Author: tomnallen2

Postal Winner Announced!

three of the top 5 finishers braved sub-20 degree weather to fly..

 

 

Tommy Too’s Comet Puss Moth

Well gang, our first Postal Dime Scale contest is in the books.

There was some terrifically inspired flying in foot-deep snow and freezing temperatures to grab at the vaunted Squadron Commander’s cap.

William the Kid held the crown through the New Year, putting up a nice flight over the frigid tarmac of mystical Texas Road field.  Oliver S made a daring  run for the glory in the depths of February with two models (one a twin!) in similarly frosty conditions at a remote Western MA field.

The legendary Pinkham Field Irregulars threw up an aerial armada of Dime Scalers in a futile attempt to purloin the Squadron Commander’s cap off to Connecticut. 

But in the end it was our fickle old friend Hung, who made his presence known on a late January day at Woodsom farm, spiriting Tommy Too’s Puss Moth dimer on a 2:36min thermal ride.  Yes Virginia, there are thermals in the middle of winter!

And look closely at the results skysters – way down, but there nonetheless.  Yep, even Captain Downthrust himself mailed in an entry…how and from where is unknown, but the flight was listed Pinkham Field.  Y’all were in the best of FAC company.  Stand proud and get ready to go for it again next time!

 

 

 

March 22, 29, April 5 Indoor Meets Cancelled!

Due to Corona Virus, the March 22, 29 and April 5 Indoor Flying Sessions are Cancelled.

 

Updated Indoor Cancellations

We’ve received news of more Indoor meet/flying session cancellations.  Updated list is below.  Please use the Contact Us form if any questions.

 Indoor Meet/Flying Session CANCELLATIONS (so far):

  • Sunday 3/22 at Penn Brook Middle School, Georgetown, MA
  • Sunday 3/29 at Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury CT
  • Sunday 4/5 at Penn Brook Middle School, Georgetown, MA

This is due to the obvious Corona Virus precautions.

We are holding the April 19 Glastonbury Modelers Indoor Contest (full day) on the Calendar for now.  Stay tuned as to developments.

This is a great time to build a model. 

Keep Calm, Carry On & Stay safe.

Time is Running Out!

Get your flights in by 12 midnight on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2020

 

Postal Dime Scale Contest Ends Soon!

Like those backyard mechanics scrambling to get their homebuilt speed ship together for the big race — you’re running out of time!

Of course we’re talking about our Postal Dime Scale event which wraps up on St Patty’s Day, March 17.   That’s next Tuesday for those calendar-challenged skysters among us.

So check the skies for thermals, dust off your flying box and stooge and head to the field with your best 10 center in a last ditch bid for glory.  You can do it!  Heck, they said Rudy Kling couldn’t beat those big-horsepower radials in the ’37 Thompson too.

Forget the temperature bonus (unless you’re in Alaska) and hunt for thermals.  The weather’s warming up and the croci are blooming…  It’ll take nearly a 3 minute flight to catch Tommy Too and his Comet Puss Moth, but that’s nothing if you can get your crate up there in Hung’s cloud-cuddling grasp.  You know what they say, nothing ventured..

Check out the Postal Contest page for the latest tally and to submit your flight time using the online timesheet. 

Time is running out!

 

 

Pics: Feb 9 Georgetown Meet

Click HERE to view Pics!

What fun we had in the Penn Brook Middle School gym in Georgetown a couple weekends back

The header photo above shows the gang getting the rules rundown on the Pipit “12 Minutes of Georgetown” – an event where Pipit flyers scramble to make as many laps around the balloon tethered around the orange cone set at center midcourt.  It was exciting to watch as some flyers turned their Pipits left while others turned in the opposite direction.   At the March 22 meet we’ll be flying the Pipits in head to head pylon racing – be there to join the action…or at least observe.

See you then!

Click HERE to view Pics!

“check out the great photos from our last indoor flying session & contest”

Now that’s a Pugnacious nose! Rich Z’s Polikarpov bipe FAC scale model is a real treat. Gotta love that fearless pilot in the cockpit!

 Thanks Andy F for the photos!

 

Pensuti!

“The fact that it is stable just tickles me.”

            Peter K.

 

 

Whim·sy /ˈ(h)wimzē/
playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor

By and by, a model comes along that just makes us smile.
Peter Kaiteris’ little Caproni-Pensuti Triplane is one of them.

At the Glastonbury indoor meet a couple weeks back, our roving reporter Angus caught up with Peter and got some insight into the creative mastermind behind the petite Pensuti.  

To call the Pensuti Hannan-esque seems not a stretch.  The great WCH himself inspired scores of modelers with his simple, all-sheet and often tiny whimsical rubber powered scale model airplanes. 

