WRCS - Jun2006

Warringah Radio Control

Society Incorporated
(Incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act 1984)

Newsletter - June 2006

Tom Sparkes with his Laird Turner ... it is no more ... R.I.P. ... see report from Shepparton '06 inside

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 27th June 2006 at Tennis Cove, Eastern Valley Way, starting at 7.30 pm. and the meeting after that is on Tuesday, 11th July 2006

WRCS Membership Renewal for 06/07 By now you should have received your Membership Renewal letter. It is in the same detailed style as last year’s letter, but with the box for Tx-frequencies now gone due to “lack of interest”.
In this ever more bureaucratic world, your Committee is obliged to tighten-up club procedures generally. This includes keeping our Membership Data Base up-to-date, especially your Contact details & Flying Status (Bronze or Gold-Wings etc).
So please bear with us ; take time to read & digest the form, then carefully follow ALL the instructions. Start by signing the form!
In “Edit” area, you must check, tick, correct, fill-in your own data. Other areas tell you how, when & where to pay your renewal fee.
Besides the rules, there are a few penalties too! So for all our sakes, PLEASE co-operate fully with your Committee in this Renewal process.
As usual, the AGM will be on the last Tuesday of June, ie. 27-6-0, we do hope you can attend to collect your new Badge & Key set, but if you can’t, follow the letter’s postal option (pre or post AGM). We’ll process ALL filled-in renewal letters during the post-AGM week.

Happy Landings to all for “06/07”,
Peter B,
Hon-Treasurer & Registrar.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
As previously notified, the Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 27th June 2005 at Tennis Cove, Eastern Valley Way, starting at 7.30 pm.
Before the meeting you will have the opportunity to renew your Membership and get your new keys from about 6:30 pm, After you complete your renewal, nibbles will be available before the meeting commences, BUT

1.

2

3

You must bring along the renewal form sent to you in the mail properly completed and signed, there will be no spare forms available to be completed on the night;
There will be no renewal through any of the hobby shops, if you don't renew on the night in person you will need to renew by mail;
If for whatever reason you don't bring back your key, you will have to pay an additional $50 to be issued a new key

POSITIONS VACANT
All positions on the Committee will become vacant at the AGM, some of the present Committee members have indicated that they will not seek re-election!! It is time for each and every Club Member to give serious consideration to joining the Committee in one of the following positions:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Registrar & Treasurer
3 Committee Members
Nominations must be in writing, Forms are available from Brian Porman (contact 9488 9973) or Col Simpson (contact 9419 7844(w) or 9419 6351(h))

A W*R*A*M WITH THE ENVIABLE HANGAR (W*R*A*M = Warringah Radio Aero Modeller)

David Foster and his hangar with its huge variety of large aircraft ready for flight at any given time has previously been featured, very many of David's beautifully presented planes have also been featured in this Mag over the years.
Recently Garry Welsh captured photos of David at the field with his 1/4 scale Great Planes Patty Wagstaff Extra 300.
It is powered by an OS 160, features Bolly 18" X 8 carbon fibre prop, Futaba receiver and servos and weighs 6.7 kg.
David tells us that he has "had dozens of flights with it over the past 2 years and every one of them a joyous experience" .

Photos: Garry Welsh

BIPLANE AND AEROBATICS DAY
Sunday, 18 June 2006

Biplane: As long as it has at least 2 wings it can be entered. Flying is for all standards.
Aerobatics: Flying to a pre-set pattern to be advised prior to the event, training/instruction courses will also be held. Helis welcome.

THIS IS A FUN EVENT WITH SAFETY PARAMOUNT
Competition Directors - George Atkinson; Colin Simpson; Dean Riebolge

Tom Sparkes has agreed to be the Competition Co-ordinator for 2006. The events are conducted by the Competition Directors as advised, with Tom co-ordinating and helping. If you have any enquiries about the competitions, please ring Tom on:

0419 977 613
If prevailing weather conditions make you uncertain as to whether the event is being held or postponed, please check this Website on the morning of the event.

