I ENJOY TAKING my camera to different RC flying fields, and
it is fun to meet new modelers and publish their photographs. I
always try to concentrate on the positive, praiseworthy things I
see because if people were embarrassed and shamed by my
photographs, I would not be so welcome at the field!
Nitpicking would be easier because there are always little
problems to be found and some rule or other that is being broken.
Most of us are guilty of a small safety infraction now and then,
but we generally get away with it and aim to do better next time.
If the incident is something that might happen to someone else,
we tell the story around or maybe even E-mail it to some
magazine
columnist to make
sure the
information is
available to others.
This came up
because of a sharpeyed
club safety
officer who read
AMA’s
instructions to
“report all
incidents and close
calls.” There is an
official AMA form
for insurance
claims but nothing for reporting minor stuff.
Can you imagine the giant Muncie storage room that would be
needed to track all the close calls that occur? The “Dave Gee” file
alone would be a foot thick!
There could be some benefits to tracking small incidents and
near misses, but it would be a tremendous task and could create
liability problems for the AMA. I’m going to mention this at the
next Safety Committee meeting and suggest that the reporting
instructions be rewritten. Either way, I will continue to share
reports of aeromodeling adventures, such as the following from
Joe Wagner, MA’s “The Engine Shop” columnist.
“I was away from home for more than a month last year and
left a full bottle of thin CA sitting atop my table saw. I returned to
find that, to my dismay, the bottom of the plastic CA bottle had
disintegrated. A solidified puddle of hardened glue had spread
over the tabletop.
“Evidently something like an electrolytic reaction had taken
place between the cast-iron surface and the cyanoacrylate inside
the bottle. The glue had hardened to an
extremely brittle solid, which took me
hours to remove.
“From this experience I learned not to
set CA bottles onto anything metallic. At
least nobody got hurt.”
Joe and I discussed this incident, and I
mentioned that I have seen old
cyanoacrylate glue begin to cure inside the
bottle and split the container, allowing the
uncured portion to leak out and make a
mess. This seemed more likely to have
caused his situation than the ion-transfer
theory, at least to me, but Joe politely told
me I was all wet. He is probably right
because my knowledge of electrochemical
Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
AMA policy: Should we report incidents or just accidents?
Also included in this column:
• Cyanoacrylate glue topics
have not dried up yet
• Safety products at AMA
Convention 2008
• Dave’s crystal ball predicts
the hobby’s future
An illustration showing how to make an invisible arming switch for electric-powered
models. Jim Newman, master of camouflage, sent this sketch of his system.
Nobody wants spilled glue, so Zap and House of Balsa sell this lowtech
rack in a laser-cut kit form.
Miller RC makes this sturdy starter rig with cones to fit most
models. A motorcycle handgrip helps absorb heavy torque.
May 2008 97
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 97
reactions would fit inside a small
cyanoacrylate bottle.
This informal investigation is tough
because there are so many variables.
Different brands of cyanoacrylate glue
have different formulas, they come in
various viscosities, and they behave
differently as they get old, as the weather
changes, and so on.
Out there among loyal MA readers are
some with just the expertise needed to
solve this mysterious sticky mess. Would
you please shed some light on things? I
can be reached via E-mail or on paper at
Box 7081, Van Nuys CA 91409.
Remember to mention MA in your E-mail
subject line to avoid my overzealous spam
filter.
These cyanoacrylate-glue issues got to
me long ago, and I devised a set of dirty
tricks to avoid problems. The old cloggedtip
problem seemed to improve when I
learned to keep the kicker bottle far from
the glue bottle. Seems obvious? Not to me!
My modeling work comes irregularly,
and I sometimes found that a large bottle
of my favorite stuff had gone bad during a
slack period. Now I buy small bottles only,
and they stay in the fridge until I need a
fresh one.
Don’t take them in and out of cold
storage; the water condensation is bad for
the glue. Once a bottle warms up, it is to
be stored at room temperature.
