Radio Control Helicopters - 2010/04

SPRING IS definitely my favorite time of
year. I think I wrote the same thing almost
one year ago. I hope I am not beginning to
repeat myself and start calling the kids by
the dog’s name.
Let’s do pray for nice spring flying
weather. Most of the country is emerging
from the winter ice age. Surprisingly, it
even got cold in Florida this year. I feel so
sorry for those people—not!
Now it is time for all nitro-powered
models to see the light of day again. I wrote
about preparing your nitro models for
storage, and what you should look for to
make sure your helicopter is airworthy for
the 2010 season.
After a long season of flying electricpowered
indoor models, it is nice to hear a
gas engine fire up. There is something about
the sound, the smell of the fuel, and those pretty smoke trails you
associate with liquid-fuel helicopters.
Some funny things happen to helicopters when they haven’t been
flown for a while. Sometimes you will take your model out for its
first flight of the new season and find that it has a nasty vibration
that was not there before.
You may find out later that you put the main blades on opposite
sides than before. Or it may be a mystery where that new vibration is
coming from. Sometimes main shafts or spindles will bend during the
off-season from a fall off of the workbench. Kids or spouses seem to
forget to mention if those things happened while you were away.
Spring and the smell of burning nitro are in the air
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Also included in this column:
• Flying-in-the-wind precautions
Do not try this! The helicopter is not running, fueled, or even
turned on. Matt Brown of Indianapolis IN leans into the wind while
his helicopter spools up on its own. Matt knew that doing this was
dangerous. The strong winds were challenging at this event.
Sara Cerwinski shows off her Synergy N9. She enjoys the mental
challenges that flying RC helicopters offers.
Chris Gini (R) competed in the 2009 XFC in the airplane division. He brought a few
friends from Chicago IL to enjoy the fun-fly at the Midwest Sundowners’ field.
CD Terry Driver ran an organized event and even had event Tshirts
made so that pilots could have a souvenir.
April 2010 109
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110 MODEL AVIATION
The lesson learned is to go back and
double-check things before you make that
first flight. Helicopters are complex
machines that seem to autonomously
cause problems for themselves.
Fun-flys are often mentioned in this
column. If you have never been to one,
you are missing out on one of the most
enriching aspects our hobby has to
offer.
Some of you may wonder what
actually goes on at these events. Funflys
are diverse environments. They
range from small gatherings of a dozen
or so pilots all the way up to the biggest
spectacles, such as the International
Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association (IRCHA) Jamboree that
boasted 954 registered pilots last year.
There is much information available
to a pilot when attending a fun-fly. One
of the best things to do is spend time
talking with fellow pilots and gleaning
good advice from those exchanges.
It is also beneficial to get in a lot of
flights during the events. When other
pilots see you fly, they will know how to
help you or how you can help them.
Someone might see you perform a certain
Jim Stark (R) of Chicago and the author on
the flightline at the Midwest Sundowners’
2009 fun-fly. Jim pilots his Synergy N9
cautiously as a remote camera captures
this unique perspective.
Right: The author was 25 feet
away when he took this picture.
Jason Russell brings his Raptor 90
in for a solid inverted hover in
the 40 mph winds, while Brian
Butts watches.
maneuver and then ask you how you did it.
There is a fun-fly coming up on April 24
in Wheeler, Indiana. Wheeler is roughly an
hour southeast of Chicago. This is the first
outdoor event of the season in the northern
Midwest region.
Last year roughly 50 pilots attended, so
it was a great place to meet new people. The
flying site is home to the Midwest
Sundowners RC club. This club originated
in the 1950s and has 150 members.
Everyone seemed to have had a good time,
and CD Terry Driver and the other club
volunteers took care of everybody.
You never know what the weather will
be like in the Chicago area at that time of
year. In 2008 it rained all day, so
everyone was praying for a dry
day in 2009. The prayer for no
rain was answered, but we all
forgot to ask for calm winds.
The wind started blowing at
approximately 30 mph at sunrise
and then continued to get stronger
throughout the day. At midday the gusts
were reaching 40 mph. It was challenging to
fly.
Incredibly, there were helicopters in the
air almost continuously during the day.
When other pilots saw someone flying, they
figured it must not have been too bad and
took their helicopters out to the flightline
and gave it a shot.
Jason Russell made the trip from
Muncie, Indiana. He flew his Raptor 90 as
if there were no wind at all that day. Jason
has matured as a pilot during the last few
years. His smooth, sophisticated flying style
is a pleasure to watch.
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If you have never flown in a 40 mph
wind, you have to try it. I am just kidding.
Actually, it can be dangerous to fly in
certain wind conditions. If the wind is in
your face on the flightline, even a 10 mph
wind can transform an easy flight into a
lethal situation.
When you are maneuvering your
helicopter in uncomfortable positions, it
takes only a split second for a moderate
wind to help push the helicopter over the
flightline and into a very dangerous spot.
The wind, and counteracting its forces, is
something you should be aware of at all
times while flying.
Many great helicopter pilots from the
Chicago area attended the Wheeler event
in 2009. Chris “Surfer Dude” Gini took
some buddies. Chris competed in the
2009 Extreme Flight Championships
(XFC) as an airplane pilot. Some of the
top model airplane pilots in the world are
also avid helicopter fliers.
Sara Cerwinski was another attendee
from Chicago. She flies a beautiful
Synergy N9 with a spectacular blue
airbrushed paint job. This is Sara’s third
year as an RC helicopter pilot.
She says she likes flying helicopters
because you have to use both sides of
your brain and it is mentally stimulating.
That makes perfect sense to me.
If you have not been to a fun-fly, make
it a priority to attend one this year. That is
a part of the hobby I look forward to the
most.
Sometimes helicopter pilots tend to be
loners and try to figure things out on their
own. If this describes you, make a change
this season and get to know some likeminded
people in your area. Camaraderie
among pilots is motivating.
There is nothing like a good friend to
help keep you going when you are
struggling. Who knows? You may be
exactly what someone else needs to help
reach his or her full potential.
Think seriously about getting more
involved this year. I hope to see some of
you at events during 2010.
That does it for this month in helicopters.
Keep the rotors turning and out of the dirt
until next month. MA
Sources:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
Midwest Sundowners
www.midwestsundowners.com