probably for the best because of my flying skills, but they are fun to
watch.
Jets are at the cutting edge of aeromodeling right now, but Robin
Stanley found a way to make them even slicker. He has perfected an
onboard CO2 fire-suppression system for model turbine engines. It’s
called “Flame Out” and will be produced by ResJets. Robin expects
to have these patented units available for purchase by the time you
read this column.
The Flame Out unit uses a common CO2 cartridge. A tidy
mounting plate holds the components, and the nozzle of the 6-ounce
system is zip-tied to the starter.
When actuated by a servo, the cartridge is punctured and inert
gas is directed into the engine intake. This not only puts the flame
out, but it also cools the turbine in a hurry, without harming the
engine.
This system can be activated while airborne or on the ground
during start-up. Flame Out also has an impact-actuation feature that
senses a crash and releases the CO2 charge automatically. This
would get a real workout if I were the pilot.
As if it wasn’t cool enough just to fly an RC jet, now the pilot
can brag about how deftly he or she handled an in-flight emergency.
“I had to shut down the engine and pop the fire-suppression system.
Set her down dead-stick without a scratch.”
This gadget is going to save a lot of trouble and expense, along
with decreasing the fire hazard that is inherent in jet flight. Having
an open flame on your aircraft can complicate a forced landing.
Being able to truly shut the fire off and cool the engine will come in
handy when things go haywire.
Robin’s Web site should be up by now, so take a look at the
demonstration video and you might be as impressed as I am with the
Flame Out.
My friend, Ron Knight, likes RC jets too, but he prefers them with
propellers and batteries. I snapped a picture of his latest project: a
semiscale fighter for Park Flyer Combat matches. I’m not sure I
want to know more about this activity, but Ron’s idea was to build
and fly a unique model.
Ron is a clever guy, but he knew how hard it is to start from
scratch. He chose a proven design (available on the Web site cited in
the “Sources” listing) and used it as the basis for his custom
alterations. This is a wise and cautious way to experiment.
Modelers have tremendous power and discretion, as though we
each run our own aviation corporation. We
can choose what aircraft we want to build and
fly, or even make one up.
The problem is that test-flying a new
design can be exciting in a bad way. Modelers
who build and fly a couple of kits sometimes
get the urge to create their own model, but
using someone else’s tried-and-true kit or
plans as a starting place makes good sense.
Ron chose ultra-simple construction to
help him win and replaceable components for
when he loses. As an old balsa guy, I’m still
adjusting to the popularity of foam as an
airframe material instead of just for ice chests.
The close-up photo shows the power plant
on Ron’s model. It has the unusual sandwichstyle
motor mount as well as a “prop-saver”
feature. Airplanes that land on their airscrews
need some shock-absorbing system to avoid
bending the motor shaft at the end of every
flight.
I’ve received a couple of e-mails from
pilots who feel that these rubber-band-retained
propellers are unsafe. They describe failures
that let spinning propellers fly around the pits.
I’m not so sure about this issue, because
I’ve seen a number of airplanes use the
flexible retainers without trouble. A more
rigid system would lead to many snapped
blades, which could be more dangerous than a
full propeller on the loose.
I’d like to have the opinions of some
experienced pilots. Have you had problems
with flexible prop savers? Do you use them or
have you switched to something else? Please
send me a letter or e-mail, and I’ll report the
results.
Another issue that has appeared in numerous
messages is the question of using starters,
fingers, or chicken sticks for starting gaspowered
models. Our miniature engines saw
many years of use before the first portable
electric starter was invented, but now they are
common. The same is true of chicken sticks,
which are responsible for a slump in the
finger-splint industry.
Still, some modelers continue to use their
bare fingers to flip propellers—big propellers
on big engines. And apparently they get away
with it, because most fields allow handpropping.
Is bare-handed starting safe in the right
hands? Please share your opinions and
reasoning about this question. With hundreds
of combined years of experience among
AMA members, I’ll have the answers soon
enough—or at least some great arguments on
both sides of the question!
