August 2004 131
A REMINDER: My E-mail address has changed to
[email protected]. Please update your records and let me hear from
you. This column is for you, but I need help since there are no Indoor
contests close enough for me to attend. I need to hear your ideas and
see pictures of your gadgets.
It is helpful for you to send the text as an E-mail message so I
don’t have to retype it. Until further notice, the pictures must be
35mm photos since I can’t handle digital pictures. Digital pictures are
nice, and it seems as though everyone has a digital camera. I don’t
have a printer that is able to print digital files; without that, I can’t see
the image to integrate it into the text.
Following are a few examples of what I would like to receive from
readers if this column is to remain viable.
An accompanying photo is a close-up view of the back of a
MiniStick propeller blade. Note that the spar (extends to the left) is
glued precisely along the alignment marks that aid in setting a proper
match between the two blades as they are assembled to the spar and
hub assembly.
The spar is 0.02 square spruce, which is flexible enough to allow
the blades to flare under high power and strong enough to survive
hard landings and collision with obstructions. The “7.5/14” notation
indicates that the propeller has a 7.5-inch diameter and a 14-inch
pitch.
The propeller in the preceding photo is shown during assembly in
another photo. The fixture holds the propeller shaft in a vertical notch
using a short loop of rubber band. If the rubber band is tied from a
strip of rubber band, that leaves loose ends to make it easier to mount
the propeller shaft into the support.
The blade is held during assembly by a 45° triangle set a fixed
distance from the shaft support. The triangle supports the blade using
a length of sewing thread wrapped just tight enough to hold the blade
without crushing it.
The distance between the shaft and the support block defines the
blade angle at that particular point on each blade. With careful
assembly, it is possible to match the angle between the two blades. If
the blade angles don’t match, the propeller will wobble during the
entire flight. (If it wobbles only during high power, the blades aren’t
matched in strength.)
For events such as Easy B and Limited Pennyplane that require a
Bud Tenny, Box 830545, Richardson TX 75083
FREE FLIGHT INDOOR
View of propeller blade shows assembly marks, wood grain. Adjustable propeller-assembly fixture. Text has details.
Motorstick sanding fixture. See text for details.
Field-repair fixture collapses for transport and is adjustable to
support model. It can be used to help add dihedral.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 131
132 MODEL AVIATION
solid motorstick, it is common to taper the
front and rear portions of the stick. A photo
shows a clamp that holds the stick tightly so it
can be tapered using a razor blade, followed
by sanding with a sanding block.
Do not use a blade after sanding! Tiny bits
of grit from the sandpaper will destroy the
edge of the blade.
Rules Cycle: There was a joint meeting of
the Contest Board chairmen and the AMA
Executive Council, and an important decision
was made: the rules cycle will be shortened
to two years instead of the current three
years.
This will be accomplished by using Email
for all Contest Board communications.
It also may require future rules-change
proposals to be E-mail messages.
By the time you read this, I expect that
AMA will have announced this in MA. This
announcement should define when proposals
can be submitted and when proposals will be
voted on. You should send your E-mail
address to your District Board member so he
or she can interact with you.
Joe Foster: While preparing for this column,
I read in a newsletter that Joe Foster had
passed on. I tried to find that issue just now
to give credit to the newsletter, but to no
avail.
Joe was a longtime hero of mine. Years
ago he wrote a piece about CG location that
helped me with model trim on Indoor and
Outdoor models. Joe was a true FF pioneer,
and he contributed to the art and science of
flying model airplanes.
MiniStick Hint: Gil Coughlin shared the
following idea, which was published in the
December 1993 Boeing Hawks newsletter
(Gene Stubbs, editor).
To overcome the troublesome tendency of
MiniSticks to spiral-dive during the initial
power burst, launch the model vertically.
That way, the burst-phase spiral becomes an
upward corkscrew. If all goes well, the
airplane is 20 feet up when it transitions into
a normal climb attitude.