2.4 GHz Radio Equipment. Radio control equipment which operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band has become available for model aircraft use., this is an exciting prospect and many manufacturers are known to be looking at introducing the technology. Up till now, although a few experimenters may have used the band, remote control aircraft equipment has not been available commercially and so the band has not been approved for use by MAAA members under the Manual of Procedures. This has effectively meant that ,even though it was legal to use the frequencies in Australia under one of the Class Licences issued by the Australian Media and Communications Authority, it has not been covered by the MAAA and its insurance policy,.
When the MAAA was advised that the first equipment was to become available it commenced consideration as to whether, and under what conditions, the M.A.A.A. would allow its use.
As a result of information obtained a meeting by the MAAA President in the USA (at which the use of the band was to be one of the major agenda items) and the tests carried out by the MAAA, the use of the 2.4 GHz band has been approved for model aircraft use by the MAAA. Because of the international requirements for the band, and the technology implementing them, when the radios are switched on they find a new frequency that no one else is using in the immediate area. This is generally referred to as collision avoidance. Although it can be done using a different technique the effect is that in this band, frequency keys for a specific frequency are not longer needed due to the unit selecting the frequency.
However this band is not exclusively for model aircraft and there are many other users including computer networks and cordless telephones. These have the potential to emit more power than may be radiated by some model aircraft transmitters and of course have the potential to interfere. Because of the mandatory requirement for “collision avoidance” for all equipment, the likelihood of inference from outside sources is significantly reduced but there is still some, particularly near to sites that may have other equipment operating on the band.
Also the technology is still being developed and, unlike on 29 and 36 MHz, there is currently no standard, actual or informally accepted, for how the equipment interoperates. This means that not all equipment is going to be suitable for all applications. For example, there is 2.4 GHz commercial R/C product being sold that the manufacturer considers is only suitable for cars.
In order to be able to guide the members the MAAA has produced a Policy and Procedure Document, MOP 058, which is available on the MAAA web site. This identifies the specific equipments that are currently approved for use and details any restrictions. The latter may include types of models or distances that the models may fly away from the transmitter. This will be updated as new products become available. To guide members there is also some information on the use of the band for aircraft applications and how clubs should control it. Anyone wanting to use equipment on this band is strongly recommended to read the information before doing so.
Due to the sophistication of the equipment, the MAAA will not be requiring individual radios owned by members to be tested. However as the equipment is effectively type approved it has to have a “C Tick” applied by the manufacturer/importer to show that the performance is traceable, that it conforms to the Australian Radio- communications Standards and so is legal to use in Australia. This is a small label with a tick inside what then looks like a letter ‘C’ together with a code to provide traceability. It should be emphasised that use of the radios outside the specific limitations imposed by the MAAA, or modifying the equipment, such using parts of it with or within other transmitters, will not be covered by the MAAA MOP’s.
Obviously at this stage it is a fluid situation and we would expect that as more radios become available, and more field experience is gained, then there will be further developments in the MAAA position.
If you use or are thinking about using this frequency band then please check the MAAA web site regularly.

A glitch or two ….

by Mike Minty

I had been flying my Fun Fly plane on 36.33 meg for some time, I trust you like the colour scheme (I have this neat cutting tool that cuts circles). I had a couple of glitches, nothing too serious just a sudden 20 ft drop in altitude like I had momentarily given full down, or a sudden turn that wasn’t me …..or was it? Anyway, it got to the Sunday Fun Fly comp and off I went for the “Loops in One Minute “ event and having done my 13 went into a longer than usual landing circuit and at the furthest point had a glitch – whoa, it’s a long way away, up on the ridge …..what is it doing, suddenly it’s upside down – oh shit it’s so low I’m not sure what it’s doing – aaaggghhh, better just cut the throttle, go gently into the trees and retrieve it. Good theory but when you get there this is what you are faced with, bloody jungle, and very busy at ground level too!