I have a deeply rooted brand loyalty,
but there are several great cyanoacrylate
makers, so out of fairness I will not make
an endorsement. Even so, I suggest
sticking with one brand and bottle style
because many exciting cyanoacrylate
moments in my career have involved trying
a new kind of cyanoacrylate and finding out
the hard way that it has different flow
characteristics than my usual.
That process usually involves my wife,
Sweet Diedra, giggling as she rescues me
from being bonded to a tabletop. “Did
Mister Safety have some problems with his
glue?” She promised to always stick with
me, but apparently there are limits.
When I travel I pack a fresh bottle of
cyanoacrylate in my checked-luggage
toolbox. I use it during my trip, but when
it’s time to leave I give it away or toss it,
even if there is plenty left. An airliner
baggage compartment undergoes large
changes in air pressure, and any unsealed
glue bottle will make a mess!
A problem with small bottles of thickstyle
cyanoacrylate is that when they are
nearly empty, they become top-heavy and
won’t sit properly. The glue stays near the
cap after an application, so every time you
set it down it falls over—at least until the
glue runs back to the bottom of the
container. This is more than annoying; it
can be hazardous!
I’ve plugged the Roc-It-Up before, and
it is a unique and excellent product. This
gadget is a little yellow weighted ball with
a cutout on the top for a glue bottle. You
will be amazed by how clever it is, and
you will want more than one. Visit your
local hobby shop or go to the Web site.
I saw another way to handle top-heavy
glue bottles at AMA Convention 2008.
House of Balsa and Zap sell a simple little
plywood rack to hold your glue. It comes
in a laser-cut sheet and goes together
easily. Set this thing on your workbench,
and you have a secure spot for glue and
kicker.
Okay, so it’s not a new idea, but it’s a
good one and the laser-cutting is well
done. The holes are sized and labeled for
Zap products in a thinly veiled plot to sell
more of the company’s glue. Go to the
Web site to find your local distributor.
One more item to plug from the AMA
Convention is a dandy starter system from
Miller RC products. It has a belt drive and
interchangeable cones, but, most
importantly, there is a separate handle so
that the operator has a good grip on things
when the starter turns.
This is not a new idea or product, but
this particular design has been thoroughly
debugged and is a reliable and safe
product. I like the sturdy plate that
separates the drive belt from fingers on the
handle.
Do you remember the recent discussion
about the pros and cons of manual onboard
power-system arming switches for
electric-powered aircraft? As usual, a
reader had already come up with an
elegant solution.
Jim Newman of Kent City, Michigan,
wanted the extra insurance of a positive off
switch on his airplanes but didn’t want
everyone else to see the toggle, so he hid it
in plain sight, on his scale Messerschmitt’s
cowling.
98 MODEL AVIATION
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 98
Jim wrote:
“I use a shorting plug that forms an
exterior feature of the aircraft. The sketch
shows the carburetor intake on my Me-109
and a venturi on another model.
“My switches comprise a pair of
sockets, as normally used in the battery
leads, and a matching pair of pins. The
pins are bridged by a piece of heavy gauge
copper wire which are then buried in a
balsa block.”
Apparently Jim is not only extremely
clever but also more organized than I am; I
would promptly drop the fake venturi into
tall grass and lose it.
100 MODEL AVIATION
On the subject of losing it, I recently
followed an Internet chat among some
senior citizen modelers who wondered
“What will happen to the hobby when all
the old guys are in rest homes?” I had the
horrid thought that I’d have all their stuff
and the field to myself, but the real truth is
somewhat brighter.
This hobby (including RC, CL, FF,
Indoor, and everything else) currently exists
in a form that was completely unforeseen 25
years ago. Back then we were saying the
exact same things as today about how new
blood was needed or else.
Now we have new fliers all right, and
individual modelers’ work in sharing their
expertise has been only the smallest part of
it.