Boron Safety: The following news, also
from the December 1993 Boeing Hawks
newsletter, is old, but the safety information
it contains is pertinent as long as boron is
being used. Read and heed; the skin you
save is probably yours. However, the
careless use of boron can injure anyone,
including children. Gil Coughlin described
the following useful tips for the safe use of
boron fiber.
For those like me who have not
experienced it, the material Gil uses is a
.004-inch fiber consisting of a tungsten core
with a vapor-deposited coating of boron. It
comes on a roll and has tensile strength and
stiffness similar to .020-inch-diameter piano
wire. The typical use is to add stiffness to,
say, a motorstick or stabilizer framework by
cementing a fiber to the structure.
To cement the fiber, Gil coats it with
Duco glue by drawing it through a drop of
cement between his fingers. Then with the
coated fiber positioned on the structure, he
activates the cement with a swipe of acetone.
Anyone who uses boron fiber should be
aware of the appropriate disposal methods.
The chief danger with boron fiber is that if a
small piece punctures the skin like a splinter,
it tends to migrate through the body, causing
discomfort and damage. Therefore, you must
use extreme care to contain any scraps or
fragments of the fiber.
A good way to keep track of boron is to
handle it attached to masking tape until it is
ready for installation. For disposal, Gil
collects all scraps in a plastic bowl and casts
them into a block of Portland cement.
Carbon fiber can be used in some of the
same places as boron fiber. This is important
enough that you should build some test
structures to see what works best.
Model Steering: For those AMA and FAI
events that allow it, steering is a fact of life.
It is an art that requires good eyesight and
Can you identify this Indoor modeler? A hint is that he is now grown and married and
has a family. Send your guesses to the author.
Phil Hartman ponders his flight strategy.
However, he didn’t score at this meet.
Photo by Dave Linstrum.
Richard Miller (Albany NY) confers with
Rachel Petty (of the Smyrna, Tennessee,
Flying Aces Club). Linstrum photo.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 132
enough practice to become confident and
competent. The following remarks may be
helpful.
Steering is needed sooner or later at most
Indoor flying sites. Even if there isn’t a
problem with drift, there is a chance of a
collision when more than one model is
flying. Several times I have been flying and
wished I had taken the trouble to bring a
balloon. At one time I even carried a small
helium bottle and spare balloons to a flying
session.
If a balloon isn’t needed for any session,
the helium won’t be wasted. However, if
you need a balloon at a contest, you need it
immediately. There isn’t time to inflate a
balloon, so do it ahead of time.
The lift of pure helium is a fixed quantity
based solely on the volume of gas enclosed
in the balloon. The combined weights of the
balloon, filler spouts, and steering line
reduce the available lift. Rubber balloons
lose roughly 50% of their lift in eight hours,
so the inflated volume needs to be enough to
retain steering capability at the end of the
day. A limp balloon is often better for
retrieval of hung models.
Let’s put balloon size into perspective.
Lift varies with the cube of the radius of the
inflated balloon. The lift of a 24-inchdiameter
balloon is eight times as great as
that of a 12-inch balloon.
A huge balloon is unnecessary in
Category I sites, and can even pose a
problem in a flat-ceiling site. If your model
is ceiling-scrubbing, you can’t catch it with
a big balloon. If you bump it, the model may
stall and lose a great deal of altitude.
Steering with a pole is allowed, but you
must use extreme care to avoid snagging the
pole tip in the ceiling. If it whips loose, the
model may be damaged.
For Category I flying, it is helpful to
back off the model’s flight trim. That is, a
model trimmed for maximum duration in
still, unobstructed air will be flying on the
edge of a stall. In Category I sites and
turbulent air, the model should be trimmed
to fly slightly faster so it can recover more
rapidly from disturbances.
Do you have a sturdy model that doesn’t
fly as well as you would like? Take off the
big propeller and rebalance it to fly “low and
slow” using smaller rubber and a smaller
propeller. Now you have a model with
which you can practice steering.
Since you’re not going all out for first
place or a record, you can use a site with
odd ceiling height, rafters with an attitude,
and a drift problem. You can also practice
retrieval if the model hangs up. A bonus is
that without the pressure to win, you will be
more relaxed—an excellent learning
environment!
