Author: tomnallen2

October Amesbury Meet Changed to 1 Day Only!

Saturday October 7 FAC Meet at Woodsom Farm, Amesbury

Be there!

            Click to Enlarge Images

Snoopy is back at the controls of Steve’s new Primary Glider!
Steve E. has built another Megow Primary Glider to replace the one that flew away at the September meet

Heads Up Flyers!

ALERT!  The Woodsom Farm free flight model airplane meet previously scheduled for two days October 7-8 has been downsized to a one day meet on Saturday Oct 7, 2023. 

Events have been consolidated such that the contest will take place entirely on Saturday 10/7/2023.  Check out the updated Contest Flyer for all the details.

The October 7 roster includes all of the usual scale and endurance events.  We’ll be flying towline scale again, so bring along your gliders.  We expect to see a few new models including clubster Steve E’s new Megow Primary Glider.  Yep, Snoopy’s back at the controls and will be looking to repeat his win at the September Woodsom Farm meet.   

There’s still plenty of time to build your own Primary Glider for the October 7 meet.  It only takes a couple days to get one of these done.  Download the free plan below and bring it along to Woodsom Farm on 10/7.  The club will provide winches for flyers to use at the meet along with some quick guidance on how to tow your model to altitude.

See you at the field skysters!

Download Megow Primary Glider full size construction plan

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Megow Primary Glider

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Aug Amesbury Meet Results – Sept 9 Meet Next Up!

Saturday Sept 9 FAC Meet at Woodsom Farm, Amesbury

Be there!

            Click to Enlarge Images

Sept 9 Amesbury Meet Flyer (click to enlarge)
Two Richards at Woodsom Farm showing off their models
Steve K and Lulu glider at the Woodsom Farm August meet
The Pelatowski Stork – look for a free Plan Download here soon!
Sam B won the Goodyear Mass Launch event with his Little Gem
Final heat in the National Air Race mass launch event

Towline Event FUN!

Saturday August 26 dawned wet with the promise of rains to come through the day.  With seemingly better weather coming, the meet was pushed to the next day.  Sure enough it rained hard Sunday morning, but a stalwart group of flyers showed up at Woodsom Farm and waited it out.  Yep, the skies proceeded to clear yielding a nice flying day with afternoon sun and thermals.   Don’t trust the weatherman – better to show up and be ready to fly.

At least three new Megow Primary Gliders showed up.  The towline winches were brought out and soon gliders were going up high over the newly hayed field.  Clubster Steve E. led the pack from the beginning, his Snoopy-piloted Megow Primary putting up long flights.  He capped off the win with a massive flyaway 5 min+ flight into the late summer clouds!  Alas, no pics of the high-flying Primary were taken before it went OOS.  Perhaps Steve will build another. 

We’ll be flying the Towline Scale event again at the Sept 9 Woodsom Farm meet in Amesbury, MA.  Come and see what it’s all about!

Steve K brought his nostalgic Lulu towline glider and flew it several times.  Fitted with a mechanical DT and Auto-rudder, Lulu showed the gang what a fully-fitted out towliner can do.  Word is FAC GHQ is considering a new event for these classic non-scale gliders. 

Towliners are Fun!

 

The Pinkham Stick event was flown once more and sure enough Steve E copped this event again.  His canard Goose got the win, but his new Stick model, the Stork,  developed with FAC veteran Ed Pelatowski, finished a close second.  Plans for the Pelatowski Stork will be offered for free download on this site soon.  Keep your eyes peeled for it’s release skyster.  And congrats to Steve’s double-Kanone day at the August Woodsom Farm meet!

Remember there’s another Flying Aces Club free-flight model airplane meet coming up on September 9 at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury MA.  Full Flyer with Directions and Contacts HERE.

Fall is the best time to fly rubber-p0wered model airplanes outside and the season will pass by quickly.  Don’t miss an opportunity to fly, or check out the action on this big beautiful field!

Build a Towline Glider for the August & September Amesbury meets!

Download free full-size plan for the Megow Primary Glider HERE!

            Click to Enlarge Images

August 26, 2023 Contest Flyer
Light card stock pilot adds realism!
Multiple tow hooks for different towing conditions
Tow hook mount is simple and works great!
Underside view of the Megow Primary Glider model. Thread rigging is functional.
Megow Primary Glider model by Peter Kaiteris FAC.