Like ’em or not, the cheapo foam park
flyer models have created a tidal wave of
exposure to aeromodeling. Millions of these
airplanes have been sold and flown, and, as
in the 1920s Golden Age, it seems like
every kid has at least tried one. A few stick
with it and progress in the hobby. No,
they’re not building Dime Scale models, but
we have a resurgence of the flying model
hobby/toys with wide exposure.
The AMA is trying to get ahead of the
stampede with the Park Pilot Program and
TAG (Take off And Grow) program. (Go to
the AMA’s Web site for details.) With a
little encouragement, we can get many of
these casual pilots to stick with our
fascinating and beneficial hobby.
I discuss this here because many club
fields have had to deal with large numbers
of new fliers holding freshly unpacked
ARFs, eager to take to the skies. The smart
clubs make these newbies feel welcome
and start them off with information about
safe procedures in the pits and in the air.
Some organizations have created new
training systems to make sure the bumper
crop of potential new members learns how
to have safe fun with their shiny models.
Predictions for the future? In the 1970s
everyone had ideas about what things
would be like today, and we were wrong.
I predict for 2030 that the situation will
be completely different from anything we
can imagine and that it will not be so bad
then either. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 297-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
House of Balsa
(760) 246-6462
www.zapglue.com
Miller RC
(707) 833-5905
Roc-It-Up
(909) 606-5884
www.rocitup.com/
Our Full-Size
Plans List has
hundreds of
models from
which to choose.
See page 199
for details.
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
I ENJOY TAKING my camera to different RC flying fields, and
it is fun to meet new modelers and publish their photographs. I
always try to concentrate on the positive, praiseworthy things I
see because if people were embarrassed and shamed by my
photographs, I would not be so welcome at the field!
Nitpicking would be easier because there are always little
problems to be found and some rule or other that is being broken.
Most of us are guilty of a small safety infraction now and then,
but we generally get away with it and aim to do better next time.
If the incident is something that might happen to someone else,
we tell the story around or maybe even E-mail it to some
magazine
columnist to make
sure the
information is
available to others.
This came up
because of a sharpeyed
club safety
officer who read
AMA’s
instructions to
“report all
incidents and close
calls.” There is an
official AMA form
for insurance
claims but nothing for reporting minor stuff.
Can you imagine the giant Muncie storage room that would be
needed to track all the close calls that occur? The “Dave Gee” file
alone would be a foot thick!
There could be some benefits to tracking small incidents and
near misses, but it would be a tremendous task and could create
liability problems for the AMA. I’m going to mention this at the
next Safety Committee meeting and suggest that the reporting
instructions be rewritten. Either way, I will continue to share
reports of aeromodeling adventures, such as the following from
Joe Wagner, MA’s “The Engine Shop” columnist.
“I was away from home for more than a month last year and
left a full bottle of thin CA sitting atop my table saw. I returned to
find that, to my dismay, the bottom of the plastic CA bottle had
disintegrated. A solidified puddle of hardened glue had spread
over the tabletop.
“Evidently something like an electrolytic reaction had taken
place between the cast-iron surface and the cyanoacrylate inside
the bottle. The glue had hardened to an
extremely brittle solid, which took me
hours to remove.
“From this experience I learned not to
set CA bottles onto anything metallic. At
least nobody got hurt.”
Joe and I discussed this incident, and I
mentioned that I have seen old
cyanoacrylate glue begin to cure inside the
bottle and split the container, allowing the
uncured portion to leak out and make a
mess. This seemed more likely to have
caused his situation than the ion-transfer
theory, at least to me, but Joe politely told
me I was all wet. He is probably right
because my knowledge of electrochemical
Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
AMA policy: Should we report incidents or just accidents?
Also included in this column:
• Cyanoacrylate glue topics
have not dried up yet
• Safety products at AMA
Convention 2008
• Dave’s crystal ball predicts
the hobby’s future
An illustration showing how to make an invisible arming switch for electric-powered
models. Jim Newman, master of camouflage, sent this sketch of his system.
Nobody wants spilled glue, so Zap and House of Balsa sell this lowtech
rack in a laser-cut kit form.
