RC Aerobatics
Eric Henderson, 303 Shady Ln., Marlton NJ 08053; E-mail: [email protected]
Building a Pattern Airplane (book)
I have been reading a wonderful book that has been updated and recently reissued by Bruce Thompson and Bob Atwood. These fine gentlemen saw the need for a good guide on how to build a Precision Aerobatics airplane. They also put in a section on my favorite power plant: the YS four-stroke.
Bill Cosby was the speaker at my eldest son's graduation in May, and he left many strong impressions in my mind. He said that we could learn something from anyone if we listened. In a great story about his grandmother, who had next to no formal education, Bill explained how he, as a student, had spent a whole session debating whether the "glass was half full or half empty." Upon telling this to his grandmother, she instantly replied, "Depends upon whether you are pouring or drinking!"
The book is called Building a Pattern Airplane, and it can be obtained directly from the authors. The fourth edition sells for $27.50 (US) or $31.50 (foreign countries). The price includes shipping.
Bruce and Bob don't accept credit cards (their operation is too small); they take checks or money orders. If you live outside the US, they require that funds be drawn on a US bank or in US currency. They can't take checks drawn on foreign accounts.
The authors try to ship the day they receive your order or within a couple of days; it depends on their schedule. They typically ship Express Mail, and the book arrives at your address within three days.
Contact: [email protected].
This book has added to my knowledge. Perhaps it will enhance your Pattern data bank. Whether you are an experienced builder or just getting started, this book should have something in it for you.
Pattern Product News: Piedmont Models Focus
A new sensation has reached the world of Precision Aerobatics: the Focus by Piedmont Models. This airplane was designed using some very successful parameters from existing models.
The model is built like a Pattern airplane, and it comes in two forms: Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) and Almost Ready to Cover (ARC). The ARC version allows for the specific need of Pattern fliers to personalize their color schemes.
Because of the relatively low price of approximately $800 for the ARF, many pilots are buying two at a time. My wife jokingly calls the plural of the Lexus car "Lexii"; maybe this should be "Focii" frenzy. Either way, they are here!
I have closely followed the endeavors of Piedmont Models. It is a small company that has invested time and money into bringing an affordable Pattern ARF or ARC to the forefront of our sport. The Focus is one serious piece of Pattern machinery. How will it fare? We will see at this year's Nationals.
Technical Note: JR digital low-profile servos
Last year I was lamenting that we did not have any digital low-profile servos for the ailerons or thin stabilizers on my Pattern airplanes. I had been running the three JR digital servos: the DS8411, the DS8417, and the DS8231. I also needed a servo for my throttle that would be as good as the digitals, but not with the weight penalty of a full-size servo.
Since then, JR came out with the DS9411, the DS3421, and the DS368.
- The DS9411 is rated at 82 ounce-inches at 4.8 volts. This low-profile servo is ideal for wing-servo needs. It is light (1.36 ounces), and it has the expected digital servo holding power.
- The two smaller digital servos are rated at 65 and 53 ounce-inches respectively, and are great for that super-accurate throttle setting — especially on idle.
- The DS3421 may also be suitable for ailerons on smaller Pattern models. I have them in a sport airplane right now, and they give me that same feel I get from the 9411s in my Pattern model.
I have 43 flights on a pair of 9411s so far, and they are just as good as the 8231s I swapped out. These servos are slightly shorter and smaller all around than their bigger brothers, so you make smaller holes in the wings.
A positive Pattern story (letter from Paul Nesbitt)
Pattern fliers aren't such bad guys after all! I treasure the following letter from Paul Nesbitt. As much as I dislike the negative reputation that some Pattern fliers have given our sport, I like the positive reputation that this letter exposes.
"Paul Kopp suggested I send you this story. I originally posted it on the rec.models.rc.air newsgroup in response to a post from someone interested in Pattern. The original post was essentially asking if Pattern pilots were as arrogant and cutthroat as they were rumored to be.
"My experience in Pattern has been completely the opposite, so I submitted my story. Paul thought some of your readers might be interested in hearing what Pattern is really like, at least from my perspective.
"Not long after I joined one of the local clubs, several of the guys started suggesting that I fly Pattern. Like many others, I had heard all of the stories about Pattern pilots being snobs and cutthroat competitors. But these guys sure didn't seem that way.
"I tried the excuse that I didn't have a Pattern airplane, but they told me my 25% Edge 540 would be legal and I could probably be competitive with it in the Intermediate (402) class. So I figured 'what the heck,' and about a month before the first competition I started practicing.
