2021-02-26-The RC Airplane Week in Review
This week’s RC update expands into drones, and we take it indoors.
The Signal Chasers RC Club in Missouri takes their flying indoors for the Winter. If you have the opportunity, this is a great way to hone your skills with built-in physical limitations.
Here in my own backyard, the US Airforce Museum hosted indoor Micro Drone Racing. The Museum (free admission) is a great way to spend a day.
The RcSaylors take up one of my favorite planes, the E-flite Turbo Timber. There are three versions of the Turbo Timber, and this is a great beginner plane. Flying the E-flite Turbo Timber - YOU WON’T BELIEVE What Happens during CRAZY RC PLANE SNOW FLIGHT!
Just a fun, inspirational watch from UNIQUE TECH WORLD. - It is always good to see what is out at the extremes, be it fastest, smallest or largest - Top 10 Biggest/Largest RC Airplanes In The World.
Happy Flying
Blues Artist of the Week - Buddy Guy
George “Buddy” Guy (1936 - current) is an American blues guitarist and singer born and raised in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He was a sharecropper’s son whose early influences were from across the river in Mississippi. Guys you’ve heard of like B.B. King, Guitar Slim, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker.
Like many Blues artists, Buddy moved to Chicago. His move in 1957 came after he was working at Louisiana State University as a utility man. Chicago was providing him an opportunity to follow his dream of working on his music. Early on, he befriended fellow Mississippians Otis Rush and Muddy Waters, who encouraged and pushed him forward.
His signing with Chess Records also marked a bit of an impediment and slowdown in his career as they refused to record Buddy, with Leonard Chess, Chess Records founder, denounced Guy’s playing as “just making noise.”
As Wikipedia describes Buddy’s style as “…varied from the most traditional, deepest blues to a creative, unpredictable and radical gumbo of the blues, rock, soul and free jazz that changes with each performance.”
Buddy continued to perform and hone his Blues ear and was part of the Blues revival of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The highlight came when Eric Clapton requested Buddy be part of the His “24 Nights” all-star blues guitar lineup at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Buddy also started to have commercial success with his breakthrough album of Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues in 1991. This was the first of his many albums to reach the Billboard charts. His CDs Sweet Tea, his first to hit No. 1 on the Billboard blues charts in 2001, and Blues Singer, both laced with Guy’s renditions of Mississippi blues, were recorded in Oxford, Mississippi. The cover of The Blues Is Alive and Well, another No. 1 blues CD in 2018, pictured Buddy back in Lettsworth, showing he never forgot his roots.
Like many Blues greats, he has influenced many in rock and roll, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr., and John Mayer.
Eric Clapton and B.B. King help induct Buddy into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Buddy still actively performs and tours.
Top 10 Albums
1. Left My Blues in San Francisco (1967)
2. A Man & The Blues (1968)
3. This Is Buddy Guy! (1968)
4. Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play the Blues (1972)
5. Stone Crazy! (1981)
6. Damn Right, I've Got the Blues (1991)
7. Feels Like Rain (1993)
8. DJ Play My Blues (1982 British Release only)
9. Blues Singer (2003)
10. Live at Legends (2012)
Select YouTube Videos
Sweet Home Chicago" (Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin...)
Rock Me Baby-BB King/Eric Clapton/Buddy Guy/Jim Vaughan
Buddy Guy - What Kind Of Woman Is This
Skin Deep featuring Buddy Guy | Playing For Change | Song Across America
Complete Discography
Here is the current discography for Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy’s Official Site
2021-02-16-The RC Airplane Week in Review
It’s Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. So here is some YouTube goodness to get us through:
Jeff Cherry – 2020 Crash Compilation lots of RC Airplane Piece - As we turn to repairing our planes and getting ready for Spring, we are typically repairing because of crashes. Here are Jeff’s best crashes of 2020.
Props & Wheels - Rage R/C Defender 1100 EP RTF - Part 6: Flying over Snow on Floats - Snow doesn’t stop us completely from flying as Props & Wheels puts those warm-weather pontoons to use.
