Spring 2007 AMA Charter 3250

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Abner Wesley Lloyd
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www.sjsf.org Spring 2007 AMA Charter 3250 President s Message John Jenks SJSF President We just wrapped up another great indoor season.

1 Spring 2007 AMA Charter 3250 President s Message John Jenks SJSF President We just wrapped up another great indoor season. With $100 hobby grade helicopters (with 72MHz radio) around the eggbeaters are gaining popularity. We ve also seen a resurgence of the mini (and maxi) IFO indoors with the $10 brushless motor set-ups. The 20-minute flight groups seemed to work pretty well for the indoor schedule. As always, Marti keeps us well fed with munchkins and our caffeine level high enough. It seems early on in the indoor season we have lots of crashes, and then near the end the carnage is reduced. I think the newer receivers and the 2.4 GHz systems also promote better flying indoors especially when we have 7 & 8 transmitters on. Isn t technology great! Now getting to the outdoors; these are the days we live for. It s 80 degrees, there is just a faint wisp of wind and the mosquitoes aren t out until dusk. We have already had two outdoor fun flys with lots of flyers and great food. We started out on April 15th and although it was a bit breezy we had a great turnout and the food was awesome. There was plenty of sun and the wings were the plane for the day although some of us were flying the Hand Launch Gliders (HLGs). Thanks go out to Ken and Bill for the great Barbeque they made. We have instituted a new program for our fun flys and that is members will eat for free as long as the food lasts. We have designated a cook for each of the fun flys and they will take an hour out at noon and cook our food, hot dogs & hamburgers, so we can still fly through lunch. Dan Krug will do the cooking on June 24 so come out for a free meal. Our second fun fly was better weather wise even if Upcoming Events Jun. 24 Jun. 26 Jul. 15 Jul. 24 Aug. 19 Aug. 28 there was an early morning threat of clouds and the grass was 20 inches high. We pulled out the Club plane, the Lanier Hawk, and almost got it working. It turned out the brushes had worn out and needed replacing so I just replaced the motor and it is now flying. It really is supposed to fly on 7 cells max so if you put a three cell LiPo in it, you ll need to replace the brushes after about 15 minutes. Be sure and charge the Tx before you use it. All the batteries were charged in May so if you need a source and don t want to drain you car battery, use the deep cycle batteries in the shed. The grass has been cut and the field is in great shape now. We have had some beautiful evenings lately, so go on out and fly. See you at the field John SJSF Fun Fly, 10 AM, SJSF field SJSF Club Meeting, 8 PM, Evesham Community Center SJSF Fun Fly, 10 AM, SJSF field SJSF Club Meeting, 8 PM, Evesham Community Center SJSF Fun Fly, 10 AM, SJSF field SJSF Club Meeting, 8 PM, Evesham Community Center

New Stuff JR DS285 High Speed Digital Micro Servo The new JR DS285 highspeed digital servo is perfect for micro heli users and precision electric foam airplane pilots.

5 grams $35 street price Castle Creations Berg 7P Programmable Receiver w/horizontal Pins At a mere 1.5 long x.82 wide x.

Whether you're a fixed wing nut or a heli freak the Berg 7P horizontal pin receiver is just for you.

The Berg 7P Horizontal pin is currently in production, and they are available to all hobby retailers through our distributors.

2 New Stuff JR DS285 High Speed Digital Micro Servo The new JR DS285 highspeed digital servo is perfect for micro heli users and precision electric foam airplane pilots. Ultra-precise centering and movements 30% faster than the previous version Weighs only 8.5 grams $35 street price Castle Creations Berg 7P Programmable Receiver w/horizontal Pins At a mere 1.5 long x.82 wide x.5 high and weighing in at 9 grams, this full range receiver will fit into the smallest of airframes. Whether you're a fixed wing nut or a heli freak the Berg 7P horizontal pin receiver is just for you. It features the same TSR and DSP that have come to make the Castle Creations Berg receivers famous for their rock solid reception in the most hostile environments. The Berg 7P Horizontal pin is currently in production, and they are available to all hobby retailers through our distributors. $60 MSRP Spektrum AR6100 DSM2 Microlite 6- Channel Air Receiver At only 3.5 grams, the AR6100 is the perfect micro light receiver for park flyers, foamies and up to 400 class helis. Only compatible with the DX7 radio system. Super light weight 3.5 grams! DSM2 Technology Compatible only with DX7 Compact design 19mm x 30mm x 9mm Short 29mm antennas for mounting convenience Voltage Range: 3.5v - 9v How High Model Aircraft Altimeter Smaller than a postage stamp, lighter than a dime, this tiny device reports the peak altitude of your model's flight. $40 MSRP howhigh.html 2

