Frequently Asked Questions
Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Paging Doctor Diesel!
Tiny McCoy .049 diesel. An advantage of diesel power is that you don't have to light a glow plug before starting.
These old Ni-Cd and NiMH battery packs have seen better days. Take spent packs to a receiving agent such as RadioShack.
THIS IS THE 21st monthly column in which I will try to give you the best possible answers to questions you have written or E‑mailed to me. Each new inquiry has a sequential number for identification purposes.
Because publication space is limited, part of this month's material will be published here, and you can find the column in its entirety on the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/mag/faq/index.asp. All questions and answers are posted there.
You can access particular questions by subject matter or categories. This was done to help you retrieve data for certain subjects. When you call up a question, it reads "Answer ..." Double-click on that word, and that information, along with any related photos, will appear.
Let's start!
I have a follow-up to question and answer 127 that were published in the July 2005 MA. Responding to that question I mentioned that the Skyborn Electronics company was no longer manufacturing the popular TNC digital tachometer. I asked if anyone had information about whether or not this product would be picked up by anyone else.
Also included in this column:
- The TNC Tachometer returns
- Texas Timer availability
- Custom-made decals
- Battery-cell disposal
It is my pleasure to inform you that the TNC Tachometer has found a new home. An improved version of this wonderful device will soon be available from Fromeco Scale Avionics, LLC.
To learn all the basics of model-engine diesel operation, Bob suggests Dr. Diesel's Diary by Eric Clutton. 37628 Greenmountain St., Sandy OR 97055; Tel.: (503) 310-5194; E-mail: [email protected], Web site: www.fromeco.org.
The contact person at Fromeco Scale Avionics is Kurt Cook. I hope to obtain one of the new versions of this tachometer and report on it in a future MA.
Q167: "I am the original owner of a McCoy .049 diesel engine that was popular back in the late 1950s. This particular engine has never been started. Who can provide me with information on how to get this old engine running?"
A167: I also own a practically new McCoy .049 diesel engine. I flew McCoy diesels in FF competition models in the 1950s. Later I used the McCoy in my little deBolt RC Kitten. These ran well, and once you got used to them they were comparatively easy to start by just hand flipping.
The one drawback to that engine was a small O-ring seal on the contraption. It never lasted very long and continuously had to be replaced, but that was an easy job.
The best way to learn about model diesel engines today is to buy a copy of Eric Clutton's book Dr. Diesel's Diary—All You Wanted To Know About Model Diesels. It is in an 8 1/2 x 11-inch (softcover) format and contains 33 pages of excellent information. The chapter "Starting a Diesel" would be of most interest to you.
I just exchanged E-mails with Eric, and he indicated that he still has copies of his book for sale for $11.50 including postage. His address is 913 Cedar Ln., Tullahoma TN 37388; Tel.: (931) 455-2256; E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.cafes.net/doctordiesel. You can purchase Eric's complete catalog of diesel products and fuels for $1 postpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bob Aberle
Q168: “I have a Class A Free Flight version of the Carl Goldberg ‘Zipper’ almost finished. The Zomby OT article that appeared in the August 2005 Model Aviation made mention of a Texas Timer for ignition free flights. Could you direct me to that source?
“Also, could you direct me toward someone who might answer my technical questions regarding old Free Flight techniques for building and flying?”
A168: Texas Timers is owned by Hank Nystrom. He can be contacted at 3317 Pine Timbers Dr., Johnson City TN 37604; Tel.: (423) 282-6423; E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.texastimers.com.
Hank has a variety of specialized timers for the FF enthusiast. Some cut off the fuel supply while the ignition engine timers work electrically. His Web site explains the entire product line.
I asked longtime friend, fellow club member, and AMA and SAM National Free Flight Champion Larry Davidson about his thoughts on the Texas Timer. He said:
“The Ultimate Old Timer [timer] kills the engine ignition system with a self-contained switch, while at the same time provides for a DTing function [pops up the stabilizer to softly bring down the aircraft].
“You can set this timer to fly the initial flights with a short engine run of four seconds or so for Old-Time Ignition airplanes and set the DT portion of the timer for about one to two seconds after the engine quits. This saves many airplanes on their first flights.
“You then keep increasing the engine runs a second or two for each successive flight, making any necessary adjustments until you know that the airplane under power will keep climbing safely while still using the quick DT function of the timer.
“Then you set the DT to give about five seconds of glide time before it DTs to check the transition from power to glide, and then keep increasing the DT time until you have about one minute or more before the DT kicks in. This is the way I test-fly all of my Old-Time Ignition Free Flight models.”
Thanks for sharing that with us, Larry!
As far as technical questions concerning FF models, the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) is one source of information. You can contact the organization at www.antiquemodeler.org. If you join, you receive the excellent newsletter SAM Speaks, which is usually full of technical information. If you join a local SAM chapter, you will have a big audience of experts to help you.
You can try the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) as an additional source of information. The Web site is http://freeflight.org/. There, go to “Shop,” “Publications,” then “Annual Symposiums.” The NFFS has published 32 annual Symposium reports that probably contain every conceivable technical fact concerning FF building and flying.
I hope any or all of this will prove to be helpful.
Q169: “I have the need for specialized or custom-made decals for use on a new scale-model project. I read your answer to FAQ 122 concerning vinyl decals and the custom decal system offered by the Testors company. Are there any other alternatives that would make the process easier for me?”
A169: Recently I had the need for a specialized decal for my profile Scale model of the 1930 Laird Solution biplane. I sent digital photos of the Laird company decal from the full-scale original that is on display at the Connecticut Air Museum.
Fellow Silent Electric Flyers of Long Island club member Joe Cabana copied my original image on an ink-jet printer onto a special material called “Inkjet Water-Slide Decal Paper.” You can obtain it from Bel Decal at www.beldecal.com/inkjet_decal.htm. Complete printing instructions are on the Web site.
Basically all you have to do is print your image on the special paper using your personal computer and ink-jet printer. Then spray a coat of clear Krylon over the decal. After it dries, cut the decal to the outline and place it in a dish of water.
After a minute or so, slide the decal onto your model, blot out the excess water, and let it dry. The next day, mist on one more spray coat of the clear Krylon. This really adds the professional touch, costs little, and takes no time or real patience to accomplish.
Q170: "I'm getting kind of concerned about the proper recycling or disposing of our battery cells and packs. What is the real story on what to do with your battery packs when they can no longer provide their rated power?"
A170: For years I have been encouraging modelers to properly dispose of their battery cells and packs for safety reasons and for the good of our environment. Most battery suppliers will accept batteries for disposal purposes without charge, but in most cases that requires mailing them back to the supplier, which takes time and money.
Lately I have resorted to returning old batteries to the local RadioShack and The Home Depot. Both accept the batteries willingly.
Recently I learned of an excellent write-up titled "Why Recycle Batteries?" that is posted on major battery supplier Amond Tech's Web site. You can find it at www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=75.
The article refers you to one of the major sources of battery-recycling information: www.rbrc.org. I urge all of you to read this information and seriously take the suggestions for proper battery disposal. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
