Genesee Valley Aero Modelers

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 10 Genesee Valley Aero Modelers Editor: Glenn Crocker 21 Highview Trail Pittsford, NY The Prez Sez... As predicted, Spring arrived right on time - 8:00AM, March 20th, to be precise. However, it is not exactly flying season yet. We've had some tantalizing hints of warm days and balmy breezes, but they have been very few. Old Man Winter just keeps hanging on. Perhaps better weather will have arrived by the time you read this. All the forecasts I have heard are predicting weather in the degree range, and perhaps even the 70s, by the second week of April, and we all know how accurate those long-range forecasts are, don't we? It's a surefire, ironclad guarantee, right? Despite the depressing weather conditions, the pace of activity continues to increase in anticipation of better days to come. Everything is pretty well set for the upcoming show at Eastview Mall on April. I will have a sign-up sheet at the April meeting for volunteers to man the tables. It would be good to have at least three to four persons there at all times to answer questions, etc. Several of you have already indicated your willingness to help out with this chore, and I offer my sincere thanks in advance. I'm sure that those of you who have attended these affairs in the past will attest to the fact that it can be a lot of fun. A little positive publicity for our hobby can never hurt. One more point: If you do sign up for a stint at the display, be sure and bring your own chair. Maybe the idea of standing for a couple of hours doesn't concern you young whippersnappers, but it can be a pretty daunting prospect for us old geezers! The April meeting will be the last of the season, and as always, this signifies that it's time for Show and Tell. I urge you to bring the results of your winter building activity to the meeting for everyone to see. For the past several months, I've been laboring over a project that, for me, has been unique. Some time ago, I acquired an R/C model that was about two thirds built, and I'm now trying to complete it. It's over 30 years old (!) and the challenges of modernizing the airframe have been rather daunting. I'm now making good progress, but I'm beginning to doubt that it will be ready for the meeting. I hope that work on your projects has proceeded more rapidly and that you'll come to the April meeting with the latest creation to emerge from the balsa dust of your workshop! Breaking in Your Engine Here s a question that s been asked a hundred times: "How should I break in my engine?" The answer depends on what kind of engine you have. For our purposes, let s assume the engine in question is an 0S 40 FP. This engine has a bushed (as opposed to ball bearing) supported crankshaft with an air bleed carburetor, and ABC (aluminum, brass, and copper) construction. The owner s manual suggests that the engine could benefit from a short "break-in period" before

2 Page 2 of 10 being used to its full potential. This is true of all internal combustion engines. How you break it in the engine determines what kind of useful life you will get from it. For 40 FP and similar engines (remember we re talking about an ABC engine), use a 10 x 6 prop. Fill the tank and open the needle valve two or three turns. Start the engine. It should be running rich. Gradually lean the mixture until it just breaks into a "clean" two cycle. You will have to listen to the exhaust sound of the engine. It should burble a little bit. The OS instruction manual says this setting would be about one half turn out from the optimum setting. The instructions also say to run out a whole tank on the ground with the engine set this way. If it were warmer, now would be a good time to go and cut some grass. (Stay well away from the engine, dust is an engine s worst enemy.) I run a second tank on the ground but I don t use all of it. Run the engine for two minutes at the previous setting and then gradually lean it out until it is just below the optimum setting. Allow it to run this way for about 30 seconds or so and then richen the mixture back up. I alternate between the rich and lean two-cycle settings for about half the second tank of fuel and stop, allowing the engine to cool. You can now fly the plane with the engine set slightly below the optimum setting for four or five flights and it will be completely broken in. I have found this method works well with the ABC type engines. The break-in for ringed piston engines is similar but you don t run as lean at first because the piston ring needs time to seat in the cylinder liner. In all cases, avoid dusty surroundings. I run my engines in on a test stand on grass for this reason. from SPARKS Online National Newsletter April 1999 The Pinch Test If you pinch the fuel line, and the engine speeds up, it is on the rich side of the adjustment. How much it speeds up shows how close you are. If it speeds up a lot, you are rich. If it speeds up just a little,.you are just right. If it doesn t speed up at all, you are just going lean. If it slows down, you are lean. This test temporarily starves the engine for fuel and is reliable to test for a too-lean condition. At full throttle, quickly pinch the fuel supply line. The engine should momentarily increase rpm before starting to die. If it starts to die immediately, then it s already too lean and should be adjusted. from BA MAC, bamac/enginejips. htm via Contact, Tim Mihalski, editor National Newsletter July 2000

