SEN 836- Nov 25 2003

News and Reports 2003
 SCAT Electronic News 25 November 2003 issue 836


Table of Contents
=================
Switches and BlackMagic Timers
Report on Bern/Switzerland - Salzer
The 2003 NFFS Symposium Report - Korsgaard
Stamovitch in Nieman Marcus catalog ?
World Record or what ?
Silkspan
2004 SYMPO - Ghio
F1As for Sale
Sterling by Estes
Bern report - van Wallene
F1P


Switches and BlackMagic Timers
==============================

I have received a number of questions about the mechanical aka micro
switches that some people use with their Black Magic Timers.

Firstly the switches I supply are designed for low current, low voltage
switching and have gold contacts. This is essential. Switches designed
for higher currents and voltages will work initially but will not
remain clean enough internally to assure you of good contact. In
addition it is important that the switch be mounted
square on to the hook so there is even pressure on the switch.
Failure to mount the switch properly will cause predictable
but undesirable functioning of the timer. Finally
it is possible that switches can be damaged by environmental
conditions - dust or water.

There are two other kinds of switch that people use - reed and
Hall Effect.

Reed have the potential for the same conrtract problem. The metal
reeds are sealed in a glass tube so should not oxidise or be
damaged by moisture or dirt. But it does happen.
The mechanical alignment is less of an issue because no
physical contact is needed to make it switch so it
is not as easy to get mis aligned like a mechanical switch.

Hall Effect switched work like reed switches in that they are
operated by a magnet. They have no moving parts so are more reliable.
The downside is that the need to be powered so 3 wires rather than
2 have to go to each switch. This more complex wiring is worth it.




Report on Bern/Switzerland
==========================
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Mike S. asked for it .. so here goes (mainly F1B-day, but F1A was said to be
similar):
The Swiss always fly long maxes, 5 rounds, and do not subscribe to the
supermax-rule. In the beginning of November they have daylight only from 8am
to 5 pm, so they need to get finished in time. Furthermore, in high-pressure
weather they often have dense fog in the morning further limiting flying
hours.
This year:
Weather forecast horrible, proved untrue. Rain all night, but stopped in the
morning. Field sogging wet grass, soon converted to soggy black mud in the
more travelled area. Clean modelers soon converted to muddy modelers ...
Sun/clouds about 50:50, low wind - not more than 500m distance on a max.
Thermals needed a good height, then solid. Low thermals proved tricky. When
there are thermals, there are downdrafts ...
Wind - no, drift direction changed during the day. Some sub-maxes due to
trees along the river and one about 300m cross-drift (ask Alex about that
one).
Problem with low drift weather: every pole has one flyer waiting for one to
lose his nerve and show the air. Lead only to one mid-air collision (me,
after 3:30 into the flight, having launched first ... lost nerve?).
Wonderful contest. Thanks to the organizers and their helpers!
Klaus W. Salzer






The 2003 NFFS Symposium Report
==============================
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Dear Roger,

Would you be so nice and publish the following in the next SEN:


To ALL the people behind the Symposium Report 2003 which I recieved the
other day.

Thank you very much for the great book, another outstanding piece of hard
work in the long and magnificient row of FREE FLIGHT literature. I really
enjoy and learn reading it - as every year - only snag is the amount of room
for all the books on the shelves!

Well, back to work with the new rubber testing method described by Richard
Blackam in the 2003 book.


Lots of thermals!

Jorgen Korsgaard
Denmark




Stamovitch in Nieman Marcus catalog ?
=====================================


World renowned F1A , World Champ, sportsman and businessman Victor Stamov
was seen boarding a plane for Texas - Was this for high level meeting with
the Spence Modelsport Team ? - maybe But Nieman Marcus, known for
their extravagant gift suggestions in the XMAS catalog, such as
the half scale scale Hummer complete with paint ball machine gun for
junior to terrorize the back 40.. are head quartered in Texas. Seen
recently at at Lost Hills in the hands of test engineer Teterick
was the Stamovitch F1A. This full scale F1A is aimed at the 5 to 10
year old junior sportsman who has out grown the Delta Dart. Comes
complete with RC DT and ultra sonic control device. Bubba Magazine
rates this as the top gift for that little man in the typical
Texas family. ....


