The Inside Loop - 2009/08

he attention to scale delicacies in
every model that Pat Tritle does is
what makes his design distinctively
a Pat Tritle model. Not obvious is how
similar all of his designs really are; they’re
extremely lightweight and fly really well.
(Those are the delicacies to which I’m
referring.)
As seen with the 44-inch Tiger Moth we
bring to you this month, it’s Pat’s respect
for the individual project that makes his
designs inspiring. Instead of conforming
the outlines of an aircraft to a specific set
of known design parameters, his
philosophy is under the covering—to build
as lightly as possible and respect the
outlines.
An aircraft with a light wing loading is
friendliest to the RC modeler. Whether it’s
an ARF, a project from the AMA plans
listing, or a kit in the closet gathering dust
for decades (such as that CAP 21 of mine),
consider how much better the model could
fly if lighter materials, lighter servos, or
new building techniques were explored.
A lighter model can make you a better
pilot. A heavy model needs to fly faster
through every maneuver, including landing.
The wing has to work harder, after all, to
keep all those scale details airborne. So, in
response, the pilot has to respond and work
harder also.
A lighter airplane not only makes you
look like a better builder, but when you
take that model to the sky, people will
think that you’re an aeromodeling Einstein.
Every now and then, an RC pilot just
gets tired of flying his or her own airplanes.
What, with all the hassle of keeping them
maintained, it’s a whole lot of work when
you think about it. Might I suggest that the
next day you’re planning to go to the field,
you leave the models at home for once?
They won’t be needed.
When you get to the field, people will
be more than happy to let you fly their
airplanes. In fact, they’ll even fuel them up
and clean them for you. Sounds like a great
deal, doesn’t it? Yup, upon your arrival,
RC student pilots will be imploring you to
get them in the air.
That’s the way it was for me when I
first became a flight instructor with the
Flagstaff Flyers while a college student at
Northern Arizona University. In fact, the
condition was described as exactly that to
me: I wouldn’t have to bring a model to the
field ever again. And I fell for it.
For the most part it was true, and the
respect I earned from the students meant
that many of the models they built after
soloing were ones they trusted me to testfly—
another of my favorite jobs.
Is teaching a new person how to fly
hard? No. Is teaching a new person how to
fly a lot of work? No. Are there secrets
about flight instruction you should know to
Editor Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
consider becoming an RC flight instructor?
Yes!
As a matter of fact, Bob Wilson gave us
an article for exactly that. His “Pointers for
New Flight Instructors” describes the basic
knowledge that instructors should have for
them and the students they teach to be
successful.
What I agree with most about Bob’s
recommendations is the attitude an
instructor should have; don’t forget the fun.
Another good point he makes is that it’s
important that students make as many
mistakes as possible.
Mistakes are learning tools (I should
know), and recognizing them helps the
instructor focus in on the individual needs
of that student. Every student as well as
instructor is different and has different skill
sets. When we get to know each other
better, we function better as a club, totally
jazzed about the world’s greatest pastime.
Have you noticed that a lot of models
today are lacking in a material known to
grow out of the ground? Strange as it may
seem, there are materials to build from other
than balsa wood. One of those materials is
foam.
Call me crazy, but that bizarre stuff is
very different to use. Some people like it
and some don’t, but one thing is for sure: if
you want foam to stick, it has to be glued.
For some reason, I can’t get the stuff to hold
a screw for the life of me.
MA Assistant Editor Jay Smith took a
look at some of the popular adhesives used
today with foam. His research tells us
what holds up. It’s an abbreviation-heavy
article, but if you check out our updated
“Frequently Used Abbreviations/
Acronyms” guide, we should be covered. MA
The Inside Loop
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Mistakes are learning tools …
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