Brace Yourself
HOW WELL an aircraft flies and how long it lasts are two things in direct proportion to the strength-to-weight ratio built into it. Although I don't want to present any new corollaries, generally speaking, lightweight strong planes fly better and last longer than heavy, weak ones. (I realize there are those who may wonder how I know this to be true, considering I've only had experience with the latter; however, I'm going to forge ahead anyway.) There are several good tips for building both lightweight and strong ships which can be used by even the beginning modeler. Proper stress compensation and gusseting can do much toward adding durability to a model without adding a corresponding weight penalty.
Sir Rodney
IF THE bulbous nose and skinny rear end of Jim O'Reilly's latest creation look vaguely familiar in profile, you need only look in the comic section of your local newspaper for the resemblance. Jim's latest bird is named after his favorite character, Sir Rodney, of the syndicated "Wizard of Id." However, rather than being a comical foil for a sawed-off king with, ego problems, Jim's Sir Rodney is a serious foil for any A-1 Towline Glider competitor. Built to meet the new FAI rules, Sir Rodney is a sturdily-constructed ship with a relatively high wing loading. It came into being out of necessity late this past summer, when Jim's ballasted-up
Mack Field: Public Relations Pays
CULTIVATING the kind if image that creates public support is one of the most difficult and important tasks confronting any modeling organization. With site problems becoming more critical with each passing season, many clubs face a Darwinian challenge of survival, needing public support and empathy to fend off unsympathetic city councilmen and land developers, hungry to subdivide and conquer.
FF Power
THOSE free-flighters who remembered clearly the logistics problems and overall sense of frustration experienced at the '79 Nats FF site at Meade had more than a pleasant surprise awaiting them in Ohio this year. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located on the northern edge of Dayton, was the site of the FF portion of the 1980 Nats. Sharing the field with RC Sailplanes, free-flighters found a triangular grassy venue, approximately a mile across, with intersecting runways at short intervals. While it became necessary to move the launch site several times due to wind shift, the field proved, for the most part, outstanding for Cat. III rules.
SAM Old-Timer Championships
Competition in the manner of yesteryear-that's the Society of Antique Modelers Championships, this year held in Dayton, OH just before the AMA Nats. Building and flying models of times past, whether pure FF or RC-assisted, is low-pressure and fun. No wonder more and more guys and gals are joining in.
