The Fly Paper

A few weekends ago my traveling and flying buddy, Bill Divins and I took off for West Point Lake. We were in search of a "float plane" fly in we had heard about from Earl and Chuck Robinson. They had stumbled on this by accident a few years ago while attending a family reunion and after listening to them talk about it we decided we had to go. When we arrived at the Earl Cook access area we could see a plane a few hundred yards off shore, (on its back) with a couple of guys staring at it. Trying their best to "will it" into drifting towards shore instead of away from them as the wind was doing. We knew we were going to like this! Shortly afterwards a fishing duo of husband and wife came by, retrieved the plane for them and spent the next couple of hours along with us enjoying the fly in.

There were eleven pilots and twelve airplanes there, small according to the people we talked with as compared with the events in the past. The guy with their retrieval boat had not shown up, the weather was definitely not in their favor with rain and wind (sounds like some of our past events!), but they were having a great time. I have to tell you of one incidence that happened. Remember the airplane that was upside down when we got there the owner is an avid 86 year old pilot and builder (yeas 86!). Later he was flying and I remember thinking that he was really doing a good job! He was doing loops with some snaps and was really wringing this thing out. Then his engine quit and he made his landing, nothing great, in fact he stuck it pretty good but it was upright. Bill and I heard him telling his flying buddy that it flew like the cg was shifting all the time. A few minutes later he yelled at his buddy to look his way, he held up the fuselage and turned it upside down, I kid you not if a drop came out a half a gallon of water was dumped on the ground! I think we will be going back again next year, maybe even with something to fly!

Well, I better get back to building. Hmmmm ah schucks, ahhh I'll never need that piece.

GOTTA GO!! Tommy

PS: Did I mention there was this great Waffle House…

That which glitters may not be gold but may be some highly reflective self sticking films that I found at a craft store in Fayetteville. 3 each 5X7 inch sheets coming in various colors reflect the light so much they make your eyes squeak if you're too close to them in the bright sun, ask neighbor Bob Merchant now seeing spots. Why mention this stuff? Great for the leading edges of wings for those wishing to enhance they're visual acuity at a long distance, such as sailplanes or trainers. When on a leading edge, one or both sides of the wing, they signal like beacons in the sunshine. You know the model is coming toward you, great on a hazy day. Seems like most at some point get their comings and goings lost, nice decorations too. 1 pack costs about 3 bucks.

Along the same safety note or uh ohs, remember to check your flight control movements for correct direction and operation EACH flight. We all have at some times done it, the proverbial takeoff and oh it needs some left stick only to find an increasingly tighter roll to the right, dah servo reverse thing. Be sure up is up, down is down, left is left etc, I’ve heard several daahs lately, self included while swapping between airplanes with the same Tx. Saves a lot of glue time.

I’m glad to see some article input from other members of the club besides the Waffle House crowd. It’s easy to write down some idea or thoughts and by now all should realize We all fly Rc better than we write, but it is fun to tell a story or give advice in this medium, KEEP them coming, I’ll get it on the page somewhere.

Congratulations to Hank Frese! Another member of our flying club has joined the ranks of L.E.S. (League for Electric Soaring) flyers. Hank is now L.E.S. 011. We are very proud that our club now has 5 flyers out of the 11 L.E.S. members who have reached level 1 status. As of April 15^th, 1998 there were approximately 60 electric sailplane flyers in 25 states plus England, Scotland and Argentina working on flight achievement vouchers. Club members, Earl Robinson (L.E.S. 007) recently finished Level 2 and is now working on Level 3 and Chuck Robinson (L.E.S. 008) is well on his way to finishing Level 2 and may have completed it by the time you read this. Anyone interested in a challenge that will definitely improve your flying ability can contact one of these five L.E.S. flyers in our club: Earl Robinson 007, Chuck Robinson 008, Randy Hawkins 009, Ernie Schlumberger 010and Hank Frese 011. See ya at the field.

Huckaby FLY an Electric Sailplane, yeah that'll be the day.