RC Channel AYUB - RC PLANE FLYING | RC PLANE NIGHT FLYING RAPTOR - You don’t typically see flying in the dead of night. Here is an excellent video of flying in the dead of night.
DAD - RC Jet Airplanes Hobby 180mph+, Many of us get into the hobby for the speed. Here is some turbine engine 180mph+ speed.
TheRcSaylors - DEMOLISHED RC PLANE IN 5 SECONDS -The RC Saylors don’t let Winter or a little bit of snow slow them down. Here is how you demolish a plane in 5 seconds
As we are in repair season, share your workshop or what planes you are working on in the comments below.
Happy Flying!
The Key to RC Club Membership Renewals
How do you encourage active members to renew their memberships? How do you ensure that only active members access the field?
We use a key exchange.
Traditionally on January 1st the Dayton Wingmasters hold a Freeze Fly. With warm coffee and snacks, it is an excellent way for us to start the new year. On the 1st, we also rekey the front gate, power station, and restroom locks.
At the Freeze Fly, renewing members bring their FAA, AMA {link] registration information along with the completed renewal form and the annual membership fee and renew their memberships. With the renewals, they get this year’s key. We stamp the keys with the year, so there are no misunderstandings on which key is active.
We have packets with keys in controlled envelopes at our local hobby shops for renewing or new members who can’t attend the Freeze Fly. The Hobby Shops check registration information and issue the packets. We have Club officers collect the payments and renewal forms regularly.
As we have monthly club meetings throughout the year, we also take renewals at the meetings,
Our annual key exchange is a great, controlled, and objective way to renew our memberships, ensures everyone’s registrations and contact information is current, and ensure that only active members use our facilities.
What creative ways do you use for renewals? Let everyone know in the comments below.
10 Qualities of a Great Club Member
You’re a member of an RC, Social or Non-profit Club. You want to be a good club member, so what do you do? Here are ten qualities of a great club member.
Contribute Your Unique Skills – You all came together with a common interest or passion. But each of you also has unique skills and backgrounds. Are you a finance person? Have excellent webmaster skills? An awesome fundraiser? Carpentry skills? Use your skills to enhance the Club. Utilizing your skills can also significantly reduce the Club’s operating costs, leaving more funds for the core mission.
Be Positive – Always have the betterment of the Club in mind. When you question something, do it towards improvement or change. Nobody likes a complainer. Remember, if members push collectively in a positive direction, others will gladly join in; offer positive feedback. Question positively.
Respect - Respect the mission of the Club. Respect the officers (remember they are probably volunteers contributing their talents and unique skills). Everyone joined the Club for a reason, so don’t stray too far from that collective mission.
Communicate with Confidence - Great team players communicate their ideas honestly and clearly and respect others’ views and opinions on the team. Clear, effective communication done constructively and respectfully is the key to getting heard.
Trust by Verify – We continuously see the news on the latest club fraud. As a club member, you do have a responsibility to understand and question the finances. Pay attention during the Treasurer’s report! Everyone has a responsibility to make sure the Club’s finances are appropriately controlled and spent. If you happen to be the club treasurer, see my post on being a good Club Treasurer.
Positively Build your Club’s Community – Create a welcoming club. Members are typically on different journeys with their skills or desires. Help these club members grow and advance in the Club. Be a bridging vs. an exclusive Community. This post is written during the global COVID pandemic, so community needs have never been greater.
Teach - Grow the members’ skills. Maybe within your RC Club, flying is your passion, or perhaps you understand the technical side of the tools, whatever your unique talent, actively helping the membership.
Embrace all your Stakeholders – Understand how your Club can mutually benefit and contributes to your stakeholders, be they your local community, close neighbors, or a broader group or organization. Be a good citizen, and things will be much easier.
Consistent and Reliable – Displaying genuine commitment and reliability is a great way to drive your Club forward. Create positive relationships within your Club and do this consistently.
Reliable Volunteer – Don’t be the volunteer that never volunteers! They volunteer in name but never show up. When you volunteer, do more than asked, adapt quickly and easily, come with a 110% commitment to getting things done. Remember, you are either part of the problem or the solution, don’t be a problem.
