SAFETY COMES FIRST
GOPHERS GONNA GETCHA!
By Dave Gee | safetycolumn@cs.com
HAVE YOU SEEN the ALPHA and the BETA Free Flight models that AMA offers? They are billed as beginner’s airplanes and are great for teaching new pilots the basics of flight, but a bunch of seasoned local modelers recently had big fun with them.
The COVID-19 restrictions had lifted just enough to have an outdoor meet at a large ball field. It was short notice, but the easy-to-assemble models were supplied on-site by the sponsoring club. Both types of airplanes flew well in the calm morning air. There were a few tree rescues but no fly-aways.
So what gets this story into the “Safety Comes First” column? The little-used ball field had been taken over by gophers, and the ground was extremely uneven. I worried that some of the contestants would go home with a sprained ankle instead of a prize.
Even sitting down was dangerous. I plopped into my lawn chair and the rear leg broke through a gopher tunnel, nearly dumping me backward. The nerve of those little beasts! At least my flailing recovery provided entertainment for the group. “Flap a little harder, Dave. You’re almost airborne!”
This situation illustrates once again that our models are much safer than the world around us. More injuries occur from assorted environmental hazards than from our little flying machines themselves. On that day, our options were limited to going home or just being extra careful as we walked on the churned-up ground. Pilots gingerly picked their way across the field to retrieve models, and my own close call was the only incident. Whew!
Sig Cub Postal Contest
It’s surprising how many “beginner” models are built and flown by non-beginner modelers. Simple airplanes are fun! The classic Sig Mfg. Cub has been in production for nearly half a century and is as popular as ever for teaching aerodynamic basics and for great sport flying by young and old pilots. Many modelers learned the basics of airframe construction and model handling with such aircraft.
In celebration, SkyBattle is presenting the Sig Cub Postal Contest 2021. Just build a Sig Cub and make your official flight within the contest window of October 1-17, 2021. Awards will be given in Junior, Senior, and Open classes. Rules and details can be found on the website, listed in “Sources.” Sig Cub kits can be obtained from your local hobby dealer, an online vendor, or directly from Sig.
Internet Scammers, Part Two
In a recent column, I warned about email scams that are aimed at modelers. No sooner did I send that column to the editors than a wave of new rip-offs arrived at several of my email addresses.
This time it was a sob story about the owner of a hobby shop who was forced to close and had to sell off lots of expensive RC equipment at bargain prices because of “stage 3 cancer.” It must be contagious because I got an identical list of items from dozens of con artists across the country!
Don’t expect to ever see a delivery truck after you pay them because it’s all a scam. These crooks get pretty cranky when confronted, and they respond with nasty messages and threats—then more of the same phishing emails, of course.
Don’t fall for tricks from these dirty, rotten liars! Modelers are warmhearted and generous, but we also like a bargain. Confirm the identity and location of anyone who makes such an offer before you send any money. If they are for real, the stuff would be listed on a legitimate online auction site, not sent blindly to a spam list.
Hobby Knives Cut in Again
Steve Sobel is an experienced modeler and a skilled pilot who sent me a swell safety item to share with the world.
“Your ‘Safety’ column in the May 2021 issue, about small tools with sharp edges, really struck a chord with me. Many decades ago, when I was building and setting up scenery for summer stock theaters, I was advised not to carry too many tools at any one time. This was good advice, and I usually followed it.
“Fast forward to the present. I’m building a Control Line model. When I finished the wing, I decided to clear the worktable to get a fresh start on the fuselage. This meant putting away a lot of small tools. I grabbed a bunch of small tools, and you guessed it—that #11 blade in my X-Acto handle was waiting in ambush, probably salivating in anticipation of finding one of my fingers, which is exactly what it did as I grabbed that bunch of other things.”
Steve got a pointed lesson about not allowing a sharp edge to get lost in a handful of other items. His tale is just the kind of reminder that we all occasionally need. If you have a story about a close call or worse, please consider sending it to me via email. You can choose fame or anonymity, but everyone will benefit from learning a lesson the easy way, with no first aid required.
Mystery Airplane
This one isn’t obscure or rare; in fact, it’s one of the most produced airplanes ever! Despite being built in great numbers, the mystery airplane always seemed to be in the shadow of the B-17’s fame. Identify this aluminum behemoth (via email to my address at the beginning of this column) and win a special set of three glider plans in digital form.
Skilled designer Ron Hayward kindly donated the mystery airplane prize. He
drew plans for some foam board training gliders, suitable for kids and new modelers. These drawings were intended for laser-cutting machines, but I easily hand-cut a set of the three airplanes and had a ball decorating and flying them. Maybe I’m just a big kid.
The models would be great with electric power and as micro RC aircraft. Look carefully at the photo. You can almost see their lips moving as they say, “Dave! Install motors in us!” If these prove popular, there might be an encore. Ron drew plans for some jets as well.
SOURCES:
Sig Cub Postal Contest
skybattle2021@gmail.com
https://www.skybattle.org
Building the SIG Cub model airplane
YouTube video
https://youtu.be/XD3rFRntAxk
Sig Mfg Co., Inc
(641) 623-5154
www.sig mfg.com
AMA ALPHA
https://bit.ly/3zgFDV0
AMA BETA
https://bit.ly/356YK69
