Aero Mail - 2009/11

Correction
It was fun to see a picture of my turbine-powered
Northstar flying-boat in Model Aviation’s coverage of this
year’s Joe Nall [in the September issue]. We had a great
time flying it all week and I believe that this was the first
time that a turbine-powered aircraft has successfully flown
off the pond at Triple Tree.
I do have to point out however, that while I am the
owner and flyer of the Northstar, the caption was
incorrect in that I was not the builder of that aircraft. The
aircraft was built by Don Koonce, also of Richmond,
VA. Don did an excellent job, not only of scratch-building and
covering the aircraft, but also in performing the extensive re-design of Laddie
Mikulasko’s original Northstar that was necessary to enlarge it by 140% and adapt
it to turbine power.
I hope that you can print this correction so that Don will get the recognition for
his skill and hard work that he richly deserves. Thanks!
Bob Klenke
Richmond, Virginia
Soldering Tip
As a retired electronics engineer who has burnt his hands on many a soldering
iron I always like to read articles on the fine art of soldering. Joe Wagner’s article
in the September issue of MA was very good, especially emphasizing how
important “Cleanliness and absence of oxidation is key to successful soft
soldering.”
I would like to add one suggestion I have found to be extremely helpful in
keeping soldering iron tips clean. I have found that a damp sponge does not
always do a good job of cleaning a soldering iron tip so I use Tip Tinner/Cleaner
products.
After passing the tip over a sponge I then dip the tip into the paste like Tip
Tinner/Cleaner substance. As the name implies the tip is cleaned and a fresh bit of
solder has tinned it ready for the next application.
There are at least three manufacturers of Tip Tinner/Cleaners that I have found:
Edsyn, Plato, and R & R Lotion. All three are available on the web at Wassco
(http://www.wassco.com/).
Rick Nelson
via e-mail
Hints, Tips, and Friends
Hello from West Michigan. I pulled my September M.A. out of the mailbox a
few minutes ago—and was instantly struck by Peter Bethea’s suggestion, on page
7, that you add a page of hints and tips each month.
You might recall that, for 26 years, I drew two pages of Hints and Kinks (I
hated that title imposed by Walt Schroeder!) for Model Airplane News each
month. That was twelve sketches and each with a descriptive paragraph.
It was a most enjoyable experience that gained me many new friends and
acquaintances over the years. It was enjoyable because, in those days of the ’70s
and ’80s, modelers were model builders of the old fashioned kind, extremely
creative and knew how to use balsa, spruce, plywood and the more advanced
materials coming on the scene. They never were at a loss for a way of
accomplishing something. If they didn’t have it ... they made it!
As time passed it became increasingly difficult to find interesting and useful
material to put into that column.
The reason was not hard to discern ... It was the flood of ARF’s into the scene,
where people were now just assemblers and flyers ... and no longer model
builders. They had no need of tips on “how to make” or “how to fix.”
It was a very sad day for me when I had to admit defeat ... and inform Jerry
Yarrish that I no longer was able to continue in all good conscience. The pages
were in grave danger of becoming repetitive.
Today, those many hints and sketches exist in the form of the booklets sold by
Air Age Publications, and many of them line my bookshelves to the right of this
keyboard. Between those covers rest a thousand good memories.
Jim Newman