Volume 5 Issue 3 Pages 8 AMA #530 District 11 www.eugenerc.com March 2009 Club Mailing Address: Eugene R/C Aeronauts, PO Box 26344, Eugene, OR. 97402 DUES TIME If you have not, PLEASE pay your AMA and ERCA dues ASAP! ERCA News and Information Next CLUB Meeting – March 31, 7:00 pm at the EWEB Training Center. If you have a building project, bring it with you for "Show and Tell". Please plan to have your membership dues (ERCA & AMA) current before or at this meeting. At the February Meeting – There were 27 members and guests at the meeting. Al Barrington reported we had only 66 members in good standing before the meeting started. And then he was inundated with checks and forms so that number will grow considerably. Carey Walters and John Florent were welcomed into the club as new members. Khoi gave an update on the progress in securing the Oakridge Airport for our Big- Bird Fly on July 18th. He has been in contact with the Oakridge Chamber of Commerce and hopes to have an official go-ahead soon. Mel gave a brief overview of his recent visit to Cottage Grove RC & Hobbies, 120 Palmer Ave, Cottage Grove (541)942- 3335. The store is small and is heavily biased towards RC cars and trucks, a small selection of airplane and helicopter accessories are also available as well as radio equipment and accessories. The aircraft he stocks are mostly hobby and park zone flyers. Fun Fly is tentatively set for August 15th, 2009 and a Labor Day Fly on September 7th, 2009. Show&Tell - Khoi arranged for Bill Schneider, an avid float plane flyer and member of the South Lane club, to present a float plane primer to us. It was very informative and sounds fun. Bill hosts a float fly for AMA members at Dexter Lake on the 3rd Saturday of each month. He can be contacted at 937-2829 for more info. Meeting minutes are ONLINE at: http://eugenerc.com/meetings.html 2009 Meeting dates EWEB downtown Eugene: March 31 7:00 pm. Training Center April 21 7:00 pm. Cmmunity Room May 19 7:00 pm. Cmmunity Room At the flying field June, July and Augus Presidents Corner At our March 31st meeting, we will have Gus Phillips come as a guest to present information about KMP line of airplanes. He will show a DVD of KMP manufacturing process and give us a peek at the new electric retracts on an ME 109. In case you don't know, Gus is the USA support agent for KMP. I think his presentation will be quite informative for those warbird addicts in the club. Please come to show our support of this segment of the hobby. Regarding the Oakridge Airport location for our Big Bird Fly-In, I've gotten mixed feedback from club members. Steve Harris brought up the concern for surrounding trees at that airport. But I know guys that have flown there for many years without issues. And to settle any nerves, I plan to go up there on a good weekend day to fly and see for myself. Frank and a couple members plan to join me for that day. Let me know if anybody else wants to join us for that test fly day. We will present information based on our experience at the March 31st meeting at EWEB. It appears that about 1/3 of club members still have not paid their 2009 dues. Please show up at the March 31st meeting to pay dues and show your support. Khoi Tran ERCA President 2009 For Sale Health say I can't go chasing planes around the fields any more Jet Hangar Hobbies F-86. Plane is built and ready for radio and fan unit. Includes ROM retracts installed. $350.00 Jet Hangar Hobbies P-80 (T-Bird). Complete untouched Kit. Has fiberglass fuse and foam core wing with optional built-up wing kit included. $300.00 Turbax 1 fan w/ K&B 7.5 fan engine. Used. About 6 tanks run through it. Excellent condition. $100.00 Turbax 1 fan w/K&B 7.5 fan engine. NEW. Never run $150.00 OS Max 77VR ducted fan engine. NEW IN BOX. $200.00 Digipace II ni-cd battery cycling system. $50.00 Contact: Jim Emerson Phone (541) 915-6730 or email: emspunkin@msn.com WITH THE WEEKDAY WARRIORS March 2009 Yes, there has been some flying this month though the weather still refuses to cooperate fully. My informants at NOAA Weather Radio told me that we had about 76% of the rain we should have had in February and that we’re running somewhere in that vicinity this month. That still doesn’t seem to have resulted in too many flyable weekdays, though I continue to miss some, I think, to doctor’s appointments. Freed from the cares of The Presidency, Pat Willis has had his faithful Giles 202 out at the field a few times lately. This one has a BCMA (is that right?) 