Embrace these attributes, and there is no doubt that your Club will move forward. Maybe incorporate these operating principles into your charter or bylaws. That may be a subtle way of building these attributes into your Club’s culture.
Add Value with Tracking
What you track needs to add value. No matter what you track, be it habits, workouts, investment performance, or as Olof Hoverfält does, every piece of clothing he wears for the last 3+ years. Don’t track to track; make sure you use the tracking information to add value to your life. Today ask yourself “Why am I tracking this?
Blues Artist of the Week - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Rosetta Nubin, better known as Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973), was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Sister Rosetta is a Gospel and Blues Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist. Sister Rosetta is often referred to as the Original Soul Sister.
Sister Rosetta gained fame as a well-known church gospel singer, where she sang, played guitar and piano.
In the 1920’s she and her mother moved to Chicago. They were part of the significant African American mitigation to the North that brought Jazz from New Orleans and Blues from the Mississippi Delta.
Here is where her virtuoso guitar skills were on display. In the early 20th century, the guitar was a stereotypical sign of masculinity, and most professional guitarists were men; Sister Rosetta held her own artistically and technically on the guitar.
In the 1930’s she moved to NYC, which also signaled her move from Gospel to Jazz and the Blues. She continued to perform and make her mark in the Jazz and Blues scene.
She credited with significantly influencing the creation of Rock and Roll.
In 1957 Sister Rosetta was quoted in the London Daily Mirror as saying, “All this new stuff they call rock’ n’ roll, why, I’ve been playing that for years now”
She was a significant influence on:
• Little Richard
• Jonny Cash
• Carl Perkins
• Chuck Berry
• Elvis Presley
• Jerry Lee Lewis
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Her albums include:
• Gospel Songs (Decca, 1947)
• Blessed Assurance (Decca, 1951)
• Gospel Train (Mercury, 1956)
• The Gospel Truth (Mercury, 1959)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe (MGM, 1960)
• Spirituals in Rhythm (Promenade, 1960)
• Sister on Tour (Verve, 1961)
• The Gospel Truth (Verve, 1962)
• Precious Memories (Savoy, 1968)
• Gospel Keepsakes (MCA, 1983)
• Live in 1960 (Southland, 1991)
• Live at the Hot Club de France (BMG/Milan, 1991)
Start your listening exploration with her 1957 album Gospel Train, which is considered her best album.
Blues Artist of the Week - Howlin Wolf
Our focused artist started in the South and made his way up north to Chicago. Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as Howlin Wolf (1910-1976), was born in East Point, Mississippi.
Howlin’ Wolf was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. Originally from Mississippi, he moved to Chicago in adulthood. Although considered a rival of Muddy Waters, the two teamed up to transform Chicago into a mecca for electric blues from the traditional Mississippi delta acoustic style.
Howlin Wolf was known for his booming voice, aggressive stage presence, and imposing physical stature and Muddy Waters, he is considered one of Chicago’s best-known blues artist.
Howlin significantly influenced The Rolling Stones, who covered Little Red Rooster (written by arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon but first recorded by Howlin).
Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones is quoted as saying, “the pioneers of American blues were “dangerous men”, it was widely regarded that he was referring to Howlin Wolf.
Howlin Wolf’s most famous song and the similarly titled album is Moanin at Midnight, released in 1951.
His other well-known songs included “Smokestack Lightnin’,” “Dog Me Around,” and “Killing Floor.” Howlin’
Wolf was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame (1980) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991).
Two albums to start with Howlin Wolf – Howlin Wolf (1962) and Moanin’ in the Moonlight.
Also, another great resource on Howlin Wolf is the Biography Moanin’ At Midnight: The Life and Times of HOwlin’ Wolf….. Good biography to add to your Blues collection.
2021 Modelrama
It’s winter, and we need a way to renew our RC airplane excitement. We want to add new planes to our hanger but need to clear out some of our current planes. Want a way to do this in person safely?
The 2021 Wingmasters Modelrama swap meet and auction is your place. The Dayton Wingmasters Modelrama is on April 23rd and 24th. As one of the largest RC airplane shows in the Midwest, we have expanded the space under roof (over 42,000 sq. feet) to allow for social distancing and to accommodate all the current vendors and other sellers. The venue is the Montgomery Fairgrounds 645 Infirmary Road, Dayton Ohio 45417.
