Volume 7 Issue 4 Pages 8 AMA #530 District 11 www.eugenerc.com April 2011 Club Mailing Address: Eugene R/C Aeronauts, PO Box 26344, Eugene, OR. 97402 ERCA News and Information Next CLUB Meeting – April 20, 2011, 7:00 pm at EWEB. If you have a building project, bring it with you for "Show and Tell". At the March Meeting – There were 26 members in attendance. Al reported that we have 68 members current on their dues. Guest speaker Gus Phillips. Gus discussed the War Birds Over the Pacific and what it is all about. This Fun Fly is July 9th & 10th @ Mosby Field in Cottage Grove, Or. By-laws were discussed again. Brad is going to work on getting them posted on line. Need to be posted for 2 consecutive months with exact wording so the club can vote on them and have them be in effect for 2012. Discussion was brought up about having our meeting at different places. Possibly having more than just 1 pizza meeting each year. October 25th meeting place has been changed to a pizza meeting at Roaring rapids. We also discussed having refreshments at the monthly meetings. Different options were discussed. So we are going to try this on a rotation basis. A 50/50 raffle earned the club $40. The winner was a visitor and donated his $20 to the club. Kenton Melville shared his knowledge on LiPo and LiFe battery packs with the club. He also discussed battery chargers and watts per pound for converting Fuel powered to Electric powered aircraft. (If you watch Kenton fly his converted planes you will see he has if figured out). Show and Tell - Several members brought aircraft to the meeting. Some really nice aircraft to look over UP CLOSE! Other news - Pylon Warm Up event April 30 - dust off your Club-40 planes. Our field has been mowed a couple times this month, as well as fertilized and aerated. Dead sticking into the surrounding pasture is a "real field trip" - boots recommended. The Electrics runway is under re-construction, hopefully will be functional in the near future. If you do not like the weather outside, see the indoor flying section. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTAM - July 23 - There will be a NO FLY DAY Saturday, July 23rd, the land owner is having a family reunion and will be using all the parking space he can for those folks. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Swap Meet - South Lane R/C Modelers - Monday, April 18, 2011 at 6:00-9:00 PM at the EAA Clubhouse, Creswell Airport. See events page on our website for directions Meeting minutes are ONLINE at: http://eugenerc.com/meetings.html Presidents Corner I did it, I’ve gotten a large size electric helicopter. I’ve been thinking of getting one for years but the cost of the batteries has been keeping me from pulling the trigger. The helicopter is a Compass 600e, it is the same as my nitro version, Compass Knight 3D, this way I can have a direct comparison to the performance differences. The helicopter is setup to run a single 6S Lipo battery pack (22.2 volts). I went with the Turnigy 4.0 packs from Hobby King. At only $54.00 a pack this makes the cost acceptable. So far all I have done is basic setup and some light flying but the power is amazing. I’m looking forward to jumping in to the electric aircraft world. I hope that in the near future I will have an electric airplane or two to go with the new helicopter. I have been studying all things electric and having a great time learning this new aspect of the hobby. To all you electric guys out there I will be looking to learn as much from you as I can. I have noticed that there are more and more club members looking in to electric aircraft. Mike Vaughan has switched his whole fleet over to electric. We may need to take another look at electric power for charging at the field again. We voted at the March meeting to have a second pizza meeting. The pizza meeting will be the October meeting and it will be at Roaring Rapids Pizza in Glenwood. We will also be having drinks at the April meeting, Mickey Cohen will be bringing soft drinks and I will be bringing coffee, both caffeine and decaf. If you would like to bring cookies, doughnuts or some other treats to the next meeting then please do so, all will be eaten. Don’t forget about the 50/50 pot at the next meeting (all members that bring in show and tell will get one free 50/50 ticket) and the Trump’s Hobby’s gift certificate. There are several members with raffle ticket so you can buy them at any time. Frank Blain will be giving us a quick class on aircraft repair and covering tips at the next meeting so make sure your there to learn from a master. If you have topics that you would like to talk about at