Genesee Valley Aero Modelers
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Editor: Glenn Crocker Since this column is being written for the October newsletter, it means that summer is over, autumn has arrived, the hours of sunlight are rapidly dwindling, and the days suitable for flying are "dwindling down to a precious few," to paraphrase the songwriter. Hence, we had better take advantage of every opportunity to get out to the field, because we all know the kind of weather that is just around the corner don't we? Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to follow my own advice. My wife recently warned me that I was making too many commitments this fall, and she was right. (They're always right, aren't they?) I occasionally think about returning to work fill time so that I will have more free time for my hobby! (Not really!) There are a couple of items that need to be mentioned for the coming months. First, there will be NO REGULAR MEETING IN OCTOBER. Instead, we will be treated to a demonstration of fully functioning scale aircraft engines that have been handcrafted by a gentleman who lives in the Rochester area. This demonstration will take place at the regular time, 7:30 PM on 12 October, but at a different location. Check elsewhere in this newsletter for the map that will give you the particulars. This one sounds especially good, so plan to be there. The second item is the annual Ladies Night Out Dinner, which will be held at the Holloway House in East Bloomfield on Saturday, 18 November. Many, if not all of you have already been called, but this is just a gentle reminder to put it on your calendar. We also are approaching that time of year when Glenn will be taking orders for glow fuel for the 2001 flying season. So make a note of this item as well, even though it is still down the road a bit. It will be here before we know it. Finally, you undoubtedly know already that we have a new District II AMA Vice President. Our former VP, Wes De Cou, has resigned the position because other commitments have prevented him from carrying out his duties as VP. Dave Matthewson, a long-time modeler and an AMA Associate Vice President, has been named to fill the remainder of the term. Presumably you have received your AMA renewal form and have noted that he also has announced his candidacy for a full term as District II VP. A brief bio is on p.144 of the November issue of Model Aviation. And please note, he is just a short trip down the Thruway in Baldwinsville. Until next month, Happy Landings!!! At The Field By Glenn Crocker The leaves are beginning to change, which signals the end of the summer flying season. We will still have some good days before the white stuff begins so take advantage of them when they occur. Remember there are only two things to do when the snow starts to fly. Head for Florida or strap on the skis. There has been a good turnout during September. Abe Sickles has put the first flight on his LT-25. It flew great with just a little adjustment to the elevator trim. Charlie was seen running his Delta "something" around the runway last week. We assured the flyers that he was only doing taxi tests so they took their planes back out of the cars and resumed flying. You may have seen Dick Nowakowski flying his new plane doing a 3 mph vertical dive in the "full crow" configuration. If you put the flag up when you are flying, please take it down or make arrangements with someone to take it down. The flag does not know the combination of the frequency box and it just has to hang around until someone puts it away. Enjoy the flying but stay away from the plane eaters. Ladies Night Out Ladies night out is scheduled for November 18 th at the Holloway House on Route 5 & 20 in Bloomfield N.Y. Cocktails will be at 6:30 pm with dinner at 7:00 pm. Plan to join us for our annual end of season dinner. 2000 MowingI would like to thank all of the mowing volunteers that kept the field in fine shape this year. Your efforts were greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank Abe Sickles for keeping the high grass cut. The whole 13 acres looked like a park this season. For Sale Supertiger .35 with muffler $45.00K&B .40 With muffler $50.00 Top Flight P40 60" wspan $75.00 Contact: Pat Long Balsa USA 90" Eindecker $129.00 Contact: Jim Barker 145 Stone Church Rd. Call between 9:00am & 1:00pm Calendar of Events By Glenn Crocker Nov.18 Ladies Night Out Nov. 25 RAMS Annual Auction. Hammer Head He's the kind of guy who always hits the nail squarely on the thumb. Special Program for October Meeting The October program will be a discussion and demonstration of scale model engines. Joe Sciarratta builds scale model engines and has agreed to attend our October meeting to discuss his engines. The engines are planned to be run as part of the demonstration which necessitated the change in meeting location. Joe has a ¼ Kinner, 5 cylinder radial, 18 cylinder double row radial, and a 4 cylinder in line. I don’t know which engines he is planning to bring, but from those that have seen them they are awesome and run like sewing machines. This is something you don’t often have occasion to see and shouldn’t miss; so plan to attend. The October meeting will be held at Roger Hawkins Home in Bloomfield N.Y. A map is included to assist you.