Concerning arguments, some club fields are
having a hard time during the transition time
when “old-fashioned” 72 MHz radio systems
are coexisting with new 2.4 GHz systems,
which are impervious to channel interference.
Bill White wrote about an event with lax
frequency control and an inadequate impound
policy.
A pilot had a well-equipped trailer with all
of his transmitters stored. While working on a
model, he inadvertently turned on the
wrong 72 MHz radio. Although no injury
resulted this time, the fact that we
sometimes neglect frequency control is
liable to cause a serious problem.
Clubs have spent years developing
frequency-pin systems or other ways to
ensure that each channel has only one radio
in use at a time. A 2.4 GHz system is great,
but if your field still hosts older systems,
strict control is still needed!
I’ve heard from readers who think it is
silly to impound a 2.4 GHz transmitter, but
I’ve heard from others who have witnessed
mix-ups between radios that have resulted
in trouble. It has happened more than a few
times!
Bill and I are on the same page here.
Unless your field is 2.4 GHz only, and until
the old radios are all gone, human nature
makes it necessary to watch our frequency
control. My 2.4 GHz Spektrum transmitter
has spent time in impound, because if
anyone could get confused and snap the
wrong switch, it would be me.
A hot issue came in from Jack Page. He
warmed up to his subject in an e-mail.
“Most of us know that CA glue
generates heat when curing. What we don’t
realize is the intensity of this heat. Case in
point: While trying to repair a small park
flyer, I dropped a gob of cyanoacrylate
onto the left leg of my jeans. My first
spot on my jeans.
“My second thought was ouch! This stuff
burns! Dropping the model (and my jeans) I
found a quarter-size blister on my thigh.
Months later, I still have a small mark on
my leg.
“The lesson here is to be careful not to
drop CA on a tight-fitting part of your
clothes. It will hurt!”
Many of us have learned this same
lesson and have the scars to prove it.
Cyanoacrylate releases heat as it cures, so
don’t let it cure on your skin!
David Lutzow e-mailed me about a summer
topic for these warm days at the field.
“We’ve all done something foolish. One
warm flying day I had my shirttails hanging
out, something that is done quite commonly,
and that’s great for walking around town. I
was quickly reminded of how dangerous it
can be at the flying field when the wind
blew my shirttail and it got clipped by the
prop.
“I was lucky, but the prop could have
fully caught my shirt and pulled the engine
toward me, causing serious injury. After
over 30 years in this hobby I should have
known better.”
David feels strongly about club
responsibility for enforcing safety
standards. He feels that certain safety
violations warrant grounding a pilot for the
day. Although I agree with his sentiments,
this seems like a tough policy to enforce.
Nobody wants to be the club sheriff. I
prefer to see a different “culture” at the
field—where pilots would be embarrassed
by breaking the rules, because they might
endanger their friends. Dedicated club
leadership and a good safety officer can
help establish this mood.
Fran Galloway is as dedicated as they
come. He is president of the Capital Area
Radio Drone Squadron (CARDS), and he
sent me a DVD that he produced for his
club. It is a detailed and customized
presentation about safe RC flying
procedures, specific to the local field, with
clear illustrations of what to do and what to
avoid for newbies and experienced club
members.
I am impressed by the effort that went
into this production! Few clubs are
fortunate enough to have such a sitespecific
film. The CARDS is AMA club
353. If readers want to contact the group,
the Web site is in the “Sources” listing. The
video is specialized for the CARDS’ field.
but there is plenty of good content and it
could serve as an example for another
group’s video project.
I have many great letters and comments
that I’ll hold for my next column. If you
haven’t seen your topic here yet, please be
patient! MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409
Resjets
www.resjets.com
Tomas Hellberg’s Depron RC plans:
www.rc.tomhe.net
CARDS
www.radiodrone.net
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:40 AM Page 94
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 91,92,94
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 91,92,94
probably for the best because of my flying skills, but they are fun to
watch.