If you have gear or planes you want to sell or pick-up new gear and aircraft, this is the show for you—a tremendous in-person opportunity to rev you up for the 2021 flying season. In 2020 we had over 275 tables sold.
As the Club’s treasurer, I encourage you to attend, and if you want to reserve a table, see the attached flyer. Tables and spaces are going fast, so if you're going to get your hanger ready for 2021, here is a great opportunity.
All the proceeds go to support the RC hobby with the Dayton Wingmasters. A long-time AMA sanction club here in Dayton.
Blues Artist of the Week - T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux Walker (May 28, 1910 — March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, pianist, and songwriter born in Linden, Texas, of African American and Native American (Cherokee) descent.
T-Bone is regarded as the first blues musician to use an electric guitar. He was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues and electric blues sound. According to Wikipedia, Jump Blues is “is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll.”
He was ranked #47 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and Jimi Hendrix were a few artists that credited T-Bone Walker as a guiding influence.
Stormy Monday is his most famous song. T-Bone’s Stormy Monday was cited by BB. King as the inspiration for him to get an electric guitar and was covered by The Allman Brothers Band, Jethro Tull, and even Eva Cassidy. Jimi Hendrix and Steve Miller credited T-Bone with teaching them how to play the guitar with their teeth!
I recommend you start your listening and exploration of T-Bone Walker with T-Bone Blues (1959).
Yes! The 20th is here!
So, there is new optimism as the calendar changes to 20. Yes, we can be optimistic things will be better. Like the change from 2020 to 2021, things didn’t get magically better; that is also true, going from 19 to 20.
We Need to Take Positive Action!
Action is what we need to make things better. We all need to take action to make it better. Just wanting it or assuming it will be better isn’t going to do it. We need to focus on change and action.
Action is what makes the change.
Change is what makes things better.
We need to decide to make things better.
That concerted effort and deliberate action are what will make the change.
Both sides are demanding change and see a better future. However, let’s collectively decide to change. Take positive, meaningful action for everyone! Don’t be divisive act inclusive.
10 Qualities of a Great Club Treasurer
So, you volunteered to become the treasurer for your RC club or other organization? Being a financial person in your “day-job” helps but isn’t necessary to be a great club treasurer.
Other than being willing to do it, here are ten characteristics that make an excellent treasurer:
1. Good custodian – you have the aptitude and temperament to take care of things. You are the custodian of the Club’s finances. This includes expenditures, revenue, and in most cases, any tax reporting. Being a good custodian means respecting the importance of the Club’s finances and take care to manage them properly.
2. Transparency – Transparency builds trust and proper internal controls. It would help if you were comfortable putting your work out for all to see. Only through independent review and scrutiny can everyone trust what you are doing. It would be best if you had the self-confidence to display your work. Comfort with reporting, explaining, and documenting what you are doing is key to transparency.
3. Detail-oriented – Money and expenses require a detailed focus to be adequately managed. Are you a detail-oriented person, or do you like the big picture? You will most likely be doing all the work, so you need to be comfortable. Remember, a club is not a big for-profit organization; there is probably no PeopleSoft, Oracle, or Workday! It is just you and either Excel, Numbers, or a rudimentary product.
The detail-oriented focus extends to understanding the Club’s bylaws and rules. You are probably an executive officer of the Club, so this will go beyond accounting and finances.
4. Good communicator – Along with transparency – you need to explain financial concepts to non-finance people. There will be skeptical club members that either don’t understand the finances or don’t have complete trust in you. Being an effective communicator is a required skill.
5. Able to Support the Club’s leadership – you are an executive member of the Club, so you need to be able to advise and consult the Club’s leadership on what can be afforded, what can’t, what you are spending money on, and how fundraising is going. That’s probably obvious even to brand-new treasurers. But there is a second treasurer duty that’s almost as important as the first: You must provide financial information to support decision making.
6. Understand cash flow statement – There is typically no accrual accounting – it is all about what came into the bank account and what went out. Club accounting is all about cash flow reporting.