Well I looked for an hour gave up and went to talk to David “I’ve spent more time bush walking than most” Pound and got some good advice on what to take (like crepe paper to tie around trees to keep track of where you have been) and planned to go back on Monday. I couldn’t
Just before I set off on Tuesday I got a call from Brian “Your plane is in the transmitter pound”. Nice but how so? It seem probable that a cyclist (we have lots of them on tracks through the bush) found it and put it in the pound – thanks mystery man! Well, I collected it and there was hardly any damage, an hour or so and it was ready to fly again. I range checked it – no probs, I waggled the waggly bits-no probs, I discussed possible causes with George but could come up with nothing significant - so I flew it again. I got a couple of glitches again and decided it was time to get expert advice. I sent the Tx and Rx to Model Flight in Adelaide and this was their reply:

“SINAD test gave 12 db @ 10 uV gain – which is out of JR specs (Should be 20 db @ 5uV gain) When working on Rx found cracked PCB copper land or faulty component in unit. Uneconomical to repair.”

I reckon that was $15 well spent! Incidentally, I have still no idea who the finder was but was able to return a favour the next week when I met a cyclist as I arrived at our car park. He had just fallen off his bike and broken his arm (obviously by the funny shape!) and I took him and his bike the kilometre or so back to the road (through our locked gate) where his mates could take him to hospital.

A BIT OF TRIVIA The first successful pneumatic anti-G suit for pilots was developed in Australia by Prof.Frank Cotton during WW II,
Prof. Cotton was a physiologist at the University of Sydney, using equipment largely designed by himself and constructed at the University (including one of the first human centrifuges in the world), he developed and tested his suit and shared the results freely with the Allies thus allowing the United States to develop its own suit from his concepts.
The US suit would be the first step on the path to development of the first American spacesuits.

Safety There is a report (not from our field) of a model being started with a mechanical restraint but unfortunately it was not hard up against it, and when the motor started it leapt forward into contact with the restraint. The instinctive action of the modeller on seeing it lurch forward was to put his hand out and into the spinning prop.
A few safety messages/hints;
• Make sure that the model is hard against the mechanical restraint when starting the motor. Better still, get a mate to hold the model as well and assist you when starting.
• Make sure the mechanical restraint is very secure.
• Do not rely only on mechanical restraint when running the motor at high power settings, get a mate to assist by also holding the model.
• Ensure that the motor is at low throttle before starting
• Ensure the motor can be shut down by the throttle lever of your transmitter.
• Always set your throttle servo so that it rotates the same way for all models. That way if you select the wrong model on the transmitter, the throttle will be correct and will not be full throttle when you think it is low.
• Never fly at the field on your own. If you get a serious injury you may bleed to death before you can get assistance. This has happened more than once overseas.
• Remove the glow driver and do all adjustments to the motor behind the motor.
• Ensure that spark ignition motors have a “kill” switch easily accessible on the model and ensure your start up assistant knows where it is.
• Do not “choke/prime” motors with glow driver attached. Spark ignition motors must have ignition switch off when “choke/priming”.
• Do not assume that a glow motor will not start without a glow driver. They do, not often, but they do.
• It is not recommended to hand launch “pusher” type aircraft. Even small electric one cut hands and fingers. Make a launch dolly, it prevents many cuts to hand and fingers.
The injury prevented may be your own.

Two killed during R/C competition accident in Hungary It is reported that on May 13, 2006 two people died and four others were injured when a model plane crashed into a crowd of spectators at an international model builders’ show at Ocseny Airport, SW Hungary
The 2.5 metre-long, remote control model weighing 20 kg built and flown by a former world champion German pilot became uncontrollable 5 minutes into its flight with technical problems and went down behind the fence into a group of spectators,.
The cause for the incident is being investigated. News release of the incident can be reviewed at: http://www.hirado.hu/cikk.php?id=116485 This sobering experience when even a former world champion can be involved in such a tragic and fatal event once again demonstrates how dangerous our hobby/sport/pasttime can be and we are again reminded about the importance of being alert and maintaining all safety standards to their highest. you see me.And if you wish to see more photos please visit the Website

AREN'T YOU sick and tired of being reminded about the most simple Club Rules every time you open the Mag?
And yet, just about every day you see somebody flying too close to the pilot area, flight line or the pits or standing out on the field to fly (this includes standing in "the gap" but in front of the pilot's fence).
REMEMBER your aircraft MUST fly South of the North edge of the runway and the pilot MUST stand in the pilot area! THE RULES apply to all pilots regardless of whether they fly gliders, electric or fuel power fixed wing aircraft or helicopters!
We allow two exceptions to this.Pilots test flying new models and pilots practicing for championship events where the event rules require the pilot to stand a fixed distance from the model in flight

