Author: John Kagan
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/10
Page Numbers: 126,127,128,129
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2010 Erv Rodemsky LPP Pro/Am wrap-up

John Kagan [[email protected]]

The LIMITED Pennyplane (LPP) Pro/Am, held during the recent Indoor FF Nats, went off as spectacularly as I had hoped. Eleven teams competed, with amateurs ranging from kids who had only flown Science Olympiad or Scale models, to older aeromodelers who have flown almost every other modeling discipline, to a local high school science teacher with an aviation tendency.

All those I spoke with said that they had a great time, and more than a few are already on their way to earning "Pro" status for next year. The benchmark is achieving a 10-minute flight with an LPP that you construct on your own.

The only thing holding us back from more participation was the availability of Pros. Once the seeds that were sown this year sprout, we should be able to host even more Ams.

As I’ve described, the premise was simple. The Am was required to wind and launch, and the Pro could tweak, tune, fix, and coach. The Pro built a model that the Am got to keep for fun and inspiration. It was a simple format, but the benefits were readily apparent. People who had the interest but hadn’t yet collected the required materials, expertise, and site availability were given the opportunity to enjoy our activity firsthand. There’s no better way to set the hook.

If you are looking for a fun way to bring new participants into the fold, consider running your own Pro/Am. If you do, be sure to let me know how it goes.

Special thanks to the following sponsors who contributed great prizes for even more motivation:

  • Tim Goldstein of Peck-Polymers, Indoor Model Supply, and A2Z Corp sent a huge box of tools, supplies, and laser-cut kits. The featured item was his new machined-aluminum dual-ratio winder. Check out the extensive collection of modeling goodies on the Peck-Polymers web site (address at the end of the column).
  • Ray Harlan of Indoor Specialties donated a generous collection of Indoor-specific tools and materials, including a new light-action thickness gauge. If you are serious about Indoor FF, you need to check out the products and how-to articles on his web site.
  • Jeff Hood of Hood’s Wood supplied packs of his ever-improving Indoor balsa. You can reach him via e-mail at the address at the end of this column.

Ben Saks, the Junior F1D team manager, built a pair of custom, sliding-door, wood model boxes. They were a hit and went early during the awards ceremony. Various competitors kicked in a bunch of other goodies.

There are no guarantees yet, but we are hoping to run the Pro/Am again next year. Make plans to participate if you can. As they say on TV, “This offer won’t last long!”

EZB and HLG

A couple columns ago I pondered the origins of the 100-square-inch wing area limit in Hand-Launched Glider (HLG). Separately, I’ve often wondered where Easy B (EZB) got its name. Was there a failed earlier attempt, called Easy A? It turns out those questions have similar answers.

Tem Johnson informed me that back when Indoor and Outdoor models were divided by wing area into four categories—A, B, C, and D—the divisions also applied to gliders. “B” models had a wing area limit of 100 square inches. People used to fly gliders in all four sizes, but the B category is what the models flown today became. Now I know.

Wally Miller, father of the EZB, sent the following letter regarding the birth of the event and the inception of ceiling categories we use for setting records. I find this kind of history fascinating.

“After 50 years, this is simply a story I think should be told. Hope you agree.

“This period involved a dramatic and historic change in our indoor scene. In early 1959 the thought of flying for records under various height categories had not occurred. There was no ‘Easy B’ or anything else easy. Delicate frameworks covered with microfilm and braced with near invisible wire were considered to be an expert-only event, and so it was.

“Then a series of events began to fall into place that worked out as though they had been scripted. It all started in July of 1959 when a group of very dedicated modelers from the Los Angeles area formed an exclusive indoor-only group called ‘The Wilmington Indoor Model Airplane Club’ (named after the community and monthly flying site).

“In September 1959 a simple comment triggered one of the biggest changes in our indoor history. Two experts and well-known modelers, David Copple and Tom Finch, were standing in a flying site, and Dave was timing a model being flown by Tom. As the model circled high overhead Tom thought out loud, ‘We should have records for multiple ceiling heights.’

“Having known Dave and how dedicated he was to modeling I am positive that the moment Tom made that statement, Dave envisioned every recreational building in the country flying indoor models. Dave and Tom decided to pursue this idea and collaborated on what was to be known as the ‘Wilmington Indoor Proposal.’

