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!


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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

Feb 5 Georgetown Results & Balsa Strength Article

A technical look at Balsa strength as a function of density. 


            Click to Enlarge Images

William S uses a cantilever beam to measure balsa strength.  Read his article HERE
Feb 5 Georgetown Indoor Meet Results (click to enlarge)
Feb 5 Georgetown Indoor Meet Results (click to enlarge)
Competitors wind their Guillows Bird Dogs in 12min of Georgetown
George S WW2 mass launch winning Guillows Typhoon
Ray H’s Dime Scale winning Comet Corben Super Ace

Next Indoor Meet March 12


Hi gang, we’ve got a double feature of sorts for you this time.

The indoor flying season is at a peak with lots of great flying both at the Penn Brook School in Georgetown, MA and the Glastonbury High School in CT.  Click the images at left to check out the Feb 5 Georgetown meet.  The competition remains very close with enough surprises thrown in (midair collisions, rafter hangups, etc.) to keep things interesting.  We’ll share some highlights below.  

On top of that, we’ve got a nice article on Balsa Strength by our own engineer-in-training William S.  Those of us not familiar with Young’s Modulus need to click the link below and learn something new.  And we look forward to hearing thoughts from our seasoned Stealth Sqdn engineers – oh yes, we have a few and they’re not shy!

Back to the Feb 5 flying…   Well, William not only knows his tech, he knows how to fly models too!  His Earhart Vega and Time Flies embryo were back in the winners circle.  Pop George also stretched the winning streak with his Typhoon (WW2 combat) and edged out Sam B’s circle burning Bird Dog with his own steady circling Guillow’s Bird Dog.  Still, if it weren’t for a few cut pylons and a controversial mid flight collision with George’s body as the final minutes ticked down, the finish might have been different.  The spectators certainly enjoyed the show!

Ray H hung his top-placing Pussycat up in the curtain which opened the door for Sam B and Steve K to duke it out in the final heat where Sam eked out the win.  Jon C didn’t have quite enough time to tame the trim gremlins in his Pussycat, or he’d have been a factor in the final too.

Ray came back strong, however, putting up tremendous flights with both his Corben Super Ace to win Dime Scale, and his Voisin Hydro to win Pioneer Scale.  Both of these models were flying near 2min flights within the confines of a basketball half-court.  Truly world-class flying that one needs to see to believe.

Steve Evans was busy detuning the climb in his Mad Maxine embryo and had it skimming the rafters nicely later in the meet.

The WW1 combat event was competitive as ever.  Tom N picked the wrong side of the gym to launch his Nungesser Nieuport and Rich Z’s colorful Fokker DVII siezed the opportunity to pull up underneath the little Ni17, flipping it over and sending it to the floor.  The Mercedes in the Rittmeister’s dastardly Fokker must’ve thrown a rod as it just couldn’t keep up with Sam B’s slick Ansaldo SVA which emerged victorious in the end.

At least one new Pinkham Stick model was seen flitting about – this one a triplane constructed from the laser cut parts Jon C. donated at the last indoor meet. 

The next Georgetown Indoor Meet is March 12 in the Penn Brook School.  See you there — and remember to check out the Article below too!

Read Balsa Strength Article Now

 

Indoor Meet this Sunday Feb 5

Penn Brook School, Georgetown MA

The second indoor meet of the season this coming Sunday February 5, 2023.

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

Come join us and learn more about rubber powered free flight model airplanes.

Jan 15 Indoor Meet a Big Success!

Indoor Flying February 5, in Georgetown, MA & February 12 in Glastonbury, CT


Click to Enlarge Images          

The Skelly’s prepare for a mission in the WW2 mass launch event
Rich Z’s Spitfire & George S’s Typhoon battle it out in final WW2 event sortie.  Typhoon emerged victorious!
Tom N flew his new Texas A&M AG-1 scale model

WW2 mass launch action at Jan 15 Georgetown indoor meet

Highlights & Results


The Stealth Squadron kicked off the 2023 indoor flying season with a terrific meet on January 15 in the Penn Brook school gymnasium.

The areas top indoor free flight flyers  were there and the competition was hot – but always light-hearted in the FAC way.

