HANGAR NEWS NEWSLETTER FOR THE FIRST WEEDWACKER AEROSQUADRON AMA CHARTER # 1651 October 2011 First Weedwacker Aero Squadron P.O. Box 2044 Lakeside, CA 92040 Sign up for Email Delivery of Newsletter : news.weedwackers@gmail.com Web: http://www.weedwackers.org Club Officers Email: info.weedwackers@gmail.com President: Ben Newkirk 619-698-4766 bennewkirk@cox.net V-P: Ron Smith 619-562-2594 Secretary: Keith Miller 619-449-7347 Treas: Scott Graupmann 858-945-6969 10938 Vivaracho Way San Diego, CA 92124 Fun Fly Chairman Keith Miller Race Chairman Ron Kriege Safety Officer Keith Miller Field Marshals: Bill Hutchins Lee Main Glen Merritt Keith Miller Ben Newkirk Cory Peterson Ron Smith (lead) Wings Over Gillespie Liason: Bob Muhleman 619-322-6968 Editor: Don Westergren 619-660-1137 3942 Calavo Dr La Mesa CA 91941 Webmaster: Ron Kriege webmaster@weedwackers.org Instructors: Ron Smith * 619-562-2594 AMA Introductory Pilot Program Instructors Electrical Aircraft Safety Technicians: Scott Graupmann, Glen Merritt and Joe Stutzman HANGAR NEWS is printed for the members of the FIRST WEED WACKER AEROSQUADRON and its contents do not necessarily reflect the policies of the club. Editorial deadline is the 15th of each month. Articles, news items and classified ads should be sent to Don Westergren, 3942 Calavo Dr., La Mesa, CA 91941. Articles originally published in this newsletter may be reprinted and published by modelers and club newsletters. We ask that credit to the author and this newsletter be acknowledged in the reprint. We will do the same. CLUB FIELD: Cactus Park (East), Ashwood St. (1/4 mile N-E of El Capitan High School) in Lakeside, CA. Please be sure the last flyer to leave locks the pin box and the gate.. Oct 1-2 Oct 8 R/C Schedule 2011 Miramar Air Show MCAS Miramar Auction and Raffle (w/bbq + Fun-Fly), Cactus Club Officer Nominations The coming November meeting will include club officer elections, so they will take office in December. The October meeting is the official time to nominate members for each office. We had some discussion at the last meeting about who will run for office, but the minutes do not reflect the results of that discussion. If you want to run for office, let other members know, and come to the October Meeting. FWW Field Rules Reminder We will review the Field Rules at the next meeting. The current rules are published in this newsletter. NEXT MEETING: Tues. Oct 4, 7:00 Renette Park EL CAJON BLVD RENETTE EMERALD CHASE WASHINGTON RENETTE PARK MEETINGS ESTES MAGNOLIA AVOCADO HIWAY 67 SAN DIEGO RIVER EL CAPITAN HS MAPLE VIEW ST CACTUS PARK MODEL AIRPORT N 32º 52 12.04 W 116º 54 41.70 ASHWOOD ST LAKESIDE Page 1
Minutes of the September Meeting September 6, 2011 Club president Ben Newkirk called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., sharp. Following the pledge of allegiance, Ben announced that Keith Miller was absent due to a work commitment. Keith sent the following message: Gents - I'll be out of town for two weeks and won't make the upcoming 9/6 club meeting. Would you please take the meeting minutes and roster for me? Should be a dramatic week. I'm the Project Engineer demonstrating an imaging system over China Lake. We're testing a laser-diode illuminated high resolution nighttime imaging system that can pick out a beer can from feet (a very great distance!). I'll be back on the 17th or sooner. Ben asked to deviate from the regular agenda to introduce invited guest speaker, Patty Colston, who is the executive Director of The Crime Victims Fund of San Diego (CVF). Ms. Colston explained that CVF is an all-volunteer organization, supported 100% by charitable donations, that attempts to fill the gap between the immediate needs of the crime victim and the ability of other local and state governmental agencies to provide financial assistance. Ms. Colston explained that the typical recipient of CVF aid either a single woman, a woman with one or more young children, or an elderly person, usually economically disadvantaged, who has been the victim of a violent crime and requires immediate financial assistance to secure temporary lodging, to have door locks rekeyed, or else to obtain food. After Ms. Colston left, Ben explained that her presentation was relevant to the Oct. 8 event that the Board placed on the calendar at the beginning of the year, and would be revisited under New Business later in the meeting. M/S/P to accept the minutes of the August 2, 2011 meeting as published in the Hangar News. Treasurer Scott Graupmann reported that the opening balance for August was $5926.15, expenses were $356.38, income was $295.90, leaving an ending balance of $5865.67. M/S/P to accept the Treasurers report. Under Safety Officer s report, Keith Miller was absent. However a member reported an accident wherein he was injured by reaching over the prop on his 1.20 four-stroke. It took 1-1/2 hours of surgery and 5 stitches to repair the wound. It was subsequently determined that the line separating the bifocal sections of his eyeglasses produces an error