Flying for Fun
D.B. Mathews
More thoughts on using antifreeze to clean engines
IN THE MAY issue I mentioned using a Crock-Pot full of heated automotive antifreeze to clean crud‑up engines. I was embarrassed to read that in this magazine’s “The Engine Shop” column, Joe Wagner mentioned this method of cleaning engines several months before. I did read his column (actually scanned it) and thought his mention involved restoring old ignition engines which I am not into, so I skipped over it. Sorry, Joe!
Several readers have written expressing concern about antifreeze attacking aluminum. Years ago there were two types of antifreeze: one for iron-block engines and a special mix for aluminum blocks (Porsche and Volkswagen come to mind). Since most automobile engines are now high-silicone aluminum, the currently available antifreeze is perfectly safe for our model engines. For that matter, most radiators have aluminum cores.
Just in case, read the label on the antifreeze container before buying it for modeling use.
Off-Water Flying:
It’s been many years since I have written anything about flying on floats, and I have no idea why. I recently attended a float-fly on the Wellington Lake in Kansas, hosted by the Tri-City Modelers. It seemed that everyone had fun with this unusual activity (at least in Kansas).
The Tri-City club is a combination of three neighboring small towns’ modelers. There are not enough fliers in any of the towns to have a club, but combined they have a successful, although smallish, group.
This float-fly is an annual event and is in no way a competition (no stopwatches, no scorecards, no rulers, and no judgments). A small entry fee is charged, but the merchandise prizes awarded in drawings more than offset this fee.
For several years one of the yearly highlights in the Midwest was the Ace float-fly in Higginsville, Missouri. It drew fliers from across the country and was marvelous fun. The change in ownership at Ace and the subsequent move to the West Coast eliminated the float-fly, but the memories are still vivid. I wrote about the event in the December 1988 MA.
Flying off of water is common in some areas of the country, and some float-flys have reached large sizes. One such event is the annual gathering held in early November at Lake Havasu, Arizona. For many years it has attracted some incredible scale seaplanes and float-equipped models, including large Schneider Cup scale aircraft.
Check the “Contest Calendar” in any MA to find a float-fly in your area. (It’s helpful that sanctioned events are now listed by state.)
An organized event or just sport-flying off of ponds and lakes is quite popular in many areas. In several parts of the country there are more usable sites for off-water flying than ground-based flying.
Most bodies of water with fairly flat shorelines or boat or swimming docks work nicely. Space requirements are roughly the same as for land-based flying. However, the caveat is that most bodies of water are surrounded by trees. There is probably a suitable rise-off-water (ROW) site somewhere close to where you live.
In this day and age of ARFs and a multitude of available floats—kit and preassembled—there is little need to duplicate those float-design-parameter drawings the late Chuck Cunningham used every few years in his old Radio Control Modeler magazine columns. Just follow the positioning and angle-of-attack instructions in the kit or ARF.
However, your model does need additional power for float-flying. As a rule of thumb, a model that will take off and fly well from grass or pavement will be underpowered on floats because of the added weight and the additional drag, both of which can be considerable. Most fliers use .60 engines on their 40-size wheeled models.
The additional weight hanging well below the center of lift on a model will add to its stability (the classic high-wing/low-wing stability thing). Some scale and sport designs will require additional vertical fin area to prevent Dutch roll, and the floats should include some method of steering on the water.
Avoid wood propellers; they tend to splinter in the inevitable wake and splash thrown up on takeoff. A totally reliable idle is crucial to prevent flameout on the water. I pack a hair dryer to use in the evening after flying at multiple-day events; no matter how watertight you make the model, it will take some water into the interior, and that is awful for RC equipment.
A retrieval boat of some sort is certainly handy, but one can position the takeoff area downwind so that the models will eventually drift to shore. This whole concept can add a new dimension to one’s flying and is great fun. Try it!
Land of Floatplanes:
Several years ago I traveled in Alaska and was impressed by the huge number of float-equipped aircraft in the air and in marinas. In Anchorage there was a floatplane facility at which several hundred aircraft were anchored.
Nowhere in Alaska did I see a Piper J-3 Cub on floats. There were various types of Cessnas, some de Havilland Beavers, and quite a few Aeronca 7AC Champions—mostly re-engined for additional power. Apparently the Piper Super Cub can climb and fly high enough to clear most of the mountains in Alaska, but the J-3 can’t.
One of the more memorable moments on that trip was a flight to the Mystic Fjords aboard a twin Otter on floats. We landed on remote lakes and enjoyed the serenity and spectacular view.
If you ever get the chance, do this, but be prepared to fly knife edge along the faces of mountain walls to get a better look at mountain goats—at eye level!
Stock Tanks:
Years ago I noticed in a Texas club’s newsletter that they were flying ROW FF off of “stock tanks.” That was a shock because in Kansas a stock tank is a large, galvanized metal water container for cattle—definitely unsuitable for flying models off of. In Texas they are referring to a man-made pond in a pasture. The result is the same; it’s just a matter of semantics.
Many years ago the Nats featured ROW FF events. Since the Navy hosted the Nats on its air bases, there were no ponds available.
As a solution, a frame of 2 x 6s was built, and it was covered with plastic sheet and filled with the base fire trucks to create a neat but shallow body of water. It worked well; the competitors just walked up to the edge and launched their aircraft. Some wild takeoffs were common, but no one even attempted to land on the puddle.
I am probably guilty of wearing out my criticisms of the Internet, but a letter from Tom Chipley bears quoting since it opens up yet another area of concern.
Flying for Fun
D.B. Mathews
“During the last year of production of the Mud Duck kits, we were victims of totally slanderous attacks by people who claimed we were producing aircraft we knew would not and could not fly. Not only was this untrue, but we had no defense against such attacks.
“It seems that many of those who use and contribute to the Internet could be described as not overly bright, easily led, and persuaded by scant evidence, and they delight in causing others inconvenience or outright harm.
“These people now have access to a method of reaching thousands of people with information that requires no justification or acknowledged research, just the ability to type. The computer checks their spelling, but not the facts.
“The prospective buyer has no way of knowing the skill or experience level of the person making the negative comments. Human nature tends to be willing to enjoy and accept nasty gossip. In newspaper or magazine articles the author (and the editor) is responsible and held accountable for the validity of the information. With the Internet, we do not yet have that accountability.”
I have heard this same complaint from Fred Marks (of FMA Direct) and Larry Sribnick (of SR Batteries). If something negative about their products appears in those chat rooms, the manufacturer doesn’t even have a name to which to send a rebuttal.
Malicious gossip has always been a sad part of society; unfortunately we now have an international “party line” with which to spread gossip at the speed of light. If information is unsigned or is not attributed to a real name, the information shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
This is being written on May 14, 2005. I just got off the phone after a delightful 30‑minute conversation with Tonya Rutan, who is Burt’s charming wife. The subject of the conversation and the reason for her calling will reveal itself in a few months. But I learned from her that Burt is to address the National Press Club and the Lindbergh Society next weekend in Washington DC.
Burt’s presentations will begin with a number of photos and reminiscences of the modeling activities of his youth and their relation to his current fame as an innovative aircraft designer. See the February 2005 column for a photo of him as a youngster.
That is the sort of public relations our hobby/sport needs. I hope the Academy will play Burt’s modeling history for all it’s worth. It’s bound to be helpful when meeting with the movers and shakers in any community about flying sites, etc. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
