Radio Control: Scale
KITCHENER-WATERLOO AGAIN: The annual Flying Dutchmen Club Scale Rally at Kitchener-Waterloo in eastern Ontario always attracts a multitude of Scale aircraft, a total of 162 at 1986's meet in early September. It is scheduled for the first weekend after Labor Day. We don't expect to see many WW I airplanes at this meet as the date conflicts with the WW I contest at Rhinebeck in New York, an unfortunate circumstance. The Canadian twin-cities of Kitchener-Waterloo are one corner of the prosperous triangle which also includes Cambridge to the south and Guelph at the eastern edge. In this area and the
Radio Control: Scale
CABLE SYSTEMS: The use of cables to operate elevators and rudder is now rather common. The only real trick in assembling such a system is the matter of Scale realism. The visible, external portions of cables should enter through the fuselage side in proper locations, and when elevator cables cross (not unusual), the crossover point should be in the right spot relative to cable length and other external features. This requires a bit of planning. If at all possible, it is helpful to have some idea of the cable layout and routing in the prototype aircraft. Lacking this vital information, project the line of each cable on a photo, or on the three-view drawing, to help determine the location of the internal bellcrank where the forward ends of cables are connected. It is then a relatively simple matter to install the model's bellcrank assembly in the proper location.
Radio Control: Scale
OPERATIONAL details: All Scale modelers who aspire to produce a Scale masterpiece with completely cowled engine have a common problem. It becomes a challenge to hide the necessary glow plug connector and needle valve adjustment to preserve the smooth external surface of the cowl. Some of us look for the easy way out and only make an effort to minimize the conspicuous appearance of the eyesores. We come to the conclusion that a large hole in the cowl for insertion of the glow plug connector doesn't really look too bad, after all; or, we decide to use the smallest external connector and hope it will escape notice. Our own Scale aircraft, numbering about 20, all use the same glow plug connector, an open-frame, two-conductor, subminiature phone jack.
Radio Control: Scale
BALSA DOWELS: On our many trips to Paris for FAI meetings, there have been opportunities to visit the hobby shops, and most of these are very similar to those in the U.S. On one of these visits I searched for a pair of the French-made, inflatable air-wheels because of their reputation for lightness. Their weight is less than half of our equivalents. The search eventually led to an obscure shop on the Rue Trousseau in central Paris, a narrow street only two blocks long, lined with ancient buildings and a school that closely bordered the equally narrow sidewalks. After walking the full length of the street, in the semi-darkness of late afternoon, no hobby shop could be found.
Radio Control: Scale
LONGITUDINAL STABILITY. In response to our March column on the subject of unexpected stalls, we received a letter from James M. Ruley, who is an aerospace engineer specializing in aircraft stability and control and working for Aeronautical Systems Division, USAF, Wright-Patterson AFB. His discussion on stability theory follows: "Longitudinal stability is the tendency of an aircraft which has been trimmed to fly at a certain angle of attack (AOA) to return to that AOA when disturbed from it. It is necessary for an airplane to have longitudinal stability in order for it to be controllable. Therefore, it is important to ensure that our model airplanes are longitudinally stable.