40cc gas-burner in it. Now if this engine would just be honest about the whole thing, it would admit to being a 2.44 cu. in. engine in real measurements, but don’t be too hard on the poor thing. It’s an orphan; BCMA folded. Pat has a new bird on the way. No, not that secret project of his (does that one really exist?), but a Cessna twin, a 444 (I think). My knowledge of Cessna twins stops right after the Bobcat (steel tube, wood, and fabric as a plane should be) so I can’t tell you what to expect from this one. Khoi Tran, weighed down by those Presidential burdens, did manage some flights with his Zeke — and with the gear up at that. The landings were all wheelers with a flip over on its back at the end. One saw a very long, straight roll which finally encountered a soft patch ‘way down the strip and over she went. All very entertaining for the onlookers who were generous with advice, but eventually one could see a lot of daylight between the fin and the top of the fuselage. A sure sign that attempting another flight would be asking for it, so Khoi retired the Mitsubishi for the day. Rich Richardson took one of his Amp Rider electrics and put a new wing on it - a wing with ribs that have an actual camber to them instead of Rich’s usual flat plate! He says it does improve things at around stall speed. He was also flying a foam creation which I shall try to describe: It’s a straight- lower-wing, swept-top-wing, tailless bipe with “curtains” acting as interplane struts out at the tips. Both Rich and Jim Corbett seem to think it a trifle under-powered. The aforementioned Jim C. was flying his electric Stinger; Frank Blain his usual Extra 330; and Doug McWha that disreputable EasySport of his. Not only is its appearance execrable, but now it’s making funny noises. One opinion is that the bearings are so worn that the balls themselves are able to jump around inside their races. Another opinion is that the balls are entirely out of the races and are jumping around inside the case. It doesn’t bother Doug. He says he’ll fly it until it won’t run, then turn it over to Chuck Jenkins who has seen to Doug’s bearings before. Jeff Engel’s Frenzy continues to give good service with that “110” electric motor up front. He had another, 40-size ship, one he’d just repaired in the wake of a mishap last Fall. I said to myself. “I’ll remember what that ship is called”, and I don’t. There have been others on the field and I’m pretty sure Doug had one, but it’s not a Twist, Pizzazz, Tango, or Harrier -- just something in that genre. Anyhow, it’s about to go on floats and its geared motor swings a 19” prop just fine. There you are Khoi; another float flier for your cohort. I finally asked Wayne Wahrmund about those flaps on his Cherokee and he confirms that he has not, indeed, used them to land yet. The thing just lands so well without them. Wayne’s got a new model, one of Hangar 9’s efforts called a Pulse 60 XT (extremely temporary? no, heaven forbid!). The plane is meant for a .91; this one has a Saito 1.15. Anybody surprised? Wayne says the 1.15 is made to slip right into the same mounts as the smaller engine. It’s being flown a bit rich as befits a new powerplant, but the needle is being richened a click or two at a time. WITH THE WEEKDAY WARRIORS continued The low—speed needle is about there while the high-speed is still leaving a thin plume of smoke. The reason your columnist is missing flying days to doctor’s appointments is all in aid of finding out why I am all red spots up both arms, across both shoulders, and halfway down my chest and back. Some different stuff on my face, too. At this typing (3/23), there are four doctors scratching their heads, rubbing their chins, and expressing bafflement. Very close to fifty years ago, I knew a first-class Wakefield flier who suddenly found himself allergic to balsawood. It took three years or more for the medical community to find something he could take for it. Strange to say, he’d make out okay today. Modern Wakes are all carbonfibre, Mylar, and Kevlar - almost no wood save for ribs and spar webs. One thing the medicos have done is take me off Ivory soap and put me on Dove. Have you noticed that nowhere on a package of Dove does it say, “soap”? Instead it says, “Beauty Bar”. So, if the next time you see me, I look more beautiful than ever, you’ll know the reason. C.O'D. Rumor Received 3-2-09 "The report of my death was an exaggeration." -Mark Twain, After reading his own obituary, June 2, 1897. This has always been one of my favorite quotes. Little did I know that I would have to use it in our own defense. In response to a rumor "flying" in and around the R/C community lately, I would like to say that the rumor that Eugene Toy & Hobby was either discontinuing R/C aircraft or, worse yet, going out of business, is totally without basis in fact. Not sure how this got started, perhaps someone overheard a part of a conversation or whatever, but let me state for the record that this is not the case. Please help us squelch this rumor at its roots. If you hear anyone discussing this, Alan and I