron.

Another Koutny design, the Ki-61 Hien

I am intrigued by this cookup and expect to start building one of the Koutny designs later this summer. Either of the models pictured above, the P-51H or the Ki-61, would be fun to build. I believe the cookup expires in one year, so I have a realistic chance of finishing on time. Anyone else want to join in?

Photos from Openscale reports at Minimakety.cz

Fike

2009-07-10T09:22:00.001-07:00

If you come to a Marin Aero Club meeting you'll see a wide range of aircraft types. One of the most distinctive designs is George's peanut scale Fike Model E, a 1970s era light plane with a wing chord that seems to cover half the fuselage.

George explains how he rebuilt and repaired his Fike during our winter hiatus:

The Fike flew well until its flight path coincided with the steel uprights at the end of the benches in the gym, resulting in the necessity of building a new wing or scrapping the plane as the wing was beyond repair. As is often the case, further damage was evident so I built a new wing, stab. and fin. The fuselage was repaired but a new one could have been built in the time I spent patching and fiddling. Trimming has started, not helped by wing warping from a ride in a hot car to St. V. which shrunk the tissue further.

Fike as originally built, circa 1990

Dethermalizer Explained

2009-07-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

George built a dummy DT and brought it to our meeting last week to demonstrate one way these mechanisms can be set up.

Meanwhile, at Lakeville...

2009-06-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Tyler and Dave K worked on trimming Tyler's new P-38, built from the Dumas kit. How are they doing? Check out this video:

Summertime

2009-06-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

Summer is here. Sun up early. Coffee at six. Feed the dog. Pack up the little airplanes and off to the gym. Breakfast of cookies and apples courtesy of George. By eleven o'clock my motorcycle pants are too hot for the gym.

Mike's dime scale Boeing B-9

A pair of Beech Staggerwings, both by Mike. The smaller one is a Pistachio sized No-Cal.

Mike's B-25 Pistachio

Ed's new Bambino is almost ready for its maiden flight.

I didn't take many pictures today. Maybe Tom will post some of his and expand on this report.

SECOND TIME LUCKY

2009-06-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the flyer for our second attempt at the outdoor contest. Same rules, same categories - but hopefully not the same weather. Mass launches are half an hour earlier.

George gave me a fabulous large format book of air to air photographs of WWII fighters, and my (rebuilt with more dihedral) Zero looks good on the page too. Lets hope it flies this time.

GLOBAL WARMING GROUNDS FLYING ACES

2009-06-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Why are Richard, Brian and Ding standing around like they're doing a coffee commercial at the inaugural FAC Squadron 27 contest?

Well take a look at the windsock - it's actually going up!

Other than the impossible wind, conditions were perfect at the Sam 27 Lakeville field this morning, when a bunch of us gathered to do combat with balsa weapons. My attempts to fly dime scale gave a good impression of a demented butterfly, while Ed's gollywock and Ray's Skokie could have won downwind distance records with one flight each. Tyler did really well with his pseudo dime chambermaid - which is about as esoteric as this "hobby" gets - but Dave's staggerwing looked promising too.

The FAC contest is now postponed, but we will announce a new date within days. It's a pity because quite a few people turned up. Dave took it pretty well considering his competitive nature, but he quickly started figuring out how many even better models he can build in the meantime.

Kermit helped out with timing, and provided his hi-tech (no longer available) stooge. Ray checked it out and came to the conclusion you would need at least a milling machine to make a copy.

Ed just found out his gollywock is illegal with a folding prop, and is considering the parallel bars instead.

Happy if flightless day. Thanks to everyone for the fine conversation.

Tom.

GUILLOW'S P40

2009-06-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

This kit had been sitting in the garage for the last five years or so until I recently watched the restored P40 out of Schellville tearing around the skies over Sonoma. (Schellville airport)

It inspired me against my better judgment to build the kit. Yes it's a bit heavy, even after drilling a series of holes in all the bulkheads and keel, but it looks pretty good and provided I can work out the noseblock it might manage 30 seconds - well 20 anyway. Not a contender in the WWII combat mass launch on 6/14.

I will be at Lakeville on Sunday in the hope of getting in some testing for this event. How about you?

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who took part in the crucial D-Day landings 65 years ago tomorrow, and pay tribute to their amazing bravery.

Tom

The Obligatory Bones Shot

2009-06-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

I am trying to finish my pseudo dime scale P-51B in time for our FAC contest next weekend. Will it be ready in time? Will the A's win the pennant this year? Will I get a BMW and ride from Key West to Prudhoe Bay in the Iron Butt Rally? You never know.

AT LAST

2009-05-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you're not a member of Marin Aero or SAM 27, you can fly in the contest as our guest. Membership of Marin Aero is informal, but if you want to join us on a regular basis to fly outdoors at Lakeville, you will need to join SAM 27 and AMA - both have a low rubber only annual fee - see the links below right.

May indoor session

2009-05-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

5-24-09, another uplifting experience in the house of St Vincent.

Our time in the gym is very limited, so its often a mad flurry of activity as we try to get several models trimmed simultaneously.

