SCAT Electronic News 11 September 1999

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Category: Archive 1999

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SCAT Electronic News 11 September 1999

Table of Contents
=================

Mini report from Israel - Batiuk
Swiss Modelling - Sager
Looking in Seattle - Ellison
F3B W.C - Which Daryl ?
Cutting Carbon - Thornbery
Flypower
Two Cents - Roberts
Aerodyne's New address
Piserchio Confesses
Cutting Balsa witha little BOM thrown in. - Andresen

Mini report from Israel
=======================

Hi Roger,  Well, I'm back, and it just goes to show you, it does not pay 
to make long trips these days.  My e-mail took longer to read than the 
flight back from Frankfurt!  It does stack up.  Sorry that the 
correspondence from Israel was so poor.  Nothing available, and no time 
to do anything.  Up in the morning at 4 am, back from the field at 3 pm, 
tired and totally exhausted from the heat and dirt, sometimes I dealt 
with problems, ate 'lunch', and went to bed, in anticipation of the same 
thing the next day.  Quality of flying, by everyone in general, and our 
guys in particular, was as good as I have ever seen.  Organisation of 
the contest affairs was excellent, the best I have seen so far.  
Timekeepers were young, but all fliers, and very good.  Some problems 
with engine runs in Negev Open, but these kids never time power, as it 
is just not flown there;  they caught on very quickly, and did an 
excellent job of it in the WC.  Dirt was every bit the problem we 
anticipated.  Anything over 10 mph would blow up dirt from the ground, 
and everything in front of you just disappeared.  More later in my 
report.  

Germany was it usual self, very clean and efficient.  Weather 
was good for E-P.  Windy for F1B-C.  Long chases, tall trees, lots of 
corn.  But Faust won, and 4 US fliers made it to F1B flyoff.  One 
European commented that we would be even because we did not have our 
motorcycles, but he forgot about our CARS!!!  We would have used them to 
climb the trees if we thought we could have gotten away with it.  It was 
very nice to see our friend Stefan again.  We spend some time together, 
teaching John the finer art of drinking vodka in a crowd.  Very nice, 
all in all.  Will try to write more if I ever wake up!  GB


Swiss Modelling
===============
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Dear Don
The Swiss Aeromodelling Organisation consists of 154 Groups with 
6200 Senior members
and 500 Juniormembers. Unfotunately only a few of them freeflyers. 
The rest is RC.
Each category (F1 to F5 and Space models) has a subcommittee and 
myself I am the president of the freeflyers.
More information you may obtain (in german and partly french) from our website
http://www.modellflug.ch
Regards Kurt



Looking in Seattle
==================
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Hi Roger,

Thanks for responding.  I live in the Seattle area.  If you could put me in 
touch with a local group I would be grateful.

Ben Ellison

[ would someone in the Seattle area like to e-mail Ben about
FF in general and indoor in particular]

F3B W.C
=======
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Daryl Perkins
Today Daryl Perkins won F3B (R/C gliders) World Championship inSouth Africa.
Is the same guy that flies F1C?
Regards
Daniel

[Nope , a different person]

 
Cutting carbon composite
========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It seems I have a bandsaw similar to Bob Mattes.  While I have not cut much
carbon on it, I would be tempted to try a metal cutting blade with lots of
teeth such as the 24 or 32 teeth per inch blades that Morse sells.  The
blade package has a teeth per inch application chart that suggests 24 TPI
for thin metal, plastic, polys, and paneling.  It also says they will do
special orders for sizes (no mention of special type of blades, however).

I have heard or read of others mounting a Dremel tool with the abrasive
cut-off wheel as a mini-circular table or radial arm saw for straight cuts.
 I would use a mask and/or a good vacuum set up to avoid inhaling all the
dust generated.

One possibility might be the wet abrasive wheels and saws used for cutting
ceramic bathroom and floor tile.  These cost about $150 to $200 when I last
looked but might do a very nice clean cut with minimum dust.  I would be
interested if anyone has tried this.  I am reluctant to buy the saw in the
hope it would work well.

 
Fly Power Today:  Web Site including Kits, etc.
===============================================
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50 years ago Ben Elson flew fly powered microfilm glliders.  Today he can
visit the web site at http://www.flypower.com and buy a  FlyPower Model
airplane Kit, view photos, and read about Historical FlyPower, FlyPower
through the ages, How to catch an "Engine", Fly Facts, Fly Cryogenics and
of course Engine Maintenance.