Odd Event: Race To Roof (RTR)
competitions have been held at some US
Indoor Championships meets. In the top of
the dome, near the louvers, there is a 20 x 80-
foot recession surrounding the louvers. The
object is to launch a model from the floor and
have it hit within the recession. MA
August 2004 133
The CHARGE+ TX/RX has two outputs
that charge 4 to 8 cell packs, and two
outputs that charge 4 to 5 cell packs.
Charges packs 500mAh and up. Full 1
amp charge rate on each output. Fully
automatic 4 stage computerized
charging. Just plug it in and walk
away. No programming! No knobs,
buttons or switches. Truly “plug and
play”. 12V DC for field use, optional
power supply for home use.
Handcrafted in America for
dependability and longevity. $19995_ +S&H
Hughes RC 1-800-786-0802 www.hughesrc.com
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
to spend time shuffling chargers
from one battery pack to another.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
WALSTON RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
725 Cooper Lake Rd., S.E., Smyrna, GA 30082
770-434-4905 800-657-4672 Fax 770-431-0119
Visa • MC • AmEx • Disc
e-mail [email protected]
Call Now. DIVERSIFIED SOLUTIONS, LLC.
5932 Chicago Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Ph: 1-612-243-1234 Fax: 1-612-243-8950
Email: [email protected] • Web: www.klasskote.com
For Color Chart and Information, Send SASE
Don’t Delay – Order Yours Today!
You Built the Best Model, So Use The Best Paint!
“Superior
Quality”
Epoxy Paint
System
Available in
Colors, Clear
& Primer.
38 Years of Extensive Field
Performance Provides
Outstanding Adhesion & Protection Against Many RC Model Fuels
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:22 am Page 133
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/08
Page Numbers: 131,132,133
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/08
Page Numbers: 131,132,133
August 2004 131
A REMINDER: My E-mail address has changed to
[email protected]. Please update your records and let me hear from
you. This column is for you, but I need help since there are no Indoor
contests close enough for me to attend. I need to hear your ideas and
see pictures of your gadgets.
It is helpful for you to send the text as an E-mail message so I
don’t have to retype it. Until further notice, the pictures must be
35mm photos since I can’t handle digital pictures. Digital pictures are
nice, and it seems as though everyone has a digital camera. I don’t
have a printer that is able to print digital files; without that, I can’t see
the image to integrate it into the text.
Following are a few examples of what I would like to receive from
readers if this column is to remain viable.
An accompanying photo is a close-up view of the back of a
MiniStick propeller blade. Note that the spar (extends to the left) is
glued precisely along the alignment marks that aid in setting a proper
match between the two blades as they are assembled to the spar and
hub assembly.
The spar is 0.02 square spruce, which is flexible enough to allow
the blades to flare under high power and strong enough to survive
hard landings and collision with obstructions. The “7.5/14” notation
indicates that the propeller has a 7.5-inch diameter and a 14-inch
pitch.
The propeller in the preceding photo is shown during assembly in
another photo. The fixture holds the propeller shaft in a vertical notch
using a short loop of rubber band. If the rubber band is tied from a
strip of rubber band, that leaves loose ends to make it easier to mount
the propeller shaft into the support.
The blade is held during assembly by a 45° triangle set a fixed
distance from the shaft support. The triangle supports the blade using
a length of sewing thread wrapped just tight enough to hold the blade
without crushing it.
The distance between the shaft and the support block defines the
blade angle at that particular point on each blade. With careful
assembly, it is possible to match the angle between the two blades. If
the blade angles don’t match, the propeller will wobble during the
entire flight. (If it wobbles only during high power, the blades aren’t
matched in strength.)
For events such as Easy B and Limited Pennyplane that require a
Bud Tenny, Box 830545, Richardson TX 75083
FREE FLIGHT INDOOR
View of propeller blade shows assembly marks, wood grain. Adjustable propeller-assembly fixture. Text has details.
Motorstick sanding fixture. See text for details.