would appreciate it if you would help put it to rest immediately. We really appreciate our relationship with both clubs over the years and look forward to continuing those friendships for many more years to come. Mark Agerter Eugene Toy & Hobby Treasurers Corner Treasurer Al Barrington reports - As of March 8, we have 68 adult and 5 youth members current for 2009. Please welcome new members John Florent, John Poole and Carey Walters For Sale Great Planes Reactor Wing Span: 41 1/2" Length: 42" Wing Load: 9-10 oz. sq ft Wing Aera: 384 sq in RTF Weight: 24-27 oz. Motor: Eflite Park 480 - 910K /v ESC: Eflite 25A Servos: 4 ea. Futaba 3153 digital Flown / Built by Jim Trump Est. cost $275 Needs RX and Thunder Power 11.1v 2100mah 15C bat pack. Similar color scheme $175 or trade for 40A ESC and compatible motor Doug 541-999-1844 Projects Cessna 421C I recently purchased from Nitro Models their Cessna 421C in its bright oranage and white scheme. It comes set-up to be easily modded for rail-mount retracts. The fuselage is fiberglass, and is actually pretty well done. My plan is to use two K&B .45 Sportsters on it and a complete mix of servos that I have lying around. The Cessna 421 is a nostalgic project for me since my dad owned one or two of them over the years and we travelled in them frequently. I was often the co-pilot. I loved that plane and I always wanted to build an R/C version. So, after watching the Nito Models 421 on sale for $199.99 for several weeks, I finally sold some things and bought it. Above are some pictures that I took the day I got it. You can see that the canopy arrived with several cracks in it, but using their forum on RCU I got in contact with a gentleman who is sending me a replacement, which should arrive any minute now. -Pat Events May 2009 Fun Fly-in Saturday May 23rd, Myrtle Creek Modelers are going to have a Fun Fly-in at Myrtle Creek Airport. There will be hotdogs, chips, soda, brat werst. $5. for a meal. Come 9 am and fly through the afternoon. It's a nice time to meet new people. Dennis Jacobs, President Myrtle Creek Modelers AMA Club Warbird Meet Saturday May 30th Hello all! Since our first annual Warbird and Vintage Scale Fly-In at the RAMS field in sumner last year was such a success, we have decided to do it again this year! It will be held on Saturday May 30th. Thank you, and we hope to see all of you there! See link http://www.seattlerams.com/Database/Contests/ContestSpecifics.asp?ID=33 Please call with any questions. Robert Bailey 253-854-5247 gbailey@cityoffife.org April 2009 From the Rogue Eagles EVENTS page April------------ 4th Swap Meet Grants Pass Fairgrounds April-------------17th thru 19th Agate Lake Float Fly CD Floyd (Bill) Grove Link to Rogue Eagles EVENTS page http://www.rogue-eagles.org/2009_events.htm Know of any upcoming RC events? Please pass that info to your newsletter editor. Projects Ag-Wagon update And it begins!! Phase one. Marty Tech Tips Khoi Tran Walbro Carb TUNE UP & Illustrated Guide Nice link for people using gas engines to get a better understanding of Walbro carbs. http://tech.flygsw.org/walbro_tuneup.htm Jeff Engel Reports Hi Guys, I stopped at the Oakridge airfield coming back from Bend last weekend. Here's a few of pics. See Ya ERCA CLUB CONTACTS President: Khoi Tran - 685-0086 - kmtranmd@hotmail.com Vice President: Mel Thompson - 746-5699 - met324@comcast.net Sec/Treasurer: Al Barrington - 935-4960 - albarrington@msn.com Groundskeeper: Doug McWha - 741-3326 - flyduke@comcast.net Field Marshals: Marry Wittman - 968-2094 - wittmanm@msn.com Newsletter Editor: Jim Corbett - 344-5022 - james.corbett@comcast.net Next CLUB Meeting – March 31, 7:00 pm at EWEB. --- That's All Folks --- Eugene R/C Aeronauts Newsletter Editor 1618 Gilham Rd. Eugene, OR. 97401 March 2009 Name Address City, ST Zip ___________________________Renewing Current Member____________________________ INVOICE FOR 2009 MEMBERSHIP - EUGENE R/C AERONAUTS Please fill in the following information and send back with your Dues Remittance Member Name __________________________________________________________________ 2009 AMA Membership No.________________________ I certify that I have paid my 2009 AMA Dues. Initial _________ Member Address _______________________________________________________________ Member Phone No. __________________________ Member Email Address __________________________________________________________ Newsletter Preference: ____ Email ____ Regular Mail ____ Do not need to receive newsletter Please enclose your check for $ 60.00 as a current member renewing for 2009 and Mail to: Eugene R/C Aeronauts, PO Box 26344, Eugene, Or. 97402. Or bring this INVOICE and $60.00 to the Meeting, March 31, 7:00 pm at EWEB Newsletter ONLINE at: http://eugenerc.com/NL/CURRENTNEWSLETTER.pdf March 2009 3