Jets are at the cutting edge of aeromodeling right now, but Robin
Stanley found a way to make them even slicker. He has perfected an
onboard CO2 fire-suppression system for model turbine engines. It’s
called “Flame Out” and will be produced by ResJets. Robin expects
to have these patented units available for purchase by the time you
read this column.
The Flame Out unit uses a common CO2 cartridge. A tidy
mounting plate holds the components, and the nozzle of the 6-ounce
system is zip-tied to the starter.
When actuated by a servo, the cartridge is punctured and inert
gas is directed into the engine intake. This not only puts the flame
out, but it also cools the turbine in a hurry, without harming the
engine.
This system can be activated while airborne or on the ground
during start-up. Flame Out also has an impact-actuation feature that
senses a crash and releases the CO2 charge automatically. This
would get a real workout if I were the pilot.
As if it wasn’t cool enough just to fly an RC jet, now the pilot
can brag about how deftly he or she handled an in-flight emergency.
“I had to shut down the engine and pop the fire-suppression system.
Set her down dead-stick without a scratch.”
This gadget is going to save a lot of trouble and expense, along
with decreasing the fire hazard that is inherent in jet flight. Having
an open flame on your aircraft can complicate a forced landing.
Being able to truly shut the fire off and cool the engine will come in
handy when things go haywire.
Robin’s Web site should be up by now, so take a look at the
demonstration video and you might be as impressed as I am with the
Flame Out.
My friend, Ron Knight, likes RC jets too, but he prefers them with
propellers and batteries. I snapped a picture of his latest project: a
semiscale fighter for Park Flyer Combat matches. I’m not sure I
want to know more about this activity, but Ron’s idea was to build
and fly a unique model.
Ron is a clever guy, but he knew how hard it is to start from
scratch. He chose a proven design (available on the Web site cited in
the “Sources” listing) and used it as the basis for his custom
alterations. This is a wise and cautious way to experiment.
Modelers have tremendous power and discretion, as though we
each run our own aviation corporation. We
can choose what aircraft we want to build and
fly, or even make one up.
The problem is that test-flying a new
design can be exciting in a bad way. Modelers
who build and fly a couple of kits sometimes
get the urge to create their own model, but
using someone else’s tried-and-true kit or
plans as a starting place makes good sense.
Ron chose ultra-simple construction to
help him win and replaceable components for
when he loses. As an old balsa guy, I’m still
adjusting to the popularity of foam as an
airframe material instead of just for ice chests.
The close-up photo shows the power plant
on Ron’s model. It has the unusual sandwichstyle
motor mount as well as a “prop-saver”
feature. Airplanes that land on their airscrews
need some shock-absorbing system to avoid
bending the motor shaft at the end of every
flight.
I’ve received a couple of e-mails from
pilots who feel that these rubber-band-retained
propellers are unsafe. They describe failures
that let spinning propellers fly around the pits.
I’m not so sure about this issue, because
I’ve seen a number of airplanes use the
flexible retainers without trouble. A more
rigid system would lead to many snapped
blades, which could be more dangerous than a
full propeller on the loose.
I’d like to have the opinions of some
experienced pilots. Have you had problems
with flexible prop savers? Do you use them or
have you switched to something else? Please
send me a letter or e-mail, and I’ll report the
results.
Another issue that has appeared in numerous
messages is the question of using starters,
fingers, or chicken sticks for starting gaspowered
models. Our miniature engines saw
many years of use before the first portable
electric starter was invented, but now they are
common. The same is true of chicken sticks,
which are responsible for a slump in the
finger-splint industry.
Still, some modelers continue to use their
bare fingers to flip propellers—big propellers
on big engines. And apparently they get away
with it, because most fields allow handpropping.
Is bare-handed starting safe in the right
hands? Please share your opinions and
reasoning about this question. With hundreds
of combined years of experience among
AMA members, I’ll have the answers soon
enough—or at least some great arguments on
both sides of the question!
