Clippings NOVEMBER 2010

FROM OUR PRESIDENT
THANKFUL FOR A GREAT SEASON
— by Phil Zuidema
— by Del & Rita Berryman
The flying season is still going strong. We are lucky to have
had such great October weather. I plan on making the most
of it, because winter in Minnesota lasts a long time.
At our first meeting, I asked our attendees to jot down an
idea of what they’d like to see at our club meetings this
year. Here are the condensed responses:
Films/videos, short movies
Guest lecturers
How-to talks: e.g. Monokote, Ultracote,
fiberglassing techniques
Electric motors, big and small voltage
Charging and explanation of the various kinds
of batteries
Engine tuning and maintenance, 2 & 4 cycle, gas
More racing tips for experts and beginners,
to create interest
Retract installation
Discounted fuel sales
Pizza
We will put these topics on the meeting schedule. If other
ideas come to mind, feel free to email me or anyone else on
the board. We’re looking for enthusiasts to present on
these topics; if you would like to present on any of these,
let me know. Show and Tell is every month, so bring your
plane, project, or idea.
At the November meeting, we will elect new officers. The
two positions that are up for election are vice president and
secretary. As I stepped up to take over the president’s
duties, it left a vacancy in the VP slot. For the interim, the
board asked Jerry Elert to hold that position. Del Berryman
is currently serving as secretary. Jerry and Del have both
agreed to serve again, if elected.
Any member in good standing of three years or more will
be accepted as a nominee. It does take a little time to
provide the service to the club, but I think it is worth it.
At the meeting, we will have a covering demonstration.
Please let me know if you’d like to volunteer! Roy Maynard
has agreed to bring his turbine-powered ME-163 Komet.
This airplane was developed by the Germans and used
a highly explosive and corrosive fuel labeled C Stoff and
T Stoff (Stuff). Roy’s model uses a kerosene turbine
for power.
As this flying season winds down, we are thankful for another
great year at Grassfield. We’ve had our “ups and downs” —
great takeoffs and flights, and some not-so-great landings.
All of us have memorable moments and are a bit sad to see
winter on its way.
Of course, each season has its own blessings. So we hope you
are looking forward to some good winter projects and some
extra family time during the holidays. And some of you may
be getting ready for deer hunting, or even planning to shoot
your own wild turkey, like Elmer Fudd.
Don’t forget your flying buddies this winter.
Grassfield’s meetings offer great opportunities
to get together and share with each other. If
you’re like us, most of our lasting friendships
are with our Grassfield friends.
— Phil
Happy Thanksgiving!
— Del & Rita
OUR NEXT MEETING
WHEN:
WHERE:
Friday, November 12, 2010
7:00 pm (Doors open from 6:00 to 10:00 pm)
Brooklyn Center Civic Center
6301 Shingle Creek Pkwy.
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
THIS ISSUE’S C LIPPINGS
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
1
THANKFUL FOR A GREAT SEASON
1
OUR NEXT MEETING
1
GRASSFIELD’S OCTOBER 8
TH
MEETING
2
THE RACER’S EDGE:
THE LAST DANCE FOR CASH & THE SHOOT-OUT
3
HELI AIR TIME:
RC HELICOPTER SAFETY TIPS
3
BURN, BABY, BURN!
4
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
5
CARNAC THE MAGNIFICENT
5
GRASSFIELD’S OCTOBER 8 TH MEETING
The first fall meeting of Grassfield was held on Friday,
October 8th, at the Brooklyn Center Civic Center, led by
Phil Zuidema, President.
The following members shared during the Show & Tell
portion of the meeting.
Stan Zdon brought a Klemm KI-35 built from a German
kit by Krich. The plane was first introduced in 1935 as a
sport and training plane for the German Air Force. The
plan instructions were written in German and then
translated into English. Some of the translation was hard
to decipher, and there were no pictures, making it a
challenge to build. Stan started building the plane last
February and finished it about three weeks ago.
Phil Zuidema showed his Super Chipmunk, a great-flying
aerobatic plane made from a high-quality ARF kit with
prepainted fiberglass fuselage, wheel pants, and cowling.
With flaps, the plane lands like a trainer. Phil installed a
G-26 gas engine and plans to add smoke to the plane.
Richard Steine came with his one-fifth scale Top Flite
P-51 Mustang, which he bought uncovered. Richard said
the advantage of buying a plane uncovered is that they send
you one with the best-looking wood. He explained how he
beefed up the landing gear and gave tips for airbrushing,
which he used to add shading, a technique that adds more
dimension than a flat paint job.
Pat Galarneault told about the wing he is building for Lee
LaValley’s Quarter 40. The wing is almost ready for the
final paint, and if the plane flies good, he will make a mold
of it. If not, he’ll start over. Built in two halves, the wing is
constructed to have the strength of a one-piece wing. Lee
will use the wing for Quarter 40s with Nelson or Jett
engines and said that, with this wing, a four-pound airplane
will pull 26 G’s.