Anyone that didn’t come a little early to this club meeting at Cathy Field missed a good time. There was plenty of flying action from sport R/C’s, to electric gliders to free flight. The weather was beautiful and the field was extra nice since Charles Perkins had just finished bush hogging the whole area. There were 25 members and 1 guest present. Tommy Vinci called the meeting to order at 7:35.

President Tommy mentioned that he was in the process of trying to find someone that would be interested in cutting the tall grass in the field for hay. He also asked who had volunteered to cut the big dead tree down at the North end of the flying pattern. Everyone seemed to think that it was a good idea (especially those that had an airplane or two eaten by it) but didn’t get a solid commitment from anyone. WE HAVE THE OK.

Treasurer Roy Collins reported that the major expenditures for the last month have been for field maintenance, which included 2 months of grass mowing, and for bush hogging the field. This leaves the checking account with a $4158 balance and a total of all accounts at $9219.

Vice-president Randy Hawkins showed a copy of the debut issue of the new web based FLYPAPER. He gave a little insight into some of the future possibilities such as tying in with other clubs to electronically share newsletters. Networking with other clubs in our area as well as around the country could really open up some neat possibilities!

Secretary Dave Zeigler gave a brief run down of his recent experiences with the Science Olympiad National Competition. He also offered assistance to anyone preparing for the upcoming Spring Fling Kid’s Competition.

Randy Hawkins reported that he was in the process of making a new frequency board that will be mounted closer to the parking area to make more room in the pits. He will incorporate a new set of signs that we have just received from the AMA on the new board. They give the current channel/frequency information and the AMA field rules. -OK IT's done, should be up by this Thursday's Meeting AT the Field. -Randy

NO MORE TRASH CAN at the field! Since no one has taken the responsibility of insuring that it was regularly emptied and maintained it has proven to be an eyesore and a real nuisance so it has been eliminated. I can almost gag remembering the vivid description that Randy painted for us about disposing the most recent barrel full (or should I say overfull). FROM NOW ON - CARRY OUT ALL OF YOUR OWN TRASH! If necessary, please remind anyone not following through with this policy.

A new sign will be posted on the path out of the parking area asking "Have you returned your frequency pin and picked up your trash?"(If Tommy gets it done) Ernie Schlumburger was volunteered to come up with a new Fayette Flyers sign to be hung on the gate as you come into the field.

Our new JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP that was posted in the last FLYPAPER was discussed and then unanimously voted in. From now on, an individual, 17 years old or less can become a new club member for $50. This includes a $15 initiation fee and the yearly dues, which is currently $35. This will not be considered a family membership. If other family members become interested, the initiation fee will be brought back to the normal $35. The AMA has recently implemented a program where juniors can become a fully insured member for $1. Hopefully this will make it a little easier and encourage more kids to become active in the world's finest hobby!

Tommy Vinci found an attractive shelter design that could be obtained from Home Depot that measure 10’ x 20’. It is comprised of an aluminum frame with galvanized roofing tin. It would be easy to line up more than one to make a modular shelter as long as we need. Ernie Schlumberger brought a copy of March Model Aviation that has a picture of a wooden shed on page 62 that also would be suitable. They will each do a little more checking around to come up with a final decision on which way to go.

Andy Anderson brought out an example of a corroded 9v-style battery terminal out of his Futaba 1024 transmitter. He was lucky to discover it when he realized that there seemed to be an intermittent connection when he was charging it. I remember a couple of years ago that there was a warning going around in the pattern flying community to check Futaba battery terminal connections. Specifically, check the connection of the wires to the snap on style battery connector or you may be very sorry that you didn’t.

Andy also mentioned that while hosting the last meeting of project Adopt-A-School at Peachtree City Elementary, he ran across Debbie Condon (member of the Fayette County School Board). She commended him for the great program to interest the kids in aviation and mentioned that her son Jeff had been a Young Aeronaut (our club sponsored program) in the 5th grade. This year Jeff just completed his junior year at McIntosh High School and won the National Championship in Propeller Propulsion at the Science Olympiad National Competition at Grand Valley, Mich. Hummmm.... Did you read last months Flypaper?

