Corrections
In the September 2004 article “From the
Ground Up: The Rest of the Engine,” an
error was published in the “Flight Test
Results” table on page 38. The “45 Degree
Climb Performance” for the 10 x 6
propeller should have been 1,200@26—not
1,200@6.
In D.B. Mathews’ September “Flying
for Fun” column, on page 81 the captions
for the restored OQ-2 drone before
covering and the restored drone hanging in
the AMA museum were switched.
The MA staff apologizes for these
errors.
Pleased Inside and Out
I want to compliment you on your use
of Jim Caparelli’s Photoshop creation for
the August 2004 cover of Model Aviation.
It is a very striking picture. In the 20+
years of receiving Model Aviation, it is the
first time I have considered framing a
cover. Why did you put the Membership
Manual sticker on the cover of this issue?
On another subject, the magazine has
been a much easier and pleasurable read
since an effort has been made to keep the
articles contiguous.
Leo Asnault
Walnut Creek, California
Engines 101 Revisited
I read the “Revisited” [“From the
Ground Up”] article in the August MA. I
thought the first article was very good,
especially for the novice (with only a little
poetic license or errors).
Who are these guys who complained?
Didn’t they understand this was 101, not
401? This series of articles is very good for
the novice and beginners for whom they
are intended.
The series you are writing has been
needed for a long time and is generally
excellent. Please keep them simple so the
novice can understand the principles. I
appreciate your good work and think others
do too.
Ron Simons
Charlotte, Michigan
Shunning Safety?
With hand injuries from propeller
strikes being cited as a major source of
medical claims for the AMA, I was horrified
to see the photos in the “From the Ground Up:
The Rest of the Engine” article [in the
September 2004 MA] that show someone
measuring engine rpm holding the tachometer
in front of a propeller turning 10,000 rpm.
The editor needs to do a better job of
ensuring that proper safety techniques are
represented in the AMA’s official
publication.
Richard Lewis
via E-mail
(Editor’s note: You are right that this is
not an ideal situation. But in order to have
the numbers on the tachometer readable in
print, we had to perform these checks a bit
closer in than we would have liked. In the
“real world” you should make these
measurements from a safer distance.)
A Bit of History
[D.B. Mathews’ “Flying for Fun”
columns] on Reginald Denny couldn’t
have been timed any better for our trip last
week to Colorado. While visiting Tracy’s
Antiques in Montrose, Colorado, I noticed
what looked like a large, vintage model
airplane hanging from the ceiling.
After asking about it, the owner told me
it was one of the first remotely piloted
drones and he had a write-up on the
creator. It was Reginald Denny, and the
article had Marilyn Monroe striking a
similar pose as the picture in your
September issue.
It appeared to have a two-cylinder
horizontally opposed engine and was in
reasonable shape from what I could see
from the ground; however, the covering
appeared to need some work. If I had had a
way to transport it, I might have been more
inquisitive about how much it was. The
airplane had a two-blade propeller unlike
the example in your magazine.
Thanks for an interesting bit of model
airplane history, and as fate would have it,
I actually got to see a bit of that history.
Thomas Gatchell
Prescott, Arizona
Cardboard Construction
In the April and September Model
Aviations, there were mentions of cardboard
construction. Recently I took my best shot at
cardboard construction building this vintage
aircraft totally out of cardboard.
This model will make a wonderful
static display in conjunction with the
photos of the crash taken in 1951 plus the
newspaper articles in the St. Paul Dispatch
and the Minneapolis Tribune, also in 1951.
Not a bad-looking airplane for about
$25.
Bob Swearingen
New Richmond, Wisconsin
Generous Offer
As a former AMA member for more
than 30 years, I know the problems
associated with flying model airplanes: no
place to fly.
I have recently been flying powered
paragliders and operate an ultralight flight
park 18 miles west of Albuquerque NM. I
would like to offer the flight park for RC
flying and competitions. The area is two
miles from the highway and far from
obstructions. Water, shelter, and electricity
are on-site.
