District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Tim Jesky
Vice President
timjesky@charter.net
2886 E. Country Ln., Monroe MI 48162
Tel.: (734) 384-6085;
www.amadistrict-vii.org
Although last month I mentioned that I didn’t expect to see significant movement near term with the FAA’s Reauthorization Bill being worked on in Congress, a major development came out of the courts regarding model aircraft registration.
You might recall hearing that there was a suit filed against the FAA, stating that the model aircraft registration requirement violates Section 336, which protects hobbyist and recreational fliers from this type of regulation.
Although the court ruling sided with the petitioner, I suspect that we will hear more on the subject in the coming months. In the meantime, head on out to the field and get some flights in. AMA Headquarters staff and our Government Relations team will keep you updated on developments as they arise.
The following comes from Jerry Hahnfeld of the Midland R/C Modelers Club (MRCMC) in Midland, Michigan.
Although the summers in mid-Michigan are glorious, the flying season for the MRCMC is painfully short and winter seems to last forever. An annual snow-fly and indoor flying ease some of the frustration, but we still look for ways to keep members engaged.
Winter used to mean building season, but we now have many members who have only flown ARFs, RTFs, or even Bind-N-Fly aircraft. After huddling with staff from Roger’s Hobby Center in Saginaw, Michigan, and talking to a downstate club that has sponsored group builds, our club decided to try a winter build project for the first time.
The club decided to try the Sig Four-Star 20. We pitched the idea to the club, and Roger’s sweetened the deal with a quantity discount. We were pleasantly surprised when 20 members committed to buying a kit and participating.
Our only requirement was that everyone start with the same kit. We scheduled biweekly building sessions that were useful and provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and building tips. Each builder was free to build his or her personal airplane as mild or wild as the imagination would go.
Building progressed nicely throughout the winter months. Only a couple of our members built the Four-Star in seclusion. Some were regular participants in the biweekly building sessions, and nearly everyone freely exchanged ideas and tips. Of course, there were a few who never managed to get the kit out of the box. These people all thought they had a valid excuse, but some of us are skeptical.
In the end, roughly half of the models were built. Popular modifications included hatch locations and motor mounts. Electric motors reflected the choices that are available to modelers today. One die-hard traditionalist even built the model with .25 glow power!
Propeller sizes were also all over the map, from the recommended 9 x 6 to 11 x 7. Modelers who decided to bash their kits showed an incredible range of design and innovation. Wings ranged from a 44-inch clipped wing to an airplane with removable wingtip extenders spanning 65 inches.
Wingtips, tail surfaces, and control surfaces were widely modified, and dihedral was also varied. The cockpits ranged from stock to open, and the cockpit location was moved forward and back. The most radical bash was a double fuselage model built from two kits that could also be configured to use only one fuselage and a standard wing.
The club had a maiden flight day on April 29, 2017. Pilots were asked to delay their first flights until we could all celebrate together. Although the day was typical for Michigan in April, with temps in the 50s, lots of clouds, and a steady breeze, we had a great turnout.
The owners of Roger’s Hobby Center awarded prizes in categories ranging from “most radical bash” to “farthest from complete.” Each winner received a gift certificate to Roger’s. Then an amazing thing happened.
All of the airplanes successfully made it into the air and flew well. This is a testament to the Four-Star’s solid design and indicates that the airframe can tolerate significant modification.
The build was a great success, generating a lot of buzz in our club and providing a lot of interaction among members. We have members who learned how to build (and repair) a quality model. This build was our first, but is unlikely to be the last. Kudos also to Roger’s for the encouragement and support throughout the build.
Take a kid flying.
Associate Vice Presidents: Bruce Baier, Oshkosh WI; (920) 233-1127; buzzsr@gmail.com; Lee Frederickson, Ada MI; L1520@comcast.net; David George, Riverview MI; (734) 284-9017; indiancity5129@yahoo.com, Randall Gibson, Lansing MI; (317) 698-4346; rgibson@mmrcha.org; Bud Gorman, Knife River MN; (218) 834-5797; bgorman@frontiernet.net; Don Held, Elmira MI; (231) 584-2662; edge540m@gmail.com; Bob Johnson, Fond du Lac WI; (920) 922-6705; bobj54935@yahoo.com; Mark Robotti, Lindstrom MN; (651) 257-6792; mgrobotti@frontier.com; Marc “Doc” Shelstrom, Lancaster WI; (608) 732-4077; shelstrm@uwplatt.edu; Peter G. Van Heusden, Bloomfield Hills MI; (248) 515-1071; petervh@malibutech.com; Kent Woods, Ames IA; (515) 232-8180; woods229@msn.com. Event Sanction Coordinators: Wayne Yeager (RC Michigan), (517) 260-0132; yogi1931@comcast.net; Michael J. Haller (RC non-Michigan), Fond du Lac WI; (920) 979-9452; mike.haller60@gmail.com. Frequency Coordinators: Al Schwartz, Roseville MN; (651) 633-2286; alberts@comcast.net; Pete Waters, Northville MI; (248) 924-0223; petewaters@charter.net.