The only time Tom Brown is quiet and not harassing someone. Safety' Comes First By Gary A. Shaw Box 4520, Milton FL 32572; E-mail: fIy_safe©worldnet.att.net TIME TO WINTERIZE: The flying season is coming to a close, which means it's time to think about what needs to be done to get ready for next season.This time of year, pilots need to toss cracked or chipped propellers, discard used rubber bands, toss the collection of burned-out plugs, and put some after-run oil in engines, to prevent rust. If the covering is cracked, fix it. If the wheel mounts are loose, find the cause and fix that (helps keep the wheels on the bottom). If you think you have a short flying season, consider pilots in Alaska. While I was fishing there in July, I couldn't help but wonder what they do different from the "lower 48" when they prepare their airplanes for the next season. I returned home, did a quick Internet search, and learned of an excellent Web site through the AMA and AMA District XI Web pages: the Alaska Radio Control Society at www.alaskarc.org.Within it, I found an excellent article titled "Facts about Fuel," about preserving fuel for long periods of time (winter). If you're curious about what makes fuel go bad, go to www.alaskarc.org and click on "Hints/How To's." Or review the following, from a five-part presentation by Don Nix (FLYERDON@aol.com), former president of GBG Industries (maker of PowerMaster model fuel). "Facts about Fuel: During the Question and Answer part of countless 'Dog and Pony Shows' at hobby clubs all over the US, one of the frequently asked questions is, 'What's the shelf life of fuel?' The answer is both simple and easy: Properly stored, model engine fuel will last almost indefinitely. "So what constitutes 'properly stored?' Let's take a look. "Contrary to many things you might have read or heard, just about the only thing that adversely affects model fuel is the absorption of moisture from the air. Keep the air away from it, and your fuel will likely be potent. "Methanol-the major ingredient in model fuel-is hygroscopic. This means it's virtually 100% soluble in water, and absorbs moisture from the air like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt. Most modelers have no idea how rapidly this can-and does-happen, and tend to be rather skeptical about the idea. "Let me paint a picture for you: Almost everyone has spilled a little fuel on the top of their fuel can in their flight box. If so, you've no doubt noticed that the shallow film of raw fuel takes on a cloudy, milky look. What you are seeing is the methanol sucking moisture right out of the air. "Since the quantity of fuel is thin with a lot of surface area, the absorption is rapid-the water won t mix with the oil and the fuel turns cloudy. Just remember how quickly this happens-almost immediately-and it might give you an idea of just how quickly your fuel can be ruined if you leave the cap off, allow a vent tube to remain open, etc. "The wide surface area, relative to the quantity of the fuel exposed, is disproportionate, of course, to leaving the cap off the fuel jug, but I think you get the idea. In a humid condition such as exists in parts of the US, it doesn't take very long at all to adversely affect your fuel. And it doesn't take a large opening-a cross-threaded cap, a small vent line, etc. is all that's needed to do the damage. "The solution is simple of course-just keep it tightly sealed. And yet, sometimes that's not enough. Most of us have seen small droplets of condensed water inside our fuel jug after it's become partially empty. This is the result of condensation of moisture as the air trapped inside the jug cools. "Until about a year ago, there was little we could do about this, but there is now a method to take care of this problem. Since it's not the purpose of this column to commercially promote our own products, those interested are invited to contact the writer at the E-mail address above, and we'll be happy to tell you about the product that will solve the problem. "For the reasons above, it's our opinion that it is rarely a good idea to buy model fuel in 55-gallon drums. Unless all the fuel is poured up the first time the drum is opened, a substantial volume of air is trapped inside the drum each time it's opened. "Steel containers of any kind warm and cool much more readily and rapidly than plastic, and condensation is much more evident in this type of container. The result is that the last portion of the drum of fuel is quite likely to be contaminated with moisture, sometimes to the point of being unusable. "There is another downside to buying fuel in drums, especially if more than one person is using it. With no control over the type of container the fuel is dispensed into perhaps not bearing sufficient or proper warnings, etc.-the liability is incredibly high if an accident of any sort should occur. "Model clubs considering this type of fuel purchase for their members should be particularly aware of the potential liability, which is huge! While it's true that the ultraviolet rays in sunlight (or in fluorescent lights, for that matter) will cause pure nitromethane to deteriorate over time, it's our experience that once the nitromethane is in a solution and substantially diluted, the deteriorative effect is relatively minor. "To test this, some years ago we put a gallon of 10% fuel out in direct sunlight (in sunny Southern California) for a month. At the end of that time, we tested that fuel in an engine versus the fresh product and could see no difference. "While it certainly won't hurt anything to store fuel away from direct sunlight, etc., it's our personal opinion that the adverse effect of sunlight on fuel under normal operating conditions is too little to worry about. Can You Identify This PlaneBe careful it’s not as obvious as you may think! The answer will be in the November Newsletter.
Flexible Palm Sander by Jerry Wino Cut an inexpensive, adhesive-backed, vinyl floor tile to a convenient size. You can make them custom sized to fit any application you may have. Now cover its adhesive side with sandpaper of the grit of your choice. The vinyl is fairly flexible and will conform nicely to simple curves, such as wing camber. Consequently, it won’t produce flat spots as regular sanding blocks do. from The Signal Squeaker Jerry Wino, editor
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