OctoberFest. Monthly Club Meeting. Meeting Raffle By Doug s Hobby Shop

Transcription

1 AMA CHARTER CLUB NO. 329 VOLUME 49 NUMBER 10 OCTOBER 2003 OctoberFest see page 2 Monthly Club Meeting Friday, October 17, 2003 County Council Building Auditorium 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD Meeting Program: Maynard Hill and Team discuss the Trans Atlantic Model TAM Special visit from AMA president Dave Brown Meeting Raffle By Doug s Hobby Shop Hanger 9 Aresti 40 ARF Evolution.46 nt engine from Hobby Works Rockville You better get to the meeting early and get lots of chances on the raffle. If you bring in your airplane to the model shop you get 3 free raffle tickets Marks the 50th anniversary of the DCRC Club. Commemorative shirts are available for a limited time. Contact Andy Finizio for more information.

2 Page 2 District of Columbia Radio Control Club October 2003 PRESIDENT: V.P. Jim McDaniel Walt Gallaugher BOARD OF DIRECTORS Scott Davies Mike Dooley Andy Finizio Walt Gallaugher Kevin Jackson Jim McDaniel Jeff Mervis Fred Nielsen Mike Peizer TREASURER: Scott Davies MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: Andy Kane 305 Natick Court Silver Spring, MD RECORDING SECRETARY: Mike Peizer SHOW TEAM MANAGER: Paul Howey NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Andy Kane dcrceditor@aol.com MEETING PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Walt Gallaugher The DC/RC Newsletter is published monthly by the District of Columbia Radio Control Inc. Deadline for submitting materials for publication is the last Friday of each month. Any part of the newsletter may be reproduced for non-profit purposes unless otherwise noted. Please credit the Newsletter and Author if named. Articles may not reflect the opinion of the club, but that of the author. Visit us on the web: OctoberFest 2003 BY ANDY KANE My hats off to Andy Finizio, event coordinator for ordering up such a long. From sausages to bratwurst, the food was flowing, A special thanks to The McDaniel's family for all their help and support. This event has grown each year and this year the club fed over 100 people. Not much more to say so just enjoy the pictures. Each month at the regular club meeting, raffle tickets are 6 for 5.00, and the prizes are always great. Did you know that any airplane brought in to the model shop will receive 3 free raffle tickets. Bring in your models each month for your free tickets, and to share ideas. fine day, the weather was perfect, the food was great, and lots of flying went on all day TABLE OF CONTENTS OCTOBERFEST PG 2 BOARD MEETING MINUTES PG 3 AMA NATINOLAL NEWSLETTER PG 4 SOUND AND SAFETY PG 5 GOOD STUFF/CALENDAR PG 6 OCTOBERFEAST PG 7 Cover: Julie and Rob Sarlan enjoying the feast, Julie s eating for 2 photo by Andy Kane First you ll find Fred Nielsen putting together his giant scale Cub, Next the food line stretched on for miles. And finally After this years event I will be scheduling some physiatrist sessions with our own resident shrink. Maybe again next year..

3 October 2003 District of Columbia Radio Control Club Page 3 by Mike Peizer The September Board meeting was called to order by Jim McDaniel at the home of Fred Nielsen at 7:32 PM. In attendance were Scott Davies, Jim McDaniel, Andy Kane, Jeff Mervis, Andy Finizio, Fred Nielsen, Kevin Jackson and Michael Peizer. The first item on the agenda was nominations and the election of Board members. The closing of the meeting place because of hurricane Isabel means we cannot hold nominations and elect Board members before the end of October. After much discussion the Board agreed on a course of action. If there are no more than three nominees, we will hold the election on the same night as nominations, since those nominated would be elected as a matter of course. If there are more than three nominees we follow the procedure, as stated in the by-laws and postpone the election until November. All the current board members serving who are scheduled to conclude their terms have agreed to stay on an extra month if it becomes necessary. Jim asked if we want to do a field clean up this fall. The Board decided to wait and do it in the spring. Next Jim brought up the question of whether DCRC should donate funds to buy a brick in the Walk of Fame at AMA headquarters, and inscribe it with Maynard Hill s name. The Board decided it would be a fitting gesture to Maynard s accomplishment. The proceeds from the next raffle will go toward a brick in the Walk of Fame. Any member wishing to donate to this end may do so at the October meeting or for a limited time thereafter. Next on the agenda was the issue of potential radio interference from the boat club at SoccerPlex and from the 6- meter ham band. When Jim McDaniel last spoke to Jim McMahon he learned that the county had sent a letter of agreement to the boat club in July. So far the county has not received a response. Jim McDaniel once again voiced our concerns about the possible use of the 72 MHz band for boats and the potential for interference. Jim McMahon said we are free to set up signs at the boat pond stating that 72MHz is not to be used for boats. There