Letters To The Editor
All letters will be carefully considered; those of general interest will be used. Send to Model Aviation, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
Epoxy Allergy
I'm a beginner to the RC hobby (just one year), and I have read John Preston's "Safety Comes First" articles for about the same time. I'm 14 years old and live in Juneau, Alaska, where I also fly models. I belong to the GAS Club (Gastineau Aeromodelers Society).
I was balsa-sheeting a pair of floats in my workshop (at night known as a bedroom) when I started getting an extreme headache. I figured it was just from lack of sleep; it was about midnight when I stopped working. The next day the same thing happened; this time it was in the middle of the day. I knew that it must be something else besides tiredness.
Almost like a doctor, the February edition of Model Aviation arrived. I read in the letters part of that safety column about the problems with epoxy fumes. This cleared things up. Later I mixed a batch of 6-minute epoxy, and a headache set in.
I don't care if you publish this letter or not, but I would like you to encourage others to mix and use epoxy in a well-ventilated room. I may sound like all the others who wrote in, but your safety column helped me.
Here's a little human interest. On many of my family's vacations, a lot of questions arise when we mention we are from Alaska. "Do you live in igloos?" and "Do you have electricity?" are just some of the questions. Anyway, I would like to get one thing clear: we are normal American citizens who buy foreign radios, planes, and cars. I live in southeast Alaska; if you have ever been to Seattle, WA, then you have seen a sample of our weather. The only differences are that we have colder winters and cool summers.
Actually the flying weather up here is great. Come up sometime. You would be welcome at an upcoming Fun Fly in Juneau on August 1–2.
Mike Olsen Auke Bay, AK
Newcomers and Clubs
As Model Aviation and the AMA are as interested as I am in furthering participation and membership in the great sport of RC flying, you were kind enough to publish my article in 1985 which attempted to explain that roughly 50% of RC beginners drop out due to a wrong selection of an RC trainer. As an adjunct, you were kind enough to publish last year my announcement of the availability of a list of the easiest-to-fly trainers for a buck and a SASE.
There is one other aspect that leads to a beginner's discouragement (and dropping out) that I am constantly getting feedback about: the failure of some RC clubs to make newcomers welcome.
That first issue (about suitable trainers) was picked up on by several other journals and designers who were in agreement and who are helping to carry forth the banner, so to speak. However, only one magazine has attempted to address the second problem that is bewildering to RC beginners. They published a lone letter from a beginner who said he was quitting after one year in the hobby due to his being made to feel invisible. After attending club meetings for a year, no one had even given him the time of day. All the club members seemed to care about were their comfortable old cliques.
I said "attempted to address." Actually, the magazine just published the guy's letter and let it go at that. Even that much was a step forward and indicated to me that it certainly is not an isolated problem. I have noticed it in my own club for years, and now I have a dozen or more letters from correspondents all over the country noting the phenomenon. Why?
Although problem No. 1 was more serious, we did have the answer and solution. Problem No. 2 is not as easy. It needs addressing, but I can't do it myself. I'm not really sure about the answers or solutions, but that doesn't mean we should close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist — not if our hearts go out to newcomers and/or we want to see our hobby embrace as many as possible.
I know there are many clubs that have individual members who are as concerned about newcomers as I am. We try to give newcomers more attention than even our old friends. Apparently there aren't enough of us.
Solutions may be worth an article. It isn't enough to shrug off the problem and just say, "That's the way people are." I'd like to collect the thoughts of as many people as possible who are also concerned with the needs of newcomers (and the growth and sharing of our sport). I'm especially interested in hearing from those who have a solution that may be useful for preparing an article.
So far I have just been individually answering the letters from newcomers who have felt cold-shouldered. This whole subject is something that clubs and club members should not take personally. It has nothing to do with race, creed, or the way anyone's hair is parted. Extroverts seldom have a problem. Maybe it is just a matter of determined elbowing-in. The adverse newcomer situation seems to be more prevalent in the larger clubs (say 80 members or more), but even they seldom have a waiting line for the frequency pin. What is the answer?
