Letters to the Editor
Airports and Modelers
I represented AMA at the Texas Airport Operators Conference, held in Austin on April 18–20, 1990. As in past years, those attending were interested in and generally held positive attitudes toward aeromodeling.
Of the many people I visited during the three days of the conference, two made specific requests for assistance from the AMA membership.
Mr. Jesse Atwell, manager of the Zapata Airport, wants to contact any members in the Zapata area. He is trying to build interest in aeromodeling among the youth of the community. Could someone provide RC flight instruction to help them get started? When one or two of the local leaders become qualified, hopefully they could sustain an RC flight instruction program themselves. They would also welcome contact from Control Line and Free Flight modelers since their primary interest is to provide a worthwhile activity and learning opportunity for youth. Mr. Atwell's address is P.O. Box 144, Zapata, TX 78067.
Mr. Lynn Miller, Miller Flying Service, would appreciate suggestions on activities as well as useful materials to work with Air Scouts. Mr. Miller's address is Box 486, Quanah, TX 79252.
Please contact these folks — both are striving to serve and educate young people and certainly deserve support.
Several airport owners, administrators, and managers reported successful contacts with modelers as a result of discussions at last year's conference. One manager, himself a modeler, lobbied the FAA to change attitudes so modelers could fly in a remote part of the airport; we sincerely appreciate and treasure such friends.
Prizes we gave away last year (and again this year) were also of interest to the group. An offer to assist with Delta Dart building sessions for school groups visiting the airport is likely to receive positive acceptance.
Airport folks need good public relations as much as modelers. It makes good sense for us to cooperate in every possible way.
Robert J. Spivey Austin, TX
Another Wilga
In the "Beautiful and Ugly Airplanes" article in the October 1989 issue, Mr. Berliner included a picture of a Polish Wilga airplane. I am enclosing a picture of another Wilga on display in the Military Museum at the Citadel in Cairo, Egypt. There are at least two of these things in the world.
Also enclosed are pictures of Czechoslovakian and U.S.S.R. airplanes of the same era. All three of these planes were used as trainers by the Egyptian Air Force. I hope you can find a place and opportunity to use the pictures of these unusual airplanes.
Dennis Shambaugh FPO New York, NY
Note: The top picture is the Polish Wilga, and the bottom one is the U.S.S.R. Yak-18. Dennis didn't identify the plane in the middle except to say it is Czechoslovakian.
Sealed Control Surface Gaps
I read recently about someone sealing the aileron gap on his wing. I just thought I'd write to remind everyone of something I read a long time ago (probably in Model Aviation).
Instead of using conventional hinges on ailerons (or any other control surface joints), I use the long, thin K&S aluminum tubing found in our hobby shops. The tubing is cut into short sections, threaded onto a piano wire of the correct diameter, and glued alternately to the wing and aileron while still on the wire. Joining the movable surface with the fixed surface in this way produces no gap at all.
You don't have to use the thin aluminum tubing, of course. On my next plane I'm going to use the larger-diameter aluminum tubing and something like Golden Rod for the hinge—or maybe plastic rod/casing all the way.
Ernest Tillman Corpus Christi, TX
The Model: Fly Baby
When I received the October 1989 Model Aviation with the beautiful Fly Baby on the cover, nostalgia struck again. At the age of 66 and in my second childhood, having returned to model airplane building and flying three years ago after an absence of more than 45 years, I really enjoy anything that looks like or flies like the old Free Flight models.
The accompanying photos are my result of having enjoyed the article and magazine photos so much. My version of the Fly Baby is powered by an O.S. .25 FP and weighs 64 oz. (includes a heavy prop nut for balance). It's covered with MonoKote transparent green and trimmed with white MonoKote (except for the wingtips, which are painted with Perfect White).
The Fly Baby just about jumps into the air, and it flies like a dream. After cruising around on a fast idle, often I climb the model rather high, cut the engine, and have a nice, long glide followed by a gentle landing.
What I would have given as a kid before WWII to be able to control the Free Flight models to avoid the numerous trees, fences (many of the stone-wall type here in New England), and boulders in the flying fields. All of these things seemed to have some peculiar attraction to gliding model airplanes.
Many thanks to Model Aviation for printing such an article. This model has provided me with many pleasurable hours to date, with many more to come in enjoyable flying sessions this summer.
Norman R. Anderson Newport, R.I.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
