Category: Angus Says

Pithy guidance and commentary from the Stealth Squadron mascot Angus Mac Schadenfreude.

Recap: Aug & Sept Meets at Woodsom Farm

Next Stealth Squadron meet is October 8 at Woodsom Farm
(View Flyer)

click images to view larger

All Axis WW1 Mass Launch sortie
Chris winds Eph’s Fairchild 24
Rittmeister and Comet Arado dimer
Sean watches his Jackrabbit scoot by
Bill M shows his new GAR Albatros DV. Flies great with scale dihedral!
Steve E launches Goose, the Pinkham Field Stick event winner

 

Great Weather, Great Flying!

Well gang, the club flying events have been coming in rapid succession as the curtain begins to draw on the outdoor season. 

Yep, between Woodsom Farm (Amesbury MA) and Whites Farm (Durham CT) a whole lot of Free Flight model flying’s been going on.

And it’s not over.  Our next meet is at Woodsom Farm on Oct 8.  Check out the event Flyer and see you on the field!

Pinkham Field Stick

The inaugural Pinkham Stick event at Woodsom Farm was a success.  Steve Evans brought his new “Goose” and won the event.  Steve sent along a plan for the high-flying Goose and we’ve posted it for download on our new Pinkham Stick web page.  Build one!

read about the Winning flight

See it on Youtube 

Results

August 20 Meet

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron Aug 2022, Page 1

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron Aug 2022, Page 2

September 10-11 Meet

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron Sept 2022, Page 1

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron Sept 2022, Page 2

Kanone Report, Stealth Squadron Sept 2022, Page 3

See you on the flightline on October 8 skyster!

 

Flying Fun with Pinkham Field Stick

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

 

 

Steve E’s Cricket Stick model
The Rittmeister’s Pipit!
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!

 

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

 

Supercapacitor Electric Power for FAC Models

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

 

A typical supercapacitor power system

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

 

A Different Paradigm for Propeller and Rubber Motor Selection

“certain props work with certain motors”

 

BY  
Sam Brauer

Using Plastic Props

Clubster Sam Brauer flies all types and sizes of free flight rubber powered model airplanes, both indoors and outdoors.   In this article, he presents his experience with commercially available plastic propellers and the rubber motors that power them.

The prop and rubber motor combination is one of the strongest contributors to flight duration.  Certain props and rubber motors work better with certain models.
Sam has tried most all of the combinations over his modeling career.  His article presents many thought -provoking ideas (e.g., easily made prop mods) and includes an informative Table listing different plastic props, key specifications and suitable rubber sizes.  
This is really good stuff for anyone starting out in the hobby. 
Experienced modelers will benefit from a new perspective on prop/rubber that may help increase their models performance.

Click the link below and learn something new!

Read Article Now

 

The Scourge of the Witch Doctors

Another ripping Jack Sharpe Mystery from the author of “The Cursed Squadron”

 

BY  
William Skelly
 

A Jack Sharpe Mystery

G-2 was facing a menace that threatened its very existence: Mysterious ships, piloted by witch-doctors that could shoot down a man without a single bullet. Jack Sharpe knew something was amiss – and it had something to do with those long-range Gothas!

 

Read Story Now

 

Outdoor Flying Season Kicks Off!

April 18 AMESBURY MEET!
(was 17th)

Update: The April 17th Stealth Sqdn meet is moved to Sunday April 18.  Same location, Same Time, same events (see Flyer

Season opener is the  April 18 meet at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury MA.

This is due to predicted poor weather conditions on Saturday 17th.  And better weather predicted on Sunday 18th. 

Mass Launch events will be moved up and begin at 10:30 and hopefully wrap up by 12:30 when Scale judging will begin. The ML schedule will be as follows WW1, Thompson, Greve, and WW2 all run consecutively.

Rubber-powered Free Flight Models Only

 Stealth Sqdn is a rubber FF club and we welcome all who want to try this hobby.  Flying rockets, drones, choppers and fixed wing RC is not permitted. 

“Angus says… Check upcoming dates for meets and contests on the Calendar page or sidebar of this site”

wOODSOM fARM aMESBURY ma

wHITE’S fARm
dURHAM ct

 

The Cursed Squadron

Written in the classic Flying Aces style of Arch Whitehouse – this WW1 mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat!

 

BY  
William Skelly
 

A Jack Sharpe Mystery

Four pilots had been assassinated in the air during the sortie of their fifth kill. The 10th Pursuit was cursed! But Jack Sharpe was on the case, and something seemed fishy about the ghastly Hun and his ultimatum:

NO MORE ACES.

 

Read Story Now

 

BLUE 4 Escape

“When he (Will) hit the water it was like hitting concrete, and he went under, getting a nose and a mouth full of water. “

 

BY  
Dr. Richard Zapf

Rescue on the High Sea

Saved from certain death in the skies over the English Channel, Will Smythe of RAF Blue flight manages to live, love and fight another day.  While Will burns through a few more than his allotted lives, love interest Melissa Wells fights her own battles as an ambulance driver on Mother England’s home front.  Are they destined to see each other again?  Only fate knows for sure.

Read Story Now

 

Laird “Solution” Scale Model Plan & 3 View

“Download William’s 3 view and 22in wingspan model construction plan (scroll to end of post)”

 

BY  
William Skelly

 

 

The Author taking measurements at the New England Air Museum
Laird “Solution” 3 view
by William Skelly

 

 

Laird Solution Construction Plans
& 3 View Drawing

There’s nothing better than when a scale modeler builds a model from plans that he or she has drawn. 

Well, maybe there is – if that modeler/designer has developed their own three-view general arrangement drawing from measurements he has taken from the actual airplane to be modeled!

Such is the case with clubster William Skelly who trekked to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT to view the original Laird LC-DW 300 “Solution” in their golden age raceplanes collection.  William convinced Museum management to let him get up close to the one-of-a-kind aircraft and take the measurements needed to compose his own scale 3 view drawing for the Laird.  We’re thrilled to offer William’s drawing to you here as a free download, along with the rubber-powered free flight scale model construction plan he designed and drew from that 3 view. 

By using actual measurements taken from the real airplane along with perspective photos, William eliminated the foibles that often come with designing a model from a previously published 3 view drawing.  Noted model airplane designer Bill Hannan discussed the issue in one of his excellent books, highlighting the discrepancies between published 3 view drawings for the ubiquitous Fokker DVII World War I fighter aircraft.  Bill favored taking measurements from the actual aircraft whenever possible.

After taking a short break from his documenting and designing efforts (it’s not easy, but rewarding), William is now underway with construction of a flying scale model from his plans.   We’re sure he’ll do a real knock-out job of it too.

Why not download your own set of plans and documentation and join along in the build?  We’re sure William would be happy to correspond with any modeler who does.

Thanks again for your excellent contribution, William!

Download 3 View Drawing
Icon

Laird Solution 3 View Drawing

1 file(s) 148.79 KB
Download
Download Construction Plan (print on 8.5 x 11in sheets)
Icon

Laird Solution Construction Plan 22in Wingspan (8.5x11in sheets)

1 file(s) 5.36 MB
Download
Download Construction Plan (print on one Arch D 24x36in sheet)
Icon

Laird Solution Construction Plan 22in Wingspan (Arch D 24x36in)

1 file(s) 8.28 MB
Download