RC Flying Today
Abstract
- How and why the LIFTS, OZONE RC, LVRCC, LIRCS, KRC, and Buc-Le wet-power clubs support electric flying
- SR Deluxe Smart Charger/Cycler
- Steve Anthony's "Law of Loading"
Purpose
The purpose of "RC Flying Today" is to examine trends in the hobby and explain why we do what we do. This month I look at how and why some wet-power clubs support electric flying.
Long Island Fly Together Society (LIFTS) Float-Fly
The Long Island Fly Together Society (LIFTS), an AMA-chartered wet-power club, held an AMA-sanctioned float-fly on Lake Ronkonkoma, New York on October 10, 1993. The biannual event is open to all and is held before and after the swimming season.
The Silent Electric Fliers of Long Island (SEFLI) had attended past events and were expected again. SEFLI did not disappoint: half of the models flown (about 30) were electric seaplanes. Notable among the electrics was Art Thorns' giant Yankee Clipper (11-foot wingspan), which I discussed in my last column. Art came from the Pine Barons RC Club in New Jersey.
Why was the event open to all? Gary Brownworth, event contest director and LIFTS president, noted that previous float-flys showed electric fliers would swell the entrant list and attract favorable public attention. Another factor was that electrics fly a lot, even in the blustery weather common to float-flys. The LIFTS enjoy good relations with park management; Lake Ronkonkoma is a public park, and all favorable publicity the club can get is welcomed. You can bet the public loved the Clipper.
Fifth Annual Gulf States Electric Fly-In (Ozone RC)
The Fifth Annual Gulf States Electric Fly-In was hosted by the Ozone Radio Control Club on October 23–24, 1993. Ozone RC caters to all types of fliers—old-timers, pattern, sport, sailplanes, etc.—with the governing consideration that members must build and fly something.
Several members decided to give electric power a try, found it satisfying, and formed SAEF, the Southern Area Electric Flyers. SAEF brought together members of Louisiana and Texas clubs interested in electrics. They formed SAEF as a loose confederation to promote electric flying and held monthly contests to improve skills so members could compete elsewhere. Co-contest directors were Ben Mathews and Boyd O'Brien.
Ben Mathews, an AMA contest director and member of the AMA-chartered Ozone club, was co-contest director for the event. SAEF has no dues and no elected officers; meetings are held and a newsletter published as needed. SAEF is not AMA-chartered, but it sends "ambassadors" to compete in various events and invite people to the Gulf States Fly-In. People came from Idaho, Michigan, New York, Texas, and Louisiana.
Lehigh Valley RC Club Electric Fun-Fly (LVRCC)
The Lehigh Valley RC Club (LVRCC) is a wet-power general-interest club that pioneered an RC special event for electric fliers. Motivated by Ellis Grumer, contest director and LVRCC member, they put on an excellent annual electric fun-fly in June. Members do everything for visiting electric fliers—from parking cars to serving food. Everyone enjoys schmoozing (in New York it's "smoosing") and showing off. It is a super event for everybody.
SAM 75 Old-Timers Competition
For a complete description and photos of SAM 75, see my March 1993 column, "What is a SIG? (Special Interest Group)." SAM Chapter 75 held their two-day meet on a field leased and loaned by the Long Island Radio Control Society (LIRCS)—an AMA-chartered wet-power sport-fliers club.
Many LIRCS members are also SAM 75 members. They deserve applause for the way they pitched in to prepare the field, park cars, serve food, time flights, run the impound, and perform other useful chores. The AMA-sanctioned SAM event was open to all, including electric fliers. As explained in the March 1993 issue, electric fliers doubled the entrant list, as they did at this year's LIFTS fun-fly. Three-time SAM Grand Champion Larry Davidson is a member of both LIRCS and SAM 75 and is an AMA contest director; Larry encourages and CDs the event.
Keystone RC Club Electric Fun-Fly (KRC)
Keystone RC Club (KRC)—a general-interest AMA-chartered wet-power club—sponsors the largest electric fun-fly on the East Coast (160 entrants, about 400 planes this year). The fun-fly is one of the largest in the U.S., perhaps in the world. It is held each September on the Buc-Le Aerosportsman field (a giant wet-RC field) at Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
Electric guru and Model Aviation columnist Bob Kopski is an AMA contest director and KRC member who, with a small group of friends, motivates everybody. This was the 14th event staged for electric fliers. The hospitality and organization are exemplary; the event is a model for any club that wishes to take on the task. Bob Kopski will likely provide detailed how-to information in his column.
Other Events
The events highlighted here are not exhaustive. There are many other wet-sponsored electric events—examples in California and Astro-sport championships across the country. No disrespect to those events or their organizers is intended.
SR's New Deluxe Smart Charger/Cycler
Where electric fliers gather you will see SR Smart Chargers. They fast- and slow-charge everything: transmitter and receiver packs, power packs up to 28 cells; plus they test cells, measure current, and more.
Want to recharge a 28-cell Ni-Cd pack in 20 minutes? That needs about 42 volts, so the SC/C contains a voltage multiplier—3.5× multiplication. A 20-minute recharge of a sub-C cell requires about 4.5 amps. 4.5 A × 3.5 = 15.75 amps drawn from the battery or power supply. The source-battery voltage sensor is designed to cut off the smart charger at 10 volts (to avoid completely draining a portable deep-cycle battery) and it notifies you when the charge was terminated prematurely. The SC/C input is fused at 20 amps. That's too much continuous drain for a cigarette-lighter socket, so you must connect the SC/C either to a portable battery or directly to the car battery.
After a morning's flying, your car might not start. The source-voltage sensing cutoff on the original unit may be set a bit low. The Deluxe Smart Charger lets you choose a 10-, 11-, or 12-volt cutoff; the 12-volt setting should leave enough energy to start the car.
Bigger airplanes want bigger power packs. Art Thorns' Yankee Clipper uses four Astro 05s, and needs a 32-cell power pack. The Deluxe SC/C will charge up to 36 cells, sufficient for a four-motor plane or an F5B setup.
The Deluxe SC/C has other new features, including a temperature-sensing circuit that waits until the pack has cooled before beginning a fast charge. Those features may give you sufficient reason to send your SC/C back to SR with $50 for an upgrade; you'll get back a deluxe version of your unit. Or you can send $34.95 for a brand-new Deluxe SC/C or $29.95 for an SC/C to:
SR Batteries Box 287 Bellport, NY 11713 Tel.: (516) 286-0079, M–F, 9–5 EST
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
