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.
Frequency Control Board
After seeing the picture of a frequency control board sent in from southern California in the December 1984 issue, I thought readers might be interested in another variation that has proven very effective here in south Florida.
The "board" is actually 5/32-in. sheet steel mounted on a solid steel support rod. It also forms a firm base for the windsock. This board was generously donated to our club by a local hobby shop.
Our club membership is limited to 35, primarily because of parking limitations at the flying field. We enjoy an exceptionally high percentage of active fliers, with an average of 10–15 pilots in attendance at our semi-scheduled gatherings three times a week.
We require AMA membership for all our members, and we have a high regard for what the AMA has done for modeling through the years.
John VanderHorn Boynton Beach, FL
Carving Giant Scale Props
My compliments to Wendell Hostetler on his propeller article in the June 1984 issue. From the standpoint of instruction in craftsmanship, it is excellent. It is technically marred, however, by three errors and one omission:
- The definition of "face" and "back" were reversed. The face of the prop is the surface you see when sitting in the cockpit of a conventional airplane.
- (See 1.)
- "Pitch degrees": No such term. Never was. What you have defined is blade angle. Why make it any tougher than it has to be? (Consult any FAA-approved maintenance manual or designated propeller repair station on the above points.)
- The author implies that block dimensions are important in determining the pitch of the finished prop, which indeed they are. But there is no mention of how to determine the required block dimensions for the selected pitch/diameter values.
F.R. Grafton Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Wendell Hostetler's response:
I have no argument with the terms Mr. Grafton uses. One objective of my article was to communicate in a non-theoretical way how most anyone can make a Giant Scale prop. The term "face" as I defined it is easier for a lay person to understand. Other terms could have been used, such as forward face and rear face.
The term "pitch degrees" was used to coincide with pitch degrees as used by Capt. Kanko in his very helpful chart.
The size of the propeller blank (block) is where all of my props begin. Since most fliers of Giant Scale are interested in props from 18 to 24 in. diameter and from 6 to 12 in. pitch, the article covers most needed sizes without any calculations or detailed layouts. Other sizes are covered in the section on how to duplicate a prop. My method also eliminates any intermediate station layouts. After making a dozen or so props by carefully plotting station points along the blade, I discovered that no in-flight performance was sacrificed if all intermediate layout points were eliminated. Just work from hub thickness and tip thickness as per the article. Simple!
One interesting item that was eliminated from the article due to space limitations is that it's very easy to make a progressive-pitch prop simply by increasing tip thickness by an additional 1/16 in. or so. This means that a prop may have a 6- or 8-in. pitch near the hub but progress to a 10-in. pitch or more at the tip. Many people like these progressive-pitch props, which are now commercially available.
More modelers should discover how simple it is to make a good prop and save some real money while doing it. It's all described in the June 1984 Model Aviation.
Wendell Hostetler Orrville, OH
On Promoting the Hobby
These things have finally prompted me to comment on what active modelers should be doing to promote our hobby. There seems to be an idea circulating that each AMA member's prime responsibility is to push aeromodeling on the public.
Since when has building and flying toy airplanes become a commodity to market, such as life insurance or vacuum cleaners? And yes — no matter what anybody says or how big the plane or how much money you've got into it — it's still a toy. I get sick and tired of people who try to rationalize that because their model costs hundreds of dollars or takes pictures in the air or is larger than some full-scale aircraft that it's something more than it really is. Big toys for big boys!
Most of my professional life is spent in trying to convince people that I'm right and to do things my way. When I leave work and begin my personal life, the last thing I want to do is sell people on my form of entertainment.
Model aviation has become a fad in many respects. Your average father-and-son combination sees a flashy display of airplanes in a mall show and thinks it looks like fun. After investing several hundred dollars in a thrashy ARF, they smash it up on a weekend and decide to try windsurfing instead.
Aeromodeling must first begin with a self-motivated interest on the part of the prospective modeler. Mall shows help to let these people know that there are organizations and veteran modelers who would be more than happy to help cultivate their ambitions — not to razzle-dazzle them with models that require construction skills far greater than those of a beginner or a 20-ft. trailer to haul to the flying site!