THANK Y OU , G REGG HEMKEN!
Grassfield thanks Gregg Hemken for his dedication to
the field this entire season, mowing the grass every week!
THE RACER’S EDGE
THE LAST DANCE FOR CASH
The final race of the North Central Pylon League’s
season was held on October 2nd, with racers
competing for $10.00 in cash to the winner of each
heat. The first, second, and third-place winners,
shown below, were awarded trophies.
THE SHOOT-OUT!
Then the season’s Top Eight finishers, below, competed
in a shoot-out for the year’s top spot; Randy Etken
won the shoot-out and has bragging rights next year.
The action-packed day ended with a steak dinner and
a keg—and a lot of talk about next year’s racing.
Winners of The Last Dance for Cash: First
Place, Phil Zuidema (center); Second Place, Randy
Etken (right); Third Place, Dave Norman (left).
The Top Eight Season Finishers: Front row, left to right: Del
Berryman, Tim Brockman, Don Luce, Randy Etken. Back row, left
to right: Phil Zuidema, Pat Redig, Dave Norman, Jerry Bednark.
HELI AIR TIME
RC HELICOPTER SAFETY TIPS FROM ROGUE EAGLES R/C CLUB OF MEDFORD, OREGON, & THE AMA INSIDER
1. Whenever you start your helicopter, whether it’s a nitro,
gasser, or electric, always hold the blade grips tightly. If
your throttle is not all the way down, or there’s a glitch,
your helicopter can spin out of control and cause damage.
2. Always stand a minimum of five to ten feet away from
your helicopter and never fly toward yourself. Similarly,
don’t fly around other people or pets.
3. Blade tips can be spinning in excess of 250 mph and a
carbon fiber rotor at those speeds can do some serious
damage and even cause death.
4. Always disconnect your battery/motor before trying to
adjust anything on your helicopter.
5. If a blade separates during in flight, it can fly in excess
of 100 feet, so make sure your nuts/bolts are tight.
6. Perform a quick preflight check to make sure
everything is as it’s supposed to be. Make sure nuts,
bolts, and screws are tight, linkages aren’t loose, and
your batteries are charged.
7. Don’t fly alone if it can be avoided and always have a
cell phone or other means of communication available.
8. Don’t fly near trees, power lines, or other obstacles.
9. Avoid flying your RC helicopter in close proximity to another
helicopter to avoid contact and a potentially fatal crash.
10. Don’t fly a nonelectric RC helicopter indoors. The
fumes are toxic and not good for your health.
11. Practice new moves on a simulator first for safety and
your wallet’s sake.
12. When flying on windy days, always fly upwind from
your RC helicopter so a gust doesn’t blow it toward
you. Better yet, don’t fly when it’s windy out.
13. Don’t adjust the radio when your helicopter is
powered. If you accidently reverse the throttle, bad
things can happen.
14. Avoid flying your RC helicopter at head height. If
something comes loose or there’s a glitch (electrical or
human) you’re less likely to lose an eye.
15. If you want to manually slow down the blades, do so
by adding friction to the button and keep loose
clothing and other bodily parts away from them.
16. When walking toward your helicopter, make sure that
your transmitter’s throttle hold switch is turned on.
17. Only use hardened bolts for any bolt that has a load
being placed on it. If possible, stick to stock parts.
18. Program fail-safe settings into your receiver if possible.
19. If you’re new to RC helicopters, make sure that an
experienced helicopter pilot checks out your aircraft
and radio setup prior to your first flight.
20. Don’t fly powerful RC helicopters indoors that were
meant for the wide open spaces of outdoors.
BURN, BABY, BURN!
THE FIRST CRASH & BURN FOR
NEW MEMBER, TOM BREZINSKI
Tom Brezinski just joined Grassfield in August, a
newcomer to RC flying. He had a month of successful flights on his Sig
Kadet LT-40, with some training help. He had also spent some time on the
flight simulator and was confident that flying came naturally for him.
Then he started flying his Great Planes Big Stik 60, and it crashed—
the dreaded experience that every flyer eventually has. It only flew
for about 30 seconds. Oops, the
ailerons were reversed!
But that hasn’t discouraged him.
With that lesson learned, he
quickly bought another kit, a
Hangar 9 Super Stick 60, and
keeps on flying.
Now what does a fella do with
the mangled plane? If you ever
ask Del Berryman that question,
you know the answer is “Burn
it!” So on a chilly September
24th, Tom went home to get his Big Stik and some firewood for the pit. And with
Del’s help and the encouragement of several seasoned flyers at the field, the plane
burned alright!