George was very pleased to finally get his sidecar model to fly acceptably, being frustrated to the point of scrapping it on previous attempts.

Dave K. had his Fokker triplane flying in a very stable manner...its from the Lee's Hobbies kit.

He also brought along his new dime scale Beech Staggerwing, which is nearly completed.

Tyler was flying an Eindecker with almost no dihedral in the wing, even so, it flew very nicely and appeared to slide into the turns.

Kermit, Ed, Mike and Brian also attended, and a good time was had by all. And then the basketballers chased us out...Blast!

McGuire Quad in the Windy Sock

2009-05-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

An updated plan of the McGuire Quadraplane appeared in the March 2009 issue of Windy Sock, newsletter of the Alamo Escadille, and a feature article was published in the April 2009 issue showcasing the "Fantasy Quad" built by Windy Sock editor Joe G. Joseph.

Renewed popularity of Jason McGuire's fantasy flyer started several months ago when several people noticed pictures of George Benson's Quad on this blog and requested plans. We gladly scanned Jason's original drawings, along with some of George's notes and revisions, and posted them here. The scanned drawings occupied seven pages, which is a bit much even for an airplane with so many wings.

Alamo's updated plan has been reduced to two pages! Thank you.

All of the plans published in the Windy Sock are available to download free for several months following publication. After that, archived newsletters and their plans are available for a small fee.

Adding Dihedral

2009-05-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

Most free flight models need dihedral to fly, and that is especially true of low wing monoplanes like George's new dime scale Miles Magister. After the initial test flights George decided his model could use more dihedral.

Adding dihedral to a finished model is not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done and sometimes makes the difference between a good and a poor flyer. This is how George increased the dihedral on his Magister, and also installed diagonal bracing to provide for a more rigid wing.

The first step is to remove the tissue covering on top of the wing (both sides of course). A new razor or scalpel blade helps make a clean cut. George trimmed the tissue up to the dihedral break at the first rib out from the fuselage.

George cut the spar and made it shorter by approximately 3/32". He also cracked the leading and trailing edges enabling him to adjust the dihedral angle. A small piece of balsa sheet with notch was glued to the rib to hold the spar.

George supported the wing root and tip while gluing the spar, leading edge, trailing edge, and gussets -- taking care to make the dihedral angle equal on each side. Then he glued in 1/20" square strips for diagonal bracing. The only thing left to do is replace the tissue.

Tall Grass

2009-05-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Be careful what you wish for. Tall grass is fine for short test flights, but it can be a big problem when your model lands hundreds of meters from the launch site in a field like this.

Tom and George (above) helped me look for my Island Flyer on Sunday, unfortunately to no avail.

This is a "good news/bad news" situation. Someone will find my Island Flyer soon. But this is how he'll pick it up:

This is the last picture of my Island Flyer. I thought it would be funny to compare the Island Flyer's wingspan to the prop from Gale's new 'Scooter' model.

Scooter is one of Gale's original designs. This model is an enlarged version of the 30-inch prototype. Scooter was the name of a black cat Gale once had, and the model is a work of art evoking the character of its namesake.

Black tissue represents Scooter's fur. The instrument panel resembles a cat's paw, the headrest a foot pad. The complex contours of the wing symbolize Scooter's corkscrew tail.

Gale is still sorting out the trim on his new Scooter. Meanwhile, Tom is working on a couple of his new warbirds.

Tom just started flying his new Zero. The model has a DT and we think it'll need one. Tom did his usual magic on the digital graphics. Also note the scale details inside and outside the cockpit.

Tom's new P-47 had its best flight yet. This one looks like it'll be a contender at our upcoming FAC contest. And there's that damn thresher again in the background.

Remembering Earl

2009-05-08T09:36:00.001-07:00

Earl Hoffman in 1991

After reading Brian's fine tribute to Earl Hoffman, I'm reminded of some special moments that we shared with Earl. One of the most memorable was in April last year when Earl flew his twin pusher at Lakeville (with a little help from his friends).

Ed, Brian, and Tom stand by as Earl carries his plane to the launching area. The twin pusher flew well. We were fortunate to share that day and this fine hobby with Earl.

Photos courtesy of SAM 27

Earl Hoffman 1912-2009

2009-05-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

We mourn the passing of the eldest member of SAM27 & MAC, Mr Earl Hoffman, at age 96.
Born in Detroit in 1912, he studied aeronautics and meteorology in school, and went on to a 38 year career with the US Weather Bureau.
Earl was an accomplished indoor flyer with more than a few records to his credit. I recall reading that his Symphony design was chosen by the NFFS as one of the ten best models of '87.
Earl participated in several of MACs indoor sessions, despite the limited vertical space in our gym.
I remember him as the picture of concentration as he carefully prepared his incredibly delicate creations... even as errant models crashed all around him. His patience seemed limitless.
Obviously evident is the fact that he had an intense love of modeling...to still be active in the hobby at age 96. He's an inspiration to us all.
Rest in peace, Earl.

