OldtimerTopics I
’m a fly fisherman as well as a freeflight and old time modeler. Some fly fishermen might look down on users of “garden hackle”—that is to say a
worm and bait fishermen. They’re somehow not as “pure”. Some of the same silly debate goes on among the F/F and R/C sides of SAM.
Adjusting and trimming any flying model
to get maximum performance is difficult. A poorly trimmed F/F model might not fly at all, or would not fly many times before it was destroyed in a crash. The freeflight guys might say SAM R/C’ers have it easy because they can adjust the model in flight. Well, don’t jump to conclusions. Trimming
a SAM R/C model so it can climb and glide without any trim adjustments is not easy, but if you can manage it, your contest scores will improve. Hank Baer of Maryland has had success trimming Playboys and Bombers with the following technique. He builds in 1.25 to 1.5 degrees decalage measured through the cen- terline of the leading edge of both stab and wing. He uses no downthrust. He runs a two-inch strip of hook and loop fastener cov- ered balsa down the bottom of the fuselage and moves the battery along that strip to get the correct balance point. Hank moves the battery back ¼ inch at a
time until the model starts to show signs of being tail heavy. Tail heaviness is shown when the model climbs steeply and then wants to nose over at maximum speed. He then moves the battery just a bit forward. Hank says that when he gets the balance point right on the nose, he needs no trim during climb or glide. When the power cuts he shoves the nose over with elevator. Hank is serious about that fine balance point trim. He uses the same amount of fuel in the tank and the same propeller for each flight. Patience, thought and a lot of test flights will get you there. A properly trimmed old
PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE MYERS
Al Lidberg holds a Zipperdonated by Dick Griswold’s estate as raffle prize for the 2012 Southwest Regionals held at Eloy.
time R/C model can make the difference be- tween being able to enjoy watching a beau- tiful model in flight—or frantically “stirring the sticks” and trying to catch up with the model before it crashes. Ask me how I know. Karl Gies, our resident rubber freeflight
guru from Montana, is another fly fisher- man. Karl is very enthusiastic about a book titled Rubber Model Propellers. Englishman Mike Woodhouse wrote the book and sells it. Mike knows what he’s talking about—he is a successful F1B Wakefield competitor who travels the world for Wakefield contests. He also runs an internet model supply business. Let’s listen to Karl on just how good this
book is: “A couple of evenings ago I got out the above book, 66 pages, and re-read most of it. No matter what level of expertise you
possess in the art of carving propellers you will gain more knowledge by owning and reading this book. It is the best publication in regards to making model airplane pro- pellers/airscrews that you will ever read. Its 29 chapters cover topics from basic layout to and including single-bladed folders, pro- pellers from laminated sheet, etc. All the in- structions are clear and informative. The il- lustrations are superb. Buy a copy before it is not available. This is just a jewel of a book.” I think Karl liked the book! As Karl says,”Keep in mind that the worst
prop you carve will be better than any prop you ever buy.” Well I wouldn’t go that far, having once absent mindedly carved a pro- peller with two left blades! But the Wood- house book does contain great information
by mike myers You can reach Mike Myersat 911 Kilmary Lane, Glendale, CA 91207, or via e-mail at
mikemyersgln@charter.net
Charlie Applebaum’s R/C LMR Lanzo Stick (above left), aka “The A-Bomb”, waits for contest flight at Eloy. The Electric Replica Gang (above right) with
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their 36-inch wingspan electric R/C models. See if you can identify the individual models pictured here.
JULY 2012
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