I must admit that this is not a popular view. Many people seem so self-conscious of their fascination with model airplanes that they have to make it out to be something bigger. As one columnist put it in a recent article, we have to build bigger models: "When people see big, they are impressed!" Sure — about as impressed as people listening to a street-corner preacher announcing that the end is near! I have no time for a person who feels he has to impress anybody.
I, personally, fly competition Control Line Combat. I am also the first to help any new flier who wishes to get involved with any facet of modeling which I can help him with. But I will not try to convince anybody to invest the kind of money it takes to get started in model flying without first showing at least some interest. The fact that the sum of money necessary to get started in any of our rival hobbies is about equal is irrelevant. I don't want to waste his time and money or mine.
So, what is modeling to me? It's going to the field with friends, flying, and enjoying their company. No matter what anybody thinks about my playing with toy airplanes, it's going to contests and competing as an amateur hobbyist and not a professional. Above all, it's the personal satisfaction I derive from just participating in aeromodeling. To anyone who can't achieve this same satisfaction, or to those who feel they must impress the non-aeromodeling public, may I recommend bowling?
Jeff Johnson Fargo, ND
Military/Civilian Reunion
44th BG/BW/SMW Air Force Group, composed of all personnel ever assigned to the 66th, 67th, 68th, and 506th Squadrons, plus all other flying and non-flying members of any attached unit or group, are invited to attend the Fourth (IV) Family Reunion at Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD, from May 22 to 26, 1985. Full information and reservation details may be obtained from Lloyd Leachman, 1700 E. 4th St., Owensboro, KY 42301 (tel. 502/683-5752); or the 44th Project Officer, 6th SMS, Ellsworth AFB, SD 57706. The 44th is a military fraternal group sponsored as part of the Air Force's Operation Heritage Program. Everyone is invited to attend and become an active member.
Charles Joseph Warth Cincinnati, OH
Flight Line Safety and Courtesy
I would like to address some disturbing trends at our flying field. We fly on Saturdays and Sundays. Standing amongst a group with four or five models darting up and down the field is, at best, terrifying.
Of equal importance is an apparent trend toward bad manners which I believe is stimulated to some extent by competition for space on the flight line. More specifically, I'm referring to six (I've seen seven) planes in the air, foot races to the flight line from the pits (who checks out the control surfaces and tunes the engine in those situations?), and complete disregard for a fair traffic pattern for landing and taking off.
Recently I set up my 1/4-scale Cub for an approach — it takes a regular pattern and some measure of airspace to do so — only to see two blips dart in ahead of me on final. We did a neat bit of formation flying as we passed the flight line: one landing, one almost landing, and me putting the coals to the Quadra, trying mightily to gain altitude. I'm not pointing the finger here, just trying to emphasize the problems we're encountering at the field.
I also see other bad manners: not checking the air traffic pattern; racing onto the takeoff area; taking off across the landing strip; setting up a landing approach without checking the field for people or planes (no excuse!); not ground-checking aircraft before and between flights (things do loosen up or break in the air, guys!); and last, but not least, no radio checks.
I think we're heading for a disaster at the flying field if things continue to deteriorate. Maybe you're thinking that I'm a real alarmist, "much ado about nothing," but fellows, I watched a man die at this field with a model in his chest. I don't ever want to see that again.
As a first step in regaining our sanity, I recommend we reduce the limit on flight-line operations from five to four fliers. I intend to raise this at a meeting. Secondly, I ask every club member to review the flying rules thoroughly. Lastly, I ask all of us to perform like grownups at the field — let's show some courtesy to our fellow fliers.
As a postscript to a related newsletter article, the editor did raise the issue of reducing the number of models in the air from five to four and the club members rejected his proposal. From personal experience, if all fliers behave with courtesy to their fellows (act like grownups), five models can be flown safely and simultaneously from most fields. However, if one or more of the fliers is oblivious to the presence of others on the flight line, two models in the air simultaneously could be too many! Treat others as you would like them to treat you. One Hot Dogger at the field is one too many.
Since this column is appearing in the May issue of the magazine, and May has been declared National Safety Month, perhaps all clubs should take a look at their flying field rules and see if revisions are needed. More important, are your members observing these rules when flying at the club field? Have a safe month.
John Preston 12235 Tildenwood Dr., Rockville, MD 20852
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