Miller RC makes this sturdy starter rig with cones to fit most
models. A motorcycle handgrip helps absorb heavy torque.
May 2008 97
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 97
reactions would fit inside a small
cyanoacrylate bottle.
This informal investigation is tough
because there are so many variables.
Different brands of cyanoacrylate glue
have different formulas, they come in
various viscosities, and they behave
differently as they get old, as the weather
changes, and so on.
Out there among loyal MA readers are
some with just the expertise needed to
solve this mysterious sticky mess. Would
you please shed some light on things? I
can be reached via E-mail or on paper at
Box 7081, Van Nuys CA 91409.
Remember to mention MA in your E-mail
subject line to avoid my overzealous spam
filter.
These cyanoacrylate-glue issues got to
me long ago, and I devised a set of dirty
tricks to avoid problems. The old cloggedtip
problem seemed to improve when I
learned to keep the kicker bottle far from
the glue bottle. Seems obvious? Not to me!
My modeling work comes irregularly,
and I sometimes found that a large bottle
of my favorite stuff had gone bad during a
slack period. Now I buy small bottles only,
and they stay in the fridge until I need a
fresh one.
Don’t take them in and out of cold
storage; the water condensation is bad for
the glue. Once a bottle warms up, it is to
be stored at room temperature.
I have a deeply rooted brand loyalty,
but there are several great cyanoacrylate
makers, so out of fairness I will not make
an endorsement. Even so, I suggest
sticking with one brand and bottle style
because many exciting cyanoacrylate
moments in my career have involved trying
a new kind of cyanoacrylate and finding out
the hard way that it has different flow
characteristics than my usual.
That process usually involves my wife,
Sweet Diedra, giggling as she rescues me
from being bonded to a tabletop. “Did
Mister Safety have some problems with his
glue?” She promised to always stick with
me, but apparently there are limits.
When I travel I pack a fresh bottle of
cyanoacrylate in my checked-luggage
toolbox. I use it during my trip, but when
it’s time to leave I give it away or toss it,
even if there is plenty left. An airliner
baggage compartment undergoes large
changes in air pressure, and any unsealed
glue bottle will make a mess!
A problem with small bottles of thickstyle
cyanoacrylate is that when they are
nearly empty, they become top-heavy and
won’t sit properly. The glue stays near the
cap after an application, so every time you
set it down it falls over—at least until the
glue runs back to the bottom of the
container. This is more than annoying; it
can be hazardous!
I’ve plugged the Roc-It-Up before, and
it is a unique and excellent product. This
gadget is a little yellow weighted ball with
a cutout on the top for a glue bottle. You
will be amazed by how clever it is, and
you will want more than one. Visit your
local hobby shop or go to the Web site.
I saw another way to handle top-heavy
glue bottles at AMA Convention 2008.
House of Balsa and Zap sell a simple little
plywood rack to hold your glue. It comes
in a laser-cut sheet and goes together
easily. Set this thing on your workbench,
and you have a secure spot for glue and
kicker.
Okay, so it’s not a new idea, but it’s a
good one and the laser-cutting is well
done. The holes are sized and labeled for
Zap products in a thinly veiled plot to sell
more of the company’s glue. Go to the
Web site to find your local distributor.
One more item to plug from the AMA
Convention is a dandy starter system from
Miller RC products. It has a belt drive and
interchangeable cones, but, most
importantly, there is a separate handle so
that the operator has a good grip on things
when the starter turns.
This is not a new idea or product, but
this particular design has been thoroughly
debugged and is a reliable and safe
product. I like the sturdy plate that
separates the drive belt from fingers on the
handle.
Do you remember the recent discussion
about the pros and cons of manual onboard
power-system arming switches for
electric-powered aircraft? As usual, a
reader had already come up with an
elegant solution.
Jim Newman of Kent City, Michigan,
wanted the extra insurance of a positive off
switch on his airplanes but didn’t want
everyone else to see the toggle, so he hid it
in plain sight, on his scale Messerschmitt’s
cowling.