the April meeting, then email or call and I will put them on the agenda. Regards, Brad S. Werneth ERCA President 2011 Pylon Racing ERCA 2011 Pylon Race Season * April 30th Warm up * May 14th Race #1 and electric * June 11th Race #2 * July 9th Race #3 * Aug. 27th Race #4 Final Pylon - Contact:: Marty Wittman BAM 2011 Race Season (weather permitting) * April 16 Warm-up (Popp’s Field) * May 7 Race #1 (Popp’s Field) * July 23 Race #2 (Field of Dreams) * September 10 Race #3 (Popp’s Field) * October 8 Race #4 Finals (Dorrance Meadow) Treasurers Corner Our membership is currently at 76. We made it to the budget break-even point. Woo Hoo! The renewal tsunami has wound down to where I've been able to get out of the hangar and spread the wings a bit. Between rain storms this past month, we have been blessed with one or two fair days a week to fly. The early mornings are still chilly but it warms up by noon to near 60F. Winds have been all over the compass and from 0 to 15 mph. Lots of variety.. This past month I've been trying out the new Radian Pro power glider from Horizon. It's a Parkzone foamy with a lot of features. I have a dozen flights on mine now and have managed somehow to resist landing it on the roof of the clubhouse. So far I'm very pleased with its performance. It has lived up to the reviews and my expectations. Special thanks to Alan Wellentin for his assistance on the maiden flight with the launching and trimming. There's much more to tell that I'll save for this next meeting's show & tell. I'd like to say a huge thanks to our volunteers for all they do to help keep the club and facilities maintained and running smoothly. We have a handful of unsung heroes who I feel don't get enough credit and praise for their generous efforts and selfless dedication to our club. You know who you are. I want you to know that we appreciate all you do for the club. It is this pride in ownership of our club that keeps other clubs envious of what we have. Doug McWha has been diligently working his magic on the field, converting it from a swamp into a functional landing strip. Rod Madison's generous fertilizer donation will give our grass strip a much needed breakfast after the winter hibernation. I've seen several other handy members getting involved in the general Spring cleanup and fix up of damage following this past winter's storms. Thanks to all. With everyone pulling together, we will be prepared for another great flying season and our upcoming big events. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the field and meetings. This next meeting is on another odd date. Wednesday, April 20th, at 7pm, at EWEB. Until then . . . Happy landings. AL Barrington Sec/Treas, ERCA 2011 Meeting Dates Meeting dates EWEB came up with that were available and closest to our requested dates: WED, APR 20 - EWEB TUES, MAY 17 - EWEB - 3rd Tues TUES, JUN 28 - Field - 4th Tues TUES, JUL 26 - Field - 4th Tues TUES, AUG 23 - Field - 4th Tues WED, SEP 21 - EWEB TUES, OCT 25 - Pizza WED, NOV 23 - EWEB DEC - No meeting Tech Tips - Clear Coat your Foamy Purchase an 8 oz can of Minwax Polycrylic water based clear satin and a couple of disposable 1" foam brushes. That's all you need! About 5 bucks! http://blog.hobby-lobby.com/wing-world-rc-model-airplanes/dress-up-your-foam-jet-quick-and-easy/ Dress up your Foam Jet, Quick and Easy! Foam, foam, foam…it’s everywhere today. Foam jets, foam airplanes, foam sailplanes, RTF’s, ARF’s, receiver ready, bind n fly….etc., etc., etc. Over the years, I have tried many methods to make my ducted fan jet foamies look a bit better than the rest of the bunch at the flying field. Most of the traditional methods (fiberglass, epoxies, primers and fillers etc.) are very time consuming and add weight to the finished product. A quick and easy method was suggested to me by a long time customer, friend, and fellow modeler in Colony, Texas. You should try his suggestion on your next foamie. Step 1: go to Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local hardware store. Purchase an 8 oz can of Minwax Polycrylic water based clear satin and a couple of disposable 1” foam brushes. That’s all you need! About 5 bucks! This process works best if you start with a new foam jet, such as Hobby Lobby’s SU-34, F-35 Lightning, Eurofighter or the new F/A 18E, and apply the Minwax before you assemble the model. Step 2: Take all of the foam parts out of the box, dip the foam brush lightly in the Minwax Polycrylic, and apply with the 1” foam brush. It is important to apply as thin a coat of the Polycrylic as possible. Use the foam brush to “wipe on” this finish and set each part aside to dry