Chain O Lakes Eagles

The Talon

Meetings - Third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the McHenry Township Senior Center, located at 3519 N. Richmond Road in McHenry (west of Rt. 31 & Johnsburg Road).

Online Forum - The COL Eagles forum is located on RCGroups. The web address of the forum is this: http://www.rcgroups.com/col-eagles-768/

Calendar May 2013 Monthly Meeting:

Wednesday May 15th, 2013 - 7:00 pm - McHenry Township Senior Center June 2013 Monthly Meeting:

Wednesday June 19th, 2013 - 7:00 pm - McHenry Township Senior Center 2013 Air Show:

Saturday June 22nd, 2013 - 9am until 3pm – COL Eagles flying field

From the President (Mike Schulz)

The field cleanup/opening was a huge success. I sent an email regarding this, but I’d like to repeat that message here: I just wanted to send a special update regarding the field maintenance that was done last Saturday April 27

th. I was extremely encouraged by the number of club members who showed up. There

were probably over twenty members who showed up and helped out. The awning was installed, the tractors were delivered, the tables were righted, the fencing was repaired (and looks awesome!), the field, pits, and entry area were rolled (and rolled and rolled), and dead areas of grass were repaired and new grass seed was planted. It took the combined effort of everyone who showed up to get all this work done in a few short hours. Thank you to everyone who showed up and contributed! The rolled field is very smooth; I think everyone will be very satisfied with the current conditions at our field. One final reminder...the new grass seed areas need time to grow before you walk on them or mow them. PLEASE KEEP OFF THE NEWLY SEEDED GRASS AREAS until further notice. This is a challenge in the pit area especially, as footprints on the newly seeded areas already attest to, so please take care to step around these areas for the next few weeks.

President: Mike Schulz

(815) 307-5594

Vice-President Bill Tobin

(815) 260-1328

Treasurer Gino Santi

(262) 279-6896

Secretary Ron Lino

(847) 951-7379

Safety Officer: Bill Arnos Jr.

Field Marshall: Bill Tobin (interim)

Webmaster: Mike Schulz

Newsletter Editor: Mike Schulz

Chain O Lakes Eagles RC ClubChain O Lakes Eagles RC ClubChain O Lakes Eagles RC ClubChain O Lakes Eagles RC Club

PO Box 1283

McHenry, IL 60051-1283

http://www.coleagles.com

MayMayMayMay 2012012012013333 IssueIssueIssueIssue

FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS

(Chief) Ron Navlyt (815) 648-2076

Richard Powell (815) 459-7986

Mike Loser (815) 385-9438 Mike Schulz (815) 307-5594

Flying Field Address:

5707 Pioneer Rd

Ringwood, IL 60072

Here are some pictures that were taken during the field cleanup/opening:

Bill Tobin

Some of these are posted on the club website as well: http://www.coleagles.com/ Again, thank you to everyone who showed up and helped out! Also, thank you all for supporting the proposed change in the club bylaws regarding junior memberships. With your support, our club is now in line with the current AMA policy regarding junior members. Children of club members in good standing that are under the age of 18 may now belong to our club with full flying rights as a non-voting member. This is just one more way that we are opening up this hobby to future pilots!

The Air Show and Electric Fun Fly committees met to discuss these two premier club events. There will be reports at the meeting, but let me just say that Bruce Varney (Air Show chairperson) and Bill Tobin (Electric Fun Fly chairperson) have really stepped up and are planning very exciting events. Of course, these two could not conduct these events without the help of some other committee members and the help of the entire club during the day of each event. More on that at the meeting> Don’t forget to read the entire newsletter! The last page of this newsletter is a flyer for the air show. You can print the last page and distribute it as desired to help promote our air show. There will be a similar flyer for the Electric Fun Fly before the June meeting. See you at the meeting on Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm at the McHenry Country Senior Center!

From the Vice President (Bill Tobin)

Bill is busy preparing for the Electric Fun Fly; we will hear from him next month. ☺

From the Safety Officer (Bill Arnos Jr.)

To insure a safe flying season, I believe that we should follow some simple guidelines which are: carefulness, common sense and courtesy. Abiding by the club rules helps to keep everyone safe. We all agreed to them when we joined. If it is brought to your attention that you are violating a rule, be courteous and civil. Remember that you are the one violating the rule that you agreed to. So let’s have a safe and enjoyable flying season. I would also like to have a fire extinguisher by the flight line and some bandages and tape. When your finger is cut off it is tough to dial a combination.