I hope you can put me into contact with
pilots who might want to use the facility.
Ed Poccia
Albuquerque, New Mexico
A Huge Asset
I recently built several Dump’r units
from the design and instructions published
in [the October 2003] Model Aviation
courtesy of Bob Kopski. I had a couple of
concerns in building the Dump’r and wrote
Bob with my questions. His reply was
prompt and reassuring. The units work
perfectly and are just what I needed for my
shop!
That is not why I am writing this letter.
We all owe a huge Thank you! to Bob for
all he does for this hobby and others! I
have been able to determine through
Internet searches that Bob has his helpful
fingerprints all over anything electrical,
including ham radio. Everything I read
with Bob’s name in it underscores not only
his technical prowess, but his willingness
to help anyone overcome a problem—for
free!
In short, Bob’s presence in this hobby
is a huge asset which I feel compelled to
recognize. He is both smart and helpful,
and I’ll bet if I ever get to meet him, he
will also be a really nice fella to know.
Thank you, Bob Kopski. You remind all of
us of the importance of each person in this
hobby.
Many thanks also to the fine people at
AMA for providing the forum for people
to help people.
Dave Thomas
Seneca, South Carolina
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
Letters to the Editor
November 2004 9
Continued on page 177
11sig1.QXD 8/24/04 8:11 am Page 9
November 2004 177
Continued from page 9
Letters
Lithium/Battery Info
I would recommend anyone using
Lithium batteries keep an empty steel GI
ammunition can in his or her vehicle. If
you have access to powered graphite,
having some in a separate container
would be good also.
These cans are airtight if the seal is
intact. Pure Lithium metal, at ambient
temperature, will oxidize when exposed
to air. Molten Lithium will react with air
and other elements at which time it
becomes extremely dangerous.
A friend of mine found this out the
worst way! He and another worker were
melting Lithium in order to be poured
into specific geometric shapes. Lithium
melts around 354 degrees Fahrenheit, at
which time it is very dangerous and will
react with many substances, including
oxygen.
Some splashed onto the back of my
friend’s hand, at which time it reacted
and began burning through the flesh. The
fellow worker was able to peel most of it
off with the use of a knife, but areas
where some Lithium had reached blood
vessel continued to burn deeper. The
fellow worker was able to get most out by
digging them out with the knife tip.
By the time they finally reached the
hospital, the remaining fires were out
since the Lithium consumed itself. It took
a lot of operations before his hand was
back to, almost, normal. He told me that
Lithium that landed on concrete
continued burning until it too was
consumed. As I said earlier, molten
Lithium will react with many materials/
substances.
This is the reason I recommend using
an airtight steel GI ammo can. The lid can
be closed and the can will be airtight if
the seal is intact. At least this way a small
amount of unstable Lithium should be
able to be contained. Many elements can
cause Lithium to react and burn with
extreme heat, so don’t think you can put
it out with water.
After his accident, the company was
told that powered graphite will smother
burning Lithium. I am checking if any
science labs have come up with anything
else. In the interim, I will keep a steel GI
ammo can, with a good seal, in my trunk.
Should you have occasion to use the
can with what you believe may be
problem batteries, make sure you feel
the can before opening. If it is
abnormally warm or hot, do not open!
Remove the can to a place where it will
not cause further destruction if the
Lithium has self-ignited!
Please think when dealing with these
batteries. They are great when used and
charged properly, but can and have
caused severe damage if batteries are
damaged and/or charged improperly!
John Bihlmaier
Augusta, Georgia
In Memoriam
I hope you will print this memo so
that friends of Ronald W. Harris of Joliet,
Illinois, will receive this late notice of his
passing. I regret not sending this to you
sooner; however, I have just recently
located your Web site.