7. Trust but verify – you are friends with the club members, but you need to ensure that basic fiducial rules are followed – basic receipt/documentation requirements for everyone – consistency will help build trust and take the friendship card out of it.
8. Honest - Critical as club members know you and probably already trust you – see #7 above – this is a fine line.
9. Ideally, a finance or accounting background – not needed but helps. Even effectively managing your own personal or family finances will be beneficial.
10. Flexible – This is not a major corporation, so you need to be flexible with the membership – Clubs are organized around a common interest, and accounting and finances are not the main focus of the Club. There are typically no stockholders, strict forecasts, so when the Club membership wants to do something, you need to pivot and move into #5 above.
You should feel good about serving the Club. Many clubs’ successes result from the diverse members contributing their varied talents.
Be mindful of these ten key attributes, and you are on the way to being a great club treasurer.
Blues Artist of the Week - Albert King
A blues player I’m currently enjoying is Albert King. Albert King (1923-1992) was the stage name for Albert Nelson. By some accounts, he was born in Indianola, Mississippi, and others (his Social Security application) Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Albert was known as the Velvet Bulldozer given his towering size (6’4” and over 250 LBS) coupled with the fact he drove a bulldozer early in life.
He played a big triangular Gibson Flying V-shaped like a rocket ship named Lucy. He played it upside down, left-handed and didn’t reverse the strings. His style is described as powerful string-bending, with soulful, smoky vocals.
He is a member of both the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A great album to start enjoying Albert with is considered his trademark album - Stax singles “Born Under a Bad Sign. Also, Live Wire/Blues Power, recorded at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and the,” “Cross Cut Saw,” “The Hunter,” and “I’ll Play the Blues for You” albums are great.
Mittens for Winter-Time RC Flying
Don’t stop flying your RC airplanes or drones this winter. Although, nothing sends chills through your hands like holding on to a metal transmitter box.
Just get yourself some fold-over mittens.
I use the Simms flying fishing fold-over mittens in, and they work great. IMAGE. I have the necessary feel for the sticks with these fold-over mittens while protecting my hands from the cold bare metal. I can fold them over when I’m done flying and can warm my hands up. I get the benefit of the “glove fingers” for control and the warming impact of mittens when I fold over the cover.
These mittens are 100% polyester and are not waterproof. They have half fingers and a mitten overlay. The mitten fold-over provides the warmth of a mitten while the fingers give control and dexterity. The Simms mittens have an elastic band to secure the fold over for both your fingers and thumb. They also have a snap that allows them to be snapped together.
The gloves can be machine washed and tumble dried on low. I have used these for fly fishing, and washing the gloves got all the fish smell out.
I have larges, and they seem to be true to their size. Come cooler temperatures, these gloves/mittens are permanently in my car.
An inexpensive item for your cool-weather kit allows you to extend your flying season and get out there year-round.
I hope this helps and keep flying.
Jazz Artist of the Week - Charlie Parker
I’m making an effort to expand my knowledge and enjoyment of jazz and blues this year. I am looking forward to this focused attention.
The first artist I am delving into is Charlie Parker. A website dedicated to his life and music is here.
Charlie Parker developed his unique alto saxophone jazz style in the alleys behind the Kansas City jazz clubs. He is considered an inventor of the bebop style. His trouble with alcohol and heroin cut his life short in 1955 at the age of 34. He was an extremely fast player and introduced harmonic ideas into jazz. He marked his success on his constant practice. Some indicate he practiced up to 15 hours a day for 3 to 4 years, perfecting his craft.
A great album to sample Charlie’s magic is:
Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes (Polygram).
2020 RC Airplane Hobby Year in Review
Everyone is doing a year in review, so I thought I would share my second year in the RC hobby.
It was a year of solo flying as my son lost interest in the hobby, and I continued by myself. I had gotten into the hobby through my son, so I had to transition to RC flying, not being a father-son event.
With my son leaving the hobby, I expanded and grew in the hobby by:
I am programming my RC airplanes into my transmitter. Aircraft setup is a critical skill that I needed to learn.