Towline gliders are Fun!

The gang had a blast flying FAC Scale Gliders at the recent FAC Non-Nats in Geneseo NY.  So much so that our local flyers convinced skyboss Angus to add the event to the August 26 and September 9 meets at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury. 

What, you don’t have a Scale Glider?  No problem.  The simple, quick to build and great flying Megow Primary Glider plan is available for download free below.  The file prints on an 11×17 sheet of paper.  Think of this as a super simple dime scale model.  It doesn’t have a propeller or noseblock and the fuselage is a simple flat frame.  Sure, you can easily make one in time for the late August Woodsom Farm meet!

Building Tips

We’re including several pics of clubster Pete K’s Megow Primary model to help get the juices flowing.  Look closely and you’ll see a few simple mods Peter made to his Primary.

Build the model directly off the plan.  Use stiff 1/8 square balsa for the upper longeron that the wing sits on.  This can be a weak point.  Peter added thin card stock gussets at the fuselage upright joints to make it even more robust.  Don’t forget to add the thread flying & landing wires per the plan after the model is covered and assembled.  This rigging is functional and keeps the model from twisting while going up on the towline.  Consider reinforcing the rigging points on the wing with tissue discs.

Towline & Tow Hooks

The towline is lightweight braided fishing line attached to a simple hand winch.  The club will provide winches for flyers to use at the August and September meets along with some easy training on how to tow your model to altitude.  It’s fun!
The towline has a ring on the end that slips onto the wire tow hook on your glider.  Pete mounted three tow hooks on his Primary to make it easier to tow the model in different wind conditions. 

That’s it skyster!  Download the plan now (below) and get to the building board so you can join in the fun at the upcoming meets.  Join the club Zoom meetings, or use the Contact Us form if you have any questions with the build.

Download Megow Primary Glider full size construction plan

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Megow Primary Glider

1 file(s) 948.09 KB
Download

Latecoere Rescue & June 24 Ipswich Meet

Fly at the Pony Express Field in Ipswich, MA on Saturday June 24!

            Click to Enlarge Images

John K. came with a trunkload of models. The near-finished Howard Ike racer from the Cleveland Plan shows a lot of promise!
Rick P and his Flying Aces Flea rubber sport and duration model. Love that color scheme!
Sam B. with his SuperCapacitor powered Dumas Aeronca Champion
Vance G’s beautiful Latecoere 26-2 before being treed in Durham
Flying Aces Scale and GHQ Peanut Scale results from the Jun 11 Durham meet..
Vance G’s Latecoere teeters at the end of a 50ft retrieval pole. Model was brought down to the ground with minimal damage.

Air/Tree Rescue in Durham!

Free flight model airplanes and trees.  An inevitable combination. 

But first, remember there’s another meet coming up June 24 in beautiful Ipswich, MA.  Check the Flyer HERE for Directions and key contacts.

OK, back to Pinkham Field in Durham on June 11.  The weather in the morning was near-perfect, with light and variable breezes.  Many high and long flights were put up.

The breeze picked up by afternoon, however, and Vance G had only to get one more official flight in on his Latecoere 26 FAC Scale model.  The inverted flight time scoring should give it an edge against higher bonus point models.  Unfortunately, the wind carried the Latecoere off course and it was last seen disappearing into the top of a tree at the edge of the field.   The famed Stott Air-Tree Rescue Service sprang into action. 

The youthful eyes of William S spotted the Latecoere deep in branches and leaves 50 feet up an un-climbable tree.   The outlook for recovery was bleak.

Paul S broke out the old aluminum pole and, aided by Tom N, began bolting the telescoping sections together.  The fully extended pole  was snaked between branches eventually reaching the model.  A superzoom camera was used to guide the hook on the pole tip directly underneath the model.   A gentle arms-length push and incredibly, the model was lifted out the topside of the tree.  Retrieval still looked doubtful.

Vance weighed his options as the model swayed back and forth on the whippy tip of the pole.  He trusted the team.   With Tom holding the base, Paul used both hands and all his strength to pull the pole out of the branches.  Miraculously, the pole came out of the tree and the model mostly held together.  The Latecoere was mercifully released from the tip as the pole was brought to the ground.  An exhale of relief and laughter – the Stott Air-Tree Rescue Service had come through again!