There is still no new information on the availability of a rejected felt paper-manufacturing belt to be used as a runway surface. Bill Divins will check again on the possibility of obtaining a steamroller to flatten out the current runway surface.

The 16th annual Joe Nall Giant Scale Fly-in was held at Hartness Field May 14, 1997 in Greenville, SC.

Henry "Pee Wee" Maddox, Tom Whitehead and Tom Huckaby were proud to represent the Fayette Flyers at this event. Together these three pilots put in close to 25 flights Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Pee Wee and Tom Huckaby stayed over Saturday night and put in 3 more flights on Sunday morning before packing up the planes and heading back to Georgia.

Tom Whithead took his Extra 300 with the Z-445 Twin up front. His flights were smooth and his landings were impressive.

This was PEE WEE's second trip to the Fly-in, but his first time as an active pilot. He flew his scaled up, plans built, from scratch, Forerunner. It was powered by a W.W.28 (converted 28cc weedwacker engine) and covered in HOT PINK covering (cheap) PEE WEE discovered just how far out one can maintain control with the antenna down. Quick hands prevented a mishap, and this type of range testing war discontinued

Tom Huckaby took a Balsa USA 1/4 scale J3 Cub (surprise) with an OS160F.S. And a Stits Playboy with an O.P.S. l20(belt driven valve train), and new both many times without incident.

Some of the highlights of this Flyin were:

1. Each day, from about 8:00 am until almost dark there would be from one to six planes in the air at all times.

2. Mack Hodges making low (2-4 feet) inverted passes with a big B-29 with four Quadras at full bore.

3. The release of the bright orange X-1 from the B-29 and the setting off of it's rocket engine just before it finished it's descent. This was a two-stage rocket that sent it up even higher than it was when released.

4. The Warbird event: There was a P-40, P-51, PT-19, Skyrocket, Zero, ME-109, FW-190, Corsair, P-38, P-47, AT-6, and EVEN a Spitfire. (Yes Mike, some people FLY their giant scale Spitfires.)

5. Thompson Trophy type "Race". Just for fun, not competition.

6. The barbecue dinner in Pat's backyard.

Just a word about Pat Hartness. This man dearly loves anything to do with aviation. He owns a 1:1 scale J3 Cub, Stearman, Volksplane, Vultee Vibrator BT-13, and an ultralite. All model aircraft that are produced in his shop are real works of art, but they are flown, not just observed. If you looked in a good, accurate dictionary for "Southern Gentleman", Pat's picture would be right there.

The field that is used for this Fly-in is Pat's own private grass 1:1 Air Strip. The part used for model aircraft is like a golf green, by the way, is cut each evening after the flying.

If you like to fly big models, look at big models, talk about big models, or just be with people, who do, you need to plan now to go to Greenville next May. The dinner is worth the trip, and me flying, looking, talking, and fellowship is a bonus

THIS IS A FIRST CLASS EVENT!!

Quarter Scale Fun Fly - Sat. June 27 from 10am-4pm.

Combat Fun Fly - Sat. July 11 2pm

Nite Flight - after our Thus Aug 27th meeting. If you need lights or ideas to prepare your plane, contact Ernie Schlumberger, there is a good chance that he can help you out.

There has been a new interest at our field lately regarding rubber-powered free flight. At our recent Kids Contest, quite a few members bought Sig Mini-Maxer kits. This is a wonderful flying, unique looking, easy to build, high performance rubber powered airplane. The retail price of the kit is $9.50 and is just about the maximum fun you can get for the buck. Not only that but it was designed by one of our local legends George Perryman (maybe the most winning modeler of all time and a member of the AMA hall of fame). If you don’t have one yet, check the Hobby Stop or obtain your kit from Dave Zeigler.

How To: Construct a Vacuum Box and Form Canopies from Scratch (Part 1)

When I was building my electric T-6 Texan from enlarged plans, I was faced with the problem that I had to form my own canopy because there were no commercially available ones in the size I needed. I went about the problem by building a vacuum box from items available in the hardware store. The vacuum box would allow us to take a solid mold of the canopy and "suck" a piece of heat softened plastic acetate over it to form the finished product. When an object like a plaster mold of a canopy or cowl is placed on this surface and a piece of heat softened plastic is stretched over it, the vacuum will suck the plastic to the mold and you will have a duplicated part.

