12/24/08
Weather or not . . .
If the forecast is to be believed, there will be no flying tomorrow, except for flights of fancy. Merry Christmas to you, Merry everything. Tom.
12/20/08
Tom's Tips & Techniques - or downscaling dangers
OK. Let's suppose you have just switched from building big outdoor rubber to dimescale.
Note that it is smaller and more delicate. Your hands look a lot bigger. In effect, they are. So when you are attaching a paper deck to the nose, remember not to hold it in place while the glue dries with the same grip you would use to say attach 1/16th sheet to 1/8th bulkheads.
Here's the reason why.
The instrument panel former will buckle and snap - stringers too. And you may put a crease in the paper. All will lose you marks in an FAC contest.
Resist the temptation to destroy ("crunch") the model because dime scale are so damn fiddly and frail. And remember, when you rebuild the nose, it's a good time to put right all the other mistakes you made.
Let's all build dime scale for a contest in the spring. Should we all build the same model? Should we suggest a postal contest with our overseas readers and then steal their models?
Happy Hols
Tom.
Note that it is smaller and more delicate. Your hands look a lot bigger. In effect, they are. So when you are attaching a paper deck to the nose, remember not to hold it in place while the glue dries with the same grip you would use to say attach 1/16th sheet to 1/8th bulkheads.
Here's the reason why.
The instrument panel former will buckle and snap - stringers too. And you may put a crease in the paper. All will lose you marks in an FAC contest.
Resist the temptation to destroy ("crunch") the model because dime scale are so damn fiddly and frail. And remember, when you rebuild the nose, it's a good time to put right all the other mistakes you made.
Let's all build dime scale for a contest in the spring. Should we all build the same model? Should we suggest a postal contest with our overseas readers and then steal their models?
Happy Hols
Tom.
12/19/08
Isle of Thanet
By George Benson
The Isle of Thanet "Duration Model" was a 24 inch outdoor model of unusual body shape in the August 1939 issue of the British Aero Modeller magazine. The plan was on one page, half scale, only one half of the body drawn in plan view, no prop size shown, but at the tender age of 11, I drew the plan to full size, and tackled the building. This proceeded slowly, I suffered many longeron breakages from the odd shape, but eventually built it, ready for the flying season at Chobham Common in Surrey, England.
By then, my father and I were members of the Walton and District Model Flying Club. Despite the war breaking out in September, we flew outdoors regularly on Summer Sundays. Oddly, I do not remember it raining or being cold, however I do remember cycling with both parents for 10 miles each way, armed with sandwiches, thermos of tea and my father's plane and my Isle of Thanet in a strong cardboard box strapped on my back with heavy cord which dug into me. I guess I did not have enough sense to pad the cord. As the military also learned to drive army tanks at the Common, a chase ensued to retrieve our planes before the driver crushed it, although I think now they would have veered away after causing us anxiety.
So much for my reminiscences, I had always remembered this model and a few years ago, when I returned to aeromodelling, I advertised in the Aeromodeller for a copy of the plan. Lo and behold, I received photocopies from a New Zealander and a gentleman from Southern California so I set to building. This time, I avoided redrawing by photocopying the plan, enlarging it, inverting the drawing of half the fuselage, oiling it with olive oil to make the paper translucent, taping it together so I had a full plan view of the body and building was underway.
Being far older and wiser,....I thought....I would have no problem with the longerons breaking, but "pride goeth before a fall" and I did indeed break longerons, and also had a warped body as well. This time too, I had another humbling time when adding a DT. The fuselage tail has a very narrow taper, and I had considerable anguish fitting the stabilizer securely and yet having it pop up as the DT activated.
Eventually, I had it flying satisfactorily, though never reliably, due to aforementioned unstable stabilizer plus rubber bunching in the narrow fuselage at the rear. However, I am pleased to say, I do NOT have to cycle 10 miles each way, nor do I have cords cutting into my shoulder from the box containing the planes.
I also scaled down the plan and built an indoor model, about 14 or 15 inch which flew adequately, though would tend to stall for no apparent reason when circling in the gymnasium.
The Isle of Thanet "Duration Model" was a 24 inch outdoor model of unusual body shape in the August 1939 issue of the British Aero Modeller magazine. The plan was on one page, half scale, only one half of the body drawn in plan view, no prop size shown, but at the tender age of 11, I drew the plan to full size, and tackled the building. This proceeded slowly, I suffered many longeron breakages from the odd shape, but eventually built it, ready for the flying season at Chobham Common in Surrey, England.
By then, my father and I were members of the Walton and District Model Flying Club. Despite the war breaking out in September, we flew outdoors regularly on Summer Sundays. Oddly, I do not remember it raining or being cold, however I do remember cycling with both parents for 10 miles each way, armed with sandwiches, thermos of tea and my father's plane and my Isle of Thanet in a strong cardboard box strapped on my back with heavy cord which dug into me. I guess I did not have enough sense to pad the cord. As the military also learned to drive army tanks at the Common, a chase ensued to retrieve our planes before the driver crushed it, although I think now they would have veered away after causing us anxiety.
So much for my reminiscences, I had always remembered this model and a few years ago, when I returned to aeromodelling, I advertised in the Aeromodeller for a copy of the plan. Lo and behold, I received photocopies from a New Zealander and a gentleman from Southern California so I set to building. This time, I avoided redrawing by photocopying the plan, enlarging it, inverting the drawing of half the fuselage, oiling it with olive oil to make the paper translucent, taping it together so I had a full plan view of the body and building was underway.
Being far older and wiser,....I thought....I would have no problem with the longerons breaking, but "pride goeth before a fall" and I did indeed break longerons, and also had a warped body as well. This time too, I had another humbling time when adding a DT. The fuselage tail has a very narrow taper, and I had considerable anguish fitting the stabilizer securely and yet having it pop up as the DT activated.
