FREE FLIGHT DURATION
Louis Joyner, 183 Civitas St., Mt. Pleasant SC 29464
When I was a junior in the late 1950s, ground-support equipment was basic. For the Gas events, a 1½-volt dry cell, leads with alligator clips, a pint can of glow fuel, and a rubber squeeze bulb were all I used. (The rubber fuel bulb would soften from the fuel and the red-orange rubber would stain your hand. That's one aspect of that era I can't get nostalgic about.)
My older brother had a fuel-soaked plywood field box that held a dry cell (or perhaps two wired in parallel and taped together), fuel, a fuel bulb, and a propeller wrench or two.
The family supply of glow plugs, propellers, and other spares were kept in a battered gray tackle box that stayed in the trunk of the car.
A winder was it for the Rubber events, with a length of clothesline to pull motors through the fuselage.
We did have one of those belt-drive towline winches, which was the envy of some of the local glider fliers who still used a ball of kite string and a paper clip for towing.
The only electric starter I remember seeing was an elaborate flex-shaft affair used to start a Control Line Scale Constellation at the local contest each year.
When I got back into Free Flight in the early 1970s, I noticed that not only had the models improved, but so had the ground-support equipment. I was very quickly introduced to electric starters, power panels, custom-made winders, stuffing sticks for loading rubber motors, blast tubes, and stooges.
Thermal detectors, ranging from bubble machines that would have made Lawrence Welk proud to elaborate chart-recording thermistors, had become the norm. (I can still remember the typical 1950s attitude on thermal detection: "Get the car, I lucked into a thermal." We knew they were there and we knew they were a good thing; we just didn't know how to find them.)
However, this proliferation of equipment also meant bigger, heavier tool kits to carry everything out to the flightline. It seemed to be a contest of "My toolbox is bigger than your toolbox."
This often degenerated into people flying out of their car trunks rather than risking a hernia lugging everything out to the flightline. Today the trend is reversing, with smaller, more-compact ground-support equipment. This is caused in part by the requirements of air travel. Going to a contest on an airplane requires careful packing and an "if you don't need it, don't take it" attitude. Flying from rotating poles, as is common in Fédération Aéronautique Internationale events, has also hammered home the need to be mobile. If your tool kit still looks like something that belongs in a NASCAR pit, study the photos and the following suggestions on ways to pare down. It makes a day of flying more enjoyable and much easier on your back.
- What do you really need? Limit the items in your ground equipment to what you need for flying the particular model. Spare parts, propellers, plugs, and fittings for other classes or sizes just add weight and take up space. Carry only the fuel for the event you are flying. In addition to cutting down weight, it will reduce the chance of mix-ups. Consider modular containers to hold the spares for a specific class or event. Take the one or two you need, and leave the rest behind. Likewise, limit repair supplies to what you will need for quick fixes at the flightline. A bigger emergency kit can stay in the car.
- How many do you really need? You don't have to carry a one-pound box of number-8 rubber dethermalizer bands out to the field. An empty film can will hold a day or two's supply and will take up much less space. Besides, exposure to sunlight and heat will weaken rubber bands.
How many plugs can you burn out? How many propellers can you break? Limit your field box to a few spares, then replenish as they are used.
- Downsize tools and accessories. Look for small, high-quality devices for your field box. Consider multitools, such as the Leatherman, to replace several larger ones. If you need one size of wrench or screwdriver, don't pack the whole set.
- Double up on the necessities. Although it's important to keep equipment to the bare minimum, it's a good idea to carry spares for specialized tools necessary for flying, such as winding hooks, bobbins, timer-winding keys, etc.
- Keep the weight down. Accessories—especially the bigger items such as starter box and winding stooge—shouldn't be heavier than necessary. Use aluminum instead of steel for stooge parts. Don't use 3/4" plywood for a box when 1/4" or even 1/8" will do. Think small and light.
- Keep the size down. In addition to reducing weight, this will make things easier to carry. Keep the field box as small as possible. Break long items, such as thermistor poles and stooges, down into manageable, packable lengths.
- Go soft. A soft-sided sports bag or backpack is a convenient way to carry equipment from the car to the flightline. Look for a pack with multiple pockets and compartments to organize gear by usage, such as using one section for a stopwatch, compass, and binoculars. This will help keep related items together and help keep things from getting lost in the bottom of a big bag.
- Stick to the diet. Continually re-evaluate the items in your box. How often do you use it? Do you really need it? Is there a smaller, lighter alternative?
- Buy quality. The best place I've found for lightweight, high-quality tools, containers, packs, stools, and other items is a good camping store. Avoid the cheap stuff often found at discount sporting goods and department stores. It is usually of inferior quality and considerably heavier than the more expensive items.
- Keep it in the bag. Field equipment should be just that. Using tools or other field gear in the workshop is a sure way to leave an important item in the shop when you need it at the site.
Flite Tech
Allen Brush has developed an extensive, and alliterative, line of accessories for the Rubber flier. A few items, including the Speedy Spool Strander, have been around for several years (see "Free Flight Duration" in the March 1999 Model Aviation for a review).
Other items are new, including Snake Snot—a silicone oil rubber lubricant; Mylar Mist—a spray-on cleaner for plastic film covering; and Battery Bank—a battery holder and dispenser for tracking transmitters; Front End Flush and Timer Tune-Up—cleaning and maintenance kits for Rubber model front ends and clockwork timers respectively; and Roto Rubber Remover—a stuffing-stick-like device with sharp prongs on the end for removing blown motors.
Also available is a clear-plastic tube designed to safely store a tracking transmitter, a specialized container for holding a fuse, and several sizes of stuffing sticks (Al calls them "Motor Mounters").
The neatest item on the list is the Supra Stooge. This is a professional-quality winding stooge designed for F1B. It includes a machined-aluminum yoke, adjustable nose support, and removable anchor pin.
Two wide straps connect the stooge to the rear pegs. A shock cord runs forward to the third pin to help absorb the impact of a blown motor. The height is adjustable, and the stooge breaks down into a compact 16-inch package. The price is $145, but this device should last a lifetime.
For more information and a catalog, contact Allen Brush, Flite Tech, 25500 Aquila Ct., Sun City CA 92586. Email abrush@inland.net and the Web site is www.inland.net/~abrush.
Plane Minder
If you've ever set a model down on the ground only to have the wind flip it over and break something, consider a Plane Minder.
This simple device from John Oian is designed to safely hold a model a few inches off the ground with the nose down, to keep the wind from lifting the airplane.
The Plane Minder fits over a headless spike driven into the ground; this allows it to pivot weather-vane fashion, keeping the nose pointed into the wind.
John reports that as an experiment, they set one of these devices up with a model in the path of a Lost Hills (CA) dust devil. The model spun around, but survived unscathed.
John makes the Plane Minder from PVC pipe and fittings, and pads the wing cradles with a foam insert.
He'll custom-build one of these devices for you for $20 plus $5 postage. Be sure to supply the wing thickness, wing root chord, and distance from the bottom of the wing to the lowest point of the model.
John Oian, 438 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno CA 93704.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