Field-repair fixture collapses for transport and is adjustable to
support model. It can be used to help add dihedral.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 131
132 MODEL AVIATION
solid motorstick, it is common to taper the
front and rear portions of the stick. A photo
shows a clamp that holds the stick tightly so it
can be tapered using a razor blade, followed
by sanding with a sanding block.
Do not use a blade after sanding! Tiny bits
of grit from the sandpaper will destroy the
edge of the blade.
Rules Cycle: There was a joint meeting of
the Contest Board chairmen and the AMA
Executive Council, and an important decision
was made: the rules cycle will be shortened
to two years instead of the current three
years.
This will be accomplished by using Email
for all Contest Board communications.
It also may require future rules-change
proposals to be E-mail messages.
By the time you read this, I expect that
AMA will have announced this in MA. This
announcement should define when proposals
can be submitted and when proposals will be
voted on. You should send your E-mail
address to your District Board member so he
or she can interact with you.
Joe Foster: While preparing for this column,
I read in a newsletter that Joe Foster had
passed on. I tried to find that issue just now
to give credit to the newsletter, but to no
avail.
Joe was a longtime hero of mine. Years
ago he wrote a piece about CG location that
helped me with model trim on Indoor and
Outdoor models. Joe was a true FF pioneer,
and he contributed to the art and science of
flying model airplanes.
MiniStick Hint: Gil Coughlin shared the
following idea, which was published in the
December 1993 Boeing Hawks newsletter
(Gene Stubbs, editor).
To overcome the troublesome tendency of
MiniSticks to spiral-dive during the initial
power burst, launch the model vertically.
That way, the burst-phase spiral becomes an
upward corkscrew. If all goes well, the
airplane is 20 feet up when it transitions into
a normal climb attitude.
Boron Safety: The following news, also
from the December 1993 Boeing Hawks
newsletter, is old, but the safety information
it contains is pertinent as long as boron is
being used. Read and heed; the skin you
save is probably yours. However, the
careless use of boron can injure anyone,
including children. Gil Coughlin described
the following useful tips for the safe use of
boron fiber.
For those like me who have not
experienced it, the material Gil uses is a
.004-inch fiber consisting of a tungsten core
with a vapor-deposited coating of boron. It
comes on a roll and has tensile strength and
stiffness similar to .020-inch-diameter piano
wire. The typical use is to add stiffness to,
say, a motorstick or stabilizer framework by
cementing a fiber to the structure.
To cement the fiber, Gil coats it with
Duco glue by drawing it through a drop of
cement between his fingers. Then with the
coated fiber positioned on the structure, he
activates the cement with a swipe of acetone.
Anyone who uses boron fiber should be
aware of the appropriate disposal methods.
The chief danger with boron fiber is that if a
small piece punctures the skin like a splinter,
it tends to migrate through the body, causing
discomfort and damage. Therefore, you must
use extreme care to contain any scraps or
fragments of the fiber.
A good way to keep track of boron is to
handle it attached to masking tape until it is
ready for installation. For disposal, Gil
collects all scraps in a plastic bowl and casts
them into a block of Portland cement.
Carbon fiber can be used in some of the
same places as boron fiber. This is important
enough that you should build some test
structures to see what works best.
Model Steering: For those AMA and FAI
events that allow it, steering is a fact of life.
It is an art that requires good eyesight and
Can you identify this Indoor modeler? A hint is that he is now grown and married and
has a family. Send your guesses to the author.
Phil Hartman ponders his flight strategy.
However, he didn’t score at this meet.
Photo by Dave Linstrum.
Richard Miller (Albany NY) confers with
Rachel Petty (of the Smyrna, Tennessee,
Flying Aces Club). Linstrum photo.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 132
enough practice to become confident and
competent. The following remarks may be
helpful.
Steering is needed sooner or later at most
Indoor flying sites. Even if there isn’t a
problem with drift, there is a chance of a
collision when more than one model is
flying. Several times I have been flying and
wished I had taken the trouble to bring a
balloon. At one time I even carried a small
helium bottle and spare balloons to a flying
session.