Eventually, I had it flying satisfactorily, though never reliably, due to aforementioned unstable stabilizer plus rubber bunching in the narrow fuselage at the rear. However, I am pleased to say, I do NOT have to cycle 10 miles each way, nor do I have cords cutting into my shoulder from the box containing the planes.
I also scaled down the plan and built an indoor model, about 14 or 15 inch which flew adequately, though would tend to stall for no apparent reason when circling in the gymnasium.
12/11/08
2009 Group Builds Considered
As the building season approaches, the discussion at MAC turns to group building projects for next year. Several ideas have been floated, emails will be circulating, and eventually we’ll reach a consensus.
Perhaps the most popular suggestion is a Dime Scale group build. They are quick and easy to build, and you don’t have to be a senior citizen to appreciate the nostalgic quality of these pre-war models. Another plus is that Dime Scale is FAC eligible, and some of us are interested in reviving our local FAC squadron.
Bill Hurley's Dime Scale Arado Ar.96
Tom proposed a radical concept at the SAM 27 Christmas party: building one very large model (say a 3 meter wing span) as a group, with each person contributing one sub-assembly to the airplane. We don’t know if Tom was serious, or if it was the egg nog talking, but you have to admit a project like this would be an attention-getter.
Something very large
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Dave W.
Perhaps the most popular suggestion is a Dime Scale group build. They are quick and easy to build, and you don’t have to be a senior citizen to appreciate the nostalgic quality of these pre-war models. Another plus is that Dime Scale is FAC eligible, and some of us are interested in reviving our local FAC squadron.
Bill Hurley's Dime Scale Arado Ar.96
Tom proposed a radical concept at the SAM 27 Christmas party: building one very large model (say a 3 meter wing span) as a group, with each person contributing one sub-assembly to the airplane. We don’t know if Tom was serious, or if it was the egg nog talking, but you have to admit a project like this would be an attention-getter.
Something very large
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Dave W.
12/10/08
Afterthought
Here's the latest on the Zero and P47. Arado plans on droring board. Anyone got good Typhoon plans?
Dave, the Gollywock and Sam at Pappa's Taverna
Sam 27 held it's annual Christmas Party at the Greek party restaurant "Pappa's Taverna" on the banks of the mighty Petaluma River on Saturday 12/6 - jut a few miles north of the field where we fly our models - yes, in December. Rubber was well represented by MAC members - you can see Gale, Jerry and George in the background, with Phobe sporting one of her millinery masterpieces.
The gifts are part of the traditional out-west ritual of draw 'n steal. But it's Christmas, after all - the season of goodwill and all that - so there's not a lot of stealing . . . . until someone drew a Gollywock kit. It was soon stolen. We discussed the ethics of another steal, and confirmed with officials that there was a 2 steal limit.
Then it was Dave's turn to draw. He headed purposefully past the gift table towards the Gollywock, which he took gently but firmly from its erstwhile owner. "I've stolen the Gollywock," he says here to the MC.
Back at the table Dave hugged the box anticipating reprisal raids. There were none. Happy holidays. No stealing!
11/24/08
47 & 0
I think Mike L was the only one to ID the two wings. It's now a bit more obvious what they are. . . .
11/21/08
11/16/08
Indian Summer
Greetings from sunny California. We've had beautiful weather in the 70s and 80s this past week, an unexpected treat for November in the Bay Area. Today was a great day for flying. Our field has turned green thanks to recent rain, but it isn't muddy yet.
Flyin Brian ready to launch his Gollywock.
Away it goes.
George readies his Blackburn R-2 Airedale.
Mike's newest creation, a pusher-powered plane designed by Pres Bruning.
Still in the trimming phase.
Brian also has a new plane, the Keil Kraft Senator he built for the current postal contest.
He did a fantastic job on the graphics! This plane has a tilt-down stabilizer DT.
Another new plane. Ray brought this Skokie to the field for its first test flight. It looks very official with the Jimmy Allen emblem on the fuselage.
Flyin Brian ready to launch his Gollywock.
Away it goes.
George readies his Blackburn R-2 Airedale.
Mike's newest creation, a pusher-powered plane designed by Pres Bruning.
Still in the trimming phase.
Brian also has a new plane, the Keil Kraft Senator he built for the current postal contest.
He did a fantastic job on the graphics! This plane has a tilt-down stabilizer DT.
Another new plane. Ray brought this Skokie to the field for its first test flight. It looks very official with the Jimmy Allen emblem on the fuselage.
11/5/08
More Show & Tell
Kermit brought this item to show-and-tell at George's house last week. What is it? Part of a lawnmower?
A food processor blade?
The propeller from a trolling motor?
The correct answer is: None of the above. This is the Star Propeller, a 9.25 inch model airplane prop marketed circa 1946 for Class B or C engines. The innovative (and colorful) design did not exactly revolutionize model aviation, in spite of the following claims in the brochure:
NEW DEVELOPMENT - AVAILABLE AT LAST
See for yourself what terrific POWER OUTPUT is awaiting you with your present motor.
You get TREMENDOUS POWER OUTPUT through:
1. No directional airflow losses.
2. Zero tip losses
3. Higher thrust at sonic as well as subsonic tip speeds
4. High Reynolds number
5. High effective blade aspect ratio
Shows ASTOUNDING EFFICIENCY giving a tremendous increase in the available thrust of today’s high speed engines.
YOU ALSO GET:
a. Easy starting
b. Reduced vibration
c. Gyroscopic action providing amazing stability, giving insurance against crash
Buy a STAR and be a winner.
DEALER INQUIRIES SOLICITED.
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