have been more problems with interference for flyers on the 6-meter band. According to Kevin Jackson, the 6-meter band is not safe to use. He recommends staying away from the 6-meter band and sticking with the 72MHz frequencies that are allotted to the hobby by the FCC. Those who have 6-meter radio gear should not necessarily dump their equipment, but they should monitor the frequency carefully to be sure it is clear. Kevin believes the 6-meter problem will only become more prevalent as it s popularity with ham radio operators grows. The new class of CDMA radios for ham use will go a long way to solving the problem, but it will take a long time for them to come into wide use. As a footnote, Kevin reported that the web site was down but it should be back up now. It was an administrative error on the part of the people who host the web site. DCRC now owns the domain name of DC-RC.org. The president presented the DCRC budget for November 2003 through October After some discussion, Fred Nielsen moved that the board accept the proposed budget. Jeff Mervis seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. Andy Kane gave a report on the Bealeton event. It took in $ It cost $ We had a net loss of $32.00, which is very good for an event of this size and scope. Reports: Treasurer: Scott Davies reported 6 expenses over $ Events: Andy Finizio reported we are all set for OctoberFest. Old Business: Jeff Mervis has gone over the material from Park & Planning concerning private/public contributions. He said he has no comment on it good or bad. The meeting was adjourned at 9:22 PM. Making successful crosswind landings By GARY CHUDZINSKI During the past year, I ve heard a number of comments regarding taking off and landing in crosswinds. Many of these pilots ground themselves if the wind is blowing across the runway. This is unfortunate because pilots can overcome the difficulty with understanding and practice of crosswind operation. The first ingredient for successful operations is adequate rudder. Your rudder can t be too large, but it can be too small. Usually kits have an adequate amount, but you should be looking at 40-50% of the total vertical flying surface for excellent response. This should handle crosswinds in the mph range. The other, and most important element, is pilot input. In full-scale flight, pilots are taught three distinctive techniques: crab, cross-controls, and a combination of both. These techniques apply to models as well. Pilots can overcome the difficulty of these landings with understanding and practice of crosswind operation. Crab: This is the simplest maneuver to perform. You turn the aircraft into the wind to maintain a straight line coincident to the runway centerline. This is accomplished immediately after rollout approach upon landing. This track is maintained with small corrections until landing. At touchdown, rudder is used to straighten the ground path, and (most importantly) aileron is applied as if banking into the wind and held until rollout is complete. Cross control: This is definitely more difficult but is more professional and personally rewarding. After rolling out on final approach, apply and hold aileron into the crosswind with sufficient opposite rudder to maintain aircraft heading aligned with the runway heading. Standing on the ground (not in the cockpit) makes estimating the amount of control more difficult. So, start out with 1/8 to 1/4 application of each stick. Again, aileron into the crosswind, rudder opposite, and you are crosscontrolling. (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 District of Columbia Radio Control Club October 2003 (from page 3) Apply enough aileron to maintain track to the runway and continue to hold it, gradually increasing the amount if necessary until landing is complete. As with crabbing, rudder control is used for steering after all wheels have touched down. For touchdown in a crosswind, do not flare as much. Fly the model onto the ground while retarding the throttle. Remember, do not stop flying the aircraft until it comes to a complete stop. Combination: This method uses both techniques with less amounts of each. I want to comment on two more areas of crosswind operations taxiing and takeoff. In many ways, the same considerations are given for wind direction and velocity. Taxiing: Those of you who have flown full-scale, light aircraft are instructed to know the direction and intensity of the winds before taxiing. This not only confirms the runway is in use, but provides you with information for safe ground taxi. Control input while taxiing in a light aircraft is extremely important for control, and in extreme cases of wind, keeping the wheels on the ground. The same considerations apply to our models, especially the light, high-wing types. The whole idea is to apply control input to keep all wheels planted firmly on the ground. For example, if you are taxiing into the wind with a tail dragger, apply aft stick to keep positive pressure on the tail wheel. The reverse applies to a tricycle gear. In a tailwind, use forward stick for the conventional and aft stick for trike. For crosswinds, apply