98 MODEL AVIATION
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 98
Jim wrote:
“I use a shorting plug that forms an
exterior feature of the aircraft. The sketch
shows the carburetor intake on my Me-109
and a venturi on another model.
“My switches comprise a pair of
sockets, as normally used in the battery
leads, and a matching pair of pins. The
pins are bridged by a piece of heavy gauge
copper wire which are then buried in a
balsa block.”
Apparently Jim is not only extremely
clever but also more organized than I am; I
would promptly drop the fake venturi into
tall grass and lose it.
100 MODEL AVIATION
On the subject of losing it, I recently
followed an Internet chat among some
senior citizen modelers who wondered
“What will happen to the hobby when all
the old guys are in rest homes?” I had the
horrid thought that I’d have all their stuff
and the field to myself, but the real truth is
somewhat brighter.
This hobby (including RC, CL, FF,
Indoor, and everything else) currently exists
in a form that was completely unforeseen 25
years ago. Back then we were saying the
exact same things as today about how new
blood was needed or else.
Now we have new fliers all right, and
individual modelers’ work in sharing their
expertise has been only the smallest part of
it.
Like ’em or not, the cheapo foam park
flyer models have created a tidal wave of
exposure to aeromodeling. Millions of these
airplanes have been sold and flown, and, as
in the 1920s Golden Age, it seems like
every kid has at least tried one. A few stick
with it and progress in the hobby. No,
they’re not building Dime Scale models, but
we have a resurgence of the flying model
hobby/toys with wide exposure.
The AMA is trying to get ahead of the
stampede with the Park Pilot Program and
TAG (Take off And Grow) program. (Go to
the AMA’s Web site for details.) With a
little encouragement, we can get many of
these casual pilots to stick with our
fascinating and beneficial hobby.
I discuss this here because many club
fields have had to deal with large numbers
of new fliers holding freshly unpacked
ARFs, eager to take to the skies. The smart
clubs make these newbies feel welcome
and start them off with information about
safe procedures in the pits and in the air.
Some organizations have created new
training systems to make sure the bumper
crop of potential new members learns how
to have safe fun with their shiny models.
Predictions for the future? In the 1970s
everyone had ideas about what things
would be like today, and we were wrong.
I predict for 2030 that the situation will
be completely different from anything we
can imagine and that it will not be so bad
then either. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 297-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
House of Balsa
(760) 246-6462
www.zapglue.com
Miller RC
(707) 833-5905
Roc-It-Up
(909) 606-5884
www.rocitup.com/
Our Full-Size
Plans List has
hundreds of
models from
which to choose.
See page 199
for details.
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
I ENJOY TAKING my camera to different RC flying fields, and
it is fun to meet new modelers and publish their photographs. I
always try to concentrate on the positive, praiseworthy things I
see because if people were embarrassed and shamed by my
photographs, I would not be so welcome at the field!
Nitpicking would be easier because there are always little
problems to be found and some rule or other that is being broken.
Most of us are guilty of a small safety infraction now and then,
but we generally get away with it and aim to do better next time.
If the incident is something that might happen to someone else,
we tell the story around or maybe even E-mail it to some
magazine
columnist to make
sure the
information is
available to others.
This came up
because of a sharpeyed
club safety
officer who read
AMA’s
instructions to
“report all
incidents and close
calls.” There is an
official AMA form
for insurance
claims but nothing for reporting minor stuff.
Can you imagine the giant Muncie storage room that would be
needed to track all the close calls that occur? The “Dave Gee” file
alone would be a foot thick!
There could be some benefits to tracking small incidents and
near misses, but it would be a tremendous task and could create
liability problems for the AMA. I’m going to mention this at the
next Safety Committee meeting and suggest that the reporting
instructions be rewritten. Either way, I will continue to share
reports of aeromodeling adventures, such as the following from
Joe Wagner, MA’s “The Engine Shop” columnist.
