Message from the President - Alan Buckner Alan

Newsletter for SPARKS
- SPring Area Radio
Kontrol Society
Message from the
President - Alan Buckner
March 2012
Have you ever had a major set-back in your hobby? Within a month’s time, I’ve
had major damage to my two largest planes. One was a dead-stick in a very bad spot
with zero airspeed, and the other was caused by a missing screw. I have to admit
that after two expensive crashes in a very short period of time, it really got me down.
Setbacks happen. If we fly enough, we’ll all experience them from time to time –
especially those of us who fly low and push our planes to the limit. I know two other
flyers who have experienced setbacks recently and they each handled it differently –
one studied the crash video to learn from his mistake while the other basically got out
of the hobby. How should we handle these when they come? I decided to search the
Internet for greater wisdom, and the below article, “10 ways to deal with setbacks”,
is my favorite which contains excellent advice.
The biggest one for me was to sit back and reflect. First, I decided that I do want
to fix/replace the planes because I really enjoy and receive a lot of satisfaction from
them. Secondly, I decided that I enjoy flying low & hard and wasn’t going to change
that; therefore, I need to build/maintain them to handle this and know that crashes will
still happen more frequently (ie, greater risk). Third, I looked at all the mishaps,
big and small, over the past few years looking for any patterns and thus learning
opportunities. For me, I decided that I need to focus more on a) preventative building
techniques (yes, they are time-consuming and most will never been needed, but
some will which makes it worth the extra effort) and b) preventative maintenance
(scheduled visual inspections, proactively replacing fuel tubing, cleaning the
carb, etc).
While I certainly wish these two crashed didn’t happen, I believe my hobby
experience will be more enjoyable because of it. But you don’t have to do like me and
wait for the crashes to happen; you can sit back and evaluate where you need to
focus today. It’ll save you a lot of $$ and heart ache!
Good flying!
Alan
March 2012
SPARKS WEBSITE
www.sparksrc.com
Or mail to:
SPARKS
P.O. Box 1361
Tomball, TX 77377-1361
SPARKS 2011 - 2012 Officers*
Alan Buckner
President
281-655-0992
Chris Cavanaugh
Vice President/
281-701-7527
Safety Officer
George Terry
Treasurer
281-356-4315
Diane Marson
Sect'y/Newsletter
281-374-8915
* email addresses
next page
SPARKS
Flight
Instructors
Chief Instructor
Bill Murad
281-290-8945
Flight Instructors
Airplanes
Alan Buckner
281 -655-0992
Mark Hunt
281-290-0327
Richard Lewis
281-255-2067
Nick Marson
281-374-8915
Ground Instructor- Airplanes
Vic Baney
281-357-1357
Chris Fredona
281-376-7068
Crosswinds
Page 2
Information and Reminders
Don’t forget the March 7th Meeting, this Wednesday…
Valley Ranch Grill, 249 & Spring Cypress - 7 pm…
Come early and enjoy a meal with us.
I f y o u h a v en ’ t p a i d y o u r d u e s , t h e r e s t i l l t i m e
see page 13
A note of tha nks to the foll owi ng c ontri butors ……
V i c Baney , Ala n Buck ner, Terry Foote , Le e Di ll e nbec k, Pa m G a be l ,
Ke nny Ma nc he s te r, Ni ck Mars on, & Ra ndy Shew make r
P l eas e se nd y our contri buti ons for ne x t month’ s is sue to me a t:
dgmars on@ea rthl i nk . ne t
Last year we added a “For Sale / Want Ad” section in our Newsletter, called “Ad Corner”.
A reminder is sent mid month and you can submit a description of your items, pictures, price, etc. and it will be
included in the newsletter. To help keep this section current and manageable, the ads will be for one
month only and to repeat one, it will need to be resubmitted with a lower price. Also, listings will be from club
members only.
Please include the contact info you want for the ad…..
