Genesee Valley Aero Modelers

 Editor: Glenn Crocker  21 Highview Trail  Pittsford, NY 14534      

Prez Sez  
Think Spring….. Think Safety! 

 It actually looks like winter might just end after all. The weatherman is even predicting some days in the sixties coming up! Before you know it we’ll be out there enjoying another season of flying. I also heard a rumor that several club members were sighted at the field on Easter Sunday. I’m glad to see we have our priorities straight.  Speaking of flying, while you’re waiting to get out there, this is a great time to check out your planes and equipment. Give your planes a good safety inspection and remember if you have a new plane or you’ve done some major repairs, have another club member check it out also. This isn’t just a good idea, it’s a club rule. Keep an eye out for fuel damage and check all those wires, switches, servos and linkages. When you get to your radio batteries, remember that they are now a year older. If you have any doubt about their condition, maybe this would be a good time to buy some new ones. New batteries are a lot cheaper than a new plane.   When you do get to the field, a range check is always a good idea. With all the new electrics showing up, remember that you do a range check a little differently. The range check needs to be done with the motor off, at half throttle and at full throttle. This will check for radio interference from the motor. Also remember your preflight checklist. Are all control surfaces going in the right direction? How does your prop look? If you like to hand start your motor, think about using a starter stick or at least a leather glove. And remember, just because it has an electric motor, doesn’t mean they don’t bite! We don’t need any fingers sliced and diced. Lets make this our safest season.  Last but not least, don’t forget to bring your latest project to the April meeting. Finished or not, we all want to see what you’ve been up to!  

Happy Landings, Max  

At The Field By Glenn Crocker  We had our final indoor flying night on the 14^th of March. There was some other doings going on at the school so we had a few spectators during the evening. Even though it was closer to spring there was quite a snow storm that seemed to be centered over Honeoye (possibly Charlie’s house) which everyone knows is in the dreaded "south of the thruway country". Eric found the net with his net magnet and Max went home to get his plane reclaiming device (a basketball). The last I knew the plane was retrieved and the ball was stuck in the net.  Regardless of what you think it will really warm up soon and we can get to some serious flying. I would like to thank the members who signed up to mow. Your efforts will keep the field in great shape. Plan to bring your winter projects to the April meeting. This will be the last formal meeting until October. Any club business during the fun season will be taken care of at the field.  I heard from the Titusville Terror last week. We have some time before we have to brace for his return. He has been well has done some flying.  We will have a small work party as soon as it gets a little warmer to get the shelters up and do some spring cleaning.   The snow snakes have gone for the summer but the plane eating trees are coming out of hibernation so be careful.   Thank You Max  We would like to thank Max for setting up the indoor flying this winter. The flying was well attended by flyers and observers. Max says he might be able to make flying arrangements again next year. We certainly hope so. 

Dues Are Due  It is that time of year again. Dues are due for 2005.  Juniors: Age 0-19 years $1.00  Seniors: Age 20-to Charlie’s age $45.00   

From The Fuel Fool  The fuel has arrived! If you haven’t received yours yet I will have it at the April meeting.   

Cool windows  Need windows for your airplane? Here is an easy way. Try cutting your windows out from a green, blue, or clear water or soda bottle with a pair of scissors. It will dress up your airplane and give it a streamlined look.  From the newsletter of the Odessa Propbusters R/C Club Keith Conrad, editor Odessa TX  

GVAM Flying Field Rules General All pilots must have a current, valid AMA license and abide by the AMA Safety Code. All pilots must have an observer to assist in spotting for full size aircraft, other model aircraft and general safety purposes and pilots must not fly alone without said observer/spotter  Junior members, 15 years old or less, must be accompanied by an adult. Drive and park in designated areas. When field parking is inaccessible (i.e. spring thaw), parking along roadway is permissible. All litter and debris will be picked up from flying field, etc., and disposed of properly. No Smoking in Pit and/or display area. Guest pilots are welcome, but must be accompanied by a GVAM member, preferably by prearrangement. A guest may use the field up to three times per season, after which, to continue, he/she must join the club. Flying Hours: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Failure to abide by club rules could result in loss of club membership. Aircraft All airplanes (to be flown) must be identified by AMA number and owner's name and address, per AMA.. All 2-cycle engines of.15 cubic inches displacement or larger must be equipped with a suitable muffler. Engines with under .15 cubic inch must use mufflers if originally provided by manufacturer for the engine, (notable exception, Cox engines .010 and .09). "4" stroke engines above .60 cubic inch will require mufflers. Any pilot flying a new, untested aircraft, or model which has undergone major repairs since last flown, must advise all other flyers and request use of entire field when convenient and available. Any untested aircraft should undergo a preflight inspection by another pilot before flight Radios All transmitters and receivers must comply with the AMA Radio Control Utilization Plan, as published in the Membership Manual. This includes electrical performance criteria and frequency identification flags. Before operating any transmitter, operator must have the proper Frequency Pin in his/her possession. The pilot's AMA card or an equivalent identifier will be required as part of the frequency control system. This card should be put on the frequency board pin clip when the pin is taken. Flight Line Rules All full size aircraft have right of way. All RC aircraft in flight must land as soon as possible when Full Scale aircraft approach. If a landing is impossible, the RC aircraft must be flown as far away from full size landing strip as possible. Maximum number of craft in the air at one time shall be limited to 3. Fly from one of the active flight stations. Declare "Takeoff', "Landing", "On the Field", and "Field is Clear" loudly enough so other pilots can hear. The person declaring "takeoff" or "landing" owns the runway unless there is an emergency, i.e. dead stick or crash. Any extended motor adjustment will be done behind the flight line, preferably in the pit area. If unable to fly, relinquish frequency control as soon as possible. All flyers must use the same runway, flight stations, and take-off and landing direction, which shall be determined by prevailing wind direction. In general, this shall be determined for the day by the first pilot to take off. As wind conditions change, the flight direction and runway may be changed by a consensus of the pilots present. Any emergency landing must be announced by pilot, including dead stick. Do not fly over buildings. Do not fly behind the current flight line, especially not over pit and spectator area. Avoid flying over road as much as possible. Any new member or visitor who has no or limited experience must have help from an experienced Club member. All accidents involving personal injury or property damage must be reported to the Club secretary.  