I progressed and took up one of my son’s EDF’s for the first time. Nerve-racking and tough. The Hawk was my first EDP, and I enjoyed it.
Creating a dedicated RC workbench. I needed a dedicated space to maintain and work on my RC airplane collection. Here is a YouTube video of my dedicated workspace.
Repairing my planes. My son enjoyed repairing our planes so, this year, I developed this skill. I developed my repair skills from foam repair to landing gear, servos, and motor replacement.
Painting and airbrushing my own planes. Along with repairing, I also grew my painting and airbrushing skills. For both aesthetics and safety (increasing my view of the plane’s orientation), I got good and enjoyed painting my airplanes.
Built a storage rack system for my planes. Planes are expensive and can easily get damaged if they aren’t organized and put away. My garage storage system keeps the planes safe.
Started a YouTube channel and revamped my blog. All about sharing as I grow and learn in the RC hobby.
It was a different year at the field as well:
COVID, coupled with my son leaving the hobby, really had me flying by myself a fair bit as our club couldn’t hold any Fly-in’s or club events. I did have a small group of friends from the club that I would fly with and learn from, which was awesome.
To be creative, we started racing cars at the field. Too much wind is a great time for racing cars. Care racing helped build camaraderie.
The club has given back so much to me that I am giving back by being the treasurer for the club. I can use my finance and accounting skills to give back and help grow the club.
How was your year?
Let me know in the comments below.
I will be reflecting on how I want to grow in the RC airplane hobby in 2021. I will share my thoughts as I set goals for 2021 and also bring you along on my journey in the hobby.
Get Yourself Thinking with these Review Questions
We are all trying to put 2020 behind us and are looking forward to a better 2021. Just looking forward to next year is not going to automatically make it better. Hoping that ’21 set the bar so low that ’21 has to be better isn’t a full-proof strategy.
You have to make an intentional choice to make it better. If you can’t clearly state your mission, values, and goals, you need to do more thinking.
Here are questions that I have gathered from people like James Clear, Jim Afremow, and even Han Solo!, to review how things have gone in the past and how I want to intentionally experience the next year, month, day, etc.
I hope some of these questions provide you with inspiration to pause and think about where you are and what you want your future to look like.
Imagine the most important goal or project you are working on right now. Fast forward six months. Imagine the project has failed. Why did you fail?
If you keep living the way you are, what will your life look like in 20 years?
Do I take 100 percent responsibility for my successes and failures?
Have you played the victim? And how can you take responsibility for how you feel?
Imagine the most important goal or project you are working on right now. Fast forward six months. Imagine the project has failed. Why did you fail?
What limits have you placed on your own success? How can you break through these perceived limits?
When the rules don't work you break Them. Where do you need to stop doing the same thing so you can get a better result? Don't always follow conventional thinking when there is a better way.
How will I handle my current situation like a champion?
What will I do now to get to where I want to be in the future?
Weekly Beginner's Taxiway 2020-12-23
Reviews, thoughts, and events from the week in RC Airplanes
Term of the Week
Electronic Speed Control (“ESC”) is the on-board computer that controls the speed of your RC airplane. The ESC plugs both into your battery and into the throttle port on your receiver. RC Airplanes has an excellent description of the ESC.
ESC’s are differentiated by brushless vs. brushed and by the maximum current they can take. The price increases as the maximum current rating increases. Using a battery with a current above what the ESC is rated for can cause the ESC to malfunction and catch fire. Both are unintended consequences. If you are changing out an ESC, if your ESC with the battery and motor you are using, you should be fine.
Plane Reviews and Tips
Best RC Airplane Tool for 2021 - RC Beginners - This is by far the best tool for getting into the RC airplane hobby, hint, and you don’t get cold in the winter!
Need to teach yourself to fly? Here is a great series to help RCGS Chapter 1.2 Choosing a Model - Teaching Yourself to Fly-
Are you confused by all the RC airplane acronyms? Here are all the essential acronyms defined. RC Hobby Acronyms for Beginners | Quick Tip | Motion RC
Tool of the Trade
Ball link pliers - These pliers are familiar to helicopter pilots but are useful for us RC airplane pilots. Loosening and attaching the servo arm clevises on a control service can be challenging, and as most of them are plastic and can break if you aren’t gentle.
