Free Flight: Duration
Harry Murphy 3824 Oakwood Blvd. Anderson, IN 46011
1989 NATS — Tri‑Cities, Washington (July 15–23)
Sandy Frank, Free Flight representative to the Nats Management Committee, reports the committee has selected the Tri‑Cities area (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland) in the extreme southeastern corner of Washington State for the 1989 unified AMA Nats, July 15–23. Pertinent Free Flight information for prospective attendees:
- Outdoor site: gently rolling desert open space roughly 1 mile by 2 miles, with about a mile of overflight area. The field is bounded by an interstate, a mountain, and scattered housing, and is about 15 minutes from anywhere in the Tri‑Cities complex.
- Terrain/climate: arid desert — sand, grit, sagebrush, rock, and Mount St. Helens ash. Annual rainfall is about 6–10 inches. Prevailing northerly winds in July are typically 5–15 mph. Daytime highs near 95°F with nightly cooling. The site is not a garden spot, but three‑minute (and possibly five‑minute) maxes are considered possible.
- Chase/access: area crisscrossed with rutted trails suitable for chase bikes.
- Indoor facility: a new hockey stadium / multipurpose center (completion slated November 1988). Features a hockey‑rink‑sized floor, exposed girder trusswork beginning 42 ft above the floor, and a scoreboard pending installation. The site is functional — perhaps not world‑class, but adequate for Indoor events.
- Additional info: further details will appear in the Competition Newsletter in this magazine and future issues. The West Coast has expressed interest in another Nats staged west of the Rockies; organizers hope this arrangement meets those requirements.
NFFS / USOC — Lawrenceville, IL (June 19–23, 1989)
With the AMA Nats and SAM Champs headed west in 1989, the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) is organizing a week‑long NFFS/US Outdoor Champs at Lawrenceville, IL, June 19–23, 1989. The dates were chosen late in the season to try to miss the corn crop.
- Background: idea developed by an ad hoc group at a Vincennes, IN meeting; field arrangements finalized, AMA sanction applied for, Contest Director secured.
- Schedule highlights:
- Five days of flying including AMA, FAI, and popular special events.
- Two days (Monday–Tuesday) of Nostalgia Gas events.
- Three days of Old‑Timer events (sponsored by SAM 57).
- At least one cookout is planned Tuesday evening and possibly another social/awards session later in the week.
- Purpose/appeal: provides an annual, multiday east/mid‑states Free Flight event within reasonable driving distance of eastern and middle‑states competitors. This is not intended as direct competition to established organizations but as an alternative for those unable to travel to the West Coast events.
Keep an eye out for subsequent information on Free Flight Week in the Midwest.
Final note on the NFFS event
The venture aims to revitalize Free Flight activity in the East and offer an additional high‑quality contest option; success will depend on community support.
Cover‑ups (model covering materials and techniques)
Kevin Anderson (Missouri) and others report various experiments and tips:
- Lacquer vs. nitrate dope:
- Kevin substitutes clear brushing lacquer for nitrate dope. He finds it less expensive, adheres tissue well, seals with fewer coats, and can be thinned with either lacquer thinner or acetone.
- He uses acetone to soften pre‑doped framework; lacquer then hardens quickly even if tissue is wet. Lacquer weighs slightly more, but less is needed when using a 50/50 lacquer:thinner mix.
- He applies a coat or two of fuel proofer (even on rubber models) to prevent tissue wrinkling and to avoid acetate “fog” where adhesives were used after doping.
- Safety note: acetone fumes are strong; use with good ventilation.
- Transparent plastic gift wrap films:
- Early experimentation began with pale, heat‑shrinkable, cellophane‑type material (credit to Ron Sherratt).
- Decofilm: found at Wal‑Mart and McCrory’s — 5‑ft rolls, 20 in. wide, priced ~69¢–89¢. Weight about half that of clear Micafilm; limited pale colors (pink, amber). Often sold seasonally.
- Clearphane: found in a gift shop chain — two weights. Half‑rolls same size as Decofilm; one‑roll stock comes in 50‑ft rolls, 24 in. wide. Colors: red, amber, blue, purple, green, and clear. Original 50‑ft price was about $2.89 (has since increased).
- Adhesives tested: contact cements, Coverite’s Balsarite, Sig’s Stik‑Tite, and spray‑on cements. If using aerosol spray adhesives, use the permanent‑bonding type — nonpermanent adhesives can allow film creep and loosening after heat‑shrinking.
- Note: these gift‑wrap films are low‑heat materials. Experiment to avoid overheating, which can cause blowouts or melting.
- Usage: half‑mil film works well on 1/4A and 1/2A gas models; one‑mil for larger planes. Film is fuel‑proof, lightweight, and can eliminate doping, enabling quicker field readiness.
FF publications
- British publication (1988 edition):
- Contents include: Andy Crisp on hand‑launched gliders, Mike Watson on thermal detection, Mike Woodhouse on composites, Michael Warner on team selection and contest performance, plus plans, photos, and diagrams.
- Price: £6.25 payable to Michael Warner. Order to: Michael Warner, 30 Cole Park Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1HS, England. (Profits support the British FAI Team Travel Fund.)
- NFFS Symposium (20th edition, 1988):
- Price: $16 ($14 for the book, $2 for postage).
- Order to: Fred Terrian, 4858 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, CA 95129.
- Call for papers (1989 edition):
- Submit project ideas to the 1989 editor: George Xenakis, 1288 Oak Knoll Dr., San Jose, CA 95129.
- Nominations:
- NFFS Model of the Year: send recommendations to Charles Dorsett, 2645 San Benito Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598.
- NFFS Hall of Fame: send a short resume ("who, and how come") to Anthony Italiano, 1655 Revere Dr., Brookfield, WI 53005.
U‑design (estimating center‑of‑gravity for your design)
Most of us begin by copying kits or plans, then eventually try original designs. A critical and often overlooked step is correctly estimating the center‑of‑gravity (CG). Incorrect CG placement causes more model losses than most other errors. Rather than guessing, use a simple method based on basic plan measurements.
You need four items to estimate the CG quickly:
- Wa — wing area.
- Sa — stab (horizontal tail) area.
- Ca — mean aerodynamic chord of the wing.
- Tm — distance between the wing and stab, measured from the point 25% back from the wing’s leading edge to the point 25% back from the stab’s leading edge.
Use this simplified formula:
CG = (Sa × Tm) / (Wa × Ca)
- The computed CG is measured from the leading edge of the wing.
- If the actual model balances close to this computed location, you have a good starting CG for trimming. If not, recheck your areas, chord, and distances, and adjust weight distribution or geometry as needed before flight testing.
Keep refining trim and setup from this baseline — proper CG placement will save parts and speed progress toward a reliable, well‑flying design.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