 Airspeed, altitude, and brains By Tom Grant Jr.   Here is a quick and helpful hint I hope no one ever needs.  I misjudged my aircraft’s fuel supply one afternoon. The dead-stick landing was short of any runway. That old saying that it takes two out of the three—airspeed, altitude, and brains—to make a good landing was painfully (thorns and 9-foot high sticker bushes) reaffirmed in my mind that day. My new airplane fell considerably short of the runway, almost in the trees.  After donning jungle combat gear, which had been stored in the trunk of my car, probably as a result of some negative thinking about interactions between the surrounding trees and my recently acquired flying abilities, I headed out empty handed. Another member arrived at that time and volunteered to help.  As we headed out he asked why I wasn’t carrying my transmitter. I asked, "Isn’t it a bit late to use that piece of gear?" In a fatherly fashion, he told me if I hadn’t knocked the battery out of the airplane, I probably could move the servos and aircraft surfaces to generate enough noise to allow us to home in on my airplane. "Why didn’t you think of that?" I said to myself.  Well, you can guess the rest of the tale. Everything worked out perfectly. In fact, based on the location of the airplane, really buried in the densest bushes and heaviest underbrush, we would still be looking for it in the year 2004 if not for the racket it was making as I did my stick shaking.  From the newsletter of the Woodland Aero Modelers Ken Long, editor Bolingbrook IL 

 Cooling your engine  If your engine is running hotter than you would like, how can you cool it down? Most people make the mistake of thinking more is better when it comes to the air inlet at the front of the cowl. This is a common error and while it seems logical, the reverse is actually true. To properly cool your engine, you need more outlet, not more inlet. You want at least 2:1—preferably 3:1—air out to air in ratio. Otherwise, it makes a dam and the air cannot come into the cowl because it has nowhere to go out of the cowl. If your engine is not cooling properly, try blocking off the other air inlet or opening the belly of the cowl further.  

 2005 Mowing Schedule 

DEPARTURE by Thayer Syme From Fly RC Magazine  World's smallest and lightest RC electrics    

When we last visited with Henry Pasquet back in our September 2004 issue, we were entranced by his 1.5-gram RC flyer, the "Little Bit Electric." It should come as no surprise to our readers that Henry has continued to whittle away every excess milligram. Just before the end of the year, he teased us with a new version that weighed 1.28 grams, which he surpassed just a couple of weeks later. Shown here are two of his latest-the smallest and lightest electric RC models to have ever flown.  Lighter Than Air Henry Pasquet's latest lightweight model tips the scales at a scant 1.15 grams. For reference, a standard US Roosevelt dime weighs 2.7 grams. That's right; two of these electric radio control models together would still be lighter than one thin dime.    

Is it really lighter than air? Of course, it can't be, but here is another interesting comparison to ponder. Henry's model spans four inches. A cube of air measuring that same four inches on a side has a specific weight of 1.26 grams at standard pressure and a comfortable 70°F.  Materials and Equipment  This model uses 340mg Didel motor, 470mg Kokam 10mAh Li-Poly battery and a 130mg Nick Leichty receiver. The actuator weighs about 70mg and it was custom made by Fritz Mueller. Adding up these weights gives 1.01 grams, leaving precious little room for the airframe to carry it all, let alone the glue, wire and solder required for assembly.  While the equipment makes up the lion's share of the weight budget, great attention must be given while selecting materials. All the balsa is contest grade from the lightest and stiffest stock available. The tail surfaces are just seven thousands of an inch thick, cut from balsa usually reserved for the lightest indoor Free Flight classes. Balsa of this thinness and quality is so rare that a single sheet measuring 1.25x18 inches can easily fetch several dollars when available.  Flight times with this world-beater are about a minute, which Henry assures us, seems like a long time when flying this model. Henry promises an even lighter model soon, and feels that breaking the one-gram barrier is possible.  World's Shortest Wingspan Not content to have the lightest RC airplane, Pasquet has also built and flown the model with the world's smallest wingspan using similar materials and equipment. This model spans just under 2 3/8 inches, but weighs a bit more. Henry used a gear reduction on this model to turn a larger propeller, as well as the larger Kokam 20mAh Li-Poly cell. The more efficient power train provides flight times of several minutes. An evolution of his "Little Bit Aerobatic," this 3-channel bird is much faster and more maneuverable than his 1.15 gram lightweight model. We congratulate Henry on his achievements to date and look forward to reporting his future accomplishments.  Henry Pasqnet, HCR3 Box 224, Ellsinore, MO 63937