Electronics 2003/01
FlIGht SImulAtorS: The Radio
Control video flight simulator is here to
stay, and, like everything in this great
hobby, it has been developed to an almost
unbelievable degree. A popular system is
Great Planes’ RealFlight, which is available
in a variety of versions with enough addons
to satisfy everyone’s interests and
ultimate goals.
Electronics - 2001/05
tRICkLe-ChaRgIng is a somewhat
controversial subject in the model press and
at the flying field! Being a firm believer in
going to the established experts on a
particular subject, I did exactly that.
Knowing that the real experts are not the
guy with his Mach 3 turbine airplane or the
one with the 1/2-scale Extra that flies all those
impossible maneuvers, I researched the nickel
cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery manufacturers’
literature. Following is some of what I learned.
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., probably the
best known Ni-Cd battery supplier to the
Radio Control (RC) hobby, states in its
Engineering Handbook that, “In trickle
charge, the battery is continuously charged at
a very low rate, from C/50 to C/20, and is
kept fully charged and ready for use.”
Let’s review C/X. The rated capacity of
an Ni-Cd cell, or battery, is indicated as “C”
and stated in milliampere-hours (mAh). This
is the maker’s rating, usually printed on the
battery covering, and is generally thought to
be the current in milliamperes that the cell
will produce in a one-hour period.
Electronics - 2001/03
WhErE ArE the kids? Pardon me while I
deviate from the intended theme, but this is a
subject we read about often—not only in the
pages of MA, but in the rest of the model press.
Wherever the kids may be, few of them
are out at the model fields in the United
States. However, they are a common sight at
Latin American fields!
A photo shows 12-year-old Julio Pastora
Jr. of Costa Rica teaching his friend Pablo
Manso on a trainer system. It looks as if
Pablo has learned his first lesson: you have
to wear cool sunglasses!
This is not uncommon. In the last couple
years, I have traveled as far south as
Argentina—and unless you go to the
Antarctic, you can’t go farther south—and I
have seen kids flying everywhere!
In Chile, I witnessed six-year-old flier
Felipe Salamanca take off, do basic
maneuvers, and land—without even breaking
the propeller. I know many adults who would
be happy to do that, don’t you?
Argentina is the home of world-class
Radio Control (RC) helicopter flier Debora
Cadelli—now an old lady of 17—who has
previously graced these pages. Those of you
lucky enough to attend the 2000 Tournament of Champions might
have had the pleasure of watching her do demonstration flights.
Teens, and even preteens, are at every Central and South
American field.
Electronics - 2001/01
LegaL and/or illegal transmitters are
the subject of a letter from Charles Reich of
St. Augustine FL.
“I recently attended our local club
meeting, where our president announced:
“‘OK, now I hope all you guys realize
that the new FCC [Federal Communications
Commission] rules are now in effect
regarding transmitters. We’ll probably
ignore, or turn our heads, out at our field, to
those of you using old type transmitters for
the time being. Especially considering the
remote area of our flying field and little
chance of causing interference. Be aware
that if you attend AMA sanctioned contests
you will all need to be using legal
transmitters.’
“I then asked a stupid question: ‘With
the plethora of different brands, types, and
markings on the backs of transmitters, how
will the CDs [Contest Directors] know
what’s legal and what isn’t? Better yet, how
do we know which of our own transmitters
are legal, how do we tell?’
Electronics
THE MAY 2002 column, in which I discuss what we may see—or should ask our suppliers for—in the next generation of Radio Control (RC) equipment has brought interesting input. David Kasdan of Cleveland, Ohio has strong thoughts about single-stick radios. He writes: "1 read your May 2002 Model Aviation column and yes, I have a suggestion for manufacturers and the RC community: Bring back single-stick, three-axis transmitters. None has been on the market for ten years or so, and 1 think we are all missing something.