in perceived depth while viewing objects that fall toward the bottom of the field of view. This artifact of the lenses may have contributed to the accident. All bifocal wearers are cautioned to be aware of this phenomenon. Lee Main offered the suggestion that if a flyer is doing anything that is different from routine, whether it is test-flying a new airplane, re-trimming after a crash/repair, flying a different pattern, etc., always have a spotter. Also under Safety, Ron Smith noted that when flying with brushless electric motors, we should always check to see whether there is a length of motor shaft extending out the back of the motor which can puncture or penetrate into the power pack battery in the event of a crash. If so, steps should be taken to install a bulkhead between the motor and battery pack or else to relocate the battery pack in order to reduce the possibility of such an event, and therefore reduce the likelihood of a fire. Further discussing fire safety, Bob Muhleman requested the Board of Directors Page 2
to review the field rule that requires contacting the Lakeside Fire Department in the event of any fire. Bob pointed out that much of the field at Cactus Park is now either scraped clean of all vegetation, paved over, or else covered with gravel. Small LiPo fires occurring in those areas may be easily suppressed with the emergency equipment that we keep on hand. M/S/P to request that the Board discuss this rule with the County when the Agreement comes up for renewal in 2012. Finally, Scott Graupmann reported on another club (sorry, name of organization not captured for minutes) that prints all relevant emergency information on the back of the individual membership card. After discussion, M/S/P that, going forward, all new cards will be printed with the Cactus Park address, GPS coordinates, Lakeside Fire Dept. telephone number, and any other relevant emergency information. Don Westergren has been getting the cards printed, and he agreed to take care of these changes. Old Business: Bob Muhleman reported that he is making progress on constructing a new bulletin board for the field. Wayne Amar is welding up a steel frame that will be powdercoated, and Bob is fabricating the rest out of plywood, with Plexiglas covers on both sides. The plan is to place the new bulletin board in concrete, near the new pin box, at the middle of the flight line. Ron Smith reported that there are some deep cracks remaining in the runway surface that hinder taxiing into take-off position at the head of the runway. He and Bob Muhleman plan to apply an inexpensive leveling compound into those cracks to resolve the problem. New Business: Ben explained that it was his intention to satisfy the community outreach requirement for our AMA Gold Leader Club application this year by asking the board to schedule the October 8 Fun-Fly and Auction event as a fund-raiser for The Crime Victims Fund. After some discussion of club policy towards charitable contributions, Scott clarified that in this case the event is intended to be revenue-neutral for the club (no cost) and that Ben was asking to use the field and the event as a vehicle for raising funds for a community-based charity. Ben offered to underwrite any costs for food or other expenses so that there would be no cost to the club to host this event. M/S/P for the club to sponsor the event. (See elsewhere in this edition of Hangar News for the proposed schedule of events and other details). Drawing for free membership: Joe Stutzman (You have to be present to win! Sorry, Joe.) Raffle: Ted O F a l l i n announced that he will miss the October meeting due to eye surgery. He expects to come back either with improved vision or else will be legally blind! Best of luck, Ted. Lee Main volunteered to take charge of the raffle for October 4. September Raffle Winners: Don Westergren Zona Saw set Lee Main $20 Gift Certificate from Discount Hobby Leroy brooks Ball-end hex driver set Rich Crutchfield $20 Gift Certificate from Discount Hobby Hervey Langevin Gallon of fuel Bob Muhleman Airplane stand Scott Graupmann Extra Fingers magnifier and clamp Bob Muhleman? Ben Newkirk Xacto saw blade Hervey Langevin Hemostat forcep Meeting adjourned 8:50 p.m. Page 3
President s Message President s Message Although it is sometimes hard to tell here in Southern California, summer is now officially over. We who live here are fortunate, however, because we still have months of good flying weather ahead of us before winter sets in. We do have to be on the lookout for snakes on and around the runway and, of course, we have to be even more vigilant about fire safety as the Santa Ana winds move in and the vegetation dries out. As reported in the minutes for September, a slate of club officer candidates is shaping up: both treasurer, Scott Graupmann, and vice-president, Ron Smith, have agreed to run for their current positions. Keith Miller has agreed to run for club president, and Bob Muhleman has stepped forward to run for Keith s current position as secretary. As per