George S won the premier FAC Scale event with his very pretty and lightweight Waco cabin model, edging out Tom N’s Heath Parasol by a half a point.  That’s about as close as it gets skysters!   George also took the top spot in the always popular WW2 mass launch event, outlasting Rich Z’s smooth flying Spitfire. 

 

Team Skelly had yet more success  with son William winning the WW1 combat event with his Rickenbacker SPAD 13, Embryo, and the Golden Age mass launch event with his new Lockheed Vega in Earhart colors.  Boy, we’re lucky there are only two of these guys!

There were 4 or 5 Guillow’s Bird Dogs flying around the gym at the meet.   Most flyers had trouble keeping their Dogs off the walls, but Connecticut flyer Sam B’s model flew in nice tight circles, notching a 41 second flight, good enough for first place.  
Intrepid indoor flyer Ray H. put up long flights with his amazing Voisin Hydro peanut biplane floatplane winning the Pioneer event, but his Comet Corbin Super Ace fell a few seconds short of Tom N’s BAT Monoplane in the hotly contested Dime Scale event.
Ray’s Pussycat model won the popular Pussycat mass launch event, but the real news was Jon C’s win in the Pussycat NBM (non Blue Max) section.  Jon earned his first Flying Aces Club Kanone with this win.  Jon also handed out sheets of nicely laser cut stick model wing parts to the gang.  Rumor is some new Pinkham Field Stick models are already under construction using these parts.  Thanks Jon and congrats on the Kanone!
Click on the Event scoresheet images at left to view the detailed results.  And be sure to pencil our next indoor flying date in on your calendar – it’s Sunday Feb 5.  Word is we’ll be flying the Bird Dog “12 Minutes of Georgetown” event which is almost as much fun to watch as to fly in.  Don’t miss it!
See you in the gym skyster!

 

1st Georgetown MA Indoor Meet Sunday 1/15/2023

FLy Indoors at the Penn Brook School!

The Stealth Squadroneers will host their first indoor meet of the season this coming Sunday January 15, Martin Luther King Day.

Check out the Contest Flyer for the roster of flying events. We look forward to seeing several Guillow’s Bird Dogs get some air time. 
Come on out to the gym if you’re interested in learning more about rubber powered free flight model airplanes.

Full Contest Flyer

with Directions & Contacts

 

High Performance Indoor Scale Model Comparison

Indoor Contests: January 8 in Glastonbury, CT & January 15 in Georgetown MA


            Click to Enlarge Images

Key Specifications for J Daly Indoor Flying Scale Models

Lessons from the Glastonbury Gym


Do you remember when we used to fly free flight rubber models in the MIT Dupont Gym in Cambridge  MA?  Perhaps you flew there with us. 

One of the top flyers there, Jim D., built a couple of flying scale models from the popular Golden Age Reproductions kits and plans. One was the 25″ wingspan Scientific Curtiss Robin and the other was the Megow 20″ span Caudron C460 Racer.  They were fabulous flyers with flight times of 80sec to 2min duration indoors.
Being an engineer, Jim documented the key specifications for his models – weights, wing area, motor dimensions, etc.  He also charted the empirical results from a number of flights on each model in the Glastonbury high school gym.   Yes, this is the same gym we’ll be flying in on January 8, 2023! 
In his analysis (click link below), Jim compares the performance of the two models and draws some insightful conclusions. He comments on high wing vs. low wing configuration, the effects of drag and wing undercamber among other things.  
There’s lots of great information in this brief analysis for both experienced and newer modelers.  If you can replicate Jim’s specifications, you’ll be very competitive in indoor meets like the ones coming up in January 2023.  Good luck skyster!

Read performance Comparison Now

 

Those Crazy Bird Dogs!

Bird Dog high time event at  first Georgetown Indoor Meet Jan 15.  Send pics of your Dog.


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Bird Dog on the bricks! By Tommy N
Johnny R’s Dog looks great in Khaki fatigues!
Pert little Bird Dog by George S
John’s Bird Dog stands at attention!
George’s Bird Dog spreads its wings
Colorful Guillows Bird Dogs by Bobby B (foreground) and Matty K

Here they come!


Hey!  Who Let the (Bird) Dogs Out!