aileron into the wind. From an aerodynamic standpoint, you are shaping the control surfaces to give you a lift advantage, however slight it may be. Takeoff: Like it or not, cross-controlling is the only way to make a safe, straight, good-looking takeoff. You have done it many times but may not have thought of it in these terms. A good technique is to taxi to (using the information above) and lineup on the runway centerline. Before increasing the throttle, think about using the ailerons to keep the wings level and the rudder to track straight through the takeoff. Initially, apply about one-half aileron stick into the crosswind. As you increase throttle, the aircraft picks up speed, which means the controls are generating more and more lift. With the increase in lift, less aileron is needed. Meanwhile, continue to track straight with rudder. As the aircraft cleanly breaks ground, keep the wings level and use enough elevator for a consistent rate during the climb. Slowly take out all rudder and continue your flight. Congratulations! You look great! Although somewhat confusing and thought-provoking at first, talk yourself through these techniques, then give it a fair chance with practice. Remember, the two most important maneuvers of flight are takeoffs and landings. from Wingflaps Windom Eagles Model Airplane Club Bob Byers, editor Windom MN~ Smile! You're on "Candid Camera" By DAN ROSENTHAL Ever wonder what it would be like to be inside your model airplane while it flew? To be able to look down in amazement and see the world below from a perspective that only birds could behold? Well, I found a very cheap, fun way to do it. One day, while at Wal-Mart, I spotted a freestanding cardboard display with complete camera outfits. These included autofocus cameras with motorized film advance, two AA batteries, and one roll of Kodak 24-exposure, 400 speed film. The price, you ask? $8.58! I thought to myself, I gotta stick one in my airplane! In the Tips and Tricks section of one issue of Model Airplane News, there was a how-to article on building a camera box for a model airplane. This article provided a rough idea on how to build my own box. I used 1/8-inch plywood on all sides of the box and determined its size based on the dimensions of my camera. I left approximately a quarter of an inch additional room on the two sides, the bottom, and the rear of the box to allow for installation of foam padding. Yellow Monokote fuel-proofs the box. The front end has an opening large enough to allow the lens and a portion of the flash to show. I decided to allow the flash to show because it signals proper camera operation until the film is spent (the camera stops flashing). Believe it or not, even on a bright, sunny day, the flash is easily visible from great heights. Next came the design of the mechanism to activate the camera s shutter. Tips and Tricks suggested mounting a servo to the box in such a way that when the servo arm rotates, it depresses the shutter button on the camera. I first wrapped my standardsize servo (orphaned after my trainer decided to dig a gopher hole in 2001) with masking tape, then used Goop to attach it to the box. For added strength, I wrapped more masking tape around the servo and the box. Ever wonder what it would be like to be inside your model airplane while it flew? Here's a cheap, fun way to do it. Lastly, I had to devise a way to attach the box to the underside of my airplane. Ideally, you would want to do this on the bottom of the fuselage of a high-wing airplane, in the area of the center of gravity. I did not have such an airplane. I was using a low-wing sport model because it was the only one available to me at the time. First, I epoxied a piece of balsa to the bottom of the right wing. Then I drilled two holes through the camera box and into the balsa mount. Since I intended for my camera box to be removable, I realized that the holes in this piece of balsa needed reinforcement. Constantly screwing and unscrewing the box would weaken the holes. I inserted nylon tubing into the holes of the balsa rectangle (the one epoxied to the wing). This added some bite to the screws. Taking pictures is literally a snap. I use channel 5 on my transmitter to activate the shutter servo, and since the camera has motorized film advance, I can snap an entire roll in one flight if I so desire. from The KRC Downwind Approach Keystone Radio Control Club Dan Rosenthal, editor Perkasie PA~