A Shopvac or any equivalent (most house vacs are too weak, plus your Mom may not understand). Some 1x4 or 1x6 lumber (whichever you can find is fine), a 2 foot square sheet of ¼" or 3/8" plywood, a sheet of perforated metal which can be purchased at a hardware store, 1.5" drywall screws, and a silicone caulking.

Procedure: First figure out how large the part you need to form is. It is a good idea to make the box at least 3" larger than the part in all directions. It is not a good idea to make the surface of the box any longer or wider than 15" because most sheets of thin plastic are 17"x17". After you know what the length and width of the surface needs to be, cut out a rectangle of these dimensions on the piece of plywood and on the perforated metal. Form the sides of the box from the 1x4 or 1x6 to the lengths required. Working on a flat and level surface, lay out the two long boards and the two short boards in the box shape with the short pieces in between the larger pieces. With everything aligned, drill 2 1/8" pilot holes at every intersection where the short boards meet the longer boards. After all the pilot holes are drilled, separate the boards enough to run a bead of caulking where the boards will intersect. Do not mix up the boards because the pilot holes won’t be aligned. Fit the boards back together and screw in drywall screws through the pilot holes. Next take the plywood rectangle and place it on top of the "box". If it fits good, run a bead of the caulking around the perimeter where the plywood will meet the 1x4’s. Set the rectangle back over the "box", drill some pilot holes, and run some screws in. Now you have an open-end box. If it is a large box, you might want to take some extra 1x4 and screw it into the middle of the box to help support the perforated metal. Make sure that the middle support is only attached to the floor so that air can move around it. Take the square of perforated metal, set it on top of the opening, closing off the box. Then use a staple gun around the perimeter to attach it to the 1x4’s. Don’t attach it to the center support. The last step is to figure out the size of the opening on the end of the vacuum tube out of your Shop Vac. Take a hole saw that is slightly larger than the end of the vacuum tube and cut a hole in one of the sides of the vacuum box. Now to create the vacuum effect, take some duck tape and wrap it around the end of the Shop Vac hose. It should fit very snugly into the opening you just cut. To form a seal around the edge on top, take some wing seating tape and run it along the perimeter of the perforated metal. You are now ready to make the mold and make your canopy. You can find out about this next month in Part 2 of this article. Seems complicated but it is not once attempted.

New Thunder Tiger 40 Plane (assembled) with new Thunder Tiger GP-42 R/C engine installed. Complete with new Hitec 7 Channel receiver, 4KPS 14II servos, (system has 1 extra servo, total of 5) and new nicads. Kraft transmitter is FCC/AMA Gold stickered in Jan. 1998. 6 channel with dual rates, servo reverse, end point adj. Channel 23. Plane engine and radio all brand-new, never flown. $300.00

53.300 MHz. Acc silver 7 metal gimble transmitter. Kraft 5 channel receiver, 4KPS 5II servos, all nicads, switch, charger and servo trays. Has assembly booklet for Tx. all in excellent condition. Note: A ham band ticket is required to legally operate this equipment. $125.00

Lanier Giant Stinger Kit for Sale - Josh Thorner 770-487-9569 $110.00 or best offer

(Ads also appear on the web page in the SWAP area this is a free service)

IF you have access to the Web Page enjoy and tell your friends.

The FLY PAPER is stored in an archive on the web page in the Member's area.

OHBYTHEWAY …I found this in a November 96 FLYPAPER,

ADD Rates:

Full Page $40. Half Page $20. Quarter Page $10. Business Card $5. Seems like a good way to cover costs. Stamps paper etc. I have about 50 email names that go out with this issue. Hope YA ALL GET THEM. Saves a bunch in time labor and the paper goods cost. PLUS ya get really neato music online. And the Videos are in the work. - Editor.