Concerning arguments, some club fields are
having a hard time during the transition time
when “old-fashioned” 72 MHz radio systems
are coexisting with new 2.4 GHz systems,
which are impervious to channel interference.
Bill White wrote about an event with lax
frequency control and an inadequate impound
policy.
A pilot had a well-equipped trailer with all
of his transmitters stored. While working on a
model, he inadvertently turned on the
wrong 72 MHz radio. Although no injury
resulted this time, the fact that we
sometimes neglect frequency control is
liable to cause a serious problem.
Clubs have spent years developing
frequency-pin systems or other ways to
ensure that each channel has only one radio
in use at a time. A 2.4 GHz system is great,
but if your field still hosts older systems,
strict control is still needed!
I’ve heard from readers who think it is
silly to impound a 2.4 GHz transmitter, but
I’ve heard from others who have witnessed
mix-ups between radios that have resulted
in trouble. It has happened more than a few
times!
Bill and I are on the same page here.
Unless your field is 2.4 GHz only, and until
the old radios are all gone, human nature
makes it necessary to watch our frequency
control. My 2.4 GHz Spektrum transmitter
has spent time in impound, because if
anyone could get confused and snap the
wrong switch, it would be me.
A hot issue came in from Jack Page. He
warmed up to his subject in an e-mail.
“Most of us know that CA glue
generates heat when curing. What we don’t
realize is the intensity of this heat. Case in
point: While trying to repair a small park
flyer, I dropped a gob of cyanoacrylate
onto the left leg of my jeans. My first
spot on my jeans.
“My second thought was ouch! This stuff
burns! Dropping the model (and my jeans) I
found a quarter-size blister on my thigh.
Months later, I still have a small mark on
my leg.
“The lesson here is to be careful not to
drop CA on a tight-fitting part of your
clothes. It will hurt!”
Many of us have learned this same
lesson and have the scars to prove it.
Cyanoacrylate releases heat as it cures, so
don’t let it cure on your skin!
David Lutzow e-mailed me about a summer
topic for these warm days at the field.
“We’ve all done something foolish. One
warm flying day I had my shirttails hanging
out, something that is done quite commonly,
and that’s great for walking around town. I
was quickly reminded of how dangerous it
can be at the flying field when the wind
blew my shirttail and it got clipped by the
prop.
“I was lucky, but the prop could have
fully caught my shirt and pulled the engine
toward me, causing serious injury. After
over 30 years in this hobby I should have
known better.”
David feels strongly about club
responsibility for enforcing safety
standards. He feels that certain safety
violations warrant grounding a pilot for the
day. Although I agree with his sentiments,
this seems like a tough policy to enforce.
Nobody wants to be the club sheriff. I
prefer to see a different “culture” at the
field—where pilots would be embarrassed
by breaking the rules, because they might
endanger their friends. Dedicated club
leadership and a good safety officer can
help establish this mood.
Fran Galloway is as dedicated as they
come. He is president of the Capital Area
Radio Drone Squadron (CARDS), and he
sent me a DVD that he produced for his
club. It is a detailed and customized
presentation about safe RC flying
procedures, specific to the local field, with
clear illustrations of what to do and what to
avoid for newbies and experienced club
members.
I am impressed by the effort that went
into this production! Few clubs are
fortunate enough to have such a sitespecific
film. The CARDS is AMA club
353. If readers want to contact the group,
the Web site is in the “Sources” listing. The
video is specialized for the CARDS’ field.
but there is plenty of good content and it
could serve as an example for another
group’s video project.
I have many great letters and comments
that I’ll hold for my next column. If you
haven’t seen your topic here yet, please be
patient! MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409
Resjets
www.resjets.com
Tomas Hellberg’s Depron RC plans:
www.rc.tomhe.net
CARDS
www.radiodrone.net
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:40 AM Page 94
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 91,92,94
probably for the best because of my flying skills, but they are fun to
watch.