Secretary’s Report (Ron Lino)

Meeting minutes from April 17, 2013 Meeting started with the reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. March meeting minutes, Ron. Corrections were noted and minutes updated. Motion to approve by Ron N, second by Mark Treasurer’s report, Gino. Reviewed previous month’s income and expenditures. Club now has 56 paid members. Motion to approve by Tom, second by Bill

Old Business Field conditions, Mike: Mark got all the bad spots smoothed out and put matting down. He also fixed the deer trail that runs across the field. He brought his neighbor out and he said the only thing we really need to do is roll the field, otherwise the field is in good condition except for a few bad patches. Mark also got a quote for hiring a third party to mow the field. Cost would be $400 per week. It was agreed that it was cost prohibitive. The club will continue mowing the field on our own. Larry checked on the cost of galvanized steel to hold up the snow fence going across the field. Cost would be $45 for a roll. This is much cheaper than using braided rope and will last a lot longer. Larry will purchase a roll for our field work day. Vince said he had clips to attach the wire to the poles. Ron L. asked if we were going to fertilize the field. Gino stated he had a sprayer, but we would need about 75 gallons of water. Ron N. said he had a 55 gallon barrel we could use. No further action was taken. Richard said the field is crap. There are a lot of small holes on the field that need to be filled with dirt. He said we should get some dirt and spread it out with a blade. Mike suggested that we mark off a runway for smaller planes and work to make that really smooth. Vince suggested we get a truck load of dirt to spread out in that area. Buzz suggested we use a vibra tamp to smooth out the field. He said the club did it years ago and the field was in great condition. Bruce said a using good landscaping contractor would be best. He said we would be able to use the field a lot quicker. Mark & Joe will get quotes for someone to come out to grade, level and seed. Mike asked what size the field should be. Several suggestions were made, but a final decision was not made. Bill suggested we rent a vibra tamp and get a truck load of dirt. If it’s not enough, then we could work on it at the end of the season and get it ready for next year. Bob asked how this will eliminate the holes. Greg said it was plowed when we first got the field. Mike made a motion to rent a vibra tamp roller and a yard of top soil. It would be less than $1000. We would just need manpower to come out on the workday to help. Motion to approve made by Don, second by Max. Date for the field workday will be April 27th from 9-noon. Larry will make arrangements to get the vibra tamp delivered. Joe asked about the address for the field in the event of an emergency. Ron L. committed to getting it. Airshow, Larry: Nick the pizza guy will be available for both the airshow and electric fly. He suggested that we put their business logo in the flyer as a sponsor.

Electric fun fly, Mike: Charge your batteries! New Business Mike mentioned the Weldon Smith estate sale is coming up. Change to club by laws, Mike Mike passed out proposed changes for all to review. Proposed change is to change article 3, membership. This would allow youth family members to join the club without paying dues. Youth members would have a non-voting membership. Motion to approve by Max; second by Mark; approved by all present. Wayne suggested that the club should look into making the club an LLC. This would minimize our exposure to lawsuits. Wayne will look into it and come back with more information. Show and Tell Gino brought in a Kaos 40 powered by a Hacker A30 Mark showed how he set up a buddy box for his daughter using an Anylink interface. Daryl brought in a Parkzone Carbon cub and Parkzone F4U Corsair Motion by Bruce to end meeting, second by Max.

Treasurer’s Report (Gino Santi) Field General Total

Starting Balance $8884.86 $2095.49 $11111.34

Deposits

4/17/13 Ck#1726, AMA, Charter, Voided. (re-paid with VD) $90.00

4/18/13 Dues rec’d $60.00 $350.00 $410.00

4/28/13 Dues rec'd $30.00 $165.00 $195.00

4/29/13 Ck#1727, Intro Pilot, Voided, Not req'd $25.00 $25.00

Subtotal $8974.86 $2635.49 $11831.34

Debits

4/09/13 VD, AMA, Club Charter & Officer Patches $102.00 $102.00

4/10/13 Ck#1730, Mower/Tractor Storage, Reim G. Santi, Pd Cash $295.00 $295.00

4/26/13 Ck#1731, Burris Equip., Roller Rental $435.00 $435.00

4/26/13 Ck#1732, Reim, L. DiRubbo, Soil, Wire, Fencing, etc $77.00 $77.00

4/27/13 VD, Diesel Fuel, Roller $20.00 $20.00

Subtotal $929.00 $929.00

Ending Balance $8974.86 $1706.49 $10902.34

Apr.2012 ending balance was $10386.97 so we are + $515.37 compared to where we were this time last year. The club has 59 members by my count.

Pending Expenses: Pitel Septic

If you can’t attend a meeting to pay dues in person, you can mail your check directly to me at: Trimcraft Aviation RC, PO Box 488, Genoa City WI 53128. Please be sure the check is made out to COL Eagles! The standard yearly dues are $65.

