An Official Publication of Genesee Valley Aero Modelers, Ltd. www.gvam.org February 2007 Editor: Glenn Crocker 21 Highview Trail Pittsford, NY 14534 Balsa Dust NEXT MEETING DATE: Thursday, March,8, 2007 LOCATION: East Bloomfield Town Hall TIME: 7:30 p.m. Mowing volunteers for 2007 needed. Contact Glenn Crocker if you can help. Max Sez Just because you can do it does that mean you should do it? This saying can be applied to lots of things but right now I'm referring to 40 size and bigger electric planes. As many of you know I've been playing with electric powered models for a few years now. I have several small electrics and a 25 size Cub that I've been having lots of fun with. The cost of building and flying these models has been reasonable and the convenience has been great. Just pull it out of the car, test everything, do some flying and then put it away. No loud noises and no fuel messes to clean up. What could be better? I have also been working with my 40 size Sig LT40 for the past year. I thought converting it to electric power would be great. I'd get all the benefits I have with my smaller planes in a larger plane that I can fly off the land or the water. The reality proved to be a little bit different. Lets review Cost: Brushless Motor and Controller with assorted Props for testing. $200.00 Two - 14volt LiPo 4000ma Batteries. $300.00 (On Sale) The charger I already owned so I won't count that. That's $500 to replace a $100 40 size glow motor. Imagine what the cost would be for a 60 size or larger plane. Flying: Two ten minute flights on the two battery packs. Sixty minutes to safely charge each pack. With the glow motor I can fly a lot more and more often. At $150 plus per battery, I can buy a lot of glow fuel and I'll live with the cleanup. I'm still going to be watching the technology and keep flying my smaller electrics but as far as I am concerned, for now it makes more sense to stick with glow power for 40 size plus planes. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should, for now Happy Landings, Max P.S. Don't forget to bring your "Winter Projects" to the April meeting. Balsa Dust* - A collection of refuse possibly containing turkey droppings, and other bits and pieces, possibly retrogressive to your alleged mind.
At The Field From The Fuel Fool By Glenn Crocker The weather has really taken a turn for the worse. Winter has finally arrived with temps in the single digits and the wind chill below zero. Even Charlie waits until after lunch before he goes to the field. Maybe in a month or so we can get back in the air on a regular basis. My winter projects are coming along well. One of the hazards of building from plans is trying to find cowls and canopies for the projects. With ARFs becoming so popular it is difficult to find vendors for these items. This winter I purchased a how to book and made a plug for a canopy and vacuum formed it. I was surprised that the canopy came out well on the first try. I am in the process of making a mold to make the cowl for the plane. I hope it works out as well as the canopy. I also found a Lazer 200 (¼ scale) ARF and have been assembling it while I wait for the glue to dry on the Spitfire. I would like to thank Max for lining up the Honeoye gym for the club to use. We had about 10 to 12 people flying plus a couple of on lookers. Mark Smith brought his son and grandson for the afternoon. Of course his grandson had a small helicopter and he had a great time with it. Dave O Neill got a first flight on his electric park flyer. Eric and John still have their stable of trained rubber powered flyers. Lou found a rubber motor that he was happy with. Even Charlie made a cameo appearance. Everyone enjoyed themselves and to the best of my knowledge went home with everything intact. I will be purchasing fuel again this year. Based on the requests I have had I am planning to get Red Max. As a result of feedback and my own experience we felt Red Max performed a little better than the fuel we used in 2006. I will be taking orders at the February and March meetings and plan to have the fuel at the April meeting. The lubricant will be 20% made up of 18% synthetic and 2% Castor oil unless a different mix is requested. Their standard lubricant is 19% all synthetic. Price/Gal: (2cycle and 4 cycle is the same price) $14.25/gal. $15.25/gal Dues are Due It s that time of year again and dues are due. I would appreciate your dues by March1st 2007. Senior membership: $45.00 Junior Members (19rs or younger): $1.00 Full time college students: $1.00 For Sale Charlie has finished his P-39 and it looks great. I asked him what he chose for retracts and he mumbled something about not on your life. He is also working on his DC-3. Funny, I got the same response when I asked about the retracts for that. It looks like he is ready to have some fun this summer. 10% Nitro 15% Nitro PT-40: Brand New in the box $40.00 Supertiger (I assume 40 size): $60.00 If interested contact: Patrick Ferriter 342-7524 It won t be long so double check your gear so you can hit the ground running when the weather breaks. -2-
From Fly RC magazine -3-
