New Comers
EARLIER IN THE SERIES, we talked a little about the trauma sometimes encountered when selecting a trainer aircraft. Fortunately, there are a number of good trainers available, especially for RC. The RC versions run the gamut from virtually "ready built" to kits. Many of the kits provide excellent instructions which even include equipment installation and flight training suggestions. As stated before, control line sports fewer trainers available, with little of the ready-to-fly type. Free flight reveals virtually none.
New Comers
GETTING STARTED in the hobby/sport of aeromodeling arises from decisions made in much the same manner others are made in our lives. These range from continued little nudges over an extended period, perhaps through contact with a friend or relative, to an impulsive action prompting something that had been dormant in a corner of the mind. Sometimes the reasons for wanting to become involved are structured and logical . . . sometimes not. The litany of my own moves to involvement are fairly representative and should help to act as a "what not to do" scenario in some cases:
Scale World Championships
A BANKED RIGHT TURN signaled the end of a very pleasant 7 1/2-hour flight from Detroit to The Netherlands. It seemed as if the giant KLM 747 was using its wingtip to point out features of interest in the city that is sometimes referred to as "the Venice of the North." Canals, clock towers, and museums holding the treasures of the many great Dutch artists were visible below. With our arrival at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the saga of the 1994 Scale World Championships could really begin for us. The event began August 13 as teams from 21 nations gathered at Arnhem. This city, located in the corner of the Netherlands near the German border, became the site for the movie A Bridge Too Far. Located on the Rhine River, the area is unlike most of Holland. Rolling, wooded hills remind one more of eastern Ohio than the flat, reclaimed land, called polder, that one associates with The Netherlands.
New Comers
WHAT MAKES a "workshop" a workshop? That's a little hard to tell sometimes. If you're building an Easy B or Peanut Scale (Indoor models), it could be part of a desktop in a room somewhere. On the other hand, most models require more space and materials. How about some thoughts on at least what goes in a workshop? To get a straight, true model from a kit, it must be built on a straight, true surface. One approach that is not very expensive is to purchase a plywood, flush, hollow core door. Select one made of lauan mahogany, since it is soft enough to push pins into while building.
NewComers
A WRITER WILL sometimes announce in jest that in response to what was written, a letter poured in. In response to the first NewComers column, 'tain't so! A significant volume of reading matter settled in Box 40 of the St. Peters MO post office. Unfortunately, what appeared only confirmed that putting this column together is going to be difficult. There were letters telling about youth related projects; there were letters from the older NewComers. The latter comprised two groups: individuals looking for specific help about building or flying, and another that simply announced, "I'm here and having fun, but I need general information."