or ... the rest of the story



World Record or what ?
======================

Look at the recent Patterson results and you will see sandwiched between
Brock and Barron, with a respectable tally of over 1500 seconds for the
10 round contest, one L Teterick. Who is this new sportsman ? Any one
flying at Lost Hills will have seen the 5 year old red headed boy riding
with Brian Van Nest on his chase bike. This is Logan Teterick. Logan
has flown a little P-30 but Brian and Victor obviously thought
this was developing tendnacies in the wrong direction, so they
rebuilt one of Brian's old f1A's for Logan, now aged 6. Logan,
a real charmer with the ladies had already conviced a number of them
to go out in the past and help him fly his imaginary F1A and he
mimics Brian's style exactly. Now he has the real thing so watch out!
At the Patterson contest he found it a little challenging because the
near perfect conditions with no wind make it tough to tow, however
what he lacked in strength he make up for with unlimited energy and
enthousiasm. Not doing circle tow yet he a made a respectable number
of Maxes with a straight up and bunt launch. So the newest professional
sportsman is on the field - with the backing of the Stamov factory
and with Janna as team manager [and we know the real reason for sucess behind
Brian !] and you thought the Junior team selection this year was tough !!
Janna reports that only crashes have been immediately after a days flying
and dinner when Logan is out for 12 hours .


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

Hi Roger,
I hope you can help me.When I was a kid in the fifties i used to fly u co=
ntrol and loved it.I recently bought a r/c kit at a yard sale and have it=
all ready to go except I don't like the new fangled wing covering.Where =
can I get good old fashioned silk span?I am in the Boston Massachusetts =
area.Any suggestions would be most welcomed. Thanks, Wally



2004 SYMPO
===========
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December 1st is a couple of weeks away. If you are working on a proposal
for the 2004 SYMPO or have an idea that you would like to write an article
please contact Walt Ghio by December 1st. Models of the Year and Hall of
Fame nominations for are due December 1st also. Please contact Aram
Scholosberg and Bob Beecroft with your nominations. Thank you, Walt Ghio

2004 SYMPO =B3Call for Papers / Articles=B2

Each year the National Free Flight Society publishes a Symposium report.
Technical papers and articles are required to make up each edition. If you
have a possible technical paper about Free Flight models or design /
construction / flying article in mind and would like to have it published i=
n
the 2004 SYMPO please contact the editor, Walt Ghio.

Walt's e-mail address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Mailing address : 1380
Elkhorn Drive, Stockton, CA, 95209

Aram Schlosberg will chair the 2004 Ten Models of the Year committee.
Nomination packages for model of the year should include:
1. One page description of the model's innovations as well as its recent
contest record.
2. One-page plan (a half wing, side and to view of the fuselage, the stab)
with structural details and full size rib sections.
3. Details photographs of nominated model.
4. Resume of modeler / designer (optional).

Aram's e-mail address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Mailing address :
79-02 212th St., Bayside, NY, 11364-3506

Bob Beecroft is the chairman for the 2004 Hall of Fame members. Please send
any nominations to Bob. The nomination will require a write up on the
individual and photographs.

Bob's e-mail address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Mailing address : 3488
Linda Vista Terrace, Fallbrook, CA, 92028-9127

All papers / articles and nominations must be submitted electronically,
preferably in Microsoft Word format, via e-mail or CD / Zip disk. Only high
quality photographs and a minimum of 4 Megapixel resolution files for
photos.

Deadline for proposals is December 1, 2003. After the proposals are
reviewed and selections made completed nominations will be required February
1, 2004.

Thank you for your nominations, Walt Ghio.



F1As for Sale
=============
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Dear Modelers:

Please visit http://www.moscow-f1a.narod.ru for high quality F1A models
built by Moscow modelers:

Alexey Riazantsev - FAI European Champion 2002, F1A
Yuri Titov - 3-rd prize-winner of World Cup 2003, F1A
Sergey Pankov - 2-nd prize-winner of FAI World Championship 2003, F1A.

The models advertised on the above web page are actually built by these
top Moscow modelers themselves. The purpose of this page is to make the
F1A glider models of the Moscow school of modelers available to all
aeromodelers. These models commonly have good design, flight
characteristics and competitive qualities at reasonable prices. Alexey,
Yuri and Sergey also receive orders for manufacturing F1A models
equipped with electronic timers with M&K version 2002. The web page
needs some updating, the prices on the web pages may differ from the
actual prices, and the builders are able to build newer and more
sophisticated models and provide