Radio Control: Electrics
EVERY MONTH when I sit down to write this column I'm faced with the same basic problem: There is so much to write about I have to sort through and choose what to include and what not. This particular issue each year is "double trouble" because it's two months since I've written-the November issue is the annual Nats issue and has no regular columns, so the last week of June was the last time I wrote anything. That means that now I'm faced with most of the summer's wealth of information to condense. Seriously, this matter is a real problem for me in that I strive very hard every month to offer items which I judge to be of greatest interest either to modelers in general or to Electric enthusiasts at large.
Radio Control: Electrics
IT WAS WONDERFUL! The seventh annual KRC Electric Fly is now history. In hindsight, this September 20-21 meet might better be named the Camelot Electric Fly, for the affair somehow managed to escape the threatening weather predictions for rain on both days. It did rain-but only at night! A number of people were scared off by the weather outlook, but as it turned out the weather both days was comfortable and quite flyable. Somehow, this annual meet has enjoyed the good fortune of good weather ever since it began in 1980. This year's meet was the most heavily attended ever with a surprisingly large spectator turnout. While we've always had many spectators, this year saw huge numbers, to the extent that we sold out of raffle tickets and most on-field concessions: a first, and a "no-no!" The meet was not advertised to the general public because of parking limitations, so most present were from the modeling community. Perhaps it was the advertising in the AMA "Calendar of Events" that did it!
Radio Control: Electrics
BLEAK! It is late October, and winter lies just ahead. Naturally, "the bleak of winter" only means something to those folks who have to put up with it: i.e. to those who have to forgo flying several times a week 'cause the snow and wind and cold temperature discourage such aeromodeling pursuits! Of course, such conditions are all the more discouraging to the Gas flyin' folks who additionally have to contend with cleaning off that cold gooey glop from their planes at the session's end! Electric fliers take heart, for Electric works very well in the cold and, short of shaking loose some snowflakes, there's no cleanup to contend with.
Radio Control: Electrics
THIS COLUMN is always fun for me to write-but not this time. For two weeks I've been pondering how and what to write with respect to the passing of a recently-found friend who had, in a short time, done so much for me and for Electric. Not only had he done much for me, but over the longer course he did so much more for all of American and world aeromodeling. I'm referring to Dwight Holley, who departed on the longest flight of all on Monday, November 10, 1986 as the direct result of a long illness. I met Dwight only a few years ago in '82 when he was a casual visitor at the KRC Electric Fly-attending out of curiosity for this new Electric stuff. He had just attained world fame for having captured the World Soaring Championship in 1981. I remembered reading the accounts of his victory in the modeling magazines, and there he was-World Champ-at our Electric Fly!
Radio Control: Electrics
BEGINNERS. Based on incoming mail, Electric is enjoying a strong steady growth with many new participants joining in. I get lots of mail, and a substantial portion of it is from modelers new to Electric. These folks usually have "beginner questions," and as such I'm continually reminded of the need to keep a substantial percentage of this column allocated to covering this need. I personally know how very easy it is for experienced modelers to take some basic things for granted that may be major impasses to first-time Electric modelers. Here are some example subjects. Batteries. I've said it before, and it continues to be true: batteries and related matters continue to bring the most questions. Here is some information on common points of confusion.
