the FLIGHTstuff E D W I N W A R N E R M O D E L AV I A T O R S M AY 2 0 1 5 Learning to Fly: A Better Direction by C. L. “Red” Scholefield Member of AMA (#951) since 1958 ~ modelaircraft.org/files/ScholefieldRed.pdf W hen it comes to how some people are accepting electric powered flight, I am reminded of the comments of the father of W.W. Greener, author of the classic work, The Gun and Its Development written in 1910. Greener Sr., the gun expert of the day, wrote in 1858: “There is no possibility of a breech loader ever shooting as equally to a well constructed muzzle loader. The gun is unsafe and becomes more and more unsafe from the first time it is used. Also, it is a costly affair, both in regard to the weapon and the ammunition.” Sound familiar? It would appear that in every instance of technical advancement there are those who don’t share the enthusiasm. I recall when glow plugs first came out — same story. Likewise, when MonoKote was introduced to the hobby it had its share of those who would never touch it, much less give it a try. I will give them their due however, as there is nothing nicer than a good silkand-dope finish. I guess it is the nature of some to resist change at all cost. I suppose every club has at least one or two individuals who are bent on keeping the status quo. All I can say is that if you haven’t tried it, you might be missing out on a good thing. For instance, there are many good reasons to try electrics. It’s no surprise that newcomers to the hobby who have been led down the gas- or glow-engine road become so easily frustrated. Some people seem to have forgotten that running these engines is a science learned over a period of years. Back when people actually built models from scratch, engines were the only practical power system we had available after we graduated from rubber bands. Modeling back then was certainly more of a steep learning curve. Nearly every aspect of the hobby took patience to get it right: basic construction, covering, finishing, trimming. Afterwards, if you got that far, actually flying it and getting it trimmed out was a further challenge. Then along came radio control. Most of us involved at that time had to build the equipment, which was another tedious learning experience. Passing engine information to a new modeler takes time and much patience on the part of both the mentor and the newcomer. Wouldn’t we be doing the hobby a service if we directed new modelers toward electrics? Let him or her learn the aspects of flying before loading that person down with the burden of the caring and feeding of a glow/gas engine. It’s less expensive and safer too! What’s Up S ome residents of Morning Pointe in Brentwood will be visiting the airfield after the May 12th club meeting (around 10 or 10:30). Facebook hopes to test its solar-powered Wi-Fi airplanes (not drones — the company gets angry when you call them drones, and you don’t want Facebook angry) by the end of the year. If successful, within five years these planes could provide free Wi-Fi to the two-thirds of the world’s population that currently live without it. The planes will be about the size of a Boeing 747 and are meant to fly for months or years. A picture of one is in the masthead of this newsletter — looks like one of our models! Now there’s a better option in polarized power plugs: the Star Plug. It’s an alternative that’s easier to grip and pull apart than other plugs, yet holds tight even in the most extreme situations. Its unique design makes for neater installations, because there’s no need for heat shrink tubing. It’s also compatible with the most common polarized plug in R/C and ready to set a new standard in high-efficiency power plugs. Here are some further specs: • Tapered shape and grip strips for fast and easy separation. • Rear caps include a center isolator to prevent terminals shorting. • Gold-plated male terminals for excellent conductivity and nickelplated female terminals for wear resistance and longer life. • Stainless spring for tight connections even after hundreds of uses. Bryce Custer is trying to make friends outside of Facebook while using the same principles. So every day he walks down the street and tells people what he ate, how he feels, what he did and will do next. He also listens to the conversations of others and tells them “Like!” He even pokes them—and it works! Already he has three people following him: a policeman, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist! Our newest member, Joseph Elbon, is home schooled, so he got to attend the April meeting. Jim Aldendifer, Doc Bradford, and Bob Patterson had some good show and tell. For a first time, the COMA was given to a pair of members. The “lucky” duo were Richard Leverone and Dudley Pitts for their impressive mid-air display. GoPro is developing its own line of consumer drones to expand from its core business of making wearable video cameras popular with surfers and other sports enthusiasts. The company intends to start selling multi-rotor helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras late this year, aiming for a price tag between $500 and $1,000. NOTE: There will be no flying on May 7th and 8th so that fencing can be erected to protect our tarmac during the Iroquois Steeplechase. ewmaclub.org ar d n e l a R/C C May 9 - 16 32nd Annual Joe Nall Week Woodruﬀ, SC tripletreeaerodrome.com/joe-nall May 12 Second Tuesday Club Meeting Breakfast at The Egg and I, 8:30 May 23 WTRCF Fly-In Jackson, TN wtrcf.org May 25 EWMA Memorial Day Picnic This annual event is free for all club members and their families. BBQ, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and desserts are the fare. We’ll eat around 11:30. June 6 - 7 CAF All Electric Fly-In Tullahoma, TN coffeeairfoilers.com June 9 Second Tuesday Club Meeting Breakfast at The Egg and I, 8:30 June 13 - 14 “Taking Flight for Charity” Fly-In to Benefit the Wounded Warrior Project Paducah Aero Modelers paducahaeromodelers.com