“During the drafting stage, the two fine clubs of Detroit and Chicago were consulted for their support and approval. Both clubs endorsed the proposal and the name was changed to the ‘Detroit Chicago Wilmington Proposal.’ On April 8, 1960 it was completed and presented to the charter member for signing.

“David Copple had held many positions within the AMA and decided this important matter should have his personal attention. By the end of the month he had made arrangements to hand carry the proposal to AMA headquarters, at his own expense. On April 29th, the chairman of the Free Flight Board, Mr. John Patton, had the proposal in hand. After a very cordial visit, Mr. Patton said he would make a presentation to the board members.

“Around this time, I was invited to join the Wilmington group. At my first club meeting, I met Lew Gitlow, who had established his indoor model supply business, lots of great supplies including three kits loaded with information that I am sure helped many get started.

“My 8 1/2 year old son, Don, would accompany me to all the meets and fling his hand-launched glider around. After three months, he expressed a desire to build his own indoor model. A great deal of thought went into a design that would be simple to build, strong enough to take a little abuse and still fly long enough to satisfy his young ego. I decided on a small ‘B’ model (30 to 100 sq. in. wing area) with oversized solid components.

“Plans were drawn up and the first EZB was built in September 1960. With a little advice along the way, Don managed to complete 75% of the construction on his own. My part was to build the prop and help with the final assembly.

“The first opportunity to fly this new model came in late September at the 42 ft. Los Angeles Armory. At this time torque meters had not been developed, and the practice was for one person (the stooge) to hold the model by the rear hook while another wound. Lew Gitlow had stopped by and was soon delegated to wind.”

EZB has come a long way since Wally Miller conceived it. Top models now weigh approximately 0.5 gram, and the lightest weigh roughly 0.3 gram. The times have climbed too. A new Indoorist, Kang Lee, has been researching and documenting EZB flights that have exceeded 30 minutes. You can see his results on the Indoor construction list web site (address at the end of the column).

Indoor FF Documentary

Cinematographer Phil Kibbe has teamed up with Indoorist Ben Saks to work on a documentary about Indoor FF. Phil is very talented in his craft, and this project could end up being one of the best pieces of media coverage of our activity. Based on the work I've seen so far, they are headed in the right direction.

The team shot footage at the Kent, Ohio, meet and, more recently, at the Indoor FF Nats—including interviews with a few of the participants and beautiful time-lapse sequences of models in flight. The two also plan to record the action at this year's world championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

You can check out a trailer, read about the crew, and contribute to the project using the web address at the end of this column. Your support will help make this film a reality.

O-Rings

I received a few letters regarding the previous column's mention of hard O-rings; most asked where they could be purchased.

Ray Harlan sells the soft rubber variety, but I don't know of anyone selling the hard kind. Therefore, it has been up to us to make our own. Fortunately this is easy to do—and even easier if you take the time to fabricate a simple tool.

The basic material is nylon tubing sliced into appropriate-size rings. You might think that the hard square edges would cut the rubber motors, but that doesn't appear to be the case. I'm not an engineer, but I suspect that the stretched rubber motor is not as hard as the O-rings. In any case, when a motor does break, it tends to be near the knot or in the middle somewhere.

I use 1/8-inch OD clear tubing sliced into a width that is equal to the wall thickness. That size is determined by trial and error to be strong enough to withstand a fully wound F1D motor without twisting.

It is possible to slice the tubing with a single-edge razor blade, but it is difficult to get the two sides parallel and maintain a consistent thickness between rings. That's where a simple tool comes in: a piece of metal with an appropriately sized hole drilled perpendicular to a face, along which you can slide the razor blade to produce consistent-size rings.

Tom Vaccaro, full-time executive and part-time thinker and tinkerer, is generous with devices he conjures up. If he crafts an EZB motorstick torsional-stiffness testing fixture, I'll often find a FedEx box with a kit form of the fixture waiting on my doorstep.

Fred Tellier, Canadian F1D champion, is equally generous. When he finds a product or material that has Indoor FF applications, you can usually expect to find a lifetime supply deposited on your flying table. At one contest he shared a big coil of medium-stiffness clear nylon tubing. I'm still working my way through it.

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.