5 October 2003 District of Columbia Radio Control Club Page 5 Sound and Safety Corner By Walt Gallaugher Looking back at the 2003 flying season, I would like to review two safety related items that I feel we can do better to avoid next year. First of all, there were too many hand injuries caused by spinning propellers. You do not want this to happen to you! A propeller spinning at thousands of RPMs does do serious damage. Believe me I have seen the results. The question is why did these accidents happen and what can be done to avoid them? One common observation on my part is that many of these accidents occurred when the planes were being started and the engines tuned from a tabletop. This puts the spinning propeller at chest level and forces a person to reach around the propeller to tune the engine. If the plane is started on the ground it is easier to adjust the engine from behind. Folks, we need to respect the potential for serious injury here. My recommendation is to start and tune engines with the plane on the ground and ALWAYS have another person hold the plane securely. On a similar subject, I have recently observed several people actually try to start a giant-scale plane without someone holding the plane. I don t care if you think you know the engine characteristics well enough to do this by yourself. If something happens, like a radio glitch, and the plane gets away from you, either you or the people around you could suffer serious injuries. You have been warned! The second safety related item that I would like to discuss is avoiding mid-air collisions. We have had several at the field this year and luckily, no injuries were caused other than damage to the planes. This issue was addressed several months ago at a board meeting and the subsequent general meeting. I took the recommended action and have posted flight line rules at the field. Several of the posted rules address this issue, namely; 1) pilots must stand at the pilot stations when flying, and 2) clear communications between pilots on the flight line is required. There is actually a third item that is not a posted rule but should be observed to avoid midair collisions. Pilots that attend IMAA or AMA events know this rule because it is a common practice. Pilots should fly in an oval racetrack pattern whenever there are several planes in the air at the same time. Flight over the runway leg of the oval should be in the direction of landings with all aerobatic maneuvers done on the far side of the oval away from the flight line. In order to have fun at this hobby we must carefully regard all of the safety rules. Never do something to risk the possibility of injury to yourself or the liability you may suffer if you hurt someone else. Think about it. KNOWING FIRST AID: How it could keep you safe at the flying field By JIM MYNES Recently, I was asked to make a list of what items should be included in a first-aid kit to take to the flying site. With four years of experience as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), my first reaction was to have a manned and fully stocked ambulance at the field. Almost immediately I realized I would have to trim a little here and there to make it more portable. In considering what should be included, I found there were many items I would consider essential but would be relatively useless to someone who had no first aid training. I tried to narrow the list to things the average person would need to manage a minor to moderate injury. People should ensure that others know about their special health concerns, and they should bring the needed items to the field. There are some essential items that didn t make the list. This is because they pertain to individual health needs. It is up to each person to ensure that others know about special health concerns, and those individuals should bring the appropriate items to the field in case an emergency occurs. For instance, if you are allergic to bee stings, get an Epi-pen and bring it with you to the field. Make sure you tell someone about your condition and show him or her how to use the Epi-pen in case you are unable to. Don t leave it in your car, as it will do no good there when it s needed and no one knows where to look for it. The same applies to diabetics or people with heart problems. As an EMT, if I see you lying on the ground, it would be very helpful if I knew about any underlying medical conditions you may have. Here are some suggestions for everyone: Learn Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Take a basic first-aid class Learn CPR Know the telephone number to the nearest ambulance service Learn CPR Know the location of the telephone nearest to the flying field Learn CPR Be able to give directions to the flying site Did I mention that you should learn CPR? Yes, it will take up some of your building time, but it is one skill that could save a life. Your local chapters of the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association should be sponsoring CPR classes on a regular basis and can put you in a class. When you consider what we do, the most common injuries we encounter are lacerations due to finger/propeller skirmishes. Usually these are not severe and can be managed with no problem. However, other hazards are present and to ignore them only invites disaster. How many times have you seen glow fuel catch fire? Probably not many since the flame is nearly invisible. Because it is hard to see, this sort of fire is especially dangerous, and we should be that much more prepared to deal with it. In addition to a firstaid kit, there ought to be a fire extinguisher on the field at any modeling event where glow fuel is in use. I keep reading about the hazard of propeller blades flying off, but I have yet to see anything like this happen. Just the same, I wear safety glasses to protect