3 The VP s Corner Marty A new season Another building session is underway. I for one always seem to be behind on my building projects. I have plans to build at least two new birds for this flying season. This probably sounds familiar to many of you. So what is your secret for keeping yourselves motivated? I like to have something different. Whether I build it (preferred) or I buy it, having something different just makes a statement don t you think? On the other hand people may say being involved in this hobby makes you different. How many times have you heard (Oh, you fly toy model airplanes)? Kinda makes you mad doesn t it? If they only knew! E-Bay I love E-bay! It s a great source of kits, motors, batteries, ESCs, etc. How many of you buy off of E-Bay? I must admit, this is part of what brought me back into the hobby. So many things to buy and not enough time! Speaking of online sources, Gorilla Bob s has become quite popular with many of our members. He continues to expand his offerings each month. His prices are reasonable too. Check his website out. Gorilla Bob s Flea Market Every year in the beginning of March I take a trip with my two best friends to the Penn Modelers GIANT flea market located in Lebanon PA (see the AMA magazine or me for more details). I have been going to this flea market for approximately 15 years and I consider it the best. It sort of kicks of the season for me. It never ceases to amaze me the sheer amount of RC stuff that is available there. I always get a table to sell my wares, but the real reason is I like to get there early so I can SPY out the bargains. I would encourage our members to take this trip. It s a nice day trip and I always come away with something that I either can t live without of don t really need! If you haven t gone to this one before, you need to. Oh, by the way, after the show, my Buddies and I go stuff ourselves at the Shady Maple (all you can eat) Restaurant which is nearby! A perfect ending to the day! Until next time, check your six! Marty Sievers 3

Antique R/C Equipment Roger SJSF member Joe Papasso has some antique R/C equipment on display in his home that makes you think that you are in a museum exhibit: the equipment is powered up and

4 Antique R/C Equipment Roger SJSF member Joe Papasso has some antique R/C equipment on display in his home that makes you think that you are in a museum exhibit: the equipment is powered up and functional; a placard describes the equipment; and in some instances you can read the advertisement from years ago that describes the item and how much it cost. Joe also fastidiously documents all of his models and equipment. Joe and his two sons Ron and Joe Jr. held on to this old equipment and preserved much of it s documentation. Also, Luke Kociuba provided some of the equipment. Joe has kept detailed records of his long career in the R/C hobby he keeps records in numerous 3-ring binders that contain photos and descriptions of all the planes he has owned and various other records about shows he has participated in. Joe entered the R/C hobby back in the late 40 s when he was a teenager. He subsequently got his two sons Joe Jr. and Ron involved in the hobby. Ron was present when I interviewed Joe Sr. and he had a lot of recollections which contributed to this article. As a relative newcomer to the R/C hobby (I m only 50, haha), I was amazed at how far the technology has progressed. I was equally impressed at the effort that Joe invested to preserve and display the equipment. Mule Mk II One of the first R/C systems available to pilots allowing them to control a free flight aircraft. The operation was simple, when the button on the transmitter was pushed it sent a tone to the receiver which activated the escapement. The escapement had four positions: neutral, right rudder, neutral and left rudder. The escapement movement was powered by a rubber band. An additional escapement could be added to give another function. These controls were not proportional - they were full on or full off. The date this type of control was first used is unknown, but it is certain that it was used in the 30's, 40's and the early 50's. In the mid 50's and 60's it was being phased out by single channel pulse units such as the Ace unit or the Testor unit. The pulse units allowed the control to be proportional. After that, other units came along such as Galloping Ghost, Reeds, analog and digital. These units allowed additional controls besides rudder, and most of them were proportional. 4

Testor Simpulse 1 single channel radio control unit ~$100 single channel, pulse rudder only (proportional) 50's - early 60's One of the first truly ARF systems (plane and radio system).

The system consisted of a transmitter, receiver, ni-cad batteries, charger, and an Adams Stomper magnetic actuator for rudder control.

