District IV - 2012/12

Jim Fisher, a member of the District of
Columbia Radio Control Club (DCRC)
Board of Directors, has provided a
report on the DCRC and AMA Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM) Night, held April 17, 2012.
DCRC, with generous support from
AMA and Hobby Hangar, was a primary
participant in the inaugural STEM
Night at Orchard Grove Elementary in
Frederick, Maryland. DCRC participated
under the premise: “Aeromodeling at a
young age promotes a lifelong interest in
STEM activities, often results in STEM
careers, and you can start today!”
The school began promoting
DCRC’s aeromodeling event in the
days and weeks prior to the event, and
approximately 500 people attended!
DCRC’s offerings of “fly a model
airplane” and “use a flight simulator”
attracted people. DCRC volunteer
members made the event a success.
Gus Crosetto provided a “you
can build it” workshop for the kids,
complete with electric models built from
inexpensive materials, airfoils in various
stages of construction demonstrating
aircraft building, and a power system test
apparatus, promoting STEM activities
that the kids could start that day.
Nir Schweizer, Andy Kane, Frank
Neher, and Helen Fisher made the
indoor flying a hit. Nir and Andy flew
buddy box with most of the junior
pilots and put on a couple of aerobatic
demonstrations. Frank did some flying,
and kept the kids excited behind the
flightline. Helen greeted our guests and
kept Andy, Nir, and Frank well supplied
with pizza and brownies.
Special thanks go to Nir and Bob
Johnson (of Hobby Hangar) for
arranging for Hobby Hangar to donate
an mCX2 helicopter for the kids to fly,
and 3-D puzzle games for the first 100
junior pilots.
Allan Hoffman manned the flight
simulator, and had quite a crowd all
night. David Drazin supervised the
building of gliders from Styrofoam egg
containers. Jim McDaniel donated more
than 100 egg crates.
Nir brought his 42% CARF Yak 55
and a King Cat Jet for display. DCRC
members exhibited a new, 8-foot
wingspan, 20cc gasoline-powered Sr.
Telemaster, and fixed-wing aircraft.
Archie Stafford, representing the AMA,
displayed a couple of helicopters,
including a T-Rex 600.
To round out our offering, a DCRC
and AMA booth, staffed by Doug
Harper and Archie Stafford, provided
information about the hobby and
included a 26-minute looping STEMapproved
video provided by the AMA.
Paul Gunter was the official event
photographer, and Dave Harris was the
event videographer.
As the kids participated in each
activity, they received a raffle ticket
upon completion. Those who built an
egg-crate glider received one ticket, and
kids who used the flight simulator were
given one ticket, and so on.
At the end of the night, a raffle was
held and prizes were distributed. Prizes
included two full-range RC transmitters,
a RealFlight flight simulator, donated by
the AMA, and an RTF Champ, donated
by Hobby Hangar.
AMA’s STEM program on DVD,
AeroLab, was presented to the school
as a gift from DCRC and the AMA at
the end of the night. AeroLab features
activities developed by science teachers
for teachers, such as simple foam and
balsa aircraft as tools to teach the
concepts of force and motion, potential/
kinetic energy, and centripetal force.
Thank you Bill Pritchett, AMA’s
director of education; Jessy Symmes,
AMA coordinator of educational
programs; and Bob Johnson, manager
(and all-around go-to guy) at Hobby
Hangar. We couldn’t have done it