our by-laws, the Board will present a slate of candidates for confirmation at the October meeting. Nominations are still open until formal action at the October 4 th meeting. Therefore, anyone else who would like to run for office, or anyone who would like to nominate another club member for office, may do so either by attending the October 4 th meeting or else by contacting a current board member with your nomination prior to the meeting. Once nominations are closed, the full slate of candidates will be published in the Hangar News for election at the November general meeting. By the way, Keith Miller has been serving as club Safety Officer, also. Keith announced that if he is elected president, then he will vacate the Safety Officer position, and we will be looking for someone to fill that vacancy (the SO is appointed, not elected.) Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the fund-raiser auction and BBQ scheduled for October 8. After the presentation at the September meeting by Ms. Patty Colston, executive director of the Crime Victims Fund, and some further discussion, it was M/S/P to go forward with a Fun- fly, barbecue, and auction to benefit the work of the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) of San Diego. CVF is a volunteer organization devoted to filling the critical emergency short-term support and financial needs of crime victims. CVF operates solely by means of donations and, in the current economic climate, the need for donations is greater than ever. Go to http:// www.crimevictimsfund.org/ for more information about who they are and what they do. It occurred to me that we could use participation in the R/C airplane hobby as a vehicle for generating some much needed financial support for CVF, while also fulfilling our mandate for community service as an AMA Gold Leader Club. Thus the idea for the auction. Many of us accumulate surplus R/C stuff over time. I know I have perfectly good, some newin-the-box, kits, engines, tools, equipment, or even complete airplanes, that are extra, but that would likely not sell for their true value at a typical swap-meet. It seems to me that any really good stuff that I have may draw better prices at an auction before knowledgeable bidders, especially when everyone understands that all of the purchase price is going to a worthwhile charity. At the same time, those of us who itemize our deductions at tax time also know that we can obtain better value for our donations to charity than we can expect to get at any swapmeet! So, here is the plan: 8:00 9:00 Demonstration Electric Pylon Race. Weedwackers will sell coffee and donuts 9:00 11:00 Fun-fly, inc. special Navy Warbird Carrier Spot Landing 11:00 12:00 Open flying BBQ Lunch Weedwackers will sell hamburgers and hot dogs plus beans, salads, fruit, chips, cookies and drinks 12:00 Auction of model airplanes, kits, engines, etc. Page 4
In keeping with our current zero-cost policy for club functions, I will underwrite the costs for, coffee, donuts, food, and fun-fly prizes. I am asking you for donations of auction items: Think about the type and quality of item that you would bid on at auction an old but as-new kit, still in the box with plans and all accessories; a new-inthe box engine, complete with manual; maybe a complete airplane that is in great condition, either unflown or else gently used; a surplus tool or toolset still in the original packaging; battery charger; or even a radio system. Please call me at 619-251-9173, or email me at bennewkirk@cox.net to let me know what you are willing to donate so that I can put it on my roster. If you are unable to attend the October 8 th event, I ll come pick up the item(s) at a convenient time during the week of October 3. I will provide a receipt for any donated item (negotiated value). out: Keith Miller already volunteered to run the Fun-Fly, but I am sure that he could use an assistant or two; crew to run the demonstration pylon race, plus a few racers!; one or two people to help brew/sell coffee (and donuts), a couple of people to cook and serve the BBQ; someone to record auction sales and collect the money (while I EmCee the auction) Again, please call me at 619-251-9173, or email me at bennewkirk@cox.net to let me know whether you can help out. Or else come to the October 4 meeting and sign up. Let s make this a fun family event and raise a few bucks for the Crime Victims Fund. My goal is for the event to raise $500. I am sure we can make that, and more. Happy Skies, Ben Newkirk Here is what I have so far: Scale Warbird Control Line Kits: AT-6, Sig Craftsman, 31 ; F4U-1 Corsair, Sterling, 35 ; P- 51D, Top-Flite, 37 ; Fw-190, Grauppner, 39 ; TBF-1 Avenger, Consolidated, 41. These are all via Don Madison. From my own collection: R/C Kits: Sig Rascal R/C, 49 ; Sterling Cessna 180, 45, Complete Airplanes Watt Age Impress EP ARF, 48, new, complete, needs only radio and battery, never flown; Watt-Zit, original G. Harris electric design, 45, complete, needs radio and battery, test-flown once, gently. Engines: Magnum.25 R/C, glow, new in box. Radio sets: Spektrum DX7, new in box, batteries charged once to test function and features. So, please let me know what items you can donate. I will also be looking for a few volunteers to help Page 5