Doug Radford and Kerry Smith have both brought my attention to a set of fantastic pics by Frank Dely of four North American T-6 Harvard Texan) Aircraft from The Flying Lions Aerobatic Team waterskiing (on wheels, not floats!) across Klipdrift Dam near Johannesburg South Africa. On researching the story further it became obvious that both the story and the pics are heavily copyrighted, emails over some months to the EAA Young Eagles for permission to use the material have not met with the courtesy of a reply. If you want to see the pics, look at: http://www.youngeagles.org/news/2006%20-%2003_01%20-%20The%20Flying%20Lions%20Go%20Water%20Skiing.asp

What a considerate wife!! A member's wife had enough of his nagging and said to him "I've had enough for today, get out of here and go to the field!!"

Anyone interested? Doug Radford's old aero club in Port Macquarie is organising a group to go to Perth to the Red Bull Races in November. For those who don’t know of the races it is the Formula One of aircraft racing, so they say, and is racing in 4 dimensions. Type Red Bull Air Races into you search engine and see the results. It is spectacular and will be held over the Swan River.
Doug intends to go and is happy to try to organise for a WRCS contingent. At this stage Doug reports that details are:
Depart Sydney on 17 Nov 1015hrs Cost $209; depart Perth on 19 Nov at 2315hrs Cost $209; shared room $190 per person for the 2 nights at the Crowne Plaza in the CBD; plus a bit extra for transfers, food etc. These Qantas fares are better than Virgin.

Instruction of Non-MAAA Affiliated Members It appears that some members are of the belief that if they are instructing a person using a “buddy box” the student is covered by the instructors, ie M.A.A.A., insurance policy. WRONG.
It is irrelevant what type of training system is used, the M.A.A.A. Visitor Policy, and relevant Club rules, apply to all non affiliate members receiving instruction. Check out the Visitor Policy (MOP042) in the Manual of Procedures section of the M.A.A.A. web site.
The exception to this is when the visitor is being directly instructed by an MAAA Commercial Instructor who is required to hold separate and additional insurance.

Spies in the sky American police have adapted unmanned spycraft used by armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for crime fighting.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has reportedly begun using a drone craft fitted with a camera to track suspects in foot pursuits and during rescue operations.
The remote controlled drone, called SkySeer, costs about $40,000 compared with $3M to $4M for a helicopter.
A department spokesman said the drones had the benefit of being less dangerous to personnel in high risk situations.
Digital images are sent back to a ground unit and when in flight the model aircraft sized drone can barely be heard from the ground.
Similar drones have been used by the US and other military (including Australia) for recognaissance for some time but it is certainly welcome to hear about non-military application of the available technology and skill..

A story of longing ... There are two statues in a park; one of a nude man and one of a nude woman. They had been facing each other across a pathway for a hundred years, when one day an angel comes down from heaven and, with a single gesture, brings the two to life.
The angel tells them, "As a reward for being so patient through a hundred blazing summers and dismal winters, you have been given life for thirty minutes to do what you've wished to do the most."
He looks at her, she looks at him, and they go running behind the shrubbery.
The angel waits patiently as the bushes rustle and giggling ensues. After fifteen minutes, the two return, out of breath and laughing.
The angel tells them, "Um, you have fifteen minutes left, "Would you care to do it again?" He asks her. "Shall we?"
She eagerly replies, "Oh, yes, let's! But let's change positions. This time, I'll hold the pigeon down, and you shit on its head."
.... AND WHAT WERE YOU THINKING????

Why men should not be asked to take messages

BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

Absolutely wonderful pictures!! These are actual photos of aircraft breaking the sound barrier. This phenomenon only happens at the instant an aircraft breaks the sound barrier ... and it literally appears like the aircraft goes through a wall.