thoroughly for an hour or so. Avoid application to tabs or foam parts that will be glued together when you assemble your jet. If your foamie has waterslide decals, just apply this coating right over the decals (the Polycrylic will seal and protect them) If your model has vinyl stickers or vinyl decals, apply the coating only up to the edge of the decal or sticker. When all parts are thoroughly dry, apply a second coat. I personally like to apply 3 coats (some folks even use 4 coats)……you will like the results. Now assemble your model as normal. The Polycrylic coating makes colors more vibrant, enhances molded in details, and makes the foam more resistant to “hangar rash”. This coating works especially well on EPS foam models (like Styrofoam) that have lots of details molded in to the foam. Some of your fellow modelers may even accuse you of fiber-glassing your new jet. - - - - - - - This article was posted in Wing World (R/C Model Airplanes) If anyone else has experiences or opinions on LiPo packs, PLEASE share them with us. One of the GREAT things about this HOBBY is folks share information. March Meeting - Good turnout Channel Survey Results as of April 4 Ch # In Ch # In Ch # In Ch # In # Use # Use # Use # Use 1 1 31 1 44 1 55 3 2 1 36 1 46 2 56 1 11 1 38 1 47 1 59 1 21 1 40 1 48 1 22 1 42 1 50 2 2G 17 Last month I stated "PLEASE be aware that at ALL AMA sanctioned events ONLY 2.4G transmitters can be used." That misinformation was the result of POOR EDITING. It should have said " PLEASE be aware that many clubs now have a rule that at ALL AMA sanctioned events ONLY 2.4G transmitters can be used." It is a CLUB not AMA rule. (Your editor thanks the several members that brought this to my attention.) It is my understanding that AMA does not require 2.4G Tx's have channel Pins. WITH THE WEEKDAY WARRIORS There’s been a lot of complaining about the weather in the month of March. The Weather Bureau’s radio station reported that, of March’s 31 days, only 26 had had measurable precipitation, which means that fully 16% of the month was dry. Well, almost. There were three other days when “a trace” of rain fell, but that still means that fully 6˝% of the month was rainfree. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves for all that griping? The coming of April has brought a few small - okay, okay, tiny - stretches of flyable weather. Alan Wellentin’s been flying a large, slick-looking biplane called a Miss Wind 50E. It’s electric and the motor is the equivalent of a 110 glow engine. The wings have considerable taper, all on the leading edge, and the interplane I-struts and cabane are held to the wings of the plane by five carbonfibre rods that slide in through the leading edge. These are quite fine and I’d like to see a table giving the equivalent sizes of steel and c/f rods. Alan likes the plane so far, though he finds one of its characteristics disconcerting. When you pull out of a long dive and advance the throttle, there is no roar of an engine revving up, though the plane sails away just as it should. To one used to flying Pattern ships with 140 glow engines, this does bring the heart to the mouth for a split second. Mel Graham and son JR have also been flying a biplane, a Reactor which you have seen them with before. Power is a YS 110 which had been giving less than stellar service until it was rebuilt with new gaskets, pressure-return line, and fuel tank cap. All seems to be well now and the pair are contemplating a return to Pattern competition. Oliver Willis has acquired Doug McWha’s old Tango. It came via Chuck Jenkins who had a Saito .82 4-stroke in it for (over) power and didn’t like it. Oliver is using a K&B .46 (45?) of slightly ancient vintage. Its mild performance must come as a relief to the Tango after that .82. The pilot is getting used to the plane and, after initially being reluctant to roll it, tried one, liked it, and decided it was a good idea after all. Being a high-winger, there’s nothing to shield the plane from the muddy runway, so the bottom, sides, and even the top of the Tango were pretty liberally doused with the stuff. Fortunately, Oliver employs a serf (reportedly for mere room and board) who is so efficient that it took him only 20 min. to clean the plane at the end of the day. If you are planning to fly off the runway in its present state, you might check with Oliver to see if he rents him out. Name’s Pat. Another flier battling the mud on that day was Mike Vaughan, who had an electric, trike-geared Knockabout. You’ll remember that Mike Farr, our V.P., has the same plane, but with a tailwheel and a glow engine. Mike V’s electric motor is the