The Inside Loop - 2010/06

… it’s the hard that makes
it great.
6 MODEL AVIATION
here are a lot of reasons why
aeromodeling is cool. What’s
important is what makes
aeromodeling cool for you. Knowing what
makes any activity enjoyable is the
reinforcement that helps us stay focused,
whether it’s on modeling, boating, or video
games.
I’ve done video games and think that
expert-level Guitar Hero players have the gift
of sixth-sense-level coordination. But I’m
pretty sure that I’m already good at sitting on
my butt watching a video screen.
Aeromodeling is healthy for me. It gets me
in the shop creating (more often fixing) and
outside in the fresh air to show off with
friends.
Most special interests in the hobby/sport
aren’t all that hard anymore, and that’s
terrific. People can now get into them more
easily. Knowing how this pastime works is
the challenge—and as hard as a challenge
may be, overcoming one is cool.
The can-do attitude is an aeromodeler’s
best tool in the box. There are many degrees
of satisfaction to be explored with a model
craft of any sort. I believe, more often than
not, that it’s the hard that makes it great.
Making things easier is harder than you
might think. Dick Sarpolus has been a
successful model airplane designer for
decades. Lucky for us, he found his pace and
made aeromodeling a balanced part of his
healthy lifestyle.
Better still, it’s as though he found the
secret formula for building aircraft that work
well, are famously fun to fly, and are easy to
build. Dick makes building a model look
easy.
His Little Fast is something he dreamed
up. But it uses airfoils, materials, and size
relationships that he positively knows work
well. Better still is that a great-flying model
hits these pages, and the AMA Plans Service
keeps us stick-and-sheet wielders out there
building. But thanks to Dick, that shop time
isn’t long and we’re out there flying (showing
off).
Use whatever inspiration you can to stay
focused. Moreover, it seems to be the littlest
things. In the case of Dick’s Little Fast, it was
an engine he wanted to try.
For me there have been crazier project
catalysts, such as a new kind of glue or a
neatly curved set of landing gear. The
inspiration may be just the first gear, but the
dream of seeing a project fly is what drives us.
Events are terrific means of motivation.
Take the Flying Circus event held by the
Greater Cincinnati Radio Control Club
(GCRCC). What it means by “circus” is the
wide variety of models used for entertainment
and the fun of aircraft (even if they are just
models) streaking through the air.
The 50th anniversary is this year for the
GCRCC event. Have a look at the coverage
and think hard about attending, even if it’s
just to observe. Look at the article more
Editor Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
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closely and see the cool ideas used to make
the event entertaining and popular with the
club members, young and old.
There are lessons for other clubs in there.
If the GCRCC members have been doing it
for 50 years, they’re doing something
worthwhile.
Who doesn’t want an A+ on a report card?
Okay, in terms you and I can understand, who
doesn’t want all 10s on his or her score sheet?
Winning is fun, right?
Precision flying is all about getting it right
no matter the conditions. Many in the RC
aeromodeling community consider IMAC
pilots to be the most challenged. Their aircraft
are expensive and fly badly. Kidding!
They don’t really fly badly, but the
controls sometimes couple enough that
compared to an F3A model, IMAC airplanes
seem to fly with the drawing board still
attached. However, if set up correctly and
with fine-tuning by the pilot, those majestic
aircraft perform as if they were branded by
Stratocaster, Steinway, or Sikorsky.
Baron Johnson is a winning IMAC
Unlimited and Freestyle competitor, not to
mention that as an engineer he could probably
design a cement mixer powered by a DA-50
that could fly a decent Sportsman pattern.
It’s not all about number crunching,
though. His experience made him aware that a
pilot’s personal preferences are a very
important consideration. His point is that radio
setup is a critical part of RC flying.
I can see how that’s true. The RC pilot
isn’t connected to the airplane; he or she is
holding the transmitter. Together, a great
model and a great pilot are cool. MA
Executive Director Jim Cherry
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