"The 25% Edge is a real nice airplane, and flies fairly precisely, but it has one bad problem. The way the landing gear is mounted is very flimsy. They are fine in a normal landing, even a hard landing, but any side load (like a crosswind landing or a bounce) and the wires will bend. So after the first competition my landing gear was bent badly and I needed a new one. I didn't want to replace it with the same weak one, so the guys in the club suggested I use a carbon-fiber gear. I purchased one and installed it before the next contest. It was a big improvement and I didn't bend it again.
"At the contest, the guys were very helpful, giving me tips on trimming, maneuvers and how to reduce my landing problems. They even helped me set up my radio. The other competitors were very encouraging and gave me great advice. The result? I came away from my first contest with a new sense of confidence and a desire to learn more.
"I think the misconception about Pattern pilots comes from those few bad apples that give the rest a bad name. Most of us are willing to help newcomers. Pattern is about precision and discipline, and we enjoy sharing that with others."
Not long after, the day of my first Pattern event came and the weather was awful. It was cold (in the low 40s), scattered light rain, and the wind was howling (directly across the runway, of course). When I got there, I figured the competition was a bust.
Many of these planes were trailered from afar, and unless it was pouring rain, they were going to fly. So I figured if they can fly, then I can fly — all of the time worrying about my gear.
After a few minutes, I noticed several of the pilots warming up their engines and some were flying a practice flight. With the winds as bad as it was, I still wanted to fly a practice flight, but I was really worried about my landing gear.
The crosswind was fierce. Finally, I made up my mind to fly a practice flight. I fired up the engine, taxied onto the runway, and took off.
Now, flying in the wind was no problem; I have a good grasp of wind correction (I may not do it well, but I understand what to do). I flew and flew, dreading that landing until I had to land or run out of fuel.
Finally, I set up for landing, brought her in as straight as I could, and touched down real gentle. But the crosswind was too strong, and just as soon as she settled on the runway she veered and skidded down the runway. By now, I was embarrassed.
I went out, picked her up, and took her back to the bench to inspect the damage. Like the other times this had happened, the landing gear had broken cleanly from the fuselage. The only real damage was that a couple strings were broken, some covering was torn, and the propeller was busted.
If I had it at home, in my nice, warm shop, it wouldn't take long to fix. But here, in the cold and wind and drizzle with no tools, I was done for the day. Or so I thought.
It seemed like everyone came by to ask what had happened and to offer his or her sympathy. I started taking the wings off when several of the pilots asked me what I was doing. Of course, I was packing her up to go home. Well, they were not about to let that happen.
They started offering tools and glue and tape, and whatever else I needed to get her back in the air. Then I suggested that I didn't have enough time to fix it before my flight time. So they moved me to the back of the lineup for the round.
After a few minutes, I ran out of excuses. Keep in mind that I was a nobody — a 'newbie.' The only people who knew me were the guys who talked me into this. Heck, I didn't even have a Pattern airplane and wasn't a member of NSRCA (National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics), but that all seemed to be irrelevant.
So I started to work on the airplane. Someone gave me CA (cyanoacrylate) glue to fix the strings; someone else gave me packing tape to fix the covering. When I needed a Dremel tool and epoxy for the landing gear mount, they came up with it.
I needed some hardware and screws to bolt the gear mount in (since it was really too old for epoxy to cure); they found all of that stuff too. Everything I needed was made available. Half an hour later, I had the airplane back on its feet.
Of course, by now my adrenaline was peaking. I had been rushing like mad to get done before my flight time. It was coming up soon — it would be my very first competitive Pattern flight.
But I figured the worst thing that could happen was the gear would get ripped off again, and I would really be done for the day. So I figured I would just fly and have fun. So that's what I did.
I flew pretty good the whole day, considering the morning I had had, and I worked real hard to baby my landings which also helped my landings overall.
All in all I did okay, and my gear stayed on the whole day. I ended up placing third in Intermediate, which was super for my first contest. But the best thing was, I had fun and found out that the Pattern guys were not the stuck-up cutthroat snobs I had heard they were.
"Now I'm not suggesting that there aren't snobs out there. I have been to IMAC (International Miniature Aerobatic Club), Scale, and several other types of competitions, and, like Pattern, they all have a few people who believe they are better than the rest, but for the most part the Pattern pilots are just RCers like the rest of us."
What a great story! Most people simply like helping other people. I thank Paul for sending me this story. I hope that printing it encourages others to give Precision Aerobatics a try.
The message to all Precision Aerobatics pilots is to be nice. Maybe one day another "Paul" will write a letter like this about you.
Farewell
I'll close with a fond farewell to Nate Dixon; he passed away in May after a short bout with a late diagnosis of spinal cancer. Nate was a very keen Pattern flier. He gave his services to the NSRCA as the vice president for NSRCA District 8, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.
Nate worked hard toward and for the promotion of Precision Aerobatics, right up to his untimely departure.
All of our best wishes and thoughts go out to Nate's family.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