my eyesight in the event of an accident. They ve never stopped a propeller blade, but they have stopped spraying fuel from getting me in the eye. Mine are also sunglasses so they serve a dual purpose. It s purely a matter of personal choice, but I think everyone should consider protective eyewear when operating a model engine. With all that said, here are the items that made my list: Band-aids of various sizes Latex gloves Four packs sterile 4 x 4 dressings Four packs sterile 2 x 2 dressings Two 3-inch Kling or Kerlix bandages Two 2-inch Kling or Kerlix bandages One roll 1-inch bandage tape Antiseptic ointment Bandage shears Water (preferably sterile) for flushing fuel out of eyes or dirt out of wounds This is a very basic first aid kit, and items should be added to suit your group s needs. My kit has much more, but hopefully, it never will be needed. I have found the best strategy is to bring the kit out so it is handy; that way no one will get hurt. The only time we ve ever really needed it, I had to run to the truck to get it. May your arm grow weary from line tension and your streamers stay in tact! from The Monocle Barons Model Club Darrel Stebbins, editor Spokane WA

6 Page 6 District of Columbia Radio Control Club October 2003 THE GOOD STUFF BY DON GRAY I hope that all of you survived Isabel with little or no damage. I understand that some individuals in the club had to obtain generators because they lost electrical power, not to operate their appliances, but to have power to charge their radio batteries so that they could fly during the power outage!!! But boy did we have several great flying days after the storm left the area. T h i s month we start off with a photo of Jorge Nunez posing with his Sig Kadet. The model is powered by an OS 40LA and Jorge is flying it with a Futaba 4-channel Sky Sport radio. The next series of photos are of two father and son members doing their thing. First up is Sergei Gaidamakov with his Yak-9. The model is powered by a Magnum 25 and is flown using a Futaba T6XA radio system. Sergei has flown this model in Scale Combat 2610 this summer at several contests, including the Nationals in Muncie, IN. Following Sergei is his son, Viatcheslav (Slava), with his Wasp. The Wasp is powered by an OS 25 FX and is also flown using a T6XA radio. Slava has also entered a number of combat contests this summer and flies the Wasp in Open B Class. The next photo shows Jim McDaniel with his Composite-ARF 35% Extra 330. The model is powered by a ZDZ-80 equipped with a canisterstile muffler. Jim is using a JR 10SX radio with 10 servos. Next up is Jim s son, Joseph, with his 30% Carden Extra 300. The model is 5- years old and use to belong to dad. It is powered by a 3W60 engine and is equipped with smoke. Joseph also uses a JR 10SX and has being flying it him self since late September, without assistance from dad. The final shot is of Joseph and his proud dad posing together with their models. That is it for this month. Hope those of you who attended our OctoberFest had an enjoyable outing and got to fly as much as you wanted. Thanks to all who pitched in and helped Andy F. October 1-5 Superman 13 Metropolis, Illinois CD: Jerry Caudle 4 PGRC Open House, Bowie, MD 4 DCRC Training 11 PGRC Q-500 Races, Bowie, MD 17 DCRC Club Meeting, Jim McDaniel, Elections 18 DCRC Training 22 DCRC Board Meeting, Jim McDaniel, New Board November 1 DCRC Training December 2004 February 02/04/04-02/07/04 -Deland, FL (C) Festival of Giants. Site: Deland Airport. Thomas Beckman CD, 458 John St Lake Helen FL PH: brutuslt@webtv.net. 02/13/04-02/15/04 -Venice, FL (C- Restricted) Wings Over Venice. Site: Club Field. Allen Wilder CD, 567 Laurel Cherry Ln Venice FL PH: e- mail alwilder1@juno.com March 4-7 JR Challenge Punta Gorda FL Andy Kane Welcome to New Club Members in September Duane Lundahl, Rockville BA Oyofo, Boyds Guillermo Arrazola, Derwood Dan Pedowitz, Gaithersburg Nate Wallace, Rockville Stephen Stroik, Rockville

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8 Andy Kane 305 Natick Court SILVER SPRING MD FIRST CLASS MAIL Hi I'm Doug! Welcome to my Hobby Shop. "May I help you?" That's what I said to my customers when I first started in the hobby business. It was a small 2,500 SQ. FT. retail store built to serve hobby enthusiasts in the southern Maryland area. Well, Thirty years have gone by and my goal is still the same, complete customer satisfaction and I still work long hours to attain this. The only difference I see today are 1) I am now serving hobbyist all over the United States and 2) I am supported by a tremendous staff, the D.H.S. Team, who share my aspirations. The D.H.S. team feels that complete customer service can only be attained by serving you better today than we did yesterday. We offer quality merchandise at fantastically low prices along with expert friendly assistance. It is our pleasure to support the DCRC Club Raffle us at dougsrc@dougshobby.com Doug's Hobby Shop 2935 Crain Hwy. Waldorf, MD Orders DOUGS RC ( ) Local (301) , (301) Fax Orders Store Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am.- 8 pm. Saturday 10 am - 6 pm. Sunday Noon - 4 pm.