Tag: Angus says

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!

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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!

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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!

 

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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.

 

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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.

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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
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Laird Solution 3 View Drawing

1 file(s) 148.79 KB
Download
Download Construction Plan (print on 8.5 x 11in sheets)
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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)
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Laird Solution Construction Plan 22in Wingspan (Arch D 24x36in)

1 file(s) 8.28 MB
Download

 

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
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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!

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From the Beginner’s Workbench: The Amazing In-Flight Rewinder

“And if you overwind your main motor without using a blast tube, the interaction with the Rewinder has a way of spectacularly compounding the catastrophe. “

 

BY  
George Skelly

The Amazing In-Flight Rewinder

a tale from the beginner’s workbench

A newcomer to the hobby shares his humorous take on the esoteric mysteries of stick and tissue free-flying model airplanes and the quest to defy the unyielding force of gravity.   Delving into the gray area between art, science and Rube Goldberg imagineering, the author shares his journey to the realization that there is something more to the magical extended flight of an apparently simple rubber band powered model airplane.  Join him in his light-hearted search for a greater understanding of our hobby.

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