If a balloon isn’t needed for any session,
the helium won’t be wasted. However, if
you need a balloon at a contest, you need it
immediately. There isn’t time to inflate a
balloon, so do it ahead of time.
The lift of pure helium is a fixed quantity
based solely on the volume of gas enclosed
in the balloon. The combined weights of the
balloon, filler spouts, and steering line
reduce the available lift. Rubber balloons
lose roughly 50% of their lift in eight hours,
so the inflated volume needs to be enough to
retain steering capability at the end of the
day. A limp balloon is often better for
retrieval of hung models.
Let’s put balloon size into perspective.
Lift varies with the cube of the radius of the
inflated balloon. The lift of a 24-inchdiameter
balloon is eight times as great as
that of a 12-inch balloon.
A huge balloon is unnecessary in
Category I sites, and can even pose a
problem in a flat-ceiling site. If your model
is ceiling-scrubbing, you can’t catch it with
a big balloon. If you bump it, the model may
stall and lose a great deal of altitude.
Steering with a pole is allowed, but you
must use extreme care to avoid snagging the
pole tip in the ceiling. If it whips loose, the
model may be damaged.
For Category I flying, it is helpful to
back off the model’s flight trim. That is, a
model trimmed for maximum duration in
still, unobstructed air will be flying on the
edge of a stall. In Category I sites and
turbulent air, the model should be trimmed
to fly slightly faster so it can recover more
rapidly from disturbances.
Do you have a sturdy model that doesn’t
fly as well as you would like? Take off the
big propeller and rebalance it to fly “low and
slow” using smaller rubber and a smaller
propeller. Now you have a model with
which you can practice steering.
Since you’re not going all out for first
place or a record, you can use a site with
odd ceiling height, rafters with an attitude,
and a drift problem. You can also practice
retrieval if the model hangs up. A bonus is
that without the pressure to win, you will be
more relaxed—an excellent learning
environment!
Odd Event: Race To Roof (RTR)
competitions have been held at some US
Indoor Championships meets. In the top of
the dome, near the louvers, there is a 20 x 80-
foot recession surrounding the louvers. The
object is to launch a model from the floor and
have it hit within the recession. MA
August 2004 133
The CHARGE+ TX/RX has two outputs
that charge 4 to 8 cell packs, and two
outputs that charge 4 to 5 cell packs.
Charges packs 500mAh and up. Full 1
amp charge rate on each output. Fully
automatic 4 stage computerized
charging. Just plug it in and walk
away. No programming! No knobs,
buttons or switches. Truly “plug and
play”. 12V DC for field use, optional
power supply for home use.
Handcrafted in America for
dependability and longevity. $19995_ +S&H
Hughes RC 1-800-786-0802 www.hughesrc.com
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
to spend time shuffling chargers
from one battery pack to another.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
WALSTON RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
725 Cooper Lake Rd., S.E., Smyrna, GA 30082
770-434-4905 800-657-4672 Fax 770-431-0119
Visa • MC • AmEx • Disc
e-mail [email protected]
Call Now. DIVERSIFIED SOLUTIONS, LLC.
5932 Chicago Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Ph: 1-612-243-1234 Fax: 1-612-243-8950
Email: [email protected] • Web: www.klasskote.com
For Color Chart and Information, Send SASE
Don’t Delay – Order Yours Today!
You Built the Best Model, So Use The Best Paint!
“Superior
Quality”
Epoxy Paint
System
Available in
Colors, Clear
& Primer.
38 Years of Extensive Field
Performance Provides
Outstanding Adhesion & Protection Against Many RC Model Fuels
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:22 am Page 133
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/08
Page Numbers: 131,132,133
August 2004 131
A REMINDER: My E-mail address has changed to
[email protected]. Please update your records and let me hear from
you. This column is for you, but I need help since there are no Indoor
contests close enough for me to attend. I need to hear your ideas and
see pictures of your gadgets.
It is helpful for you to send the text as an E-mail message so I
don’t have to retype it. Until further notice, the pictures must be
35mm photos since I can’t handle digital pictures. Digital pictures are
nice, and it seems as though everyone has a digital camera. I don’t
have a printer that is able to print digital files; without that, I can’t see
the image to integrate it into the text.
