tomnallen2 – Page 5 – Stealth Squadron FAC#49

Flying Fun with Pinkham Field Stick

Fly Pinkham Field Stick at the upcoming 2 day Stealth Squadron meet
(View 9/10-11 Flyer)

AMA Alpha available from Peck Polymers (see text)

John K’s record-setting Marchi Cloud Chaser. Read more about the Epic Flight

Simple is Good!

A new event has been added to the upcoming Stealth Squadron meets – Pinkham Field Stick.

This is an event for simple quick-to-build, stick fuselage models intended to maximize participation and fun on the field with minimal up-front investment in time and resources. The rules/guidelines for this event are as simple as the models themselves:

The folks in Durham, CT have been flying this event for years and at the Mid Summer Melt meet a couple of weeks ago a new Pinkham Field Stick record was established with a 17min on-the-field flight. This is the longest flight we can recall where the model was launched, landed and retrieved from the same field.

read about the flight

These simple free flight models can deliver thrilling thermal flights. They’re a great first step toward a full-bodied FF rubber sport or scale model and a fantastic way to hone your FF flight trimming chops.

There are many rubber-powered FF stick model designs out there. The recent Pipit one-design is good to fly in the event so if you’ve got one bring it to the meet and you’re in. The great flying AMA Alpha ready-to-fly model also qualifies and may be the quickest and simplest way to get into the event. Plus the Alpha comes with a winder that you’ll be able to use with your next rubber powered free flight model. The Alpha is available from local supplier Peck & Polymers .

We’ve set up a new Pinkham Field Stick Plans & Tips page on this site to support this event. The plans are free to download – check them out and maybe one will catch your eye. Or better yet, design your own model. Keep your eyes peeled for design, construction and flying tips as well!

Amesbury September 2 Day Contest Flyer Finalized!

Sept 10&11, Mark your Calendar !

Lots of Events over two days on the beautiful rolling fields of Woodsom Farm.

We’ll be flying a couple of new events including Pinkham Field Stick for simple easy to build stick models. Bookmark this web page now and check back often as we’ll have more on this soon! Think plans, tips, etc.

Fall is the best time to fly on Woodsom Farm. See you on the flightline skyster!

Full Contest Flyer

with Directions & Contacts

Saturday Aug 20 Woodsom Farm Meet Cancelled – Fun Fly Instead

Fun Fly is On!

As of mid-week, the Hay Field at Woodsum was un-mowed. With waist high hay, model retrieval will be very difficult and models will likely be lost.

The brass hats have decided to cancel the Free Flight Model Airplane Contest and replace it with a Fun Fly on one of the smaller mowed fields at Woodsom.

We will run a morning Fun Fly and with some luck run the 10% ML events and maybe Embryo, Dime Scale and Simple Scale. We’ll be meeting at 9AM in the Woodsom Farm parking lot off Lions Mouth Road in Amesbury.

Hope to see you there tomorrow morning for the Fun Fly.

Also, please remember that we’ll be running a two day Contest at Woodsom on September 10,11. Check out the Contest Flyer and get your models ready for that meet!

See you on the flightline skyster!

Sam’s Trimming Guide for Challenging Aircraft

Remember: Meets at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury on August 20, and September 10-11, 2022. See you there!

BY
Sam Brauer

Look for the “smile in the trailing edge of the port wing- but a straight line in the starboard wing

Advanced Flight Trimming Techniques

You may have seen clubster John Koptonak’s 10 Step Trimming Guide in a recent Flying Aces Club newsletter. It’s a great piece and has been helpful to many folks in getting their Free Flight models to fly.

Sam Brauer goes a bit further with his article presented here. Sam focuses on low-winged models which we all know can be tricky to trim out. In his article, Sam discusses on-field aerodynamic adjustments (washout, decalage, rudder, thrustline and weight) and their impact on model airplanes in free flight.