Therefore, I am comforted to know
that there is a possibility that AMA
members will read of my father’s late
passing last September 8, 2003, at the
age of 68, after a lengthy battle with
cancer.
Mr. Harris was a longtime member of
the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Those
members in the Joliet area, a southwestern
suburb of Chicago, will remember “Ron”
very well. Following his retirement, he
took advantage of every beautiful sunny
day whereby he could fly his airplanes,
which were handmade by himself.
The thing members will remember the
most about Ron, in addition to the perfect
landings greeted with applause from
onlookers, is the fine detail he put into
every airplane he made—right down to
using fine paint brushes to outline the
instrument panel on the inside, as well as
placing a detailed figure of a pilot inside
most of the cockpits of the larger airplanes
that he built.
Mr. Harris will be missed by many who
knew him, especially those with whom he
was happy to assist in helping learn this
new and rewarding, yet painstaking,
hobby.
May Ron Harris be remembered for all
of the things listed and even more,
including the pride he had for his AMA
membership. I will always remember the
AMA stickers he had on his automobiles,
as well as his enthusiastic response to
anyone who would approach him and ask
him what the AMA sticker was about.
May Ron Harris now find eternal rest at
the Woodlawn Cemetery in Joliet. Below
his name on his burial marker is a detailed
laser-cut picture of an airplane. Ironically,
his cemetery plot and marker are located
just across the street from the Joliet airport
at Woodlawn Cemetery. I can’t think of a
more perfect place, as I also imagine that
that is where he would have wanted to be.
June Harris-Crumrine
(Ron Harris’s daughter)
Naperville, Illinois
It seems it is the way of this world:
generations are born, grow, make their
effort, and fade away. So it is today the
group which grew with model aviation
has come to the time to leave. Happily
they can look back and see the effort they
made and what a fine sport resulted.
It is so sad to sit by and watch those
you have respected lifelong leave and
creates the desire to be sure everyone
recognizes who has left. This time it is the
closest of modeling friends, my cohort,
my competitor, my bosom buddy Ed
Keck. Sorry to say, Ed’s illness was
lengthy and debilitating, but as with his
modeling, he did not give in.
My friend Ed and I traveled the
modeling road pretty much together. Ed
came aboard pre-World War II with gas
models, doing well with Matty Kania’s
Ranger and derivatives thereof. We
enjoyed competition together in the
western New York area.
As a youth, Ed developed tuberculosis
and spent two years recovering in a
sanatorium. That time and education at
GM Technical Institute took him through
the war. Back in Rochester NY, his
vocation began as a tool and die-shop
engineer. This post-war activity kept him
busy from modeling, so Ed never got
involved with Control Line.
Luck looked onto Ed when his work
effort became involved with the young
Xerox Corporation that association
provided him for life. Along the way, Ed
reached chief engineer status with several
concerns and even had ownership of one.
He became respected.
Ed never lost his modeling interest,
and when RC became practical, he
joined me and we traveled the RC road
together. Ed became deeply involved in
Pattern competition, designing and
building fine craft. His philosophy was
the excellent “Lighter flies better.” As a
sideline, he dabbled in Formula I with
me, he said “just for fun,” and there are
some cute incidents which suggest he
did just that!
After many years, Ed felt he had done
“his thing” with Pattern and decided to
revert to his original love, Free Flight.
Ed’s return to Free Flight was a blessing;
the many years of experience produced
immediate world-class competition
designs.
He was quickly tops in the USA, and
as an FAI team member he did our
country proud! Ed was one to establish
goals and work toward them. With
accomplishment came pride, and he just
was so proud of his free flying!
As intimated, the sad days have
become numerous and this one strikes so
close to home. I feel I am with Mrs. Keck
(Sue) and the two boys as we mourn the
passing of such a fine modeler and
person. MA
Hal deBolt
Sun City Center, Florida
11sig6.QXD 8/23/04 11:00 am Page 177
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 9,177
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 9,177
Corrections
In the September 2004 article “From the
Ground Up: The Rest of the Engine,” an
error was published in the “Flight Test
Results” table on page 38. The “45 Degree
Climb Performance” for the 10 x 6
propeller should have been 1,200@26—not
1,200@6.
