SEN-420 May 25 2000

News and Reports 2000 - First half
SCAT Electronic News 25 May 2000 Issue 420


Table of Contents
=================
World Champs - Hinson
Another Student - Homer3000
asking help
Hangar #1 june date 24th - Robbins
Henry Nicholls - Bryant

World Champs
============
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Roger,
Do you know the dates for the world champs at lost hills next year?

Rex

[Rex - the date has not been announced yet. I assume it will be in October
2001 as that is the best weather at Lost Hills]





Another Student
===============
Author : homer3000

Hello, I am a Science Olympiad Competitor From The Suburbs of Chicago,
part of Illinois National team. I compete in the C division (high school).
Unfortunately I found this, and a few other websites too late,
because our national competition was last sa
turday. However, I am trying to get an extra head start on next year's
competition. This year, my partner and I built a plane that was
capable of getting over 2 minutes in a 30 foot ceiling, but not much
more than that. At the national competition we h
ad the opporntunity of having a 49 foot ceiling, but were unable
to get our plane anywhere near that high.
The winning flight had a time of nearly 4 minutes, and used evey
inch of its available height. I had a few questions to get a jump
start on next y
ear's competition, and possibly become a national competitor in this
event (Assuming we make it to nationals as a team again). First off,
how is the "tube fuselage" constructed. I am unsure if this is the
correct name for this type of fuselage, but I he
ard a little about it from some of the experts at the national
competition. The motor stick we used was a 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch
approximately 12 inch long piece of balsa. Under the torque of the
rubber, the balsa curved (like an upside down u). I was tol
d this was better for lower ceilings, because it obviously changes
the incidence of the wing as the rubber winds down. Another question
is how to make a torque meter. I was told plans are readily available
on the internet, but after a full night of sear
ching, I can't find any. I was given an old broken torque meter from a
local expert, but do not know how to fix it, and have lost contact
with that particular hobbiest. My other question would be about the
rubber motor, and the prop. From our flying ex
periences, I have found this is probably the most important part of
the plain in gaining better times (considering that a solid design is used).
Where is the best medium between prop size and weight, and rubber
thickness. At the national competition we
were told that the design we used for our plane should be capable of
5 min flights, but our rubber does not even turn that long. What is a
general idea of a good prop wieght to length ratio, and consequently,
what is a good rubber thickness for this rati
o (keeping in mind that this year's competition limited the rubber
motor mass to 2 grams? To get the rubber to a specific size, we found
we also need a rubber stripper. Where could a cheap one be found
and purchased? My last question deals with the pit
ch of the prop. I know in general what the pitch is, and how
to vary it, but I forgot how to actually calculate it. What is the "formula"
for doing this, and where is the "best" place to set it at.
I do realize many of these questions have no specific
answer, the answers come from a lot of testing. That is how my
partner and I went from barely getting 1 minute flights, to getting
almost a 2 and a half minute flight as our best time. I just wanted to
know if anyone's personal experiences might be valid
for this event and may give my partner and I a godd head start.
Just for reference the regulations were:
8 gram minimum (without rubber)
2 gram rubber maximum
no mircofilm (only constructed from wood and paper minus a few exceptions)
50 cm maximum wing length
12 cm maximum cord length
35 cm maximun horizontal stabilizer length
20 cm maximum prop length
and I think that was about it. If you have any helpful ideas for us, please e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
I also designed a variable incidence wing mount that is deceptably
strong and may be helpful to others in competition if they would
like to know how to build one. I hope some of you are able to
answer a most of my questions, and I'll be sure to come back
to pick your brains for mor info. Thanks a ton!!!




asking help
===========
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

my name is s.janakivasan one of ur web user iwas very much interested
in aermodeling but iwas not ecnomically good so any one from your club
willing to sponsor their old models so please help me &encoragemy
interest
e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
my address: s.janakivasan
1/90 t.w.a.d colony
thirumalpuram p.o
thiruppalai
madurai-625014
tamilnadu
india



Hangar #1 june date 24th
================================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Indoor flying and F1D practice in the Moffett hangar will be the 4th
Saturday ie the 24th of June. Name on the gate list is reqired to
get onto the base. contact: Herb Robbins
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 408 356 8659



Henry Nicholls
==============
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


I have just received news from England that Henry J Nicholls died last
night.

Bill Morley phoned to say that he died peacefully at home.

Aeromodelling has lost another Great from a great era.


Adrian Bryant.



...........................
Roger Morrell