Modeling Spoken Here
Bob Hunt — Aeromodeling Editor
I should have come to this epiphany much sooner.
You know, I think I finally “get it.” I’m a traditional “lifer”-type modeler who was brought up and nurtured in this great hobby/sport by another lifelong modeler: my father, James A. Hunt. Dad, by the way, started building model airplanes when Admiral Richard Byrd flew over the North Pole (which was in 1926)!
All of my dad’s friends and almost everyone who worked in his machine design and building firm were also model builders, and these are the influences that were instrumental in forming my outlook on and opinions about modeling.
Note that I referred to them all as “model builders.” To me, this pastime has been all about the package of designing, building, and flying model airplanes. And I’m sure that if you read this column regularly, you’ve read all of this from me before on many occasions.
Many of you who, for whatever reason, do not build model airplanes have often asked why I don’t seem to fully embrace those who choose not to build model airplanes in the same manner I do those who build and fly. The first two paragraphs might go a ways toward answering that question.
The thing is, even though I choose to build my own models, I really don’t have anything at all against those who choose not to build. I believe—as so many have said about a variety of interest areas—that “there’s room for everybody.” I just never fully understood why some people don’t even opt to give model building a try even once. I just didn’t “get it.”
My other passion in life is motorcycles—very high-performance motorcycles. I used to race bikes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but for many years now I’ve just enjoyed riding them for pleasure. (My brother James C. Hunt was a nationally known and successful Amateur Enduro racer.)
I have no desire to tinker with my motorcycles or add aftermarket doodads (well, maybe just a few ...), and I certainly have no desire to build my own bike. In fact, I have had a certain disdain for those “chopper” reality shows on cable television, on which they build a new show bike each week. Yuk—who needs that? I just want to punch the start button on my Hayabusa and head for the Poconos (the southern slopes of which start roughly five minutes north of where I live) whenever I have the chance, to get in some quality seat time piloting my own personal two-wheeled rocket ship. It’s very relaxing—at least the moments in between the terrifying fear parts are.
While preparing a talk for the Valley Forge Signal Seekers club banquet recently, I was trying to come up with a speech that would explain the reason why some like to build and fly and some prefer only to fly. Many clubs are grappling with this issue because sometimes the two factions don’t seem to get along as well as they might. Out of nowhere, the analogy of my biking preferences hit me square in the face. It was so obvious that I’d missed it for years. On one hand I was somewhat looking down my nose at those who, in one of my chosen sports, didn’t construct their own stuff, while in my other interest area I was disdaining those who built their own machinery. Wow—did I feel like a hypocrite with that revelation!
I finally “got it”; I finally fully understand the reason why some people in this hobby/sport prefer the sport or flying aspect more. They simply enjoy just flying the same way I prefer to just ride. Yeah, I know, I should have come to this epiphany much sooner. What can I say? Sometimes I’m just not too bright.
I’ll still prefer to build and fly my own models, but I have a renewed respect for and understanding of “the other half” and the genuine enjoyment they get from just flying. If it’s anything like the feeling I get from motorcycling, then I know it’s totally fulfilling. But hey, I still can’t convince myself to watch those “chopper” shows.
Electric-powered modeling
It’s no secret that electric-powered modeling is on the increase. If you have attended any of the recent modeling consumer shows, you know that that is an accurate statement. What you might not know is how fast an increase in electric-flight activity has become and how much new technology has emerged in a short amount of time. Don’t worry; it caught us at MA a bit off-guard, and it continually reminds me of the need for AMA and MA to stay current and hopefully even take a leadership position in keeping modelers informed and educated about what is here now and what is coming down the pike very soon.
Believe me, it can be a steep learning curve for those who are just now getting involved in electric flight. Our goal is to make that learning curve a bit easier.
To that end, we have had to make some tough decisions. We have decided to strike out on a new path with new, and hopefully fresh, ideas. One of the changes we decided to make is in the column reporting on the world of electric flight.
Outgoing RC Electrics columnist Bob Kopski has been a shining beacon of light for the electric-power contingent for more than 20 years. His landmark articles about electric power in MA many years back were certainly the catalyst that brought many of the initial electric enthusiasts into the fold.
The decision to make a change in our electric-column reporting was not because of anything that Bob did wrong. He has been an exemplary columnist in every respect. We just felt that a different perspective might allow us to move in some new directions more quickly and efficiently.
To be precise, we are not just adding one new perspective. In light of the amazing amount and diversity of material that needs to be covered, we have decided to break the electric column into two distinctly different categories.
New electric columnists
In the next two months we will be bringing onboard Greg Gimlick and Red Scholefield as alternating columnists in the field.
- Greg Gimlick will handle everything from the battery connector to the airplane side of things: new electric airplane designs and kits, new motors and motor technology, speed controls, and anything else that may enhance the electric-powered model-flying experience.
- Red Scholefield will handle everything from the connector to the battery side: battery safety and application concerns. Red’s background is in battery engineering and production, so he’s the perfect choice to author this column.
Along with our two new electric columnists, Dave Robelen and Paul Bradley will continue their respective specialty columns: “Micro-Flying” and “Small-Field Flying.” Their writings concentrate on micro/indoor flying and the popular parking-lot/backyard flying. The total of our electric-power columnists will add a new dimension to our regular MA technical reporting.
Contact
If I’m at home building, you can usually get in touch with me at (610) 614-7147. If I’m out flying—or riding—leave a voice-mail message. You can also opt to “construct” an E-mail message and send it to [email protected]. For those of you who still prefer the snail-mail route, my address is:
Box 68 Stockertown, PA 18083
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