Now, how should we measure engine displacement and how does the BOM relate
to these models?

 
Two Cents
==========
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We all have opinions so here's mine.
I consider Free Flight a "hobby" and although gray haired I feel like a ten
year old when I watch mine or my competitors airplanes fly.  Amazing stuff!!
As a visual learner, I don't think I would have entered the world of FAI
without both a lot of help and advice from mentors (Ron McBurnett) and store
bought parts to see how it all works.  I am thankful that we have those in
our cadre that share their R&D both with articles and with parts or
airplanes.  I believe their passion for the hobby/sport is the driver rather
than an outright business venture.

I have seen no pictures or editorials suggesting that factory teams arriving
in eighteen wheel transporters with guys that all have matching uniforms and
six figure salaries even exist.  The world market is tiny from a business
perspective, and since I am not an engineer or designer, my participation is
absolutely indebted to those that share their knowledge and manufacturing
capability at any price. Our individual satisfactions will be diverse but I
think the focus should be on having fun and what ever makes each of us smile
is counted as a win.  Let me know if I have missed a factory team
opportunity as I am recently retired so could change my focus if the right
six figures and company Mercedes are offered.
Mike Roberts

 
Aerodyne's New address
======================

Our current catalogue is available for $2.00 at:

Aerodyne
17244 Darwin Ave.
Unit H
Hesperia, CA 92345
Phone (760) 948-6334
FAX (760) 947-2855
E-mail  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Piserchio Confesses
===================

F1B flyer, Bob confessed that the reason why the time keepers lost his model
was he adjusted the rudder screw to open the turn out a 'little' bit. The
model only did 1/4 of a turn the 5 minutes plus the timer keepers saw
the model in the World Champs Fly-off. 

Cutting Balsa witha little BOM thrown in.
=========================================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cutting Balsa,

Cutting balsa is extremly easy.  Getting a smooth, uniform thin sheet 
without crushing (increasing density) as with indoor wood is extremely 
difficult.

Hollow ground (circular) veneer blades do well as the set is just the tooth 
depth X hollow grind angle.  Being small means that it doen't leave big 
circular gouges.  Sheet is away from fence, so adjustment is required for 
each cut.

Heard the reason for 1 1/8" indoor wood width was the hollow grind of 1 1/4" 
on commercial blades.  Smaller diameter blades actually work better as they 
are stiffer, more forgiving to fence alignment and usually have less kerf 
(waste).  Tailboom stock can produce 90% sawdust!

If you enjoy filling the shop with dust, there was a good market for thin 4# 
C grain sheets.  Probably less so with 1.2gram F1D rules.

Sal Taibi used to spend a day with an Arkansas stone, turning a newly 
sharpened blade into a good cutting blade.   Again balsa is probably the 
easiest wood to cut, but difficult to cut good.

Good Luck,
          H


BOM comments:

I was quite flabbergasted when the BOM rule was dropped, yet, in many ways 
it has brought a bunch of new retirees back into the sport.  It has also 
narrowed the gap between the top 40 places in the WC.

Even with the BOM rule in AMA, there is almost no originality.  Most models 
are kits altho there are a few made from plans of winning designs.  In fact, 
if you include Doug Joyce, there is much more originality with the size 
restrictions and no BOM in FAI than is the case with AMA FF.

Guess I could never figure out how I could beat an Andruikov or Archer with 
a bought or copied model.

[ Hermann .. yoy might not be able to figure it out but a bunch
of guys beat the out going World Champs with their own stuff]

Just ran across pix from Olathe (1948?) Nats, with Entrops 20' D-Gas, Civvy 
Boys, Gools etc.  Rubber winner had 60% stab and many unbraced indoor models 
with carved props.

Not that I am a Nostalgia nut, but I don't understand so little modification 
of ARF models.  Would think someone would fly their AA30 before covering the 
bottom of the wing, or build a higher AR stab or a wire hub or Larabee type 
prop to try for an advantage, however small.  After all a bunch of these 
small things are what led to making 3 min with 30 grams much easier than it 
was at 80 grams.  (Good rubber don't hurt either, but it's not 2.7 times as 
good).

Nuff said,
          H


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

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