Flying for Fun - 2001/03
As pArt of the World War II balsashortage-
theme column of November 2000,
I reproduced a magazine ad for Modelcraft
kits that substituted “OHONOTE” wood for
balsa. I posed the question, “What was it?”
A letter from Dave Hendrex of Los
Angeles gives the answer.
“I was fortunate to know and work for
Barney Snyder, his wife Peg, and son Jim
during summer breaks while in high school
over 40 years ago.
“Regarding your question about Barney
Snyder’s alternative material for balsa, if
memory serves me correctly, he said he
used hemlock.”
Flying for Fun - 2001/02
PREvENTIvE MAINTENANcE:
Now that we are deep into the “dark
months” (aka winter) and are hard at
work on our building projects for the
coming flying season, let’s not neglect
our flying fleet.
Above and beyond monthly battery
cycling, we need to make sure our models
are ready to go the first time a decent day
finally comes along.
You should tighten each nut and bolt
(including the servo mounts)—even the
wheel collars. Repair any rips or tears in
the covering. Check propellers for chips
and cracks, and retighten them. Check
clevises and horns for wear. Check the
tank, stopper, and tubing, and replace if
brittle. Most important of all, clean
everything thoroughly, including
transmitters.
Yes, the pin in clevises can fail; yes,
the propeller or spinner can work loose
without coming off; yes, chipped
propellers are dangerous; yes, oil and
grime can work their way into glue joints;
and yes, servo arms and even servos
themselves can work loose.
Models are subjected to intense
vibration for relatively long periods;
anything that can work loose will.
A few hours spent on preventive and
interceptive maintenance will be rewarded
with another season of good, safe flying
from your old reliables.
Flying for Fun - 2001/01
SINCe MY LAST few columns have focused on exotic or
historical aspects of the hobby, this month I’ll include some
“nuts-and-bolts” items.
Although some of you may be aware of all these little tricks,
some of you may not be. Most of what I will discuss are not my
ideas, but are things I have observed and borrowed from others.
In some instances, I have forgotten the source.
Flying for Fun
Italian team pilot Luca Friggeri with its entry at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly event. Has Graupner 3450 motor with Graupner gearbox, Menz 21 x 10 propeller. A MEASURED RESPONSE: It has long been said among columnists that the best way to measure if anyone is reading what you write is to make a mistake. If that is true, this column has quite a few readers. In the May issue I wrote a short review about the FMA (Fred Marks and Associates) Direct Co-Pilot device, but I did not include an address since the company advertises extensively in the magazines.
Flying for Fun
LAST MONTH'S column featured photos and a brief report on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design/Build/Fly electric cargo event held here in Wichita in May. As I mentioned, this event is for aeronautical-engineering students from around the world. The objective this year was to design and build a model capable of lifting 10-24 regulation softballs and flying a closed course. The softballs were an interesting design consideration in that they were not just for weight, but