Thanks Peter, for channeling that spirit and making us smile.

Read Interview Now

 

 

 

Zee Zpandau!

Build a realistic Spandau machine gun for your German WWI model!

 

BY  
William Skelly

Construction Plans & How-To

The Flying Aces Club (FAC) World War I mass launch event is always a hit at our indoor and outdoor model meets (check the calendar on this site and join us to see for yourself).

FAC Rules for the WWI mass launch event specify that 3D armament must be present on all models participating.

Clubster William Skelly found that many WWI flying scale model construction plans offer sketchy, if any, instructions describing how to make the machine guns.

William tackled the issue head-on by drawing his own plans for the Spandau machine gun on his latest model of a German Fokker D VII fighter aircraft (see pics on the Photos page). 

We’re very pleased to share with you his plans and construction article.  Now you too can have realistic Spandau guns on your model. 

Thanks William!

Download Construction Article

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Spandau Construction Article

1 file(s) 178.29 KB
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Download Plan

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Spandau Plan

1 file(s) 591.61 KB
Download

 

The Zen of Indoor Free Flight: A Modeler’s Take

“The key goal in successfully flying indoors? A repeatable, reliable, power pattern!”

 

BY  
Sam Brauer

Try indoor FF

Long-time Radio Control (RC)  and Free Flight (FF) modeler Sam Brauer has been having increasing competitive success in our indoor meets in recent years.  His Golden Age Reproductions P-51 Mustang is the scourge of the Glastonbury indoor WW2 mass launch events and his RAF B.E.2c “farm tractor” is a threat whenever it flies.   Clearly,  Sam has figured out how to make free flight models fly really well indoors.

We asked Sam to share some of his learnings and he came through with this informative and thought-provoking article.   Never one to shy away from a debatable point (whaddya mean I don’t have to build straight!!), Sam will challenge your thinking.  You can’t argue with his success…so open your mind, click the link below and listen up!

Read Article Now

 

Announcing Postal Dime Scale Contest!

Submit your flight times using the Postal Timesheet form in the Sidebar or on the Postal Contest page.

 

Enter your FAC Dime Scale model!

We’re bringing back the FAC Postal Contest – a real crowd-pleaser from the early days of the Flying Aces Club.  This is a virtual event that allows flyers who can’t normally attend our contests to join the fun and go for the glory.  Anyone can win so get out and fly your FAC Dime Scale model.

The Contest starts on Turkey-Day November 28, 2019 and ends on St. Patrick’s Day March 17, 2020.  All flights are to be made outdoors and there will be a Temperature bonus to keep things even for those flying out of colder airdromes.  That’s right, the colder the day you fly – the more bonus added to your flight time! 

Check out the Postal Contest page of this site for the up to date Results Table – we’ll post the top 20 times submitted.  Rules and online Timesheet Form can be found on this page.  Look for the Timesheet Form at the bottom of the sidebar throughout the site as well.

This is meant to be a fun thing, not a go-for-broke max times only event.  Get creative and use your best FAC Spirit!  We encourage entries from all locations worldwide.  Photos or videos of your model or flight are welcomed and we’ll try our best to post them on the Stealth Sqdn site for all to enjoy. 

Have at it Skysters!

 

5min+ ROW Free Flight Rubber Powered Model Airplane

About 10 miles north of the Massachusetts border where the Connecticut River bends to starboard and flows south toward Long Island Sound, lies a tranquil place called Retreat Meadows.  Here, a special breed of aeromodellers fly their aircraft free, rising off the still waters into the cool Vermont sky.

Our Stealth Squadron roving reporter recently caught up with Jim Woolwough, to learn more about his fantastic free flight rubber model “Thin Ice” and the quest for a 5 minute rise-off-water (ROW) flight over Retreat Meadows.

For perspective: the standing Mulvihill Rubber ROW world record flight is 5min 44sec made by Robert Hauk on September, 7, 2019.
In 1929, Bert Pond (AMA Hall of Fame) held the ROW world record with a 2min 52 sec flight made with an “A Frame” Twin Pusher on floats.

Jim Woolnough describes “Thin Ice” his fantastic model airplane and the quest for a 5 minute rise-off-water (ROW) flight

Retreat meadows, Vt – site of the flight

(click to enlarge)

 

2019-20 Indoor Season Kicks Off!

fly in the gym!

OK gang, the weather’s turning colder and the Indoor flying season is here.

Check the links at right to see the dates in Georgetown and Glastonbury.  Glastonbury kicks off on Sunday Nov. 10, while Georgetown kicks off on Jan. 5.  

There are lots of opportunities to fly free flight rubber in the gyms.  Don’t forget to build your Pipit and join the fun!

“click the links below to view flying dates in Georgetown, MA and Glastonbury, CT”