FIRST WEEDWACKER AERO SQUADRON Field Rules 1. All pilots must observe the AMA Safety Code and directions of the Field Marshalls. 2. No flying is permitted at Cactus Park on Red Flag Warning days. 3. Any pilot wishing to fly electric powered airplanes shall be a Weedwacker club member in good standing and will have attended a "Proper Electric Airplane Protocol" seminar to become a certified and safe electric airplane pilot. Guests may fly electric powered models under the direct supervision of a certified electric pilot. 4. In case of any fire event witnessed by a member at the Cactus Park site or surrounding area, the Lakeside fire department will be called upon immediately in order to respond. Call 911. 5. There must be an operating cell phone at Cactus Park whenever aircraft are being flown. 6. Running or flying engine-powered models is permitted from 9:00AM to sunset. Electrics and gliders are permitted from 8:00AM to sunset. Quiet helicopter flying is allowed in the vicinity of the runway from 8:00AM to 9:00AM. 7. All model aircraft must meet AMA noise guidelines (96 dba at 3 meters). 8. Flyers give way to vehicle traffic on runway. 9. Transmitters must not be turned ON unless the pilot has the appropriate frequency clothespin on the transmitter. Members will place their current AMA card (or a copy) on the pin holder when using the pin. Channel numbers must be displayed on all transmitters. Pilots are financially responsible for damage caused by violating these rules. a. Pilots using 2.4 GHz systems should utilize a bright red or orange clothespin on the transmitter to clearly indicate to other pilots that they are on 2.4 GHz. AMA cards need not be placed in the pin box in this case. 10. Pilots must stand behind the fence in one of four flight stations for takeoff, flight and landings (4 planes maximum at any time). 11. Flying should be confined to the area over the middle of the river flood control channel to the North, bounded by the flag/plane marker to the East, entry gate to the west and the northern runway edge to the South. Page 6
a. Other than landing or taking off, flying is prohibited south of the SAFETY LINE, situated 25 feet from the PILOT LINE. b. All aircraft will yield to aircraft landing and taking off. 12. Pilots should normally fly in a right hand conventional oval traffic pattern when in the landing pattern and other planes are also flying (except for dead stick landings or when the wind is from the East). When fixed wing models are flying, helicopters will conform to the fixed wing pattern of flight. 13. No taxiing in the pit area, or behind the pilot line. Models shall be carried or hand guided for absolute control in these areas. 14. Model should be pointed such that prop blast with engine running will be directed away from other models or people. 15. Club members must wear Club ID Badge when flying at the field. Non-club members may fly at the field as a guest under the guidance of a badge-wearing club member. Guest may fly on three visits, after which they must join the club to continue flying at Cactus Park. 16. Inexperienced pilots should seek the help and be given help by experienced pilots or club instructors. 17. Parking is permitted in designated areas only; at least 15 feet clear of the pit area. 18. Gate must be locked except when Club Members are present. The last member out must lock the gate regardless of the time of day. 19. Smoking is strictly prohibited on the flight line and in the pit area. Additionally, San Diego County Ordinance, 41.118 forbids smoking at Cactus Park. 20. Charging of Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries at Cactus Park shall be in accordance with the posted Weedwacker Lithium Polymer Battery Charging Protocol (and should be followed when charging batteries of any type). 21. Consumption of alcoholic beverages or use of illegal substances is prohibited at the flying field. 22. Dogs are not allowed in the pits, and all dogs must be on a leash not exceeding six feet in length (San Diego County Ordinance, 41.123). Last updated 06/10/2011 Page 7
Fun Fly and Auction All proceeds will be donated to Of San Diego Saturday, October 8, 2011 8:00 a.m. Cactus Park Model Airport Lakeside, CA* 8:00 - Demonstration Electric Pylon Race, 9:00 - Fun-fly ** -Test your flying skills Plus, special 100 th Anniversary Navy Warbird Carrier Spot Landing event 11:00 - Open flying, and BBQ Lunch (for sale) 12:00 -Auction of model airplanes, kits, engines, Radios, etc. *10295 Ashwood St Lakeside CA 92040 http://www.weedwackers.org/ **Current AMA membership required to fly at Cactus Park Page 8
Planes I ve Never Heard Of These are data and 3-views from April 1935 issue of Aero Digest. There are 90 aircraft described in this issue, most are good candidates for scale RC models. Page 9