(NOTE: Webster’s defines decalage as the difference in angle of incidence of the two wings of a biplane, but for our purposes decalage is the difference in angle of incidence between the wing and the horizontal stabilizer of a model airplane.)

Sam knows what he’s talking about. At the recent 2022 FAC Nationals meet in Geneseo, he ran deep into the final heats of several very competitive mass launch events.

Great job carrying the torch for the Stealth Sqdn, Sam. And thanks for sharing your flight trimming techniques!

Click the link below to read the article.

Read Article Now

Upcoming Amesbury Flying Meets & Geneseo FAC Nationals Pics

We’re back Flying at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury on August 20, and September 10-11, 2022.

click images to view full size

Sam launches Super Capacitor-powered Wildcat

Tom Frank John and John w Howell Miller Racers

John K launches his JetCat into Geneseo Sky

Claudette Imelda and John at Registration Table

Mark your calendars skysters!

Woo Hoo! We’re back flying on the big field at Woodsom Farm for our next two meets. Grab that pencil and mark your calendars now gang, ’cause you don’t want to miss any of the ozone-splitting free flight aero-action!

Saturday, August 20, 2022 – Stealth Squadron Late Summer Meet, Amesbury MA

Saturday & Sunday, September 10-11, 2022- Stealth Squadron Early Fall Meet, Amesbury MA

FAC Nationals 2022 – Geneseo, NY

Ah yes! Mecca for FACers worldwide and the stick and tissue FF modeling paparazzi for the last 4o years.. the Big Show..G-town.. G-tropolis.. the Flying Aces Club Nationals at Geneseo in beautiful upstate New York.

This year the big Meet ran from Wednesday July 13 through Saturday July 16. The weather was fabulous with light and variable winds on several of the flying days and no rain. Saturday was magical with bright skies, thermals and nary a breath of wind for most of the day. Many long cloud-hopping flights were put up, often with the model landing a short stroll away from the launch point.

The Stealth Sqdn, Glastonbury Modelers and Pinkham Field Irregulars were well represented with several clubsters placing high among the finishers in several big events.

A special shout out is in order for clubsters Claudette M and Imelda K who helped FAC IT czar Rick P with Entrant Registration for the Contest. Claudette also spent a lot of time in the GHQ tent processing timing slips – and she even helped run at least one mass launch event out on the field. Our hats are off to you both – you’re the best!

Speaking of the best – John R was there with his trusty iphone capturing the action as it unfolded. We’ll let his pictures tell the story. We’ve posted a few here, but you can see the full FAC Nats 2022 collection HERE. Many thanks for these John!

We know a bunch more Stealth Squadroneers would have loved to have made it to the Nats. Hopefully next year we’ll see you there skyster!

Ipswich Pony Express Photos – June 25 meet

Clubster John R. took some great photos! Check them out HERE

click images to view full size

Sean R launches his spiffy new Nassise P-40

Vance Gs beautiful Kalinen ambulance a/c.

Tom N’s new Sopwith Tabloid fell to George S’ SE-5 in the WW1 Combat event

Great weather, Light Turnout

Some folks were on vacation. Some folks were at the beach. And some folks were enjoying a long leisurely bike ride (clubster Steve K did stop by on his Cannondale to check out the flying action).

Maybe it was the rescheduled date from the previous weekend which was very windy. Regardless, it was a terrific flying day with light winds and thermals. A couple models landed in the nice shade trees ringing the field, but were retrieved without damage. Flying at the Pony Express field was low-key with lighthearted yet keen competition. A fine time was had by all.

A hearty thanks goes out to Rich Z who made the arrangements for the field and worked with the town to reschedule the meet to a day with better weather. Well done!

Genial John R. drove up from Boston and had his iphone working overtime capturing the action. It’s always fun to see John’s pictorial take on our meets.

Check out John’s pics at https://photos.app.goo.gl/dQHaAjcxEN1vfAuT7

John says have some fun with the pics – go ahead and post your comments/captions, etc.

