The Tale Spinner
Newsletter of the Tri-Area Flyers

 http://triarearc.org

(AMA Charter Number 4063, Radio Controlled Model Aircraft Club)

 December 1, 2002, Volume 3 Issue  12

Announcement:  CLUB PROGRAMS

A club program schedule for 2003 has been put into the web site home page.  You will notice a couple of “OPEN” dates and some others that could easily be changed.  To be honest, I ran out of ideas and I do not like a steady diet of videos.  If there is a program you would like to see, please do not hesitate to suggest it to me.  If you wish to volunteer to give a program, I guarantee you will be welcomed as a brother and given the date of your choice.

Pete

Meeting Minutes:          (Next Meeting: December 10, 2002, Excapees RV Park)   

                                    Minutes of the 11/12/02 Meeting of the TriArea RC Flyers

Attending the meeting at the SKP clubhouse were: Wylie, Anliker, Nodel, Greene, Granger, G. Smith, Merrill, Benjamin, Takata, Davis, Pyles, Calkins, Crumley, Fitch and Waaga.

The minutes of the previous meting were read and approved.  The Treasurer’s report showed assets of  $2438.97, comprised of $2111.97 in the bank account and $327 in fuel inventory.  We have on hand 6, 15 and 3 gallons of 10%, 15% and 4S, respectively.

Elections were held and the officers for the next year are:  Wylie – President, Granger – Vice Pres., Anliker – Secretary/Treasurer, Oaks – Safety Officer, Pyles – Web/Newsletter Editor and Calkins – Director.

It was noted that there are 3 applications for membership pending.

The Sec/Treasurer was authorized to pay next year’s field rent, renew AMA certification, give the Shorts a $50 gift certificate and provide gifts to our closest neighbor as well the owner at Riggles. These gifts will be accompanied with cards expressing the Club’s appreciation.

It was decided that the club trainer should be kept in our possession until the time when it is needed.

A Christmas party was discussed and Dick B. agreed to find a suitable date and assist in making the necessary arrangements.

Frank Merrill offered to donate a trainer plane to the club.

Safety considerations were discussed concerning a recent incident at the field.

Pete G. was authorized to purchase $100 worth of videos for programs and lending to members.

Jim Crumley was the recipient of the Crash –of-the-Month, much to the relief of Bruce Pyles.

The meeting was adjourned.  Cookies were provided by Granger and Wylie.

Submitted by Bill Anliker, Sec/Treasurer  

(Here are some snap shots taken at the meeting by Grant Smith.  Ed.)

Notes on Departure as a Club Officer, by Russ Petersen

I have had the pleasure of serving the club as news editor/web master for two years.  As some of you know, my wife Nancy and I have moved to Oregon and I will not be able to be an active club member in 2003.  I thought that it would be appropriate to offer a few closing “editorial” comments prior to closing my efforts as editor for 2002. 

The club has been great to work with.  I have been the news editor for a number of model clubs and never before have I enjoyed the response from members who were willing to provide good news articles and pictures that I have enjoyed from members of the Tri Area Flyers.  In particular, Bill Anliker, Grant Smith, Pete Granger, Bill Smith, Jim Montell and Dick Benjamin have been particularly interested and helpful with providing feedback and materials for the newsletter.  Others have also contributed materials and feedback for the newsletter that I think added a good deal to the quality of the club’s effort to support members and further the hobby/sport.  Thanks very much to everyone with sincere apologies to anyone that I have overlooked.

I should say a special thanks to Pete Granger who labored with me on the 12 chapter “Basic RC Series”.  Pete always did his task on time and in good form.  We have not done much with the material since it was written, but I am still hopeful that we will find a paper or a web publisher interested in giving our effort a wider distribution.  For the time being, it is only available on the Tri Area Flyer’s web site and unless we are able to find a publisher, that is where it will stay.  I am going to suggest an edit and update in spring of 2003 to improve the readability and relevance of the material.  As we move along with that we will let you know.

Lastly, I would like to climb on my podium and lecture a bit, hopefully to the newcomers to the group.  The Club exists for several important reasons.  Chief among the benefits is a safe and orderly flying site.  But, beyond that, the fellowship, training programs and communication that a club provides cannot be undervalued.  It would greatly reduce the enjoyment and achievement available to each of us if we did not belong to an RC Club.  In my view therefore, each of us has an obligation to support the club in exchange for the benefits that we receive from belonging.  The best way to make your “investment” in retaining and strengthening the club is for each member of the club to seek some way to serve its interest each year and that member must make darn sure that it happens.  In a group of volunteers the club leadership will not have the time or the inclination to invite each new member to service.  There are, of course, a large number of tasks to complete each year.   It goes without saying that regular attendance at club meetings is an expectation of all club members. But service must go beyond that level for sure.  Anything from mowing the grass to editing a newsletter or helping with meeting programs helps.  Remember that you probably will need to volunteer for such activities.  No one will seek you out, and if you sit on your hands, you will just coast along not investing in the club, but continuing to receive the benefits provided by the efforts of others.  If enough people chose to coast, the club will deteriorate and in the longer term disappear as a benefit to members and the community.  Please think about his and find a way to support the club in 2003!

Thanks for reading this note.  If I can assist in any way, please contact me at russ@rjpetersen.com.  We are in Oregon from about April 1 to October 1 each year, and in Arizona for the rest of the time. 