Stuff like this is what makes the Flying Aces Club great.

Check out the sidebar pics for more on the June Durham meet.

See you at the Pony Express Field in Ipswich on June 24!

 

Waywayanda Meet Pics & June Meet Flyers

See you at the Sunday June 11 (Durham, CT) and Saturday June 24 (Ipswich, MA) Contests!

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Contest Director Matt K retrieves his Embryo model on his motorbike
Sam B launches his electric supercapacitor powered ducted fan scale model
Vance G flew his 54in span Nene Viking in the Giant Scale event.
PA-based Tom H scans the field as he works on his new Boeing twin flying wing. This model won the Giant Scale event.
Oliver S. prepares his high-flying Folkerts SK3 Greve Racer for a morning flight.
An idyllic early morning scene at Barron Field in Waywayanda, NY
The lush sod glimmers as the sun comes up over Barron Field in Waywayanda, NY. Eight hardy fliers, including your Stealth Sqdn correspondent, camped out on the field.

Fine Weather, Field & Friends

What more can a Free Flight Model Airplane enthusiast ask for?  Yep, all model meets are fun, but weekends like May 27-28 on Barron Field are what memories are made of. 

Two consecutive days of sunshine and sub-5mph winds enabled spectacular thermal flights and friendly competition between some of the top flyers on the East Coast.  The FAC Scale events created a quandary as competitors had to decide whether to put in official flights on a beautiful Saturday, or wait for the even better forecast weather on Sunday.   Kudos to Contest Directors Matt K and Vic N for setting a tone that encouraged keen competition, lots of fun flying and good ‘ol Flying Aces Club camaraderie. 

Many “max” flights (2 minutes or longer) were to be seen.  Several  models were lost OOS (out of sight), but many max flights stayed on the field due to the light drift.

Eight flyers camped overnight on the field.  Friday night was cold with the temp  dropping to 42 degrees, but the early morning and late evening flying more than compensated.  Michael S’s birthday was celebrated with no fewer than three of Soon’s Orchard best pies.  Delicious!

Check out the Photos Page for more pics in addition to those shared here.

June Meets Coming up!

If you haven’t got your calendars marked yet, hop to it as time is flying!  Don’t miss another opportunity to fly Free Flight with the Stealth Sqdn gang.  No worries if you don’t have a model – we’ll set you up if you show up at the field.

Two meets – click the links below to view the Event Flyers with Directions and Key Contacts.

Sunday June 11 at Whites Farm in Durham, CT

Saturday June 24 at Pony Express Field in Ipswich, MA

May 21 Amesbury Meet & Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

Sunday May 21 – outdoor season opener meet at Woodsom Farm.  Contest Flyer  HERE

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May 21 Woodsom Farm Amesbury, MA Contest Flyer
A Sopwith Pup and Fokker DVIII at ORA. The Fokker was flying with an original rotary engine!
A Curtiss Jenny takes off from the grass strip with a kidnapped Trudy Truelove (dummy) holding onto a wing strut!
A New Standard biplane hopped passenger rides before and after the airshow.
This Golden Age Morane Saulnier aerobatic aircraft was spotted in one of the hangars just up from the ORA airstrip.
The grandstands at ORA line the grass airstrip. Here the return of the ribbon-cutting Tiger Moth and Fleet biplane is announced over the PA system.
Stealth Squadroneers with Old Rhinebeck Pilots & Cast, July 2022

May 21 at Woodsom Farm; 2023 ORA  Trip Planning

Finally!  The daffodils have bloomed and spring has sprung.  Clubsters are blowing the cobwebs off their outdoor models and looking to get outside and fly in the warm sunshine.  

Our first outdoor meet of the season is right around the corner – Sunday May 21 on the big rolling green fields of Woodsom Farm in Amesbury, MA.  Check out the Contest Flyer and plan to make this one as we expect to see many new models built over this past winter.

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Field Trip

A few clubsters made the trek to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (ORA) last July and had a great time.  They got to see many terrific WW1, Golden Age, and Pioneer aircraft flying off the legendary grass strip.  More of their great pics are posted on the Photos page of this site.  What an airshow!

We’re hoping to make another field trip to ORA this summer, perhaps with a few more clubsters this time.  We’ll be discussing the details at the close of the May 21 meet at Woodsom Farm.  Show up at the meet and let us know if you’d like to join in the fun.