Please send articles, photos, tips, websites or any info about items to sell to me by the DEADLINE of the
24th of each month. Thanks, Diane Marson
Contact information for SPARKS Officers this will be in each issue, but you
might want to print it out for easy reference
Position
Name
Email address
Phone #
President
Alan Buckner
[email protected]
281-655-0992
Vice President/ Safety Officer
Chris Cavanaugh
[email protected]
281-701-7527
Treasurer
George Terry
[email protected]
281-356-4315
Secretary/Newsletter
Diane Marson
[email protected]
281-374-8915
2
Crosswinds
Page 3
President’s Message
Alan Buckner
O f f i c e r ’ s C o n t a ct I n f o r m a t i o n & M e e t i n g N o t i c e
F e b r u a r y M e e t in g H i g h l ig h t s
S a f et y C o r n e r
1
2
4-5
C h r i s C a v an a u g h
6
Don’t call AAA Lee Dillenbeck
7
Watch out above Pam Gabel & Nick Marson
8
S w a r m o f N a n o Q u a d r o t o r s Kenny Manchester & Nick Marson
8
A r o u n d t he W e b
V i c B a n e y , Alan Buckner, Nick Marson
and Terry Foote
Back in Time 1934
9 - 11
Editor
How close do you want me ???
12
Randy Shewmaker
A D C o r n er - R a n d y S h e w m a k e r -
Pilot Ace 40S
A l a n B u c k n e r - E - F l i t e C a r bo n – Z Y a k
- Field Box with starter
Hobby Shop Ads
13
14
15
16
17
Announcements
From Pam Gabel A few members of the Houston Photography Club came out to the field recently
to take some pictures for one of their weekend outings and they will be posted over the next couple of
weeks on their website of http://www.houstonphotographyclub.com/photos/. Chris, Mark, and Bill had
an airplane in the air during the time they were there.
UPDATE !!
There are two photos posted on this link
http://www.houstonphotographyclub.com/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=6249872
3
Crosswinds
Page 4
February 1st, 2012 Meeting Highlights
Meeting was called to order by President Alan Buckner at 7:04 pm. Our featured speaker,
Steve Robbins was introduced as a visitor. The minutes from the January 2012 meeting were
approved as read. Treasurer George Terry presented his detailed financial report for the month
of January 2012 which was also approved as read. George will have new Randy’s Hobbies
Shop discount cards for us at the February meeting.
The question of whether to order new color badges for the upcoming year was discussed.
Alternate methods to identify current SPARKS members such as I.D. cards or badges were
mentioned. No decision was made at this time.
No safety incidents at the field were reported. Members who have passed their FPE recently
are Russ Kagey, Cody Prater and Gaither Simmons. Congratulations guys!
Alan announced the dates for the Indoor Fly Togethers as Feb. 15th, March 21st and April
18th. He noted they are all on Wednesday evenings.
Field Manager Vic Baney reported the adjacent land leasers, the Smith Brothers, could not
agree to allow us to expand our runway area into their lease due to concerns about their
Agricultural Exemption.
Vic and Chief Instructor Bill Murad will perform an experiment to determine the effects of the
turbulence from a south wind across the runway.
Using smoke bombs to highlight the wind
effects, a determination of the distance we need to further clear trees to resolve the issue will
hopefully be evident. Due to recent rains, the sprinkler system schedule will be modified.
Bill Murad asked that a roster of current SPARKS members be placed at the field to aid in
identifying those eligible to fly there.
Our featured speaker, Steve Robbins, presented an informative program explaining Free
Flight including designing, building, materials, competitions and samples of the craft.
On the face of it, these rubber powered planes would appear to the uninformed to be no different
than the toy store variety, when in fact these are highly sophisticated and engineered flying craft.
One of the most popular competitive divisions is the penny class, flights of one hour in an indoor
arena are not unheard of. The name “penny class” is derived from their weight, 3.2 grams...the
weight of a penny. Steve certainly give us an interesting look into another aspect of flight.
Terry Foote brought an E-Flite Quadcopter to demonstrate the latest high technology of the
AS3X system which greatly enhances the flying experience. He flew it with ease in the dining
room.