Jets are at the cutting edge of aeromodeling right now, but Robin
Stanley found a way to make them even slicker. He has perfected an
onboard CO2 fire-suppression system for model turbine engines. It’s
called “Flame Out” and will be produced by ResJets. Robin expects
to have these patented units available for purchase by the time you
read this column.
The Flame Out unit uses a common CO2 cartridge. A tidy
mounting plate holds the components, and the nozzle of the 6-ounce
system is zip-tied to the starter.
When actuated by a servo, the cartridge is punctured and inert
gas is directed into the engine intake. This not only puts the flame
out, but it also cools the turbine in a hurry, without harming the
engine.
This system can be activated while airborne or on the ground
during start-up. Flame Out also has an impact-actuation feature that
senses a crash and releases the CO2 charge automatically. This
would get a real workout if I were the pilot.
As if it wasn’t cool enough just to fly an RC jet, now the pilot
can brag about how deftly he or she handled an in-flight emergency.
“I had to shut down the engine and pop the fire-suppression system.
Set her down dead-stick without a scratch.”
This gadget is going to save a lot of trouble and expense, along
with decreasing the fire hazard that is inherent in jet flight. Having
an open flame on your aircraft can complicate a forced landing.
Being able to truly shut the fire off and cool the engine will come in
handy when things go haywire.
Robin’s Web site should be up by now, so take a look at the
demonstration video and you might be as impressed as I am with the
Flame Out.
My friend, Ron Knight, likes RC jets too, but he prefers them with
propellers and batteries. I snapped a picture of his latest project: a
semiscale fighter for Park Flyer Combat matches. I’m not sure I
want to know more about this activity, but Ron’s idea was to build
and fly a unique model.
Ron is a clever guy, but he knew how hard it is to start from
scratch. He chose a proven design (available on the Web site cited in
the “Sources” listing) and used it as the basis for his custom
alterations. This is a wise and cautious way to experiment.
Modelers have tremendous power and discretion, as though we
each run our own aviation corporation. We
can choose what aircraft we want to build and
fly, or even make one up.
The problem is that test-flying a new
design can be exciting in a bad way. Modelers
who build and fly a couple of kits sometimes
get the urge to create their own model, but
using someone else’s tried-and-true kit or
plans as a starting place makes good sense.
Ron chose ultra-simple construction to
help him win and replaceable components for
when he loses. As an old balsa guy, I’m still
adjusting to the popularity of foam as an
airframe material instead of just for ice chests.
The close-up photo shows the power plant
on Ron’s model. It has the unusual sandwichstyle
motor mount as well as a “prop-saver”
feature. Airplanes that land on their airscrews
need some shock-absorbing system to avoid
bending the motor shaft at the end of every
flight.
I’ve received a couple of e-mails from
pilots who feel that these rubber-band-retained
propellers are unsafe. They describe failures
that let spinning propellers fly around the pits.
I’m not so sure about this issue, because
I’ve seen a number of airplanes use the
flexible retainers without trouble. A more
rigid system would lead to many snapped
blades, which could be more dangerous than a
full propeller on the loose.
I’d like to have the opinions of some
experienced pilots. Have you had problems
with flexible prop savers? Do you use them or
have you switched to something else? Please
send me a letter or e-mail, and I’ll report the
results.
Another issue that has appeared in numerous
messages is the question of using starters,
fingers, or chicken sticks for starting gaspowered
models. Our miniature engines saw
many years of use before the first portable
electric starter was invented, but now they are
common. The same is true of chicken sticks,
which are responsible for a slump in the
finger-splint industry.
Still, some modelers continue to use their
bare fingers to flip propellers—big propellers
on big engines. And apparently they get away
with it, because most fields allow handpropping.
Is bare-handed starting safe in the right
hands? Please share your opinions and
reasoning about this question. With hundreds
of combined years of experience among
AMA members, I’ll have the answers soon
enough—or at least some great arguments on
both sides of the question!