5 Testor Simpulse 1 single channel radio control unit ~$100 single channel, pulse rudder only (proportional) 50's - early 60's One of the first truly ARF systems (plane and radio system). Quite a breakthrough at the time. Even with only a single channel, a good pilot could roll and loop with rudder only. The system consisted of a transmitter, receiver, ni-cad batteries, charger, and an Adams Stomper magnetic actuator for rudder control. Short History of the Early Stages of Radio Control One of the earliest methods of controlling a model aircraft was using a single channel TX and RX with a rubber powered escapement, as shown on the Controlaire Mule unit. After many years of use the electronic technology improved and a switching circuit was developed and the magnetic actuator was developed. This allowed the rudder control to be proportional by varying the tone pulse. The Adams actuator was probably the most popular unit, and was supplied with the Testor Simpulse unit. Since they used the same torque rod system to activate the rudder as the escapement, they could replace the escapement with very little modifications to the aircraft. This new technology also lead the way for motorized actuators. The first model produced still only was used for rudder control. Shortly after the manufacturers developed a more sophisticated motorized servo which combined varying the pulse width and rate with complex mechanics. This allowed for 3 functions: proportional rudder and elevator, and slow engine control. Since the control surfaces moved constantly this became known as Galloping Ghost. The transmitters were now produced with a 2-axis stick for rudder and elevator, and a switch to control the engine. 5

The Silent Flyer Homemade Galloping Ghost Transmitter Kraft radio system Phil

1959. In 1964 he introduced his KP4 proportional unit.

Nationals and then in 1969 and 1970 he won the World Championships.

6 The Silent Flyer Homemade Galloping Ghost Transmitter Kraft radio system Phil Kraft had produced his first commercial radio for the consumers in March of In 1964 he introduced his KP4 proportional unit. In 1967 and 1968 Phil Kraft won the U. S. Nationals and then in 1969 and 1970 he won the World Championships. After setting these records his radios were the most wanted guidance system by R/C pilots. His radio systems were very reliable and good quality. 6 Spring 2007

7 The Silent Flyer Heathkit Probably a clone of the Kraft unit for half the cost. MRC Series Spring 2007

MRC Series 774 This MRC unit is from 1977.

They may also have reduced cost by using a more economical open-face gimble control stick for the four

8 MRC Series 774 This MRC unit is from It uses regular dry-cell batteries instead of ni-cads for the transmitter. They may also have reduced cost by using a more economical open-face gimble control stick for the four basic controls and a molded plastic case. They also took shortcuts in the electronics. Micro Avionics Radio system which included the first miniaturized servos. 4 channel, circa ~$400 8

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Super Chief Sounds Off Ken Bagdon WRAM and Lebanon Flea Market Events These two events, which I believe a lot of us look forward to each year, are over.

10 Super Chief Sounds Off Ken Bagdon WRAM and Lebanon Flea Market Events These two events, which I believe a lot of us look forward to each year, are over. Like most events, if you were able to get a good deal on what you need, or just desired, then it was a great show, if not it was a waste of time and money. Irrespective of either situation this is my view of each event. Most agreed that the WRAM show is getting smaller and smaller each year, with fewer vendors. In addition the price of admission keeps going up. There weren t many deals, at least on Saturday. Few vendors were running show specials, and a lot of stuff that was a deal was gone by Saturday. I know this for a fact in that I had called John J. Friday night to get the skinny and he stated that they got some real good deals at the BP hobby booth. We were the first ones at the booth when it opened on Saturday and all of the deals were gone. North East Sailplane was running specials on the Castle Creation controllers and the Berg receiver, which we took advantage of. The show, as one might expect, is now made up of a large percentage of electric and foamies. R/C helis are like the R/C cars were years ago. Seems like everyone who had a kid between the ages of 3 and 12 had bought one. One guy walked out with about 6. Some new stuff showed up which you might not have spotted in the mags or you re interested in but wanted to see it in real life before you bought it. I was looking for POLKS and some on the other radio vendors and few were to be had. Looks like they re giving up on the show. The main floor was packed as usual, but a lot of the vendors there were on the main floor but used to be in the basement, so the basement had about 40% empty space. The fact of the matter is that it is a day out with the boys, and if you re interested in saving any money, what with the cost of gas and tolls and meals etc., just stay home and buy over the internet. The Lebanon flea market still seems to be holding its own. It gets to the point after a while that it s silly to buy anything new, cause if you re patient, sooner or later it ll show up at this place for at least half price or less. I didn t take too much of a beating with what I sold this year. Could even give any brushes motors or controller away. A lot of other stuff that we have fits into this category and after a while you just have to make the decision to throw the stuff away or force yourself to come up with some project that this stuff will fit. So if you have some junk that you don t want, how about putting it in the newsletter, maybe someone else might be interested in using it While that s it, true or false that s the way I see it. Super Chef signing off 10

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Here are some of the many choices you will be faced with: Brand (Futaba, Spektrum, JR, Hitec, etc.)

Here are some of the many choices you will be faced with: Brand (Futaba, Spektrum, JR, Hitec, etc.) 27 January 2015 Welcome - Bienvenue With so many RC radio systems on the market, and so many features How do you know what radio system is right for you? Choosing your best RC radio requires information