THE TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES OF SHEPPARTON 2006

[from Brian Porman]

First the triumphs!
* Luke Swinkels assisted by Chris Hebbard won a very hotly contested 20cc Texan AT6 class over the two day racing meet at the Valley Radio Flyers Ian Watts field on the weekend of 20/21 May.
* Colin Simpson assisted by Peter Papas won the Golden Era Radial class with his large Gee Bee.
* Ex member John Wenbourne {he wore our distinctive wrcs crash hat so we’ll claim him as ours!] won the Reno class with his 62cc petrol powered Mustang.
* Mark Connor had arguably one of the fastest straight line Texans at the meet. It scorched up the sky but was matched we think by the to be newly propped Musketeers Texan.
Congratulations fellas.

Then the tragedies!
The major tragedy was the loss of the Tom Sparkes magnificent Laird Turner.
Tom was ahead of the competition in the Golden Era radial class on Saturday when the model suffered identifiable interference and came down close to the pylon judges, scaring the living daylights out of them.
On the Friday practice day Peter Coles’ Texan had its wing locating peg back out of the locating hole. The wing survived the flutter to earth.   The rest was written off.
A number of other competitors lost Texans in practice.
On Saturday Col Simpson’s Texan had a wing join failure at number one pylon and was written off.
Another competitor collected the number 1 pylon with the outer third of the Texan’s left wing in a race. He managed to gain height and control and landed it! His crew then found an outer wing panel in the ever mounting wreckage and cut the leg off an aluminium chair as a dihedral brace and glued it the good bit and were ready to get back into it. Don’t ask about MOP inspections as I do not know! It flew without further incident.
The only mid air of the meet was the veteran mid west kit Three Musketeers Texan, (the old girl was piloted by Musketeer, Grant Furzer), and CM Pro Texan of Model Engines, Mike Farnum. This fatal race was the fastest the old girl had ever flown. Thanks to the research of Mark Connor a change of prop resulted in a measured increase of 1000 rpm and 850 gms of thrust.
The race start was won by Grant and the lead see sawed between all four Texans. The old girl was absolutely screaming and flown at about 2 metres high. It was adrenalin pumping stuff. On lap 9 and immediately in front of the flight line at No 1 pylon Mike collected Grant (as told by the starter to Grant.)   Second Musketeer, caller Brian Porman, was almost fainting with the excitement of the moment!!
A very generous offer by David Foster to use his back up model resulted in the Three Musketeers syndicate being able to continue racing on Sunday.
On Saturday both Mark and Grant suffered from the same problem, namely poor judgement by their callers, namely John Wenbourne and Brian Porman. Both callers tried to anticipate the light instead of waiting for the light before calling the turn. If it is guessed correctly it saves a lot of distance.
In one race Grant had five cuts which Brian reckons shows that Grant does not follow the call. If he had there would have been 10 cuts!
The third Musketeer, Barry Mason, had foolishly taken a holiday in Queensland was not present to see the fat lady sing. But take heart Baz, she went out as fast as any Texan at the meeting.

P.S. Photos taken by Peter Papas will be in next month's issue

June Caption - Just for Fun! Here is a picture downloaded from the Internet (credit to whoever took it) which lends itself to a caption ... so how about contributing one! (Please keep the caption short to fit legibly into the available bubble ... maximum 10-12 words))
Send your entry to the Editor by email to editor@wrcs.org.au by 22nd June and the winning entry will be published next month.

May Caption Winner

Prize won by: Garry Welsh

CAPTION COMP MAY 2006 ENTRIES
Editor:
"This must be the short and wide runway I've heard so much about!!"

Garry Welsh:
1. “Call Mark R for some new tyres please no.2”
2. “Did George A mean left or right rudder?” - WINNER!
3. “Cripes, I’ve got a cramp on my rudder leg again!”
4. “Tower to Air Indian, we can’t read those smoke signals.”
5. “Straighten up and land right!”
6. “Poofey wing-tip doovers!”
7. “Landing is all smoke and mirrors these days.”

Ron Lucas:
"Gee it's a short runway, but look at the bl##$y width of it" said the Irish pilot

George Atkinson:
1. "Looks like all that practice at Belrose will finally be useful"
2. "Wish I could remember what George was on about with the rudder..."

Tom Sparkes:
"Pilot to copilot... OOPS,you sure they said east west runway? Looks north south to me !!!!"

COMMENT:
There were many really good entries this month, Garry's winning entry was the earliest in time on the same theme, so make sure you get your entries in early!!

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