NewComers
Bob Underwood
Box 40, St. Peters MO 63376
THIS MONTH'S OFFERING comes under the heading of "Been there—done that!" While many people work diligently at hiding (or attempting to hide) their mistakes, I have a perverse tendency to let the world know about mine.
I'm certain that Sigmund Freud had something to say about that trait, and modern psychiatry would probably attribute the condition to some oblique comment my mother made on my third birthday! However, in the paraphrased words of a Gone With the Wind character, "Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a darn!"
Life is full of situations that can be described as "lessons taught—lessons learned." Unfortunately, while lessons are often taught, sometimes they're never learned! Consider the following under the heading of lessons taught. The rest is up to you!
Do you see what I see? A critical time in my life occurred not too long after I started flying Pattern. It happened at a contest in Columbia, Missouri.
Saturday dawn brought a beautiful blue sky, dotted with puffy white clouds, and a gentle breeze. A perfect day! At one point during the first round, I flew the model to my right to set up for a slo-o-o-w roll. I took my eyes off the model for a split second and when I looked back, I couldn't find it. The predominantly white model, which was now tail-on to my line of sight, had "disappeared."
Fortunately, my caller could still see the model, and calmly told me to roll and pull up elevator. I did and at that point, the model revealed a planform view, and I could see it—kinda. For the rest of the weekend, my slow rolls were much shorter in duration!
I had an eye doctor's appointment already scheduled on the following Monday. His assessment, without even knowing about the contest problem? "Wow! You need glasses!"
Make certain, by having regular eye examinations, that you can see the model properly! Free-flighters and RCers have the greatest need. If you're a Control Line flier and you can't see the model when it's only 60 or 70 feet away, then take up HO-gauge railroading!
No, dummy—your other right! In Radio Control, probably one of the hardest lessons to learn is basic kindergarten stuff: right and left. There are two times when the juxtaposition of this deadly duo rears its ugly head; the first time comes when you are finishing up the model in your workshop.
Marvin Modeler has finished his pride and joy. It sits majestically on the workbench, poised for flight! Marvin turns on the radio system and checks all the controls. Yep, the elevator goes up when he pulls the stick toward him; the throttle opens when he pushes the stick toward the top of the transmitter; the rudder goes to the right when he pushes the stick to the right; and the right aileron goes up when he pushes that stick to the right.
What's wrong with this scene?
Marvin is viewing the model from the front! His rudder and aileron are backwards—right? (make that correct—right?)
Marvin, for heaven's sake, stand at the rear of the model and look in the direction of flight when you check the two functions! Fortunately, Marvin's club instructor will catch that at the field. (Psst—Marvin, I'm just trying to keep you from feeling like a dummy.)
While Marvin is flying, the second part of the problem surfaces: Unless his model is designed by Burt Rutan and will fly all the way around the world, he will probably have to turn it a number of times during the flight, especially at landing time.
There are several ways to cope with this problem. First, he can swing his transmitter to one side of his body while cranking his head the opposite way, toward the oncoming model. This kind of keeps the right-left orientation. But I don't feel that's a very good method to use. Aside from the fact that Marvin may wind up playing dueling antennas with the flier next to him, he might also decapitate the instructor or the model coming toward him.
Some people use a clue involving the phrase "Move stick toward low wing." If the model's left wing is drifting off to the right—move the stick right; the low wing correction will occur. Of course, if all else fails, listen to the instructor who will be shouting the correct direction—"Move the stick!"
What worked? I learned by repeating over and over, like a metronome, the direction the model was turning. I would stand chanting "left, left, left" until the reaction became "right, right, right," etc. Did it work? Yep, sure did. Others on the field may want to say it very quietly under their breath lest they be thought malicious, misguided militants.
You're never ready until you're ready. A small plastic bag hangs on the pegboard above my workshop. It contains a few bits and pieces from the first scratchbuilt RC model I didn't have a chance to name—darned thing. In retrospect I probably should have called it "Gone." I was actually going to use the weekend I first flew to do some final checking. Saturday was a really nice day to fly—sunny, warm, calm—I could have passed up the chance.
Well, I repeat the mistake. I can say I didn't learn the lesson that was taught. I lost the model on the first flight because I didn't use the time I had planned for a final check. I'd love to say the model was lost due to rushing; honestly, I can't.
The roughest one was a scale model I spent over a year on. I didn't preflight, and as a result, didn't pull out the antenna on the model. It flew a hundred yards or so. Unfortunately, I only controlled it for a couple hundred feet! Been there—done that!
There are a host of other items we could pass along, and probably will, in future issues. Without elaborating, here are two more:
- There is at least one landing for every takeoff. We rarely leave a model up there!
- Mechanical things do not heal themselves. If it ain't working correctly now, it ain't gonna work correctly later either.
As a closing thought let me suggest that nothing substitutes for planning. Yes, I know that this is a recreational activity for Marvin, and his life doesn't depend on it (we hope). But developing a more businesslike approach to the hobby/sport will certainly make it more enjoyable and less costly. Consider the case of my van and garage.
When my wife and I selected a floor plan for the home we recently built in St. Louis, I carefully measured to make certain that the Dodge Maxi wagon we owned (for carrying airplanes, of course) would fit in it. Careful measurement of the van revealed that while I might have to remove the spare tire hanging on the van's back door, it would fit with a few inches to spare.
Shortly after we moved in, I pulled the van into the garage. Much to my dismay, I discovered that not only would I need to remove the spare tire to get it in, but the bumper was, well... No, the contractor hadn't blown it. No, I hadn't measured incorrectly. The dimension on the floor plan was the inside measurement of the footing and I failed to take into account that there was a brick facing and sheeting and studs and door frame and the thickness of the door! We bought a new van! Now there's one more thing I've been to and done.
Education Committee Notes
- The first video prepared in cooperation with the Indiana Academy at Ball State is nearing completion (scheduled for November 5). It features fifth-graders from a Muncie school visiting the National Flying Site and the Frank Ehling Museum and learning how modeling and full-scale airplanes are related.
- The film is designed to introduce later segments and illustrate how model aircraft can be used in the classroom to enhance virtually all parts of the curriculum.
- Plans are underway for a teacher workshop during the summer of 1996. The one-workshop-per-week program will be designed to introduce teachers to aeromodeling and provide some hands-on experience working with youngsters.
- Has your club or chapter applied for a YES (Youth Education Stipend) grant? Three clubs have! Two have already been recommended to the Executive Council to receive cash grants for their programs. The third, just received, is in the works.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
