Radio Control: Aerobatics
Ron Van Putte 111 Sleepy Oaks Rd. Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548
A Future Problem
A future problem for Pattern fliers sneaked up on me at a recent contest. Registration was complete and the flight lines arranged. The runway was oriented north–south and we were flying from the west side, looking into the morning sun.
First up were Novice on one line and Sportsman on the other, followed by Advanced and Master, then Expert, Turnaround and FAI. The usual arguments were trotted out: Turnaround classes must wait until the sun is high because, with the box, they can't offset their patterns; lower classes can offset maneuvers because they don't have a box. Forget that some Novice fliers can barely fly their Pattern in ideal conditions, much less while staring into a blinding sun. At one contest a novice blinded by the sun crashed his airplane and barely missed spectators — a clear safety concern.
What sharpened my worry was the recent rule-change cycle. Proposals are likely to pass that change the character of many events: Novice will remain the only "AMA-style" class but will include one turnaround-style maneuver; Sportsman will have three turnaround maneuvers; Advanced and Master will be all-turnaround; Expert Turnaround will be eliminated; and FAI will get a new turnaround schedule. Instead of two turnaround schedules across six events, we could end up with four turnaround schedules across five events.
Which pilots will be told to fly into the morning sun? Novice, certainly, but also possibly Master or FAI pilots unless they can convince the Contest Director otherwise. We may need to change contest hours (start at 10–11 a.m. or stop at 3–4 p.m.), change runway operations (take off north–south and fly the Pattern east–west), or otherwise rearrange time and airspace. Managing the sun will require imaginative solutions; it won't be "business as usual."
Protecting Receivers — Packaging Advice from Tony Stillman
Tony Stillman (Radio South) pointed out a recurring cause of "broken" radios he sees: receivers shipped to him straight out of fuselages with the foam squeezed around the receiver and bound tightly with rubber bands or tape. That tight packing gives the receiver no protection from shock.
A hard landing can damage one or more crystal filters (which are more sensitive than the RF crystal), rendering the receiver inoperative. Proper packaging can prevent a lot of repairs and expense.
Recommended method:
- Use 1/2-inch foam rubber cut to fill loosely around the receiver.
- Use 3/4-inch vinyl tape to capture each end so the receiver can't slide out of the foam sleeve.
- If the package doesn't fit comfortably in the fuselage, form a cradle inside the fuselage with more foam so the receiver package nests without being squeezed.
- Better yet, build a small box within the fuselage so the receiver can't move, then surround it with foam so the receiver is effectively "floating" in the cushion.
Don't package the receiver properly and then undo it by forcing it into too-small a space — that defeats the protection. Proper packaging will save money and grief.
Metal-on-Metal Contact and Radio Noise
Many of the older proportional radios were severely affected by metal-to-metal contact. New radios improved the situation, but Tony warned that many modern systems, FM especially, can still be susceptible to noise caused by intermittent metal-on-metal contact.
Practical precautions:
- Eliminate metal-on-metal contact between control linkages, hinges, and glue joints in the tail.
- Use nylon clevises or nylon throttle arms instead of metal clevises.
- Avoid brass tubing where it can create conductive contact between tuned pipes, engine headers, mufflers, or mounting brackets.
- Inspect for any intermittent metal contact that could introduce noise and cause glitches.
These small fixes can prevent mysterious radio problems and save airplanes.
Senior Pattern Association — A Nostalgia Event
Mickey Walker (3121 Northview Pl., Smyrna, GA 30080) has started a nostalgia Pattern event called the Senior Pattern Association for older fliers. Highlights:
- Two age classes: 45–55 and 55 and up.
- Airplanes must be dated no later than December 31, 1969.
- Restrictions: no Scheunert ported engines, no tuned pipes, and no retracts.
- Modern radios are allowed.
- First sanctioned contest: October 12–13.
- Mickey will send a contest package (legal airplanes, engines, rules, etc.) to anyone who writes him.
Sounds like fun — I already have a Top Flite Taurus kit and a Super Tigre .56 RC engine, so I'm well on the way to competing.
Team Selection Finals — Contest Director "What Ifs"
By the time you read this, the Team Selection Finals will be over and we'll know which three fliers will represent us at the World Championships in Australia. As Contest Director for the event, I was proud to be part of it but also full of "what ifs":
- What if the weather is lousy?
- What if the 919th USAF Reserve unit that uses the field gets an Operational Readiness Inspection and we lose the site?
- What if not enough judges show up?
- What if promised manpower doesn't appear?
Some things are out of your control; you do the best you can and live with the "what ifs."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