Concerning arguments, some club fields are
having a hard time during the transition time
when “old-fashioned” 72 MHz radio systems
are coexisting with new 2.4 GHz systems,
which are impervious to channel interference.
Bill White wrote about an event with lax
frequency control and an inadequate impound
policy.
A pilot had a well-equipped trailer with all
of his transmitters stored. While working on a
model, he inadvertently turned on the
wrong 72 MHz radio. Although no injury
resulted this time, the fact that we
sometimes neglect frequency control is
liable to cause a serious problem.
Clubs have spent years developing
frequency-pin systems or other ways to
ensure that each channel has only one radio
in use at a time. A 2.4 GHz system is great,
but if your field still hosts older systems,
strict control is still needed!
I’ve heard from readers who think it is
silly to impound a 2.4 GHz transmitter, but
I’ve heard from others who have witnessed
mix-ups between radios that have resulted
in trouble. It has happened more than a few
times!
Bill and I are on the same page here.
Unless your field is 2.4 GHz only, and until
the old radios are all gone, human nature
makes it necessary to watch our frequency
control. My 2.4 GHz Spektrum transmitter
has spent time in impound, because if
anyone could get confused and snap the
wrong switch, it would be me.
A hot issue came in from Jack Page. He
warmed up to his subject in an e-mail.
“Most of us know that CA glue
generates heat when curing. What we don’t
realize is the intensity of this heat. Case in
point: While trying to repair a small park
flyer, I dropped a gob of cyanoacrylate
onto the left leg of my jeans. My first
spot on my jeans.
“My second thought was ouch! This stuff
burns! Dropping the model (and my jeans) I
found a quarter-size blister on my thigh.
Months later, I still have a small mark on
my leg.
“The lesson here is to be careful not to
drop CA on a tight-fitting part of your
clothes. It will hurt!”
Many of us have learned this same
lesson and have the scars to prove it.
Cyanoacrylate releases heat as it cures, so
don’t let it cure on your skin!
David Lutzow e-mailed me about a summer
topic for these warm days at the field.
“We’ve all done something foolish. One
warm flying day I had my shirttails hanging
out, something that is done quite commonly,
and that’s great for walking around town. I
was quickly reminded of how dangerous it
can be at the flying field when the wind
blew my shirttail and it got clipped by the
prop.
“I was lucky, but the prop could have
fully caught my shirt and pulled the engine
toward me, causing serious injury. After
over 30 years in this hobby I should have
known better.”
David feels strongly about club
responsibility for enforcing safety
standards. He feels that certain safety
violations warrant grounding a pilot for the
day. Although I agree with his sentiments,
this seems like a tough policy to enforce.
Nobody wants to be the club sheriff. I
prefer to see a different “culture” at the
field—where pilots would be embarrassed
by breaking the rules, because they might
endanger their friends. Dedicated club
leadership and a good safety officer can
help establish this mood.
Fran Galloway is as dedicated as they
come. He is president of the Capital Area
Radio Drone Squadron (CARDS), and he
sent me a DVD that he produced for his
club. It is a detailed and customized
presentation about safe RC flying
procedures, specific to the local field, with
clear illustrations of what to do and what to
avoid for newbies and experienced club
members.
I am impressed by the effort that went
into this production! Few clubs are
fortunate enough to have such a sitespecific
film. The CARDS is AMA club
353. If readers want to contact the group,
the Web site is in the “Sources” listing. The
video is specialized for the CARDS’ field.
but there is plenty of good content and it
could serve as an example for another
group’s video project.
I have many great letters and comments
that I’ll hold for my next column. If you
haven’t seen your topic here yet, please be
patient! MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409
Resjets
www.resjets.com
Tomas Hellberg’s Depron RC plans:
www.rc.tomhe.net
CARDS
www.radiodrone.net
07sig3.QXD 5/26/09 10:40 AM Page 94