In D.B. Mathews’ September “Flying
for Fun” column, on page 81 the captions
for the restored OQ-2 drone before
covering and the restored drone hanging in
the AMA museum were switched.
The MA staff apologizes for these
errors.
Pleased Inside and Out
I want to compliment you on your use
of Jim Caparelli’s Photoshop creation for
the August 2004 cover of Model Aviation.
It is a very striking picture. In the 20+
years of receiving Model Aviation, it is the
first time I have considered framing a
cover. Why did you put the Membership
Manual sticker on the cover of this issue?
On another subject, the magazine has
been a much easier and pleasurable read
since an effort has been made to keep the
articles contiguous.
Leo Asnault
Walnut Creek, California
Engines 101 Revisited
I read the “Revisited” [“From the
Ground Up”] article in the August MA. I
thought the first article was very good,
especially for the novice (with only a little
poetic license or errors).
Who are these guys who complained?
Didn’t they understand this was 101, not
401? This series of articles is very good for
the novice and beginners for whom they
are intended.
The series you are writing has been
needed for a long time and is generally
excellent. Please keep them simple so the
novice can understand the principles. I
appreciate your good work and think others
do too.
Ron Simons
Charlotte, Michigan
Shunning Safety?
With hand injuries from propeller
strikes being cited as a major source of
medical claims for the AMA, I was horrified
to see the photos in the “From the Ground Up:
The Rest of the Engine” article [in the
September 2004 MA] that show someone
measuring engine rpm holding the tachometer
in front of a propeller turning 10,000 rpm.
The editor needs to do a better job of
ensuring that proper safety techniques are
represented in the AMA’s official
publication.
Richard Lewis
via E-mail
(Editor’s note: You are right that this is
not an ideal situation. But in order to have
the numbers on the tachometer readable in
print, we had to perform these checks a bit
closer in than we would have liked. In the
“real world” you should make these
measurements from a safer distance.)
A Bit of History
[D.B. Mathews’ “Flying for Fun”
columns] on Reginald Denny couldn’t
have been timed any better for our trip last
week to Colorado. While visiting Tracy’s
Antiques in Montrose, Colorado, I noticed
what looked like a large, vintage model
airplane hanging from the ceiling.
After asking about it, the owner told me
it was one of the first remotely piloted
drones and he had a write-up on the
creator. It was Reginald Denny, and the
article had Marilyn Monroe striking a
similar pose as the picture in your
September issue.
It appeared to have a two-cylinder
horizontally opposed engine and was in
reasonable shape from what I could see
from the ground; however, the covering
appeared to need some work. If I had had a
way to transport it, I might have been more
inquisitive about how much it was. The
airplane had a two-blade propeller unlike
the example in your magazine.
Thanks for an interesting bit of model
airplane history, and as fate would have it,
I actually got to see a bit of that history.
Thomas Gatchell
Prescott, Arizona
Cardboard Construction
In the April and September Model
Aviations, there were mentions of cardboard
construction. Recently I took my best shot at
cardboard construction building this vintage
aircraft totally out of cardboard.
This model will make a wonderful
static display in conjunction with the
photos of the crash taken in 1951 plus the
newspaper articles in the St. Paul Dispatch
and the Minneapolis Tribune, also in 1951.
Not a bad-looking airplane for about
$25.
Bob Swearingen
New Richmond, Wisconsin
Generous Offer
As a former AMA member for more
than 30 years, I know the problems
associated with flying model airplanes: no
place to fly.
I have recently been flying powered
paragliders and operate an ultralight flight
park 18 miles west of Albuquerque NM. I
would like to offer the flight park for RC
flying and competitions. The area is two
miles from the highway and far from
obstructions. Water, shelter, and electricity
are on-site.