3 Page 3 of 10 At The Field By Glenn Crocker The 2001 flying season will soon be upon us. Since this is the winter that won t quit, now is the time to check our equipment and take care of the scratches and dings before it gets too nice outside. If you have a plane that has survived a number of years of flying, you may want to think of recovering it. It isn t that you need the practice because we are all "experts" at covering, but you may find structural defects that you can t see with the covering on. I recovered my Waco about 4 years ago and found a number breaks in the framing and quite a few places where glue joints had failed due to some hard landings and vibration. Charlie recovered his Seniorita this winter and found similar Structural and glue failures. I had flown the Waco about 7 or 8 years prior to recovering it and Charlie has flown his Seniorita about 5 or 6 years. Be sure to check the control surfaces, control horns, links and cycle the batteries. This may prevent some surprises at 300 feet. Remember to bring your winter projects to the April meeting. It doesn t matter if they are complete or still under construction. See you at the field soon. Mowing Volunteers Needed It is getting to be that time of year again. We will need some mowing volunteers. If you would like to help out let me know. You can sign up at the April meeting or you can call me at ( ). Let me know if you wish to mow on Wednesday or Saturday. If you have not had any experience with our mowing equipment, we can show you the ropes. We do not use a "Buddy Box" but the training is just as effective. Calendar of Events Apr. 15 Rochester Indoor Flight Society, 1-4PM, New Covenant Fellowship gym. Apr. 21 & 22 Mall Show Eastview Mall with the RAMS. People setting up and displaying, bring equipment through the Main Entrance north side between 7:30 and 9:00 A.M. Bob Herden (RAMS) will assist you. Apr Top Gun, West Palm Beach Fl. May Sandy Bottom Float Fly. Honeoye N.Y. Hosted by the Chiefs. June 2-3 Ray Edmonds Memorial Airshow & Fun Fly. Northampton Park, Brockport N.Y. Hosted by RCCR. June Sky Rovers Annual Air Show Ford Field. July RAMS Open House, Macedon.

4 Page 4 of 10 August GVAM annual family picnic. Coye field. Sept. 2 Interclub Fun Fly. Nov. 24 RAMS annual auction. Church of the Holy Spirit. Eric s "Whachamacalit". It s first flight was very interesting. A B17 taking a rest. Olean Interclub picnic September 1984 at our old field at the other end of Parcell Road. Dave and the Polish Falcon at our 1990 "Frozen Finger Fly".

5 Page 5 of 10 Herman Fanghanel and Ed Bond working on Hermans RCM Trainer "with the tuned pipe" (1990 Frozen Finger Fly) Frozen Finger Fly. As usual Charlie and Ralph are closest to the food. Hamilton Air Show 1989 PT Air Show. Hamilton Ontario. P-40 at the 1989 Hamilton Air Show. Kirmit Weeks Mosquito at the1989 Hamilton Air Show. The plane flew and you could OD on the sound of the engines. The Mosquito is currently in the EAA Museum in Oshkosh.

6 Page 6 of 10 Hamilton Spitfire. This was lost in the fire. Hamilton Air Show Panther Jet. Club Frequency List Number of People per Channel Channel Qty. Channel Qty. Channel Qty

7 Page 7 of Names on each channel Channel # Name Channel # Name 11 No one is on this frequency 36 Carl Burns, Eric Higham, Scott Castle, Bill Borgeest 12 Ray Pederson, Tom Salvemini, Mark Smith, John Ward 13 Gene Dorland, Ed Goll, Robin Lehman, Charlie Vogel, 37 Carl Burns, John Ward 38 Carl Burns, Jim McBride, Dick Parshall, Charlie Vogel 14 Dick Psyk 39 Ed Bond, Glenn Crocker 15 Dave Beckwith 40 Glenn Crocker, Ralph Durbin, Dick Parshall 16 Glenn Crocker, Joe Ficcaglia, Tom Brown, Ben Lessard, Ron Griswold 17 Robin Lehman, Steven Fisher 18 Ralph Durbin, Eric Higham, Walt Judd,, Charlie Vogel, Robin Lehman, Ron 41 Dick Nowakowski, Ron Griswold 42 Gene Dorland, Jim McBride, Tom Salvemini, Jack Barker, Michal Parker 43 Ted Gindele