equivalent of a .46 and pulls 250 amps. The model used to have a .51 glow and is, so help me, nearly as loud now as it was then. Yes, yes, I am exaggerating a little, but this ship really is louder than many of the far-larger electrics. It has to be prop, doesn’t it. Mike had an odd crash with this one. He got it out to the East; the sun flashed on it; and he lost not just orientation, but the whole plane. By the time he picked it up again, it was doomed. All fixed now, however. Mr. Vaughan is flying another electric, a T-Rex 600 helicopter. All the latest high-tech stuff like a flybarless head. (They’ve cheated him out of his flybar and he’s happy about it!) Alan took the T-Rex and tuned it all up, so Mike’s on his own now. He’d done no more than hover it, but that was a week ago and I’m sure he has progressed miles since then. Other, more routine, flying has seen Marty Wittmann in the air with a Skyraider Pylon ship and using a Spectrum DX8 transmitter. Is that DX8 new? Wayne Wahrmund brought out his Skyraider for the first time since October and WITH THE WEEKDAY WARRIORS continued he found it just as satisfactory as it was when he put it away. Wayne and Doug McWha went out and flew at the Spring-field Sports Center a week or so ago, but not, as you might think, Indoor. They went out on the fake-grass soccer field to fly, among other things, Wayne’s foam De Haviland Mosqui-to twin. That carpet has a nap short enough to allow takeoffs by such modest-sized electrics as Wayne’s Mossie. Your columnist has not been able to work up much enthusiasm for playing in the mud, so the Cavalier Std. remains stacked in the corner of the shop. The Bird of Time sailplane is now on the work table. The kit was bought at an estate sale and one always approaches such kits with some apprehension. What, if anything, had the late owner removed from the box and did he put it back later? I’d planned on thickening the all-flying stabilizer, so it wasn’t a disa-ster to find that the only vestiges of the stab were the outlines where the trailing edge and tip had been punched from the die-cut sheet. Big lightening holes were planned for the rudder, a big slab of 3/8” sheet, but that wasn’t there either, so a form has been traced from the plans in aid of laminating a t.e. for a built-up rudder. And the widening of the fuselage had been contemplated so as to give more scope for choosing servos, but how do you do that when all the parts are already cut out? No problem. Ready-cut they may have been, but present they certainly weren’t. Hey, all that easier to build that wider fuselage! All the wing parts were there and I’ll have one 59” panel built by the time you read this, as well as the (thicker) stab, but I really should have looked more closely at that kit, shouldn’t I? C. O’D. Indoor Flying Flying Schedule - Thursdays at 1:00 - at the National Guard Armory Gym. NOTE - Wednesday is NOT a Armory fly day until further notice. For Sale --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Electrifly Power Series 4S Lipo: 2100mAh - 14.8.V. 20C. Deans plug and universal balancing port. Never used; ordered mistakenly by typing wrong SKU in online order. Asking $20. John Farkas (541)896-9239 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Tamiya RC Car TG 10-MK.1 Pro Long Suspension Version $100.00 (MSRP $400.00) Mickey Cohen mcaviation@comcast.net -- Hangar 9 Funtana S 90 3D ARF New in the box $125.00 Mickey Cohen mcaviation@comcast.net -- Top Flite Douglas DC-3 Twin Engine 1/14 Kit New in the box $140.00 Robart Retracts and Standard Air Control Kit New $75.00 with kit Mickey Cohen mcaviation@comcast.net -- O.S. “Gemini-160” FT-160 Twin-Cylinder 4-Stroke Engine Brand new, never ran. $800.00 osmg1160 On Sale at Tower for $874 Mickey Cohen mcaviation@comcast.net 541- 953-9902 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- WANTED Cowl for 90 size Showtime 4-D. Doesn't have to be new but needs to be in good condition. Thanks, Alan 541-726-7482 a_wellentin@yahoo.com --- That's All Folks - Eugene R/C Aeronauts Newsletter Editor 1618 Gilham Rd. Eugene, OR. 97401 April 2011 «FirstLast» «Street» «CityStZip» ERCA CLUB CONTACTS President: Brad Werneth - 541-285-5935 - brad@werneth.com Vice President: Mike Farr - 541-689-4564 - far-owt@comcast.net Sec/Treasurer: Al Barrington - 541-935-4960 - albarrington@msn.com Safety coordinator: Marry Wittman - 541-968-2094 - marty.wittman@gmail.com Groundskeeper: Doug McWha - 541-741-3326 - flyduke@comcast.net Newsletter Editor: Jim Corbett - 541-344-5022 - james.corbett@comcast.net Next CLUB Meeting – Wednesday, April 20, 2011 – 7:00 pm at EWEB December 2009 2 April 2011 7