Gift Certificates for Randy’s Hobbies were raffled before we adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
4
Crosswinds
February Meeting Highlights
Page 5
Our featured Speaker, Steve Robbins
Many thanks to
Steve
for showing us
another
aspect of our very
diverse hobby.
To read more about Free Flight, check out
these sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_flight_(model_aircraft)
http://www.a2zhobbies.com/
Terry Foote brought an E-Flite Quadcopter to demonstrate
the ease of flying using the AS3X (Artificial Stabilization in 3
Axis System).
Terry noted they have had a ton of
fun flying it at Randy’s Hobbies .
5
Crosswinds
A Message from Chris Cavanaugh,
VP and Safety Officer
T h ree Preven ta b le Sin s o f RC F lyin g b y Jim Pro cise
F ro m th e Val ley City RC C lu b , Med in a, Oh io
S
A
F
E
T
Y
C
O
R
N
E
R
One thing that amazes me about this hobby is
how often we crash. On any given weekend, one
or two members will probably lose an airplane.
What’s even more amazing is that the vast
majority of these crashes are entirely preventable. Most crashes are caused by simple errors
that we make before the airplane leaves the
ground. Eliminate these errors and you’ll have a
far better chance of bringing the model home in
one piece. Here are the three most common
mistakes that lead to crashes and simple steps to
avoid them.
Wrong Model Number
Programmable radios make the sport more fun
and arguably safer too. One of the primary
benefits of a programmable radio is that it can
store settings for several models. With a click of a
button, you can call up the setting for the model
you’re about to fly, complete with trim settings,
servo end-point adjustments, servo rotation
directions, dual rates, exponentials, and
more. But programmable radios have a dark side.
If you fail to select the right model before takeoff,
you may find yourself flying with reversed ailerons,
a reversed elevator, a reversed rudder and/or
steering, improper trims or throws, or other
ailments. Rare is the airplane that lands safely
when the radio is set to the wrong model. The
solution is twofold. One, remember to check the
model selected the moment you turn on your
transmitter and make sure it matches the airplane
you are about to fly. Two, always check the
movement of the control surfaces before flying.
Even if you forget to check the model selected,
you’ll almost always catch the error if you check
the control surfaces before flight. Having a radio
set to the wrong model is the most common cause
of reversed servos, but it’s not the only cause.
Occasionally we simply forget to program the
servo directions before flying a new airplane.
Again, make it a habit to check the movement of
the control surfaces before every flight and you’ll
head off disasters before they happen.
6
Improperly Located Center of Gravity
Balance is important in full-scale airplanes,
but it is even more important in RC aircraft,
where fractions of an inch or so can make the
difference between a model that flies well and
one that is unmanageable in the air. Most
construction manuals or plans specify where the
model’s center of gravity (CG) should be located,
and a model shouldn’t be considered complete
until you’ve ensured that the recommended CG
is at or very near the recommended location. If
necessary, add lead weight to the nose or tail to
achieve the recommended CG. Often, instead of
adding weight, achieving the desired CG can be
accomplished by moving the receiver battery
forward or backward. Always check the CG with
an empty fuel tank. If your airplane has retracts
that fold backward (like the F4U Corsair), check
the CG with the wheels up. Deploying the gear
prior to landing will move the CG forward, but
it’s better to be nose-heavy during landing than
tail-heavy during flight.
Inadequately Charged Batteries
If you crave excitement, try flying your
favorite airplane without charging the receiver
battery. To double the fun, don’t charge the
transmitter battery, either. Then you can take
bets on which will fail first. Joking aside, charge
those batteries before flying, and check them at
the field if you are not sure whether they are
charged. Most transmitters have built-in volt
meters; don’t fly if the voltage is less than 10
volts—just to be safe. You can check receiver
batteries with an inexpensive expanded scale
voltmeter (which should be a part of every flight
box). Remember, low batteries lead to crashed
airplanes. This is one case
where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Page 6
Crosswinds
D o n ’ t C a l l A A A f o r a T i r e R e p a ir - C a l l t h i s G a l !