Membership Manual All members will be required to download the club manual and return the last page with their signature stating that the manual was read and understood before they may receive their membership card. The manual can be downloaded from our website at: http://www.chainolakeseagles.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=33 Please take some time to read the manual. If you have any questions, attend the next meeting and they will be answered.

Hi and Welcome to Robby’s Shop8 Ever wonder where all that balsa wood comes from....? Even wonder how in the hell the supply can keep up with all the crashes.... ? Lemme tell you.... WHERE DOES BALSA WOOD COME FROM? Balsa trees grow naturally in the humid rain forests of Central and South America. Its natural range extends south from Guatemala, through Central America, to the north and west coast of South America as far as Bolivia. However, the small country of Ecuador on the western coast of South America is the primary source of model aircraft grade balsa in the world. Balsa needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. For that reason, the best stands of balsa usually appear on the high ground between tropical rivers. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing balsa trees. The scientific name for balsa wood is ochroma lagopus. The word balsa itself is Spanish meaning raft, in reference to its excellent floatation qualities. In Ecuador it is known as Boya, meaning buoy. HOW DOES BALSA WOOD GROW? There is no such thing as entire forests of balsa trees. They grow singly or in very small, widely scattered groups in the jungle. For hundreds of years, balsa was actually considered a weed tree. They reproduce by growing hundreds of long seed pods, which eventually open up and, with the help of the wind, scatter thousands of new seeds over a large area of the jungle. Each seed is airborne on its own small wisp of down, similar to the way dandelion seeds spread. The seeds eventually fall to the ground and are covered by the litter of the jungle. There they lay and accumulate until one day there is an opening in the jungle canopy large enough for the sun's rays to strike the jungle floor and start the seeds growing. Wherever there is an opening, made either by a farmer or by another tree dying, balsa will spring up as thick as grass. A farmer is often hard put to keep his food plot clear of balsa. As the new balsa trees grow, the strongest will become predominate and the weaker trees will die. By the time they are mature, there may be only one or two balsa trees to an acre of jungle. So it basically is a nasty WEED >! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A BALSA TREE TO GROW? Balsa trees grow very rapidly (like all pesky weeds). Six months after germination, the tree is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 10 - 12 feet tall. In 6 to 10 years the tree is ready for cutting, having reached a height of 60 to 90 feet tall and a diameter of 12 to 45 inches. If left to continue growing, the new wood being grown on the outside layers becomes very hard and the tree begins to rot in the center. Unharvested, a balsa tree may grow to a diameter of 6 feet or more, but very little usable lumber can be obtained from a tree of this size. The balsa leaf is similar in shape to a grape leaf, only a lot bigger. When the tree is young, these leaves measure a much as four feet across. They become progressively smaller as the tree grows older, until they are about 8 - 10 inches across. Balsa is one of the few trees in the jungle which has a simple leaf shape. This fact alone makes the balsa tree stand out in the jungle. They do however had a very good quality about them... THEY ARE the PERFECT NURSE! Nature evidently designed the balsa tree to be a "nurse tree" which would protect the slower-growing species of trees from the scorching jungle sun during their critical early years. For instance, in an area of the jungle that has been ravaged by a tropical storm or other natural disaster, the balsa trees will quickly sprout and begin to shoot up to impressive heights in a very short time. Their fast growth and the extra-large leaves they have in their early years provide shade to the young seedlings of the slower-growing forest giants. By the time the seedlings are established enough to take care of themselves, the balsa tree is beginning to die. Undoubtedly, the balsa tree's rapid growth, fast spreading crown of first very large and gradually smaller leaves, and it's relatively short life span were intended to make it the "perfect nurse" in the jungle ecosystem. HOW ARE BALSA TREES HARVESTED? While nature intended the balsa tree to be a short lived nursemaid, mankind eventually discovered that it was an extremely useful resource. The real start of the balsa business was during World War I, when the allies were in need of a plentiful substitute for cork. The only drawback to using balsa was, and still is, the back breaking work that is necessary to get it out of the jungle. Because of the way the individual balsa trees are scattered throughout the jungles, it has never been possible to use mass production logging procedures and equipment. The best way to log balsa trees is to go back to the methods of Paul Bunyan -- chop them down with an axe, haul them to the nearest river by ox team, tie them together into rafts, and then float the rafts of balsa logs down the river to the saw mill. The logging team usually consists of two native Ecuadorians, each armed with a broad Spanish axe, a machete, and a long pole sharpened like a chisel on one end for removing the bark from the downed trees. Because of the hilly terrain, an ox team may only be able to drag two logs to the river per day. At the saw mill the raw balsa is first rough cut into large boards, the carefully kiln dried, and finally packed into bales for shipment to the distributor for final cutting and finishing... As a result of the balsa tree's fast growth cycle, both the quality and lightness of the lumber obtained from a balsa tree can vary depending upon the tree's age when cut ..