Dave and Jim enjoying the morning. Dave really does have a plane in the air. Chris and Brian Keefer at the Frozen Finger Fly. Charlie is waiting his turn with the Lazy Bee. Doug is still trying to convince the Shoe String it really wants to fly. Bee ready for the take off roll. Mark is getting the electric helicopter ready for a flight -4-
Eric had just released his plane. They are still very well trained. He looks like a maestro conducting an orchestra Lou is still looking for the appropriate motor. I believe he found it as he had a couple of good flights. Mark Smith s grandson retrieving his small helicopter. Dave O Neill, Marks son, grandson and the old man himself enjoying the afternoon. Jim is getting the planes motor charged. Ned says this is better than snow anytime. -5-
The Old Phone Can you open the icebox? she asked. Chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger. From AMA National Newsletter (This has nothing to do with flying. I just thought this was After that I called Information Please for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before would eat fruit and nuts. a good story. Members with more white on the top than I have will remember the old phones and the operator that knew everything about everybody. GVAM Ed.) When I was young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was Information Please and there was nothing she did not know. Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called and told her the sad story. She listened and said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage? Information Please could supply anyone s number and the correct time. My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day when my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, Always remember that there are other worlds to sing in. Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone, Information Please. How do you spell fix? All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the foot stool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. Information, please I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. Information Please belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew in my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall a serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. Information. I hurt my finger, I wailed, the tears coming readily now that I had an audience. A few years later, on my way west to college, my airplane put down in Seattle. I had about a half-hour or so between flights. I spent 15 minutes on the phone with my sister. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, Information Please. Isn t your mother home? came the question. Nobody s home but me, I blubbered. Are you bleeding? the voice asked. No, I replied. I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts. -6-
Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well. Information. And You Want to Know Why I Like Retirement... I hadn t planned this, but I heard myself saying, Could you please tell me how to spell fix? Q: How many days are in a week? A: Six Saturdays and one Sunday. There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, I guess your finger must have healed by now. Q: When is a retiree s bedtime? A: Three hours after he falls asleep on the sofa Q: How many retirees does it take to change a light bulb? A: One but it might take all day. I laughed, So it s really you, I said. I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time? Q: What s the biggest gripe of retirees? A: There s not enough time to get everything done. I wonder, she said, if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls. Q: Why don t retirees mind being called seniors? A: The term comes with a 10% discount. I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. Please do she said. Just ask for Sally. Q: Among retirees what is considered formal attire? A: Tied shoes. Three months later, a different voice answered, Information. I asked for Sally. Q: Why do retirees count pennies? A: They are the only ones who have the time. Are you a friend? she said. Q: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? A: Nuts! Yes, a very old friend. I answered. Q: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic, and garage? A: They know that as soon as they do, one of the adult kids will want to store their stuff there. I am sorry to have to tell you this, she said. Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago. Before I could hang up she said, Wait a minute, did you say your name was Paul? Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you. Q: What do retirees call a long lunch. A: Normal Q: Why does a retiree often say he doesn t miss work but he misses the people he used to work with? A: He is too polite to tell the whole truth. The note said, Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He ll know what I mean. Q: What do you do all week? A: Monday through Friday, nothing and on Saturday and Sunday I rest! (Tom Brown s Motto) I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. Never underestimate the impression you may make on others. Whose life have you touched today. The Transmitter, Baltimore Maryland From The Sunday Times News Midwest Sundowners Club Rick Johnson, editor Wheeler, IN -7-
G.V.A.M. Newsletter c/o Glenn Crocker, Editor 21 Highview Trail Pittsford, NY 14534