“I was away from home for more than a month last year and
left a full bottle of thin CA sitting atop my table saw. I returned to
find that, to my dismay, the bottom of the plastic CA bottle had
disintegrated. A solidified puddle of hardened glue had spread
over the tabletop.
“Evidently something like an electrolytic reaction had taken
place between the cast-iron surface and the cyanoacrylate inside
the bottle. The glue had hardened to an
extremely brittle solid, which took me
hours to remove.
“From this experience I learned not to
set CA bottles onto anything metallic. At
least nobody got hurt.”
Joe and I discussed this incident, and I
mentioned that I have seen old
cyanoacrylate glue begin to cure inside the
bottle and split the container, allowing the
uncured portion to leak out and make a
mess. This seemed more likely to have
caused his situation than the ion-transfer
theory, at least to me, but Joe politely told
me I was all wet. He is probably right
because my knowledge of electrochemical
Safety Comes First Dave Gee | [email protected]
AMA policy: Should we report incidents or just accidents?
Also included in this column:
• Cyanoacrylate glue topics
have not dried up yet
• Safety products at AMA
Convention 2008
• Dave’s crystal ball predicts
the hobby’s future
An illustration showing how to make an invisible arming switch for electric-powered
models. Jim Newman, master of camouflage, sent this sketch of his system.
Nobody wants spilled glue, so Zap and House of Balsa sell this lowtech
rack in a laser-cut kit form.
Miller RC makes this sturdy starter rig with cones to fit most
models. A motorcycle handgrip helps absorb heavy torque.
May 2008 97
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 97
reactions would fit inside a small
cyanoacrylate bottle.
This informal investigation is tough
because there are so many variables.
Different brands of cyanoacrylate glue
have different formulas, they come in
various viscosities, and they behave
differently as they get old, as the weather
changes, and so on.
Out there among loyal MA readers are
some with just the expertise needed to
solve this mysterious sticky mess. Would
you please shed some light on things? I
can be reached via E-mail or on paper at
Box 7081, Van Nuys CA 91409.
Remember to mention MA in your E-mail
subject line to avoid my overzealous spam
filter.
These cyanoacrylate-glue issues got to
me long ago, and I devised a set of dirty
tricks to avoid problems. The old cloggedtip
problem seemed to improve when I
learned to keep the kicker bottle far from
the glue bottle. Seems obvious? Not to me!
My modeling work comes irregularly,
and I sometimes found that a large bottle
of my favorite stuff had gone bad during a
slack period. Now I buy small bottles only,
and they stay in the fridge until I need a
fresh one.
Don’t take them in and out of cold
storage; the water condensation is bad for
the glue. Once a bottle warms up, it is to
be stored at room temperature.
I have a deeply rooted brand loyalty,
but there are several great cyanoacrylate
makers, so out of fairness I will not make
an endorsement. Even so, I suggest
sticking with one brand and bottle style
because many exciting cyanoacrylate
moments in my career have involved trying
a new kind of cyanoacrylate and finding out
the hard way that it has different flow
characteristics than my usual.
That process usually involves my wife,
Sweet Diedra, giggling as she rescues me
from being bonded to a tabletop. “Did
Mister Safety have some problems with his
glue?” She promised to always stick with
me, but apparently there are limits.
When I travel I pack a fresh bottle of
cyanoacrylate in my checked-luggage
toolbox. I use it during my trip, but when
it’s time to leave I give it away or toss it,
even if there is plenty left. An airliner
baggage compartment undergoes large
changes in air pressure, and any unsealed
glue bottle will make a mess!
A problem with small bottles of thickstyle
cyanoacrylate is that when they are
nearly empty, they become top-heavy and
won’t sit properly. The glue stays near the
cap after an application, so every time you
set it down it falls over—at least until the
glue runs back to the bottom of the
container. This is more than annoying; it
can be hazardous!
I’ve plugged the Roc-It-Up before, and
it is a unique and excellent product. This
gadget is a little yellow weighted ball with
a cutout on the top for a glue bottle. You
will be amazed by how clever it is, and
you will want more than one. Visit your
local hobby shop or go to the Web site.
