Free Flight: Duration
REPORTS of my death (as a columnist) have been greatly exaggerated. I've received a number of letters that start off with "Now that you're no longer writing your column . . ." and such. Not true! If we told you once, we told you a thousand times, I'm still writing this column-but only once every two months. My alternate, Harry Murphy, leans more toward the gas-engined stuff, I lean more toward rubber-power and sport-type stuff. Both of us have a keen interest in all aspects of Free Flight but have insufficient time to pursue many avenues that we would like to. So, don't send all of your good material to Harry; I need input from you, too!
Free Flight: Duration
CO-2 POWER interest on the rise. Material for this column seems to come in bunches; nothing on a subject for years, then suddenly a bunch of material on the same topic. Anyhow, an increasing number of modelers seem to be recognizing the virtues of CO-2 power; small, quickly-built models; no starting problems or messing with fuels, glow heads, or electric starters, or even rubber-winders; more than ample power giving excellent performance (if you build light). The first item is a letter from Al Lidberg, whose CO-2-powered Civy Boy appeared in the August 1984 issue, written in response to the item on CO-2 power that appeared in this column when Larry Kruse subbed for me.
Free Flight: Duration
SLIPS that pass in the night. If you were wondering why I made such a big deal out of having discovered a bunch of 1981 NFFS Symposium Reports, which we still have in plentiful supply, and pointing out that you could buy one for $2 over the regular price, well . . . I was talking about the 1971 issue. The price, however, was correct: $12 plus $2 P&H to anywhere in the world and lesser nearby planets. Order from NFFS Pubs, c/o Fred Terzian, 4858 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. In a previous column, I mentioned that John Oldenkamp had been using the plastic bags that are available in supermarket produce departments as a covering material for outdoor rubber-power models. But, it turns out, most of the bags I've seen are plain old polyethelene and aren't worth a lot. The stuff John is using is much tougher. He is getting a bunch of the stuff and plans to peddle it off to Free Flighters. Check with him at 3331 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116.
Free Flight: Duration
LET'S SEE, it must have been about 1933 when I first attended a model airplane contest. That would have put me at age 11: It seems about right. It was what we would now call a slope soaring contest; I don't know what they called it then. I remember these guys tossing their models from the top of a hill, and then running like the dickens to retrieve them. I don't know whether the name of the game was Distance or Flight Duration. After the meet, I found one of the models just sitting on the trail! There was no name or address on it; I made no terrific attempt to find the owner. I never flew it, but I sure drooled over it a lot. The memory is dim, but I distinctly recall the model having continuously-curved dihedral. The wing was stick-and-tissue.
Free Flight: Duration
BIPLANE Ornithopters are OK by me. A flippant remark I made in the October 1985 column appeared to indicate that I proposed banning biplane Ornithopters from competition. I certainly am not in favor of such a ban, as I see biplanes (and tandems and canards, for that matter) as legitimate forms of Ornithopter. However, one might consider adding an event limited to monoplanes, now that biplanes have taken over the Ornithopter competition scene, in order to give those interested in developing the potential of that simpler form a viable place to live.