These pliers can get in the clevis and release the attachment point and allow for adjustment. And the simple press of the plyers applies even pressure and secures the clevis attachment.
A simple, inexpensive tool that is a toolbox must-have.
Weekly Beginner’s Taxiway Final 2020-12-12
Reviews, thoughts, and events from the week in RC Airplanes
Term of the Week
Flaps, like ailerons, are another control surface on the aircraft’s wings. I covered ailerons in last week’s post.
Wikipedia describes a flap as. “a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing distance. Flaps also cause an increase in drag so they are retracted when not needed”.
The flaps are located closer to the fuselage than the ailerons and extend out and down when deployed. RC airplanes typically have three settings; full flaps, middle flaps, and no flaps. Middle flaps can be used for takeoffs with mid and full flaps deployed on landings. If there are stronger winds, the flaps may not be needed for landing.
On an RC airplane, each flap is controlled by a servo and is considered a channel on the receiver. The flaps leads are connected to a “Y” harness with the “Y” harness lead inserted into a channel on the receiver. Thus, the type of transmitter or radio you have will determine if you can put flaps on a channel switch.
Plane Reviews and Tips
Mike NCRCF - Thinking about building your RC airplane? This video from Mike NCRCF is the first in a series to get you started. Episode #1 Introduction to the Build Series.
Why do you Fly? Why did we get into the RC Hobby? Here is a good thread on why others have gotten bit by the RC airplane hobby.
RC Plane Lab - Here is a great weekly RC airplane podcast with hosts Ron Hull and Tom Dale
Tool of the Trade
RC Inexpensive Power Screwdriver Although not necessary, having a battery-powered screwdriver is an excellent addition to the toolbox. From installing wings after you get to the field to removing the wings at the end of the day for transport home, you are constantly using a small screwdriver. You may be adjusting a control surface, centering a servo, adjusting landing gear; a screwdriver is a key tool; why not make it a powered screwdriver. The powered screwdriver is indispensable when paired with a set of interchangeable heads.
Weekly Beginner's Taxiway 2020-12-05
Reviews, thoughts, and events from the week in RC Airplanes
Term of the Week
Aileron is a French word that means “little wing: or “fin.” The aileron is on the trailing edge of the wing and controls the roll of your aircraft.
Essentially, activating the aileron causes your plane to bank and thus turn.
There are two ailerons (one on each wing) that work in tandem to control the aircraft. These act differently from the rudder that also turns the aircraft. The rudder controls rotation around the vertical axis of your plane. The rudder controls the yaw of the plane and used while taxiing.
The ailerons are controlled by individual servos that are activated by the receiver. The receiver decodes the electrical directions from the transmitter in your hand.
Typically, both individual aileron wire leads are plugged into a “Y” harness, and the lead from the “Y” harness is plugged into a single receiver slot.
Plane Reviews and Tips
Turbine engines and beginner may be a bit of an oxymoron, but here is a quick flight video of the Bobcat Composite. Turbine engines are fast and would be considered a speed step up from EDF jets.
Fast RC Turbine Model Jet Bobcat Composite for beginner into Turbine Aeromodelling RC Airplane
Tim McKay has a wonderful video on airplane hatches. If you want to geek out on airplane parts, this is a video to watch. Model Airplane Hatches for Newbies
Your brushless motor not working? Here is a good description of a brushless motor and how to rewind it.
Tool of the Trade RC Airplane Stands
Airplane Stands come in all shapes and sizes and are something you need to quickly work on your planes and protect them from bumps and bruises. There are two types, the homemade and purchased. The homemade version is typically made from PVC pipe.
If you are making a stand, measure your planes and make sure you build the stand the right height and length.
Too low, and the plane’s rear wing will hit and too long and the plane will not be adequately supported on the fuselage.
The manufactured stands are typically adjustable and typically allow for assembly and disassembly in the field, thus allowing easier transport. This inexpensive tool is invaluable at the field. Whether you build a custom stand or purchase one, this is a key tool.