Following are a few examples of what I would like to receive from
readers if this column is to remain viable.
An accompanying photo is a close-up view of the back of a
MiniStick propeller blade. Note that the spar (extends to the left) is
glued precisely along the alignment marks that aid in setting a proper
match between the two blades as they are assembled to the spar and
hub assembly.
The spar is 0.02 square spruce, which is flexible enough to allow
the blades to flare under high power and strong enough to survive
hard landings and collision with obstructions. The “7.5/14” notation
indicates that the propeller has a 7.5-inch diameter and a 14-inch
pitch.
The propeller in the preceding photo is shown during assembly in
another photo. The fixture holds the propeller shaft in a vertical notch
using a short loop of rubber band. If the rubber band is tied from a
strip of rubber band, that leaves loose ends to make it easier to mount
the propeller shaft into the support.
The blade is held during assembly by a 45° triangle set a fixed
distance from the shaft support. The triangle supports the blade using
a length of sewing thread wrapped just tight enough to hold the blade
without crushing it.
The distance between the shaft and the support block defines the
blade angle at that particular point on each blade. With careful
assembly, it is possible to match the angle between the two blades. If
the blade angles don’t match, the propeller will wobble during the
entire flight. (If it wobbles only during high power, the blades aren’t
matched in strength.)
For events such as Easy B and Limited Pennyplane that require a
Bud Tenny, Box 830545, Richardson TX 75083
FREE FLIGHT INDOOR
View of propeller blade shows assembly marks, wood grain. Adjustable propeller-assembly fixture. Text has details.
Motorstick sanding fixture. See text for details.
Field-repair fixture collapses for transport and is adjustable to
support model. It can be used to help add dihedral.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 131
132 MODEL AVIATION
solid motorstick, it is common to taper the
front and rear portions of the stick. A photo
shows a clamp that holds the stick tightly so it
can be tapered using a razor blade, followed
by sanding with a sanding block.
Do not use a blade after sanding! Tiny bits
of grit from the sandpaper will destroy the
edge of the blade.
Rules Cycle: There was a joint meeting of
the Contest Board chairmen and the AMA
Executive Council, and an important decision
was made: the rules cycle will be shortened
to two years instead of the current three
years.
This will be accomplished by using Email
for all Contest Board communications.
It also may require future rules-change
proposals to be E-mail messages.
By the time you read this, I expect that
AMA will have announced this in MA. This
announcement should define when proposals
can be submitted and when proposals will be
voted on. You should send your E-mail
address to your District Board member so he
or she can interact with you.
Joe Foster: While preparing for this column,
I read in a newsletter that Joe Foster had
passed on. I tried to find that issue just now
to give credit to the newsletter, but to no
avail.
Joe was a longtime hero of mine. Years
ago he wrote a piece about CG location that
helped me with model trim on Indoor and
Outdoor models. Joe was a true FF pioneer,
and he contributed to the art and science of
flying model airplanes.
MiniStick Hint: Gil Coughlin shared the
following idea, which was published in the
December 1993 Boeing Hawks newsletter
(Gene Stubbs, editor).
To overcome the troublesome tendency of
MiniSticks to spiral-dive during the initial
power burst, launch the model vertically.
That way, the burst-phase spiral becomes an
upward corkscrew. If all goes well, the
airplane is 20 feet up when it transitions into
a normal climb attitude.
Boron Safety: The following news, also
from the December 1993 Boeing Hawks
newsletter, is old, but the safety information
it contains is pertinent as long as boron is
being used. Read and heed; the skin you
save is probably yours. However, the
careless use of boron can injure anyone,
including children. Gil Coughlin described
the following useful tips for the safe use of
boron fiber.
For those like me who have not
experienced it, the material Gil uses is a
.004-inch fiber consisting of a tungsten core
with a vapor-deposited coating of boron. It
comes on a roll and has tensile strength and
stiffness similar to .020-inch-diameter piano
wire. The typical use is to add stiffness to,
say, a motorstick or stabilizer framework by
cementing a fiber to the structure.