Pfalz canard torpedo bomber

2009-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

George Benson is building a scaled up version of the canard bomber, his own whimsical design.
George, always the innovator, has incorporated some neat features...an all-lifting stabilizer, shock absorbing undercarraige, and the rubber motor will span the full length of the fuselage.

If it flies as well as the prototype, it will need a dethermalizer for sure.
What a fun project...nice job George!

Thanks, Dêkuji, Danke, Arigato, Merci

2009-05-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

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Dave's peanut scale Fokker D-VII

2009-05-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Dave Krinard's modeling skills are evident in the lightweight construction, and the highly detailed camoflage finish on this one.
Anyone who has built a few, knows how challenging the peanuts can be.

He had it flying nicely inside the gym, after a minor adjustment suggested by the helpful fellows at SFA...
(what a great bunch of guys they are!).

The Art of Aviation

2009-05-01T11:35:00.001-07:00

Artists have been inspired by aviation, and airplanes in particular, for over 100 years. Some of the best aviation art is found in posters created during the Golden Age of aviation. Pop art like this was designed to promote events, products, travel, and ideas -- but now these works are appreciated purely for their artistry.

America's #1 Travel Destination

Morale Booster

WARNING: Don't drink and fly.

Have a nice May Day!

These images are from AllPosters.com which offers a variety of aviation themed art including posters, photography, and other media. The company is not affiliated with Marin Aero Club or this blog.

Indoor Flying Season Begins

2009-04-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

We returned to the venerable gymnasium at St. Vincent's to begin the 2009 indoor flying season. Kermit's Born Loser embryo was one of the main attractions, consistently attaining flights of about one minute.

Kermit is experimenting with different motors to get optimal performance, given the constraints of our beamed ceiling.

Mike's Bald Eagle Bostonian circled fast and low over the hardwood floor as if hunting, but the only critters in the gym are dust bunnies that live under the bleachers.

George brought his new dime scale Miles Magister, which he built for our current group building project.

Mike's Akro has seen action in the gym for quite a few years. The 16" Dick Baxter design in Russian winter scheme reminds Mike of a P-39 Airacobra, hence the model's nickname: Akro Cobra.

Ed builds and flies all kinds of models, including ultra lightweight stuff like his electric powered R/C penny plane (above) and rubber powered ornithopter (left).

Dave K shows one of his outdoor planes, the Golden Age Reproductions P-47 with German markings. George stands in the background with his fantasy flyer, the Pfalz Canard.

George is building a larger version of the Pfalz Canard.

George utilized slice rib construction. Note the upper and lower halves are offset at the trailing edge.

Removable landing gear are retained by a rubber band. George's design allows each gear to pivot independently; the rubber band serves as a shock absorber.

Flyin_Brian brought his new camera to the meeting, setting up a portable photography studio with George's help.

Brian's XE-5

The wind finally lets up, so we let em fly

2009-04-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

The grass has gotten quite tall at the Lakeville site...so, much of the day was spent searching for lost models. You could walk right past your plane, and not even see it!
The weather was sunny and hot, with occasional gusts.

Tom's razorback P-47, fresh off the building board, was being put through its paces.

Jerry flew an Island Flyer, a Hienkel, and T-6 Texan.

Ray flew his Jimmy Allen, a Guillows Skyraider, and a P-30.

George tells us that this little nickel scale model is a veteren of many flights and venues.

Here is Gale's latest creation, another of his original designs, I believe.
It flew very slow, stable circuits.

Think you got it tough? Try winding four engines!

2009-04-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Rather frightening flight by Dennis Norman's amazing B-24 Liberator.
Video posted to YouTube by maxfliart.

Indoor Flying

2009-03-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

MAC will resume indoor flying on the fourth Sunday of each month starting April 26, 2009. The winter hiatus was longer than usual this year because the gym at St. Vincent's was needed for basketball.

Have a look at some action from an indoor meeting last Fall: a short video of Tyler's new twin pusher.

Mystery Plane Revealed

2009-03-22T08:03:00.001-07:00

Traffic to the blog spiked after I announced the contest on Small Flying Arts, so I know that lots of people looked at the Mystery Plane, but nobody identified it correctly.

Was the Mystery Plane too obscure? The contest is supposed to be challenging; we can't ask you to identify P-51s. Tom says "the more obscure the better" and this is a fairly obscure airplane.

The unusual double-chassis Grade-Eindecker was designed and built by Hans Grade in Germany. These photographs from 1914 show aerobatic pioneer Gustav Tweer at the controls. It is unknown if the plane ever landed upside down on the auxiliary landing gear.

EDIT: Al Backstrom from Texas identified this as a "Grade something or other" which is a good way to describe it. Al emailed his answer after the Mystery Plane was revealed, but I don't think he knew that. Good answer, Al. Thanks for playing our game.

Barnstorming - A Documentary Film

2009-03-19T08:51:00.001-07:00

I just learned about this in a new thread at Small Flying Arts.

Barnstorming, a documentary film, screened at the 2nd annual Reel Stuff Aviation Film Festival last week. Further screenings and a DVD are in the works. If the trailer is any indication, this looks like an interesting film with good production values.