Radio Control: Soaring
SURPRISE! Yes, there was a very pleasant surprise at the Fifth F3B World Championships, and that surprise was in the form of an excellently-flying model designed and flown by Stewart Blanchard of Great Britain. If the high-tech side of model construction has had you shy away from F3B over the years, please do read on. I know this column has featured mold-making that has required hundreds (and, in some cases, thousands) of man-hours to produce the first model. Of course, students of that school defend that method of "model building" for one primary reason: once the molds are finished, then every model produced is identical.
Radio Control: Soaring
JUST in case the word slipped by you during the past few months, the AMA Nationals will be held at Westover AFB in Chicopee, MA. More specifically, the Soaring event will be on the grounds of the Smith & Wesson plant, as it was in 1983. Dates for the Nats: July 27 through August 4th. Along with this reminder is a request from Soaring Event Director Jeff Troy for some help. A staff of key workers has already been in contact, but Jeff is requesting some part-time help to work in the transmitter impound area and for some folks to keep order at the winch stations. The jobs are part-time, and you won't miss any turns on the flight line if you're a contestant.
RC Sailplanes at the Toledo Show
TOLEDO! It's called an exposition by the host club, the Weak Signals, but it's more than just an exposition. It's an annual gathering of modelers from across the U.S. and other parts of the modeling world. It's a gathering of special interest groups having a togetherness that isn't experienced at any
Radio Control: Soaring
TOLEDO. That modeler's mecca where the annual throngs gather to see the latest from manufacturers and modelers was again-for the 30th year-the place to be, during the first week in April. One column can't begin to cover it all; however, those models and ideas which seemed to be the focus of a lot of attention are presented this month.
Radio Control: Soaring
HERE are a couple of birds this month that are relatively new to the soaring scene. Actually, there are three of them; two are just of the same basic design. Those two are Savage and Son of Savage. The handiwork of Mark Rebeck (San Juan Capistrano, CA), the Savage was primarily designed for slope flying. Wingspan is 70 in.; flying weight is two pounds, and the 650-sq.-in. wing puts the wing loading at 7-8 oz. per sq. ft. Control functions are only ailerons and elevator. If you have never flown an aileron-equipped Sailplane before, you may want to consider the Savage as a starter. The one-piece wing makes for simple construction, and the linkage for the flying stab is a system with which you're probably already familiar.