To cement the fiber, Gil coats it with
Duco glue by drawing it through a drop of
cement between his fingers. Then with the
coated fiber positioned on the structure, he
activates the cement with a swipe of acetone.
Anyone who uses boron fiber should be
aware of the appropriate disposal methods.
The chief danger with boron fiber is that if a
small piece punctures the skin like a splinter,
it tends to migrate through the body, causing
discomfort and damage. Therefore, you must
use extreme care to contain any scraps or
fragments of the fiber.
A good way to keep track of boron is to
handle it attached to masking tape until it is
ready for installation. For disposal, Gil
collects all scraps in a plastic bowl and casts
them into a block of Portland cement.
Carbon fiber can be used in some of the
same places as boron fiber. This is important
enough that you should build some test
structures to see what works best.
Model Steering: For those AMA and FAI
events that allow it, steering is a fact of life.
It is an art that requires good eyesight and
Can you identify this Indoor modeler? A hint is that he is now grown and married and
has a family. Send your guesses to the author.
Phil Hartman ponders his flight strategy.
However, he didn’t score at this meet.
Photo by Dave Linstrum.
Richard Miller (Albany NY) confers with
Rachel Petty (of the Smyrna, Tennessee,
Flying Aces Club). Linstrum photo.
08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:21 am Page 132
enough practice to become confident and
competent. The following remarks may be
helpful.
Steering is needed sooner or later at most
Indoor flying sites. Even if there isn’t a
problem with drift, there is a chance of a
collision when more than one model is
flying. Several times I have been flying and
wished I had taken the trouble to bring a
balloon. At one time I even carried a small
helium bottle and spare balloons to a flying
session.
If a balloon isn’t needed for any session,
the helium won’t be wasted. However, if
you need a balloon at a contest, you need it
immediately. There isn’t time to inflate a
balloon, so do it ahead of time.
The lift of pure helium is a fixed quantity
based solely on the volume of gas enclosed
in the balloon. The combined weights of the
balloon, filler spouts, and steering line
reduce the available lift. Rubber balloons
lose roughly 50% of their lift in eight hours,
so the inflated volume needs to be enough to
retain steering capability at the end of the
day. A limp balloon is often better for
retrieval of hung models.
Let’s put balloon size into perspective.
Lift varies with the cube of the radius of the
inflated balloon. The lift of a 24-inchdiameter
balloon is eight times as great as
that of a 12-inch balloon.
A huge balloon is unnecessary in
Category I sites, and can even pose a
problem in a flat-ceiling site. If your model
is ceiling-scrubbing, you can’t catch it with
a big balloon. If you bump it, the model may
stall and lose a great deal of altitude.
Steering with a pole is allowed, but you
must use extreme care to avoid snagging the
pole tip in the ceiling. If it whips loose, the
model may be damaged.
For Category I flying, it is helpful to
back off the model’s flight trim. That is, a
model trimmed for maximum duration in
still, unobstructed air will be flying on the
edge of a stall. In Category I sites and
turbulent air, the model should be trimmed
to fly slightly faster so it can recover more
rapidly from disturbances.
Do you have a sturdy model that doesn’t
fly as well as you would like? Take off the
big propeller and rebalance it to fly “low and
slow” using smaller rubber and a smaller
propeller. Now you have a model with
which you can practice steering.
Since you’re not going all out for first
place or a record, you can use a site with
odd ceiling height, rafters with an attitude,
and a drift problem. You can also practice
retrieval if the model hangs up. A bonus is
that without the pressure to win, you will be
more relaxed—an excellent learning
environment!
Odd Event: Race To Roof (RTR)
competitions have been held at some US
Indoor Championships meets. In the top of
the dome, near the louvers, there is a 20 x 80-
foot recession surrounding the louvers. The
object is to launch a model from the floor and
have it hit within the recession. MA
August 2004 133
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08sig5.QXD 5/21/04 11:22 am Page 133