I hope you can put me into contact with
pilots who might want to use the facility.
Ed Poccia
Albuquerque, New Mexico
A Huge Asset
I recently built several Dump’r units
from the design and instructions published
in [the October 2003] Model Aviation
courtesy of Bob Kopski. I had a couple of
concerns in building the Dump’r and wrote
Bob with my questions. His reply was
prompt and reassuring. The units work
perfectly and are just what I needed for my
shop!
That is not why I am writing this letter.
We all owe a huge Thank you! to Bob for
all he does for this hobby and others! I
have been able to determine through
Internet searches that Bob has his helpful
fingerprints all over anything electrical,
including ham radio. Everything I read
with Bob’s name in it underscores not only
his technical prowess, but his willingness
to help anyone overcome a problem—for
free!
In short, Bob’s presence in this hobby
is a huge asset which I feel compelled to
recognize. He is both smart and helpful,
and I’ll bet if I ever get to meet him, he
will also be a really nice fella to know.
Thank you, Bob Kopski. You remind all of
us of the importance of each person in this
hobby.
Many thanks also to the fine people at
AMA for providing the forum for people
to help people.
Dave Thomas
Seneca, South Carolina
Model Aviation, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
Letters to the Editor
November 2004 9
Continued on page 177
11sig1.QXD 8/24/04 8:11 am Page 9
November 2004 177
Continued from page 9
Letters
Lithium/Battery Info
I would recommend anyone using
Lithium batteries keep an empty steel GI
ammunition can in his or her vehicle. If
you have access to powered graphite,
having some in a separate container
would be good also.
These cans are airtight if the seal is
intact. Pure Lithium metal, at ambient
temperature, will oxidize when exposed
to air. Molten Lithium will react with air
and other elements at which time it
becomes extremely dangerous.
A friend of mine found this out the
worst way! He and another worker were
melting Lithium in order to be poured
into specific geometric shapes. Lithium
melts around 354 degrees Fahrenheit, at
which time it is very dangerous and will
react with many substances, including
oxygen.
Some splashed onto the back of my
friend’s hand, at which time it reacted
and began burning through the flesh. The
fellow worker was able to peel most of it
off with the use of a knife, but areas
where some Lithium had reached blood
vessel continued to burn deeper. The
fellow worker was able to get most out by
digging them out with the knife tip.
By the time they finally reached the
hospital, the remaining fires were out
since the Lithium consumed itself. It took
a lot of operations before his hand was
back to, almost, normal. He told me that
Lithium that landed on concrete
continued burning until it too was
consumed. As I said earlier, molten
Lithium will react with many materials/
substances.
This is the reason I recommend using
an airtight steel GI ammo can. The lid can
be closed and the can will be airtight if
the seal is intact. At least this way a small
amount of unstable Lithium should be
able to be contained. Many elements can
cause Lithium to react and burn with
extreme heat, so don’t think you can put
it out with water.
After his accident, the company was
told that powered graphite will smother
burning Lithium. I am checking if any
science labs have come up with anything
else. In the interim, I will keep a steel GI
ammo can, with a good seal, in my trunk.
Should you have occasion to use the
can with what you believe may be
problem batteries, make sure you feel
the can before opening. If it is
abnormally warm or hot, do not open!
Remove the can to a place where it will
not cause further destruction if the
Lithium has self-ignited!
Please think when dealing with these
batteries. They are great when used and
charged properly, but can and have
caused severe damage if batteries are
damaged and/or charged improperly!
John Bihlmaier
Augusta, Georgia
In Memoriam
I hope you will print this memo so
that friends of Ronald W. Harris of Joliet,
Illinois, will receive this late notice of his
passing. I regret not sending this to you
sooner; however, I have just recently
located your Web site.
