Letters to the Editor
Send your letters to: Model Aviation, 5151 East Memorial Drive, Muncie, IN 47302
Sampler
I am thoroughly disgusted with Model Aviation magazine, and your July issue tore it up. If you took out all of the free flight (indoor–outdoor) and electric coverage, what you'd have left is a cover and a back; what a serious imbalance. Since gas-powered Scale, Pattern, Sport, Racing, and Stand-Off Scale represent most of the activity in RC, why are we being smothered with articles on things that don't even resemble a full-scale aircraft in the wildest sense of the word?
I'd venture to say 90% of the guys getting into modeling start with gas-powered RC models and stay with them, so why doesn't our magazine reflect that? If possible, take my name off your magazine mailing list. Then I won't have to make a trip to the garbage can once a month.
Robert S. Lee Sebring, Florida
July Issue — A Return to Form
The July issue of Model Aviation was a winner and represents a return of what I like to see in a model magazine. For many years I have depended upon MA for competitive model designs. I have built the Pieces twice, Serendipity in the Easy B class, Terrible Coupe for C/D/H, Dragonfly for P-30, the indoor and outdoor HLGs of Jerry Buddenbohm, and the 1/2A Challenger for Texaco.
The appearance of Bob Randolph's Super Cat II ended a long dry spell that I hope will not be repeated. I learned a lot about testing partial motors from Bob's text on page 51. Thank you for publishing this very good article.
Dennis Norman's Marker Techniques makes me want to start a new scale job tomorrow. Good ideas and well presented. George Aldrich also shared some important information about stunt engine porting.
The "Structural Design" article is a good piece that is needed to help all of us understand the value of good structures and materials. Mr. Lennon may wish to reconsider the statement made on page 35 where he says, "If this was one piece of rubber, the neutral axis would be under shear." I do not believe that, under pure bending loads, the neutral axis has any shear stress. If some vertical loads induce bending, then there are shear stresses at the neutral axis. Small point, and perhaps not all important in the greater scheme of things.
I do hope there is a distinction made between structural strength and structural rigidity. We really do design for the lightest structure that will hold its shape under the expected aerodynamic loads. This is where the superior modulus-of-elasticity-to-weight ratio of balsa is effective. Composites (e.g., wire, glass, carbon, boron) are then added where strength is really needed.
Please continue with the positive changes you have started.
Roger J. Schroeder Overland Park, Kansas
To the New Managing Editor
I wish you success in your new job as Managing Editor of Model Aviation. I especially commend your publication of more technical articles and I sympathize with the difficulties you are having in pleasing all your readers.
Perhaps you could ease the friction a little if the intended audience could be narrowed even more; the purpose of the articles more explicitly stated and the assumptions and conditions spelled out.
In "Structural Design Part I" Mr. Lennon jumps right in and fails to explicitly state his purpose or narrow his focus. This leaves him open to criticism. What he writes is quite good as an introduction to structural design for the mathematically impaired.
Every month I look forward with eager anticipation to Daryl Perkins' column. What happened? Did he miss the deadline? Did he quit? Is he sick? A brief statement in "The Haught Corner" would have taken me off tender hooks.
Oliver Wilson Port Charlotte, Florida
Editor: Daryl's column reappears with this issue, following a series of computer-related problems and a missed deadline.
Winning Isn't Everything
I agree with your thoughts about enjoyment over winning in the June issue. It seems we have gone through an era where backbiting replaced hangar flying as the topic at contests. I sense a change in attitudes; recent letters in Model Aviation reflect this. Hopefully we have realized that winning, being right, or being in charge is not as rewarding as a good flying day with friends, even a few we can't always agree with. Thanks for setting the tone.
Safe Starting Methods
Over the years I've wondered about safe starting methods and pressure-activated electric starters (May issue). How about a construction article on these starters, mounts, switch wiring, etc.?
Ticks and Home Remedies
Gary Shaw's June "Safety Comes First" discussed ticks and repellents. A home remedy used by the old loggers is a sip of vinegar or pickle juice each day during the summer months. They swear by its effectiveness at repelling ticks — cheaper than bug juice and environmentally safe.
John M. Taylor Brunswick, Georgia
Parental Discretion
I look forward to receiving Model Aviation each month; however, the July 1994 issue has me upset. A cartoon of a man with a bottle of CyA glue stuck up his nose appears in, of all places, the "Safety Comes First" column by Gary Shaw.
Are the editors of this magazine naive enough to believe this magazine is only read by adults, or for that matter, the pictures only viewed by adults? My five-year-old son was looking through the magazine, as he always does since he loves to look at pictures of airplanes, and pointed to this cartoon and asked, "Daddy, why does the man have a bottle of glue up his nose?" I'm probably one of the lucky parents whose son decided to ask about it before actually trying it.