With a great attitude—and that burning desire in his gut to fly (no pun intended),
Tom is off to a great start. He’s already got plans for some winter projects, a
Sig Four-Star 60 and others to be determined, maybe including a Top Flite Elder 40. He enjoys building planes and not just
flying them. And he has already started building up his supply of parts—some servos, a spare engine, and a starter that he
saved from the carnage before the Big Stik went into the fire pit.
Living just five minutes from the field, Tom has spent a lot of time there and attended October’s Grassfield meeting too. So
be sure to say “hi” when you see him around.
A TRIBUTE TO AL SCHWARTZ & HIS DH-4
Al Schwartz’s DH-4 ended up in the fire pit after a fatal
crash on October 3rd. The scale plane was a beauty and had
won the Pilot’s Choice Award in the 2010 Builders’ Show.
The plane had several flights this year, but not without some
problems. It had crashed and was rebuilt by Al several
times. Apparently, it flew about the same as the original
DH-4, a British two-seat biplane day-bomber of World War I.
Al stuffed it in the fire pit before he went home, leaving it
for his fellow flyers to burn. As you can see, they all enjoy a
good fire and didn’t mourn much. As for Al, he said, “The
plane has been a thorn in my side, and I’m relieved to be
through with it,” spoken as a 52-year veteran of flying.
Al’s plane will not be forgotten anytime soon. We will see
more of his DH-4 next year, because it is the featured plane
on Grassfield’s 2011 Membership Card, a tradition of honor
given to the winner of the Builders’ Show.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The positions of vice president and secretary are up
for election at the November 12th meeting. Jerry Elert,
the current vice president, and Del Berryman, the
current secretary, have agreed to continue in their
offices, if elected. A Grassfield member of three years or
more, in good standing, will be accepted as a nominee.
R EVISED MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2011
Open (19 years or over)
Senior (65 years or over)
Student (19 to 23 years)
Junior (18 years or under)
$65.00
$45.00
$20.00
$20.00
(Determined by member’s age on July 1, 2011)
2011 membership forms are available online at www.grassfieldrc.org.
Or pick up a form at the field or at one of the Grassfield meetings.
CARNAC THE MAGNIFICENT
O GREAT SAGE, I hold in
my hand these envelopes.
As a child of four can
plainly see, these envelopes
have been hermetically
sealed. They’ve been kept
in a #2 mayonnaise jar
since noon today on Funk
and Wagnall’s porch. No
one knows the contents of
these envelopes, but you, in
your divine and mystical
way, will ascertain the
answers to these questions,
having never seen them before.
Carnac: May a camel chip float in your beer.
ENVELOPE #1 —
Carnac’s Answer: State of Minnesota, take down that wall.
The Question: What would President Reagan have to say
about that big wall of dirt by Grassfield?
ENVELOPE #2 —
Carnac’s Answer: Reversed ailerons.
The Question: What do 52-year veteran, Al Schwartz, and
first-year flyer, Tom Brezinski, have in common?
ENVELOPE #3 —
Carnac’s Answer: Peter pan.
The Question: What do you use to fry a peter?
DID Y OU K NOW ?
GRASSFIELD CONTACTS
PRESIDENT
Phil Zuidema
763.571.9627
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
Jerry Elert
651.484.5187
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Del Berryman
612.799.6247
[email protected]
TREASURER
Jerry Cornish
763.559.2274 [email protected]
[email protected]
CONTEST COORDINATOR
Richard Steine
612.860.5714
[email protected]
FIELD MARSHALL
Gregg Hemken
763.772.4103
[email protected]
SAFETY OFFICER
Lee LaValley
715.265.7281
[email protected]
WEB SITE EDITOR
Bill Hempel
763.424.2937
[email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITORS
Del Berryman
Rita Berryman
612.799.6247
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Paul Johnson said that he has come up with a new
3-D helicopter move. He calls it The Del Berryman.
A BOUT “THE C LIPPINGS”
The Clippings is published by The Grassfield Radio Control
Club, Inc., and distributed to club members and other
interested parties. Any material from this publication may be
copied for personal use or republished for any non-profit
purpose by any AMA member, provided it is accompanied by
the proper attribution which includes The Grassfield Radio
Control Club, Inc., as well as the author’s name and title, if
given; if the original author is from a club other than The
Grassfield Radio Control Club, also list the name of the
originating club or organization. Any other reproduction,
publication, or redistribution, in any form, is prohibited.
The Grassfield Radio Control Club, Inc. reserves the right, in
sole discretion, to edit or reject any material submitted for
publication. All other rights reserved.
For editorial submissions, advertising inquiries, and membership
information, contact Del Berryman at 12967 192½ Circle NW,
Elk River, MN, 55330 —[email protected] — 612-799-6247.