Therefore, I am comforted to know
that there is a possibility that AMA
members will read of my father’s late
passing last September 8, 2003, at the
age of 68, after a lengthy battle with
cancer.
Mr. Harris was a longtime member of
the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Those
members in the Joliet area, a southwestern
suburb of Chicago, will remember “Ron”
very well. Following his retirement, he
took advantage of every beautiful sunny
day whereby he could fly his airplanes,
which were handmade by himself.
The thing members will remember the
most about Ron, in addition to the perfect
landings greeted with applause from
onlookers, is the fine detail he put into
every airplane he made—right down to
using fine paint brushes to outline the
instrument panel on the inside, as well as
placing a detailed figure of a pilot inside
most of the cockpits of the larger airplanes
that he built.
Mr. Harris will be missed by many who
knew him, especially those with whom he
was happy to assist in helping learn this
new and rewarding, yet painstaking,
hobby.
May Ron Harris be remembered for all
of the things listed and even more,
including the pride he had for his AMA
membership. I will always remember the
AMA stickers he had on his automobiles,
as well as his enthusiastic response to
anyone who would approach him and ask
him what the AMA sticker was about.
May Ron Harris now find eternal rest at
the Woodlawn Cemetery in Joliet. Below
his name on his burial marker is a detailed
laser-cut picture of an airplane. Ironically,
his cemetery plot and marker are located
just across the street from the Joliet airport
at Woodlawn Cemetery. I can’t think of a
more perfect place, as I also imagine that
that is where he would have wanted to be.
June Harris-Crumrine
(Ron Harris’s daughter)
Naperville, Illinois
It seems it is the way of this world:
generations are born, grow, make their
effort, and fade away. So it is today the
group which grew with model aviation
has come to the time to leave. Happily
they can look back and see the effort they
made and what a fine sport resulted.
It is so sad to sit by and watch those
you have respected lifelong leave and
creates the desire to be sure everyone
recognizes who has left. This time it is the
closest of modeling friends, my cohort,
my competitor, my bosom buddy Ed
Keck. Sorry to say, Ed’s illness was
lengthy and debilitating, but as with his
modeling, he did not give in.
My friend Ed and I traveled the
modeling road pretty much together. Ed
came aboard pre-World War II with gas
models, doing well with Matty Kania’s
Ranger and derivatives thereof. We
enjoyed competition together in the
western New York area.
As a youth, Ed developed tuberculosis
and spent two years recovering in a
sanatorium. That time and education at
GM Technical Institute took him through
the war. Back in Rochester NY, his
vocation began as a tool and die-shop
engineer. This post-war activity kept him
busy from modeling, so Ed never got
involved with Control Line.
Luck looked onto Ed when his work
effort became involved with the young
Xerox Corporation that association
provided him for life. Along the way, Ed
reached chief engineer status with several
concerns and even had ownership of one.
He became respected.
Ed never lost his modeling interest,
and when RC became practical, he
joined me and we traveled the RC road
together. Ed became deeply involved in
Pattern competition, designing and
building fine craft. His philosophy was
the excellent “Lighter flies better.” As a
sideline, he dabbled in Formula I with
me, he said “just for fun,” and there are
some cute incidents which suggest he
did just that!
After many years, Ed felt he had done
“his thing” with Pattern and decided to
revert to his original love, Free Flight.
Ed’s return to Free Flight was a blessing;
the many years of experience produced
immediate world-class competition
designs.
He was quickly tops in the USA, and
as an FAI team member he did our
country proud! Ed was one to establish
goals and work toward them. With
accomplishment came pride, and he just
was so proud of his free flying!
As intimated, the sad days have
become numerous and this one strikes so
close to home. I feel I am with Mrs. Keck
(Sue) and the two boys as we mourn the
passing of such a fine modeler and
person. MA
Hal deBolt
Sun City Center, Florida
11sig6.QXD 8/23/04 11:00 am Page 177