ost modeling newsletters and
magazines these days have a
comment about the lack of young fliers or
the loss of flying sites. These problems are
important, and we should be looking for
ways to improve present conditions.
With Joe Beshar’s (AMA’s Flying
Site Coordinator, Eastern Region)
invaluable help last year, the
Metropolitan Sport Squadron came up
with a double-barreled approach that
may help solve both problems and
should be useful to other clubs.
not many Radio Control (RC) clubs have
members who are experienced with flying
Indoor models, but the recent advent of
micro RC models may go a long way
toward changing that.
Many local RC club members have
begun showing up at our indoor site with
their micro RC Electrics. These same RC
guys find themselves building Bostonians
and Peanut Scale models when they realize
they can fly indoors no matter what the
weather is outside.
The combination of gossamer, slowflying
Indoor models and some of the new
Electric micro RC “indoor flyers” provide
great entertainment for spectators and the
kids we most want to interest in our hobby.
As one of my friends who builds quarterscale
RC models once said, “You Indoor
guys cut your balsa with a razor. I cut mine
with a chain saw.” He was partially kidding,
but that is beginning to change.
The Teaneck Armory Story
RC pilot on the floor gives perspective of the building’s immensity. RC and FF modelers coexist nicely. Liebman photo.
The stately Teaneck Armory, in the heart of Bergen County NJ, was obtained with help
from the local CAP squadron for Indoor FF and RC flying. Mike Liebman photo.
The Armory is 110 x 60 yards, and the ceiling is 35 feet to the rafters. AMA’s Joe Beshar
was instrumental in finding and accessing this fine site. Liebman photo.
M
78 M ODEL AVIATION
May 2001 79
With receivers weighing only a few
grams, batteries that can provide 30-minute
flights on a single charge, and tiny servos,
models in the Peanut range and even smaller
are practical to build and simple to fly.
The equipment is close to foolproof,
and so many ARFs (Almost Ready to
Flys) are available now that you can
have a model in the air an hour after the
kit arrives.
at the teaneck Armory on any flying
morning, you will see the air shared by
EZB, Pennyplane, Peanut Scale, an
assortment of scratch-built, kit, and ARF
RC Electric models. The floor is big
enough to provide decent separation, and
accidents are rare.
The interesting thing about this new
arrangement is that we are all learning from
each other. In the past, many RC clubs
have shunned Free Flighters, perhaps
because the RCers fear that an uncontrolled
airplane might wander off their field and
cause damage or complaints.
At Teaneck though, these guys are on
our turf and are beginning to acquire a
decent amount of respect for the kind of
flight trimming we have to do to keep a
model from hitting walls or the ceiling.
The RC fliers are picking up hints about
flight trimming while the Indoor FF guys
are learning about electric motors, building
for strength, and new materials. Altogether,
the experience has certainly been
illuminating for all concerned.
the indoor RC models range from the
original design or significantly modified kit
that spans 12 inches or fewer and weighs
one ounce or less, through to the scaleddown
Old-Time gas model of roughly 30
inches and six ounces, to some of the new
Indoor kits with spans as long as 40 inches
and weight as heavy as 10 ounces.
Many are rebuilt Rubber or gas models
with radio control added. Power is usually
electric, but there are a few CO2 specimens
and even a rare rubber-powered entry.
This is a swell opportunity to take an
old, beat-up gas or Rubber model off the
shelf and convert it to something that
will provide a hundred more hours of
flying pleasure.
There are enough kits, articles, and
publications out there that even if you have
never built an Electric model, you can get
arMory STory
Programs such as this, where modeling groups and established
full-scale aviation groups work together, benefit all concerned.
Hector Santemma flies scaled-down RC Electric Yogi. The
original Jerry Stoloff design is a popular Old-Timer. Bock photo.
In front are CAP cadet group members with their new Canarsie Canarys. In back are
Metropolitan Sport Squadron (MSS) members who teach and coach. Vic Bock photo.
n Don Ross
Photos as noted Graphic Design by Jill Ann Cavanaugh
started with the confidence that what you
build will probably fly quite well.
My club contacted the National Guard
detachment at the Teaneck Armory in
Teaneck, New Jersey some years ago. We
were told that the armory had been built
many years ago, and it did not meet the
codes for any inside activity except that of
the guard soldiers.
Then we got a lucky break.
Three years ago a heavy snow caused
part of the building’s roof to fall in,
necessitating a complete overhaul of the
entire building. When repaired to meet
existing codes, the building could be used
for other activities.
Joe Beshar learned that the Civil Air
Patrol (CAP) held regular meetings and drill
sessions in the newly repaired facility. The
CAP is quite active nationwide. It recruits
14- to 18-year-olds who are interested in
aviation and want to be active in a military
group that works directly with the Air Force
and can lead to flight training.
Almost all CAP squadrons have
meeting facilities where they can drill. The
groups are closely associated with the local
National Guard units, who often have
control over armories.
At the very least, working with a CAP
squadron will bring the AMA club in close
contact with National Guard or other US
military groups who often use indoor sites
or outdoor fields for their activities.
The Teaneck Armory floor is 110 x 60
yards, with 20 yards of stands on either
side. Height to the rafters is approximately
35 feet. Parking just outside, bathrooms
inside, and heat during the winter made the
place look like indoor-flying heaven.