See you on the flightline skysters!

April 2 Meet Results, Pics & Video

Check the Calendar page for Oudoor Season flying dates

click images to view full size

Ara preps his Guillows Bird Dog
Rich brought a beautiful new SE 5a Peanut Scale model built from a Jon C laser cut short kit
Rich and William getting ready for the Golden Age Mass Launch event

 

 

Bob B. (foreground) won his first Kanone in the Pussycat Mass Launch event

2023 Indoor Season Finale

The Stealth Squadron 2023 Indoor Flying Season was closed with the final meet on April 2.

Several new models made an appearance and another modeler won their first Kanone (Bob B with his Baxter Pussycat).

Competition was keen as usual.  Check out the results below:

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron April 2023, Page 1

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron April 2023, Page 2

We’ve got a compilation video of the action to share as well:

Outdoor Dates Posted to Calendar

We’ve got a full schedule of FAC free flight meets scheduled.

Get out and fly with the gang at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury, MA and Pinkham Field in Durham, CT.  We’ve even got another June date booked at the Pony Express Field in picturesque Ipswich, MA!

Check out the Calendar page, or Coming Events in the sidebar of this site.  Mark your personal calendar and as always, see you on the flightline skyster!

 

March 12 Indoor Meet Results & Pics

visit the Photos page for more pics

click images to view full size

Jim launches his Stick Model.  Looks like a Jetco ROG
Rich and his White Monoplane, 2nd place Golden Age ML
Ara readies his FAC Trainer for flight
Ray winds the rubber motor in his Voisin Hydro, 1st place Pioneer Scale
 Jon covered his stick model with a lightweight shopping bag made from recycled materials

 

George’s Waco cruises by. This model won the FAC Scale and Golden Age Mass Launch events.

New Flyers, New Models, old favorites

Wow, the Penn Brook Middle School gym was as busy as a beehive in May at the March 12 meet! 

Several new flyers from New Hampshire showed up to fly their rubber powered free flight models.   At least one youngster flew a traditional stick and tissue model airplane for the first time.  And the local VW Beetle car club showed up to enjoy the show.

Ara D and Sam B made the trek from ME and CT to join the flying fun.  Always good to see our pals from out of state.

The contest events were friendly, jovial – and competitive as ever.  Check out the results below:

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron March 2023, Page 1

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron March 2023, Page 2

Check out the Photo Page for more pics from the March meet.

April Indoor Flying Finale

Sure it’s been snowing up a storm, but Spring is around the corner.

Our indoor flying season wraps up in April with a final flying session in Georgetown, MA on April 2, and another finale in Glastonbury, CT on April 16.  These are your last opportunities to fly indoors in New England this season, so check out the flyers and mark your calendars now.

Outdoor Flying Dates Coming Soon

Keep your eyes peeled on the Coming Events sidebar on the homepage as well as the Calendar on this site.  We’ll be posting the Outdoor Meet and Contest dates soon.  

Hopefully, you’ve been busy as a beaver on the building board and getting some new models ready to go.  We’re really looking forward to seeing the models from Steve E’s online model building class take to the sky.

See you on the flightline skyster!

 

Indoor Meet this Sunday March 12

Penn Brook School, Georgetown MA

The third indoor meet of the season is this coming Sunday March 12, 2023.

View the Full Contest Flyer for key Contacts and Directions to the gym. 

The Guillow’s Bird Dog event is a match race double elimination (three laps around the pylon).

Don’t forget that the clock moves forward one hour!

Mechanics of the Leading Edge

Indoor flying: Glastonbury CT on March 5 , Georgetown MA on March 12.

Be there!

click images to view larger

Our Author William S.

A flyer gasps as his model approaches the basket!

Drat my Leading Edge busted!

We recently learned about Young’s Modulus and failure stress
for balsa as a function of density (Material Properties of Balsa for FAC Modelers).

And now our engineer-author William S. is back with a follow up; Mechanics of the Leading Edge.   William tells us he took the deep dive into all this technology to solve the age old indoor flyers question “what leading edge won’t break when my plane hits a basketball hoop?“

And to think some of us see these stick and tissue models as just simple toys!  Ah yes, to the uninitiated perhaps…

Read the latest article now

Mechanics of the Leading Edge