How about putting on your thinking caps and getting your heads out of the clouds; that is where your airplanes belong. While the intent of the article that accompanied the cartoon contained valid safety tips on the use of CyA glues, the danger of publishing such a cartoon in a magazine that could be read or viewed by children constitutes gross negligence on behalf of the editors.
Allan Crispell Pinellas Park, Florida
Editor: Allan, the cartoon illustrates the folly of what can happen with CyA — a perfect answer to your son's question.
If your son has access to your magazines (or TV, or other forms of entertainment) then a certain amount of discretion or screening may be necessary. Since MA isn't sold over the counter (except for hobby shop sales), controlling magazine access should be fairly easy.
If you're concerned that a youngster may try to emulate the cartoon anyway, lock your workshop when you're not in it, or better yet, let him spend time in the shop with you; explain what's in there and what's to be used for. The kids will understand, and may even take an interest in what you create in the shop.
Earl Stahl Comments
(The following is a letter originally sent to Executive Vice President Dave Brown)
That you are willing to address in a responsible manner many AMA problems others may choose to keep to themselves is appreciated. In the July issue of Model Aviation you mentioned some discontent with the magazine.
In recent years I have become increasingly concerned with the content of this and other magazines. When I reflect on the many magazines in my files, some going back to the 1930s, I find the ones I could not let go are those with good construction articles, detailed construction and use techniques, meticulous three-views and other documentation of memorable aircraft. These days there is a lack of adequate material to excite and stimulate readers. In my view, the current issue is improved with an adequate-size study plan of the Miss America, and thought-provoking articles by Maynard Hill, Dennis Norman, and A.G. Lennon.
The impact of advertising revenues from producers of ARFs, pre-fab kits, and other vendors is understood. But AMA needs to focus more aggressively on education to stimulate curiosity about the science of flight and structures and development of hand skills if it is to long endure and thrive.
The amount of space allocated to columnists should be questioned. Most of their writings are aimed at the already committed, active specialists, or in some instances to promoting cottage industries. Does each of the diverse interests within AMA need to be addressed each month? (A few already do on bimonthly schedules.) Cutting down columnists' frequency could improve the quality of their offerings and provide more pages for material of broader and more enduring appeal.
Earl F. Stahl Yorktown, Virginia
Smell the Roses
Some things are worth repeating—especially if it will help our hobby's growth through decreasing the attrition rate. Jim Haught's June column, "The Haught Corner," is one of them.
Three other columnists in three other magazines have said exactly the same thing in years past, so Mr. Haught is certainly not alone in his observation. It comes down to that wise old philosophy: "Take time to stop and smell the roses if you want to get the most out of life."
Now any modeler should be told to go ahead and indulge in any aspect of the hobby which happens to turn him on (as long as it does not interfere with another modeler's predilections or demand time and money from another modeler, as is so often the case). Going back over the past 26 years that I have been a sort of sociological observer of the RC scene, all too often I have seen some sport flier who was having a wonderful ball doing his thing suddenly quit altogether after succumbing to the pressure of others to get into Pattern competition.
It simply isn't true that "what's good for the goose is good for the gander." A lot more people come into aeromodeling to escape the rat race than do those who are driven to bring the rat race along with them wherever they go, and so it would behoove our hobby (if we wish to grow) to encourage more of the casual participant, and give more attention to their needs rather than the ten percent who adhere to the rather limiting Vince Lombardi philosophy.
Jim Waterman San Antonio, Texas
Editor: See Ron Van Putte's "RC Aerobatics" column in this issue for another view of the merits of Pattern flying.
Teaching Older Beginners
I enjoyed your June article about the joy and excitement of the first successful flight of the young.
I can relate to your feelings but on the other end of the spectrum—teaching the older "kids"—50s to 70s, the able and the disabled—how to build and to be responsible in a responsible manner. You can't exactly lump the old modelers in one, even though they are set in their ways, as each is an individual. Some don't want to learn to crawl before they can run. Some want to jump to the fastest and most furious models. Some have problems just defining one left to the other at the controls.
Some are retired CEOs, some plain workers, and you can pretty much tell how they were in their former occupations—some complain, some still want to control the situation by not listening well to instructions given. Many are hesitant about trying a new hobby that they know very little about—not sure if they can learn the intricacies of what kit to get, what engine, radio, transmitter, etc., and then to learn to build and to fly.
Much patience is needed in guiding them, and your reward is seeing the look on their faces as they finally learn, and how good that feeling is that they can still learn new things at that age.
Our club is sponsored by Arizona Public Service Company, hence the AMPS: Arizona Model Pilots Society. Our group is just a congenial mix of "old fogies" helping each other and keeping up with the latest from the model magazines. We enjoy the camaraderie — in fact we hardly compete in contests — we just have fun keeping the hobby vibrant and enduring!
George Sing Glendale, Arizona
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