Jim Waterman 3818 Deerfield Dr. San Antonio, TX 78218
Free Plywood
Hello! Seasons Greetings! (Letter was written on January 3.) Enclosed you will find a piece of 3/8-inch plywood I got for free. In these times every little bit helps.
Fellow modelers can get all they want of this by checking with the produce section of their markets. Especially in the wintertime a lot of fruits come packed in ply crates. With a little work you can have a never-ending supply. Make sure you ask first, and do share the supply with your friends.
Everett J. W. Boulous Morgantown, PA
The samples Everett sent appear to be lightweight, comparatively soft, and three-ply construction. The type of wood probably depends on what is plentiful in the area of origin. Everett's box came from Spain.
Of Pantyhose and SE-5s
I doubt that I am alone in my appreciation of the shape of a leg enclosed in some highly advertised pantyhose. Modelers of all descriptions are fascinated by beautiful curves. At present I am concerned about getting the right shape to the wing of my Prodigy. I have cut, fitted, and sanded trying to get a near-perfect S-4061-096-84. With that many digits, the airfoil must have many variables that have to be in sync. I reckoned if nylon pantyhose could show off the shape of a leg, it might just do the same thing for the framework of a wing. If there are females in your house, there are bound to be some old pantyhose that will give you a clear idea of the shape of things.
Continued from page 12
I am enclosing a photo of a photo that might be of interest to some of your readers. I took this picture of a rebuilt SE-5A at Hendon Airdrome near London in 1934. The event was some sort of international fly-in. It was held in the same week as the event that is now called the Farnborough Show.
Thomas P. Field Lexington, KY
Aviation Merit Badges
Recently Model Aviation printed a comment from a concerned modeler who lamented that the Boy Scouts of America no longer offered a merit badge for model airplane building. While I haven't been able to determine if there ever was a merit badge named "Model Airplane Building," the two merit badges closely related to the aeromodeling hobby are alive and well.
The "Aviation" and "Model Design and Building" merit badges have remained unchanged for the last 20 years.
These two merit badges draw heavily upon modeling skills and expertise. They emphasize the potential of these activities to serve as an enjoyable hobby and as valuable skills in careers in the fields of aerospace and engineering. The requirements for these merit badges include activities such as:
- Explain the forces acting on an aircraft in flight with the aid of a model.
- Build and fly a model.
- Fit an AMA-sanctioned contest.
- Demonstrate an understanding of tool safety and proper handling of chemicals such as glue and paint.
- Prepare a four-view drawing of a passenger-carrying vehicle.
- Construct a model from your drawing.
Merit badges are optional activities for Scouts who have mastered basic hiking and camping skills. They are a key step in the qualification process for becoming an Eagle Scout. A Scout has dozens of merit badges to choose from. The availability of a merit badge counselor for a given field provides incentive for a Scout to select that particular merit badge. A merit badge counselor is an adult volunteer who is knowledgeable in the merit badge subject area. He serves as an advisor to the Scout and verifies the completion of the merit badge requirements. Local Boy Scout Councils maintain a cadre of merit badge counselors on file to assist an individual Scout in the completion of those merit badges of interest to him.
Serving as a merit badge counselor gives the modeler a unique opportunity to share his expertise in a way that provides a service to the community. The merit badge pamphlet serves as the primary text for completing the requirements, freeing the counselor from the need to create an entirely new program. An enterprising counselor can capitalize on requirements for one badge that parallels another so that one activity dovetails into the requirements for a second merit badge. A well-structured aeromodeling program could allow a Scout to complete both "Aviation" and "Model Design and Building" merit badges. This may have potential as a club project. Regardless of what path a modeler chooses, the first step is the same: call the local Boy Scout Council and volunteer! (See phone directory listing under "Boy Scouts of America.")
Modelers who volunteer to serve as merit badge counselors can be the factor which determines whether these merit badges exist only as obscure requirements on paper or become the proud achievements of a future Eagle Scout.
Cam Martin Virginia Beach, VA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