Thanks skysters!

Stealth Squadron Early Summer Meet, Ipswich MA June 25

rescheduled to June 25!

Due to high winds, the 6/18/2022 meet at the Pony Express Field in Ipswich has been RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY 6/25/2022. Same place (Pony Express, Ipswich), time (9AM start) and events (view the full Contest Flyer with Directions to the field HERE – note this flyer still carries the old date).

The weather is looking much better for the 25th and we hope to see you all there!

Rich, William & Tom fly Harry’s Cessna dimer in the wind!

Supercapacitor Electric Power for FAC Models

Supercapacitors offer many advantages as power systems for lightweight Free Flight models

BY
Sam Brauer

Sam’s supercapacitor powered free flight models

Not Your Grandpa’s FF Model!

How often have you heard a bystander say “I used to build models like that as a kid”?

Of course we know our simple stick and tissue models are a combination of art, craftsmanship and engineering. And yes, that rubber strand power source has been around since the beginning of the hobby itself.

A rubber motor is a simple, cheap and incredibly efficient power source, but advances in small electric power systems provide us with an alternative.

Clubster Sam Brauer has been messing around fitting simple and cheap supercapacitor power systems to his small Free Flight models. And he’s had tremendous success as witnessed by our roving reporter at a recent Pinkham Field meet in Durham, CT.

Sam is back with another article sharing his learnings, explaining the advantages of supercap systems and even recommending where to get the components to make your own system. Many thanks to Sam for sharing!

Click the link below to read his article and do keep us posted if you try out a supercap power system!

Read Article Now

Photos from May 14 Outdoor Season Opener at Woodsom Farm

visit the Photos page for more pics

click images to view full size

Matt’s stunning Pfalz DIII FAC Scale model featured a balsa monocoque fuselage

Outdoor Season opener a big success!

Well gang, the 2022 Stealth Sqdn outdoor flying season got off to a strong start on Saturday May 14.

The weather at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury, MA started off with more wind than expected. But the wind moderated by midday and many long flights were made.

New Models

Flyers were productive over the long winter building season and several new models were seen in the air.

Steve E was spotted flying his big Condor and another new rakish sport model he calls Corvette. Terrific new designs from Steve.

Sean R entered a great flying Leopard Moth in the Golden Age Civil event. We think this was from an EasyBuilt kit.

Several Comet T-Crafts from the Indoor One Design event were seen flitting about.

Vance G put in a few promising test flights with his outstanding new Latecoere FAC Scale Model. Vance built this from enlarged Steve Griebling plans published in an old Crosswinds newsletter.

Tom N flew his new flat-winged Airdevel Fokker Transport dime scale model.

And there were many more.

Hot Competition

Camaraderie and freindly competition is featured in all Stealth Sqdn meets, but there were a couple special moments at the May 14 meet.

Sean R won the hotly contested WW2 mass launch event with his reduced-size version of the Nassise Mustang.

The P-51 “Old Crow” flew straight and long using up much of the field to edge out Tom N’s Polikarpov I-153.

Sean in turn got edged out in the Golden Age/Modern Civil event. His DH Leopard Moth just couldn’t hang in there against Rich Z’s Guillow’s Fairchild 24 which was flown by Evan P.

Vance G’s dainty little General Airistocrat was flying great and won the Peanut Scale event.

It was a great day. See you in June at the Ipswich Polo Field meet skyster!

Wawayanda NY Spring FAC Contest May 21-22

Fly on Barron Field!

Fly on the largest grass sod field in the Northeast. This is one of the best FAC contests of the outdoor season with top competitors traveling from MA, CT, VA, NY, Ohio, No. Carolina, and more. Don’t miss this one!

View the full Contest Flyer and Directions to the field. The Days Inn in Middletown NY (Rt 17M) is a good place to stay. Several flyers will be camping on the field as well.

It’s worth the trip! There are lots of opportunities to fly this outdoor season.

See you on the flightline!