In the greater New York area, the
Paramus Composite Squadron, Group 221
of the New Jersey Civil Air Patrol, was
led by Captain Lisa Van Clief, who was
very interested in our proposal to work
with her cadets.
the Metropolitan Sport Squadron’s
approach was developed several years
ago, and has been quite successful in
getting us hearings at indoor sites. It
consists of a video called Silent Magic,
done by Alan Abriss, and a model called
the Canarsie Canary, developed for ease
in building, rugged strength, and simple
flight trimming.
The model, designed by Marty Taft and
modified for youngsters, is made from
sheet balsa (foam can also be used), spans
12 inches, and has only eight glue joints.
We usually prebuild the model’s
simple pylon, sand a short taper into the
rear of the fuselage stick, and crack the
dihedral joints before the flying session.
Simple card file tabs on the rudder and
left wing help absorb the initial torque
and establish a left turn.
We start the session by flying our own
models for 1/2 hour, to build interest. We
answer all the students’ questions and
allow a few of them to launch and fly some
simple models.
Then students (with supervision) can
build their models in roughly 1/2 hour. We
usually have them build in groups of two or
three so they can reinforce each other’s
learning curves, since the average 12-yearold
has never built anything requiring glue,
care, and patience.
This is a surprising lesson for old-time
modelers to learn, since we grew up gluing
all kinds of stuff together. Most of today’s
youngsters need very careful teaching,
demonstration, and supervision to
complete the simplest of models. The
parents the kids bring along usually have
even less skill, so the building part takes
careful planning.
Try to provide at least one instructor for
every two students, and be careful to
demonstrate even the simplest glue joints.
The Canary model should be prepared
so no cutting is required. These kids aren’t
used to waiting for glue to dry, and they
have no concept of how to pin something
down while it dries.
However, the CAP groups are very
well-disciplined, so they are easy to lead in
the paths of righteous modeling.
Then our group helps students flighttrim
and wind their models. We try to
provide a mentor for every two students,
and, if the group is large enough, we fly
“squadron competition” by making four
80 M ODEL AVIATION
May 2001 81
students into a squadron and combining
their scores.
When the cadets fly as individuals,
we add their two best official flight
times of four or five; 10 seconds is an
official attempt.
When the cadets fly as a “squadron,”
we allow three official flights per
person, then choose the two best scores
per cadet and average the eight numbers
thus obtained. This teaches a bit of group
cooperation.
We usually run a small endurance
contest and give out kits for prizes.
Flight times can exceed 30 seconds,
which is plenty to excite any first-time
flier. One outside session resulted in a
model that flew over an eight-story
building and created a memory those
kids will treasure forever.
Patience and caution are required from
the instructors. Most beginners need
instruction in such simple acts as
launching; they often try to heave their
model like a Hand-Launched Glider,
resulting in a stall and dive.
Excitement starts to build very soon in
the contest. That’s a good time to point out
how well a neatly built model can perform,
and how much easier it is to trim than one
assembled with less care.
In these times of short attention spans
and ready-to-fly toys, we felt that a
rugged all-sheet model that built fast and
flew well would have a longer-lasting
impact than the stick-and-tissue Delta
Dart. The Canary is easier to flight-trim
and performs better than the Dart in the
hands of a beginner.
The model and flight-trim
instructions are covered in my book
Rubber Powered Model Airplanes,
available from AMA or direct from me.
The plan for the Canary will be
published in a future Model Aviation and
will be available from AMA.
Silent Magic covers a “Build-N-Fly”
session and includes action shots of many
types of Indoor models. We have been very
successful in using the video to find school
gyms and other indoor facilities that are
happy to have us fly and demonstrate, and
they almost always invite us back.
The videotape is $15 postpaid from
Alan Abriss, 9420 66th Ave., Forest Hills
NY 11374.
It is very hard to walk into a school and
try to talk someone into letting us fly there.
The video gets us a hearing, and the
Canarys the kids take home make us new
friends everywhere.
at the teaneck Armory, Captain Pitersky
(now a major), who is battalion training
officer, was quite receptive to our proposal.
Joe Beshar’s persistence got us permission to
use the armory whenever soccer wasn’t on the
schedule, which gives us one morning a week
for fun-flying and a weekend each year for the
building session.
Mr. Charles Parsons, the chief armorer
who is in charge of the physical plant, has
also been gracious and helpful.
We’ll try to repeat the building session
each year, which I’m sure will help cement
our relationship with the people in charge.
Captain Van Clief has been promoted to
other duties, and now the squadron is
commanded by Major Peter Kortright, with
whom we hope to follow up this year.
It’s easy to initiate contact with your local
CAP squadron. Dial (800) 359-2338 or
open the CAP Web site at www.cap.af.mil.
This will give you the meeting location and
designation of the nearest squadron.
Mail or hand-deliver a copy of the
video to the officer in charge of the CAP
squadron, and offer to follow up with a
flying demonstration. If that particular
group doesn’t have a meeting space
adequate for model flying, it may be able
to suggest another group or put you in
touch with a local National Guard
battalion.
This type of networking will almost
suggest its own path toward new flying
sites. Stay in contact with your local AMA
vice president, who will work through the
AMA site coordinator in your region to
build a database of possible sites. MA
Don Ross
38 Churchill Rd.
Cresskill NJ 07626
[email protected]