Submitted by Lee Dillenbeck
Page 7
THIS IS A CLASSIC KEEPER! YOU
WON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES
Subject: Gladys Ingles, tire repair 101
Holy Moley--take a look at this video. Fabulous footage
although grainy as heck due to time and bad equipment
in those days compared to today, but gheezch what
nerve this gal had.
Notice they risked a woman's life just to save a man's?
What the hell kind of thinking was that?
Gladys Ingles was a member of a barnstorming troupe
called the 13 Black Cats in the 1920s. Ingles was a wing
walker; in this film, she shows her fearlessness in a classic barnstorming fashion to save an airplane that has lost one of its main wheels. Ingles is shown with a replacement
wheel being strapped to her back and then off she goes as "Up She Goes," a duet from the era, provides the soundtrack. In the video, Ingles transfers herself from the rescue plane to the one sans main gear tire. She then expertly
works herself down to the undercarriage only a few feet from a spinning prop. It's
certainly a feat many mechanics wouldn't even try on the ground with the engine running.
Here’s the video of the daring tire repair….
http://www.oshkosh365.org/ok365_DiscussionBoardTopic.aspx?id=1235&boardid=147&forumid=180&topicid=5584
Here’s more about Gladys Ingles and the 13 Black Cats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_walking
http://einhornpress.com/barnstormingbiplanepicturesandtheGoldenAgeofAviation.aspx
Women pilots were some of the most daring…
http://pbskids.org/wayback/flight/feature_barn.html
http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/daredevils/lunatics.htm
7
Crosswinds
Watch out above
Page 8
S ubmi tte d by P am Ga bel a nd Ni ck Ma rs on
Editor’s note - Y ou k now a li nk mus t be good w he n more tha n one me mbe r se nds i t to y ou…
Is it a bird ?, superman ?, a plane ? SORT OF !!! Imagine walking around New York City, looking up and it
appears to be 3 men just flying around and enjoying the scenery.. Check it out for yourself…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDN409ZBv4&feature=player_embedded
Clever bit of marketing for film Chronicle. The company Big Moto was
employed to produce this YouTube video. Big Moto specializes in producing
viral YouTube videos
A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors
Submi tte d by Ke nny Ma nc hes ter a nd Ni ck Mars on
Editor’s note - From the flying guys above to the tiniest robotics quadcopters, yes robotic...In this video, you see a
swarm of 16 fly in formation, change direction, navigate past obstacles and even fly in a figure eight formation.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57369480-76/see-nano-quadcopter-robots-swarm-video/
Editor’s note - Please watch the video and read both of the full articles listed here. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s here now…..sort of unnerving when you really think about it…..in the wrong hands...mmmm
Here’s the other amazing article.. These “kilobots “ are even tinier than the ones shown above…these
“kilobots” are only $15.00 each and are the size of a quarter…read about them here.
P.S. No, Nick does not have ONE….yet !!!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57334719-76/bite-size-kilobots-robots-ready-to-swarm/?tag=mncol;txt
8
Crosswinds
Around the Web….
From Vic Baney - Lots of time, money and talent
invested here…Check out the size of this craft….the pilot
is holding on to the tail to guide it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=zYPag3LuKlA
More about the show…
http://www.rcpilot-online.com/nemesis/2011-Meeting-IMAA-AIR-SHOW-MONTLUCON-Centre-France_a287.html
From Alan Buckner -
Check out this pilot’s 18th Birthday Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crNACQ6hRfo&feature=uploademail
Transmitter behind
his back….
In and out the
doors we go!!
9
Page 9
Crosswinds
Page 10
More Around the Web….
F-16
From Terry Foote
vs.
C-130
A C-130 was lumbering along when a cocky F-16 flashed by. The jet jockey
decided to show off.
