Letters to the Editor
All letters will be considered; those of general interest will be used. Send to Model Aviation, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
Piper Skycycle
In response to the letter to the editor in the May issue from Alvin E. Johnson of Oxford, PA about the Piper PA-8 Skycycle, I, too, enjoyed the Skycycle article in the March 1986 issue. So far I have read it twice and looked over the pictures numerous times. I think the article was just great.
I have a September 1945 issue of Air Trails magazine with an article on the Skycycle in its testing stage. Sometime around 1946 or 1947, I was lucky enough to get to see a demonstration of the Skycycle at the old Municipal Airport at Raleigh, NC. To the best of my memory, they were going around to different cities to show off the Skycycle. I was about 26 or 27 years old and had loved airplanes since I was eight. I thought that the Skycycle was just the neatest plane that I had ever seen. I had often wondered what happened to it. Did it still exist somewhere? If so, where was it? Your article by Kenneth D. Wilson explained that for me, and I sure enjoyed the article.
In the winter of 1975–1976, I saw an advertisement for a Skycycle model in one of the magazines. Sid Morgan Plans listed a 3 in. = 1 ft. set of plans with plastic cowl and clear plastic canopy. I wasted no time in getting these. The model had a 60-in. wingspan and used a .45–.60 engine and a four-channel radio.
I used an Enya .60 II and World Engines’ Blue Max radio with four S-9 servos. I had a full-scale cockpit, but when I got it finished, I could only get in a 6-oz. fuel tank. I got disgusted and never flew it. I finally sold the model to a hobby shop.
The Skycycle would be a real beauty at about 7 to 7-1/2 ft. wingspan with one of the O.S.-FST 1.20 or 1.60 two-cylinder, four-cycle engines up front. Wish someone would come up with this size plan, cowl, and canopy.
Douglas Hobbs Lumberton, NC
Henry T
As a "sometimes RC flier," I must write to comment on H.A. Thomas’ Henry T in the June issue. It's perfect! The design is one of the best I have ever seen at combining aesthetics (very important), aerodynamics, and engineering. Mr. Thomas has a feel for design seldom seen in RC models that usually appear in print or as kits. Please try to get him to do more for publication. I'd especially be interested in a .35/.40-powered version of the Henry T when he has plans available.
Tom Dixon Atlanta, GA
Are you listening, H.A.? Tom's words echo our sentiments. We'd like to see a bigger one, too.
Congratulations, Miss Liberty!
The enclosed photos were taken at Mile Square Park in anticipation of the July Fourth centennial celebration of our Statue of Liberty. The Bristol M.1c towing the banner is the 1/4-size one that I have been flying in local fun-fly events. Unfortunately, the red, white, and blue in the banner lettering makes the words less distinguishable than I would like them.
Harry Apoian Rolling Hills, CA
Yes, we doubt if you will be able to read the words in the B&W reproduction or Harry's color print. They say "Happy Birthday, Miss Liberty," an event which will have taken place before this issue is in print.
Protection for Plans
There have been various letters concerning merits and demerits of various materials for covering plans while building. A great debate about this was in the July 1986 Model Aviation.
All hardware stores have rolls of PVC in various widths. This material is clear, strong; no adhesives react with it. It is inexpensive. It is available in various thicknesses; 4 mil is good for three or four RC plane covers. Ordinarily it is used for storm windows and such.
I tape my plans to the board with masking tape and then cover the entire board with the PVC film, stapling it to the edges of the board. In this way the entire board is protected from glue drops.
William T. Bartlett, Jr. Barranquilla, Colombia
In addition to the information provided, you'll note that our readers are all over the world.
More Members for Clubs?
Do too many RC clubs have the wrong idea and their noses up so high that the club is stalled?
Today, an awful lot of RC clubs seem to do their dead-level best to keep new people out of the fun sport of model aircraft flying. They may not know it, but by their actions (or lack of actions) they impede the growth of the sport and their club. Maybe this is the time to step back and take a good look at what makes the sport enjoyable for so many of us and analyze how new fliers fit into that picture.
If you look at the ads for RC equipment that were published in past years and compare them to ads in today's publications, you will find that today you can buy much more control over your model and do it for less money. Why? It's because more people than ever are into RC, and because manufacturers of our goods can implement today's technology with mass production to bring down prices.
Please note that I said more people than ever are into RC. I did not say that more people than ever are into RC flying. There are lots of boats and millions of cars—but how many fliers?
If you look at the number of regular fliers in the U.S., some areas of the country will show more, but others will have less. If the sport of RC flying doesn't grow more, you may see less equipment than you have today. You surely will not see some of the products that require a broader market base to support production.
One of the major points of resistance for a potential new flier is the local RC club. Here's why:
- He thinks he cannot afford to join the club.
- He can't find out how to get in touch with the club.
- He can't find out where the club flying site is located.
- He can't find out where or when the club meets.
- He is afraid to ask anyone in the club for help because he isn't a member.
- He isn't an AMA member, so the club won't talk to him unless he joins the AMA.
- The club has an exclusive flying site three miles back in the woods behind two locked gates (marked posted—keep out), and he can't figure out how to get to anyone for information.
- His wife thinks he can't afford the hobby.
- He doesn't know if he can learn to fly a model.
- He doesn't know if he will like the club or its members.
All of the above are things to think about, but the show stoppers are numbers 1, 6, and 8.
Now to make things a little harder for the newcomer, let's add on the initiation fee, say about $10 to $30. That should keep him out, and a lot of times it does.
Think—if a new member comes into your club and stays for three or more years, how much money will the club take in as a result of the membership? Don't forget to add in the raffle tickets, coffee, special event fees, etc.
Why don't we take a cue from the business community? They will sometimes go so far as to pay someone to become a new customer, and they advertise like crazy. Why don't we run a year-round sale? Let new (first-time) members into the club for half the regular dues, and forget the initiation fee.
Put framed signs in the local hobby shop with club information, flying-site map, and phone numbers. Run an ad in the classified section of the newspaper the Sunday before each meeting. Put information signs at our flying sites. Get free announcements from our local radio and TV stations.
Remember, your club will get plenty of money after he joins the club, but you won't get a dime (or any of the spinoff benefits) if he doesn't join in the first place.
George W. Bedell Auburn, ME
Lots of food for thought here, but also a sticky question for clubs already having such large numbers that the wait for the frequency pin at the club flying field is hard to endure. The fact of the matter, no doubt, is that many clubs could do their thing better with larger numbers—while others may already be at or beyond the point of saturation.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