8 Page 8 of 10 Griswold 19 Greg Safren 44 Lynnfield Lewis, Dave Cook, Bill Kegel 20 Gene Dorland, Ralph Durbin, Dave Beckwith 21 Ted Gindel, Jim Hammond, Ned Holmes, 22 Ed Bond, Ralph Durbin, Robin Lehman, Tex Mantel, Jim Swartz, Walt Judd, Scott Castle 45 Bruce Bonino, Joel Schmid, Scott Castle 46 Lynnfield Lewis, Jim Swartz, Jack Barker 47 John Ward 23 Ralph Durbin, 48 Glenn Crocker, Gene Dorland, Ralph Durbin, Eric Higham, Tex Mantell, Tom Salvemini, Lou Eltscher, Dave Cook 24 Dave Beckwith, Tex Mantel, Jim McBride, Jim Swartz Ray Pederson, Mark Smith 50 Tom Salvemini, Charlie Vogel, John Xydias, Bill Kegel 26 Tex Mantel, Dick Parshall, Charlie Vogel 51 Ned Holmes 27 John Street, Max Wright 52 Herman Fanghanel, Jim McBride, Tom Salvemini 28 John Xydias, David Schaeffer, Albert Valone 53 John Ward 29 " Stuff" Alger, Jim Blum 54 Tex Mantel, Jim McBride, Tom Salvemini, Bill Kegel 30 Ed Bond, Gene Dorland,John Ward, John Woodruff, Walt Judd, Scott Castle, Albert Valone 55 Dave Beckwith 31 John Street, 56 Eric Higham, Walt Judd, Lynnfield Lewis, Jim McBride, Albert Valone 32 Joe Ficcaglia, Jim McBride 57 John Street,Dick Psyk

9 Page 9 of Dick Parshall, Ray Pederson, Mark Smith 34 Tex Mantel, David McBride Mark Woodruff, Dick Nowakowski, David Schaeffer, 58 John Street 59 Glenn Crocker 35 Carl Burns, Scott Castle 60 Dave Cook (Club Frequencies Continued) Tex Mantel No one on this frequency 53.1,.2 No one on these frequencies Walt Judd 53.3 George Platteter 50.86, No one on these frequencies 53.4 No one on this frequency Tom Sharp John Ward 53.6,.7,.8 No one on these frequencies 50.94,.96 No one on these frequencies Catch That Fuel It is an idea that is catching on in AMA clubs throughout the United States. Club members are draining glow fuel or gasoline into small bottles or containers, rather than just letting it run out on the ground or runway. Plus, with the cost of most glow fuels today, it s a great way to save money! Catching fuel is a simple idea that you can do by rigging up a small fuel tank with at least two vents. One is for incoming fuel from your overflow line, and the other is to allow air to escape from your container. Use a small 3-inch piece of 1/8-inch tubing, or some kind of connector that has a long enough piece of fuel line attached so it can set on the ground next to your model, and then just watch for the fuel to start into the line or tank before shutting off the fuel pump. Then, at the end of the day, you can pump or pour the fuel from the overflow catch bottle back into your gallon tank. It s a simple habit that pays back in real dollars and helps to eliminate pollution to the soil or pit area. From SRQ Flight Line George Jenkins, editor

10 Page 10 of 10 Cleaning Tips I have been trying out different solutions to clean my models ever since I got trapped in that dust storm at the Lost Hills Free Flight Champs last November. I have mixed up the following concoction which works for me. I use one quart of automotive window washing fluid mixed with a tablespoonful of Cascade dishwasher liquid. Mix well and pour into a spray bottle Spray over the surface of the model at the end of the flying day, and wipe off with a paper towel. It's better than Windex and costs less. I also saw Mark Sexton using baby wipes for his models. Buy the generic brand in the local store. They are packaged in a handy plastic box and contain both a cleaning agent and lanolin that polishes up the covering afterwards. They smell okay, too. Either of these solutions to cleaning up your model should do the trick. I am sure it is better than what I did with my Upstart after it got caught in that dust storm... I took it into the shower at the motel and sluiced it out, then wiped it down with a bath towel! from WMC Patter, Willamette Modelers Club Bob Stalick, Editor 5066 NW Picadilly Cit:, Albany OR First Aid Tip To stop bleeding, use black pepper. It does not burn, stops the bleeding instantly and it helps the wound heal without scaring. Pepper is a natural antiseptic. Keep some of those fast food paper packets of pepper in your field box or first aid kit. from Smoke Signals, Joe Di Prima editor 775 Magnolia Dr. Franklin Squary, NY G.V.A.M. Newsletter c/o Glenn Crocker, Editor 21 Highview Trail Pittsford, NY 14534