The fighter jock told the C-130 pilot, "watch this!" and promptly went into a barrel
roll followed by a steep climb. He then finished with a sonic boom as he broke
the sound barrier. The F-16 pilot asked the C-130 pilot what he thought of that?
The C-130 pilot said, "That was impressive, but watch this!"
The C-130 droned along for about 5 minutes and then the C-130 pilot came back
on and said: "What did you think of that?"
Puzzled, the F-16 pilot asked, "What the heck did you do?"
The C-130 pilot chuckled. "I stood up, stretched my legs, walked to the back,
went to the bathroom, then got a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun."
When you are young & foolish -- speed & flash may seem a good thing!
When you get older & smarter -- comfort & dull is not such a bad thing!
Us old folks understand this one.
From Nick Marson
World’s Largest Aircraft Lands at Niagara Falls Airbase
http://www.vva678.net/V-V-A-Worlds-Biggest-Russian-Plane.html
32 wheels! - The World's Biggest Airplane, the Russian Antonov 225. Visit the website to view the
pictures of the Russian Monster when it landed.
While they were loading the helicopters,
the Russian pilots (two crews), went into town to buy cigarettes
by the case and Levis jeans. It is amazing something this
huge can stay in the air. The Wright brothers
would never have dreamed it.
These are just 14 of the 32 wheels
10
Crosswinds
More Around the Web….
Page 11
From Alan Buckner - Floating Airports That Turn City Skylines and Rivers into Landing Strips…..
What visionaries there were back in the 1920’s and 30’s.
http://gizmodo.com/5882184/12-floating-airports-that-turn-city-skylines-and-rivers-into-landing-strips/gallery/1
Read from the 1934
issue of
Popular Science….
See page 10
this issue
Above is an article about the proposed Seadrome by designer Edward Armstrong
who was born in 1876 and lived until 1955.
The above project was his idea in 1913, a full time company in 1926, but the
depression of the ‘30’s and WWII interfered and soon with the advent of longer
range planes, his idea was obsolete. Read about this fascinating man and his other ideas.
His idea of anchored deep-sea platforms was later applied to use for floating oil rigs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Robert_Armstrong
From Terry Foote…..
Art of the Aircraft - World War II
http://www.slideshare.net/gpsinc/the-greatest-generation
Here are some awesome vintage posters at very reasonable prices…go to the All Poster site and search for
Aviation (Vintage Art) there are over 1,700 of them,
starting at $ 6.98
B17 NINE-O-NINE - Steve Heyen
http://www.allposters.com
1944 - B17 bombers of 333 Sqn Bomb face Me109 fighters over Germany
11
Crosswinds
Back in Time to 1934 -
Page 12
From the Editor
In the nearly eight years (first issue was July, 2004), I have compiling Crosswinds, my favorite part is researching
the material sent in by the members.
Sometimes it is a movie sent as an attachment ...not as a link and I must search with my best internet friend
“Google” to find the origin and a way to insert it as a link for you to view. Other times I view a link and find lots more
interesting background to further enhance the story.
Such was the case this month with the link Alan sent about Floating Airstrips which was an innovative idea back as far
as 1913, just a scant 10 years after the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk…
I found a link from which you can view the entire issue of the Feb. 1934 Popular Science Magazine.
http://books.google.com/books?id=2CcDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
You know, we think we are so modern and so much more technology oriented than anyone could have been in 1934,
but please visit the site and browse through the articles to see the ideas presented at the time…
Here are just a couple of examples of the titles of the articles
Page 25 - Exciting Wind Tunnel game teaches players to fly
Page 26 - Uncle Sam asked to build floating airstrips
Page 28 - Facts about flying
Page 29 - Few people know at high speed, Pressure on Wing’s Front spar is
down
Page 30 - New wingless Autogiro gets first test
Page 31 Compressed air drives locomotive 125 miles an housr
Page.31 Belgian Helicopter sets world record
Page 33 - Model speedboat hits thirty mile clip
As shown on the
Feb. 1934 cover
above ---article
on page 47 in
magazine.
12
Crosswinds
You want me how close ????
