Club Website
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!
Indoor flying: Glastonbury CT on March 5 , Georgetown MA on March 12.
Be there!
click images to view larger
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
A technical look at Balsa strength as a function of density.
Click to Enlarge Images
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!
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.
Indoor Flying: February 5, in Georgetown, MA & February 12 in Glastonbury, CT
Click to Enlarge Images
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!
The Stealth Squadroneers will host their first indoor meet of the season this coming Sunday January 15, Martin Luther King Day.
with Directions & Contacts
Indoor Contests: January 8 in Glastonbury, CT & January 15 in Georgetown MA
Click to Enlarge Images
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.
Bird Dog high time event at first Georgetown Indoor Meet Jan 15. Send pics of your Dog.
click images to view larger
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!
In appreciation
click images to view larger
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.
Happy Thanksgiving skysters!
Stay tuned to this site for info on the Guillows Bird Dog one design for the upcoming indoor season.
Georgetown Indoor Flying & Contest Dates added to Calendar
(View Flyer for Events)
click images to view larger
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!
