Safety Comes First
Answering questions about cyanoacrylate (CyA) glue: Of all the mail received in recent months, letters from individuals concerned about the chemical properties of CyA took the lead over other issues. Although I was initially surprised (no prop stories?), a quick look at the postmarks-January, February, March-provided the following conclusion: no prop stories sent because it's winter up north. Silly me. Since moving to Florida, it's been convenient to forget about winter and related building projects (it's March here, and we're still flying). My motto: Fly 'em if you got 'em!
Safety Comes First
PET-Powered Retracts: If you're like most modelers, you're always on the lookout for new ways to solve little issues or irritants that arise when building or flying aircraft. One such innovative idea recently shared with me-or rather the problem created through its use-concerns the application of Polyethylene Tetrahyde (PET) containers to power air retract systems.
Safety Comes First
WHILE VISITING several flying fields during the summer, I became increasingly aware of the really dangerous things we do without giving them a second thought. Leading the pack in my neck of the woods are pilots who run engines at full speed while kneeling (or sitting) in front of their models. Although a few newcomers to the sport may be unaware of the danger, the vast majority of us are veterans who just plain know better.
Safety Comes First
AUTOPILOT ARRIVES! I indicated in my April and July 1994 columns that I had been introduced to a gentleman from Israel who represents a company involved in developing electronics for radio-controlled drones. I had observed a demonstration flight of an RC model with an autopilot installed. After watching the test aircraft fully recover from numerous violent spins, rolls, dives, stalls, and bad landings through hands-off use of the on-board autopilot, I began to visualize scenarios for which this revolutionary new safety tool might lend a helping hand:
Safety Comes First
THE FLY PAPER is an excellent newsletter forwarded to me each month by the hard-working members of the Remote Control Association of Central Florida (RCACF), Inc. Grabbing my attention in the August 1994 issue was a somewhat peculiar and unfortunate story regarding a glider pilot who apparently lost the tip of a finger while hand-launching his glider. How does one loose the tip of a finger while hand-launching a glider? Newsletter editor Jerry Truell provides the following answer: "About the time I finished typing up the Safety report for this month's newsletter, Ed Stone (well-known Giant Scale CD) told me he was at the field the other day with Phil Minnici. Phil had a glider with an engine pod on it and asked Ed if he would fly it. Ed agreed, and they cranked up the engine.