Yeah, this is one pack you want to be running with, so get those balsa chips flying.  Don’t miss out.   The gang will be flying these in the Penn Brook school gym in Georgetown, MA soon. 
And shhhhh – don’t tell the town Dog Catcher!  Hawww

That’s right.  The first Stealth Sqdn indoor meet is just after the New Year rings in – January 15, 2023 to be precise.

Check out the Flyer HERE and mark your calendar now. 

Send those pics of your Bird Dog – whether it’s all finished up or still under construction.  No matter.  These things are FUN and your pic will inspire your fellow clubsters to get theirs over the finish line.

See you on the flightline skyster!

Giving Thanks!

In appreciation


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George Nason (foreground) and Richard Zapf – Two Happy Guys!  Scroll to Read Tribute
Happy Thanksgiving All!
Guillows 18in Bird Dog – the indoor one design
Started building yours yet?
A Class Act – happy graduates from the 2022 Roudenbush Model Building Class ready to test fly their new models.

To Friends Old and New


Our simple hobby is really all about the people.  You already knew that, right?  We have a common love of things that fly. 
Our friendships are long lasting.  We keep and sometimes lose old friends, but then we make new ones.  It is nature’s way.

Let’s start with the new.  Clubster Steve E. reports that graduates of his latest Model Airplane Class at the Roudenbush in Westford, MA successfully flew their new Tomahawk Embryo models at the Texas Road field.  The smiling cadets in our heading photo are (L-R) Alan M, Rob L, Bill B and David A.  Way to go gang, and thanks Steve for leading the class.  We look forward to seeing our new friends and their models at our meets.

Now for some sad news.  We recently lost longtime clubster and pal George Nason to Parkinsons disease.  George was a creative soul, quick with a smile and a good word – a fixture at our flying meets and club meetings.  Richard Z shares stories from his many years of close friendship with George, his modeling mentor. 
Click the link below to read his tribute.

Read “Two Happy Guys” Now

 

Happy Thanksgiving skysters!

Stay tuned to this site for info on the Guillows Bird Dog one design for the upcoming indoor season.

Nov 5 Woodsom Meet Results & Pics

Georgetown Indoor Flying & Contest Dates added to Calendar
(View Flyer for Events)


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Tristan & Sam ready the BE2e for WW1 combat
William’s Laird fuselage suffered some wind damage while on the stooge
Clive ready to launch his GB2 twin flying boat into the wind. Flew great
Steve put in some great flights with his Condor
Bill launches his new Tomahawk Embryo into the Autumn sky

 

A Perfect (Windy) Day!


                              Results Page 1

                              Results Page 2

Wow, near 70 degree temps on a November day in New England with blue skies!  A perfect day for flying free flight rubber models – well, except for the wind.  Yep, it blew 12-15mph most of the day for our outdoor season close meet at Woodsom Farm in Amesbury, MA.

Still, many outstanding flights were made.  Flyers had to wind their motors carefully lest they fly their models off even the big green fields of Woodsom Farm.  Several models were lost with at least one OOS (out of sight) flight into a cloud.  The mass launch events were hotly contested with several very close and unexpected finishes. 

Carlisle ace George S. had a great contest with three wins for the hat trick.  Son William S. was not so lucky, his Tomahawk Embryo stomped by a stick & tissue loving dog and his beautiful Laird Solution racer smashed by a Hungly gust while on the winding stooge.  Oh, the carnage!  All wail!

Steve E continued his winning ways in Pinkham Stick with his high flying Goose canard and copped a second Kanone with his Mad Maxine Embryo Endurance model.  Clive G.’s Debut was hot on Maxine’s heels, but made a bee line downwind for the tree line at the hill and was lost on its first official flight.  Oh Hung, hath thee no mercy??

Clive settled the score somewhat with a win in the Golden Age Civil event.

Sam and young Tristan trekked to the meet and flew several events.  No Kanones (first place finishes) at this meet, but they had big fun flying with the gang and that’s really what it’s all about. 

There were lots more flyers and models to see, but we’re running out of room here.  Our roving photog did capture some of the action and we’re happy to share it below.

Oh, one more thing.  The Georgetown indoor dates have been set.  Check the Calendar and the flyer at the top of this post.  Get building and see you on the flightline skyster!