Page 13
Submitted by Randy Shewmaker
4. Success
NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL TRULY NUTZOID............
ONLY THING THEY DIDN'T DO IS TAP THE NOSE OF THE F 118!
A British Royal Air Force Typhoon pilot flies up to the
back door of a C-130 (Hercules) for a photo opportunity.
http://shortarmguy.blogspot.com/2012/02/c130-photo-opportunity.html
1. Camera in place
2. The approach
3. You want me closer ???
Hey Guys,
Now is the time to renew your SPARKS Membership !!! ( and you should have
already renewed your AMA as well).
SPARKS
P.O. Box 1361
Tomball, TX 77377-1361
Please send your check to the SPARKS P. O. Box or
bring it to the March 7th meeting.
Please fill out a new membership form if your contact
info has changed and
N O T E T H E C H A N G E S …..
mail with your check!! It’s important
to keep our roster up to date… Please see the SPARKS website.
13
AD Corner
page 1
Pilot Ace-40S
There were no better kits for sale in the late 80s and 90's both in design and
quality of manufacture. As most of you know the Pilot factory in Japan burned to
the ground and destroyed all the tooling in the process. You occasionally can find a
Pilot kit on eBay and they bring quite a price. I want to offer this for the benefit of
the club members. I'm asking a mere $55.00. This is an exceptional kit and would
be a great and easy electric conversion.
Randy Shewmaker
281-300-2899
[email protected]
14
AD Corner
page 2
E-Flite Carbon-Z Yak
Item: This is a lightly used E-flite Carbon-Z Yak designed by former world champion Quique Somenzini. This is a very
smooth flying plane and flies pattern/IMAC like a much larger plane, yet it has the durability of carbon-fiber reinforces
Z-foam (rigid enough for precise flying but easy to repair with CA). Upgrades: Has the improved motor mount, a perfectly
balanced 13x4 E APC prop (all stock props are badly out of balance), 3” wheels for grass fields, and Velcro strap holdbacks for easy battery installation. Also includes a 2nd brand new 13x4 prop.
Condition: Perfect – no issues whatsoever. OK, there’s a slight scratch on one wing tip…
Why selling: I bought this in Augusta, GA to fly when I was visiting my parents. Knowing I wouldn’t have all my tools,
I wanted the foam construction for easy repairs. Unfortunately, urban sprawl has taken away the large flying field near
their house, so I can’t use it any more. I have similar planes here in Houston but this is by far in the best (perfect) condition.
Details: See the details here: http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/carbon-z-yak-54-pnp-EFL10075 The plane is
now in Houston and includes the original printed box and shipping box. One nice feature of this plane is that the rudder
and stabs can be removed easily and placed back in the box for storage or low-cost shipping.
Price: New price is $299.99. Selling for $199.99 for the PNP plane.
Add $50 total for 2 barely use (<10 flights each) 4S 3000mAh 30-4C batteries. Compare to new price of $82 for both.
Contact - Alan Buckner
[email protected]
15
281-655-0992
AD Corner
page 3
Field Box with starter
Item:
This is a Great Planes Master Caddy with most of what you need to get started for glow planes.
The caddy itself includes two drawers, starting stand / holder, glow fuel holder, etc. Also includes
a Hobbico Deluxe Power Panel II (glow starter, etc) and TorqMaster 180 Heavy Duty starter.
Condition:
It has been well used, but in very good condition. The Power Panel and starter are in great working condition. It also has a Hanger 9 fuel pump but that will likely need to be replaced or repaired.
It also includes a 12V battery but I don’t know if it’s working or not – consider it free J.
Why selling:
I am no longer flying glow planes, only electric and gas.
16
Crosswinds
Page 17
Please support our local RC Shops…
they are vital to our hobby.
Many special thanks to Randy Ritch of Randy’s Hobbies
for his continued support of SPARKS
8190 Barker-Cypress Rd. # 300
Cypress, TX. 77433
Woody Lee
281-855-9154
Www.rc-hobbies.com
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