Kit and RC Product Reviews and Comments: by Pete Granger

 The November issue of Model Aviation page 79 talks about using Glass Plus Wipes for airplane cleanup.  I bought a container and gave it a try yesterday (a pretty chilly day).  Dick Benjamin also tried one on his Kadet.  Both of us had been using Simple Green and paper towels and were not satisfied as it left a cloudy film on our beautiful models.  I am breaking in a new engine on my Astro Hog, so it really gets oily from the rich engine runs.  I cheated and wiped the worst of the oil off with a paper towel, but didn’t get all that much off because of the cold.  I then wiped down the whole airplane with one of the wipes.  It was pretty soiled by the time I got to the tail feathers (worst oil) and I find that they are still oily (in a warm house), but not nearly as bad.  In addition to the cleanup, the wipe also gave me back a nice, shiny plane with no cloudy film.  Dick seemed pretty happy with his experience as well and he was very appreciative of the appearance improvement.

The wipes are about nine inches square and appear to be made from a loosely woven soft fabric—They are tough and neither of us tore one—try that with a paper towel!  If you are really frugal, you could probably wash the things out and use them for rags.

Also, while I have the floor: 

While working on the new engine installation I found that 2 bolts had to be installed under the engine into the firewall—about a 5-inch reach with poor alignment.  Nothing but a ball driver and an Allen head screw stood any chance of working, but the screw kept falling off the driver.  In desperation I managed to jam the Allen head of the screw into a 1-inch long piece of fuel line and stuck the ball driver into the other end of the tubing, engaging the screw’s hex recess.  It worked great and the piece of tubing always came back with the ball driver.  I used regular fuel line and the screw was a #6.  I’m sure that other screw sizes would need different diameter tubing, but the method works very well. 

RC Computer Game, by Pete Granger

An old modeling friend in Oklahoma sent me this.  It is a helicopter flying game on the internet.  You control the helicopter's elevation as it flies through a maze of obstacles.  Fun and challenging.  Try it yourself-

http://www.seethru.co.uk/zine/south_coast/helicopter_game.htm

Christmas Party Tuesday, December 10 at 6:00 in the SKP clubhouse

We will set this one up the same as last year except there will be no raffle.  Turkey, ham, and Marg Granger’s seafood chowder will be furnished along with paper plates and bowls.  Foam coffee cups and plastic glasses will also be furnished.

DO BRING eating tools, BYOB, and a wrapped gift (no more than $7.00).  Girls bring girl gifts and boys bring boy gifts.  If you want your own plates, etc. they are welcome.  Also, please call Marg Granger 379-3185 or Darlene Benjamin 379-9851 to sign up for a food item to bring:  Hot dishes, salads, deserts, and rolls and butter.  If you have something else you want to bring, work it out with the ladies.

We will start with a short business meeting followed by dinner, the gift exchanges)—this was a real hoot last year—and finally a viewing of Crasher 1, a new, club owned, 40 minute video that will demonstrate that we are really pretty good fliers—at least compared to these folks.

Want to volunteer to help with setup, tear down, or whatever?  Dick Benjamin is the focal point or call Pete Granger if you are desperate to serve.

Don’t forget, we are starting an hour early—6:00 instead of the usual 7:00.

Kit and RC Product Reviews and Comments: by Pete Granger

Tower Hobbies .61 Engine

I recently replaced the aged K & B .61 in my Astrohog with the Tower engine—mostly because the price was right.  For $90 they sold me the engine and threw in a glow starter and charger.  The engine is an ABC type with dual ball bearings on the crankshaft.  My purchase was heavily influenced by the performance of Nate’s Tower .46 which is strong and has a great idle.  The engine is made in China and appears to be the same as the GMS line.

My troubles started as soon as I tried to mount the engine—it has a wider crankcase than the K & B although the fore and aft location of the mounting holes is the same.  Then there was the aft mounted needle valve, which required more fitting.  Along the way some screws became inaccessible which required more chopping on the nose of the plane.  …and finally there was the muffler.  Those crazy folks in China put the mounting bolts on the muffler side of the engine and it is a BIG muffler.  In the end I did some grinding on an Allen wrench (furnished with the engine) so I could get between the muffler and its mounting lug to screw the bolt in and tighten it.  The process took forever—and I would not buy another of these >61s for that reason.  Nate's engine did not have this problem as the bolts are installed from the other side.

The engine was hard to start the first time because the instructions called for a super rich setting that would not allow the engine to keep running.  When the thing was finally leaned out about a full turn it would sustain a very slobbery rich run.  Following the instructions, I slowly leaned it out until it was running OK, but plenty rich, for a full tank.

The engine started easily at the field and could hold a pretty good idle, which improved as we leaned the mixture a bit more.  The .61 seemed as strong as the old K & B for the first flight.  The second flight the carburetor came loose, as did the engine mounting bolts.  It took a full day to upgrade the engine mounts, fix some other deficiencies, and deal with that !@#$%&* muffler.  I’ve gotten 2 more flights since the fixes were made with no further problems.  That’s only 5 tanks of fuel and the engine already has a very nice idle besides being as strong as most sport engines of this size.

If it were not for the stupid muffler design this would be a sport flier’s perfect engine.