I saw another way to handle top-heavy
glue bottles at AMA Convention 2008.
House of Balsa and Zap sell a simple little
plywood rack to hold your glue. It comes
in a laser-cut sheet and goes together
easily. Set this thing on your workbench,
and you have a secure spot for glue and
kicker.
Okay, so it’s not a new idea, but it’s a
good one and the laser-cutting is well
done. The holes are sized and labeled for
Zap products in a thinly veiled plot to sell
more of the company’s glue. Go to the
Web site to find your local distributor.
One more item to plug from the AMA
Convention is a dandy starter system from
Miller RC products. It has a belt drive and
interchangeable cones, but, most
importantly, there is a separate handle so
that the operator has a good grip on things
when the starter turns.
This is not a new idea or product, but
this particular design has been thoroughly
debugged and is a reliable and safe
product. I like the sturdy plate that
separates the drive belt from fingers on the
handle.
Do you remember the recent discussion
about the pros and cons of manual onboard
power-system arming switches for
electric-powered aircraft? As usual, a
reader had already come up with an
elegant solution.
Jim Newman of Kent City, Michigan,
wanted the extra insurance of a positive off
switch on his airplanes but didn’t want
everyone else to see the toggle, so he hid it
in plain sight, on his scale Messerschmitt’s
cowling.
98 MODEL AVIATION
05sig4.QXD 3/25/08 9:23 AM Page 98
Jim wrote:
“I use a shorting plug that forms an
exterior feature of the aircraft. The sketch
shows the carburetor intake on my Me-109
and a venturi on another model.
“My switches comprise a pair of
sockets, as normally used in the battery
leads, and a matching pair of pins. The
pins are bridged by a piece of heavy gauge
copper wire which are then buried in a
balsa block.”
Apparently Jim is not only extremely
clever but also more organized than I am; I
would promptly drop the fake venturi into
tall grass and lose it.
100 MODEL AVIATION
On the subject of losing it, I recently
followed an Internet chat among some
senior citizen modelers who wondered
“What will happen to the hobby when all
the old guys are in rest homes?” I had the
horrid thought that I’d have all their stuff
and the field to myself, but the real truth is
somewhat brighter.
This hobby (including RC, CL, FF,
Indoor, and everything else) currently exists
in a form that was completely unforeseen 25
years ago. Back then we were saying the
exact same things as today about how new
blood was needed or else.
Now we have new fliers all right, and
individual modelers’ work in sharing their
expertise has been only the smallest part of
it.
Like ’em or not, the cheapo foam park
flyer models have created a tidal wave of
exposure to aeromodeling. Millions of these
airplanes have been sold and flown, and, as
in the 1920s Golden Age, it seems like
every kid has at least tried one. A few stick
with it and progress in the hobby. No,
they’re not building Dime Scale models, but
we have a resurgence of the flying model
hobby/toys with wide exposure.
The AMA is trying to get ahead of the
stampede with the Park Pilot Program and
TAG (Take off And Grow) program. (Go to
the AMA’s Web site for details.) With a
little encouragement, we can get many of
these casual pilots to stick with our
fascinating and beneficial hobby.
I discuss this here because many club
fields have had to deal with large numbers
of new fliers holding freshly unpacked
ARFs, eager to take to the skies. The smart
clubs make these newbies feel welcome
and start them off with information about
safe procedures in the pits and in the air.
Some organizations have created new
training systems to make sure the bumper
crop of potential new members learns how
to have safe fun with their shiny models.
Predictions for the future? In the 1970s
everyone had ideas about what things
would be like today, and we were wrong.
I predict for 2030 that the situation will
be completely different from anything we
can imagine and that it will not be so bad
then either. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 297-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
House of Balsa
(760) 246-6462
www.zapglue.com
Miller RC
(707) 833-5905
Roc-It-Up
(909) 606-5884
www.rocitup.com/
Our Full-Size
Plans List has
hundreds of
models from
which to choose.
See page 199
for details.
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