WHY IS BALSA WOOD SO LIGHT? The secret to balsa wood's lightness can only be seen with a microscope. The cells are big and very thin walled, so that the ratio of solid matter to open space is as small as possible. Most woods have gobs of heavy, plastic-like cement, called lignin, holding the cells together. In balsa, lignin is at a minimum. Only about 40% of the volume of a piece of balsa is solid substance. To give a balsa tree the strength it needs to stand in the jungle, nature pumps each balsa cell full of water until they become rigid - like a car tire full of air. Green balsa wood typically contains five times as much water by weight as it has actual wood substance, compared to most hardwoods which contain very little water in relation to wood substance. Green balsa wood must therefore be carefully kiln dried to remove most of the water before it can be sold. Kiln drying is a tedious two week process that carefully removes the excess water until the moisture content is only 6%. Kiln drying also kills any bacteria, fungi, and insects that may have been in the raw balsa wood. HOW LIGHT IS KILN DRIED BALSA WOOD? Finished balsa wood, like you find in model airplane kits, varies widely in weight. Balsa is occasionally found weighing as little as 4 lbs. per cu. ft. (12”x12”x12” block) On the other hand, you can also find balsa which will weigh 24 lbs. or more per cu. ft. However, the general run of commercial balsa for model airplanes will weigh between 6 and 18 pounds per cu. ft. Eight to twelve pound balsa is considered medium or average weight, and is the most plentiful. Six pound or less is considered "contest grade", which is very rare and sometimes even impossible to obtain. Hence the price for uniformed contest balsa is usually rather high >. balsa wood is often considered the strongest wood for its weight in the world. Pound for pound it is stronger in some respects than pine, hickory, or even oak. BALSA GRAIN-LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY ALL THREE GRAIN TYPES In selecting balsa sheets for use in your model, it is important to consider the way the grain runs through the sheet as well as the weight of the sheet. The grain direction actually controls the rigidity or flexibility of a balsa sheet more than the density does. For example, if the sheet is cut from the log so that the tree's annular rings run across the thickness of the sheet (A-grain, tangent cut), then the sheet will be fairly flexible edge to edge. In fact, after soaking in water some tangent cut sheets can be completely rolled into a tube shape without splitting. If on the other hand the sheet is cut with the annular rings running through the thickness of the sheet (C-grain, quarter grain), the sheet will be very rigid edge to edge and cannot be bent without splitting. When the grain direction is less clearly defined (B-grain, random cut), the sheet will have most intermediate properties between A and C grain. Naturally, B-grain is the most common and is suitable for most jobs. The point to bear in mind is that whenever you come across pure A-grain or C-grain sheets, learn where to use them to take best advantage of their special characteristics. A-GRAIN sheet balsa has long fibers that show up as long grain lines. It is very flexible across the sheet and bends around curves easily. Also warps easily. Sometimes called "tangent cut." DO use for sheet covering rounded fuselages and wing leading edges, planking fuselages, forming tubes, strong flexible spars, HL glider fuselages. DON'T use for sheet balsa wings or tail surfaces, flat fuselage sides, ribs, or formers. B-GRAIN sheet balsa has some of the qualities of both type A and type C. Grain lines are shorter than type A, and it feels stiffer across the sheet. It is a general purpose sheet and can be used for many jobs. Sometimes called "random cut." DO use for flat fuselage sides, trailing edges, wing ribs, formers, planking gradual curves, wing leading edge sheeting. DON'T use where type A or type C will do a significantly better job. C-GRAIN sheet balsa has a beautiful mottled appearance. It is very stiff across the sheet and spits easily. But when used properly, it helps to build the lightest, strongest models. Most warp resistant type. Sometimes called "quarter grain." DO use for sheet balsa wings and tails, flat fuselage sides, wing ribs, formers, trailing edges... DON'T use for curved planking, rounded fuselages, round tubes, or wing spars.

-Robb

Membership Handbook All members will be required to read the membership handbook and return the handbook acknowledgement form with their signature stating that the handbook was read and understood before they may receive their membership card. The handbook can be downloaded from our website at: http://www.coleagles.com/index.php/club-documents/72-membership-handbook Once you have read the handbook, download, print, and sign the following acknowledgement form: http://www.coleagles.com/index.php/club-documents/80-handbook-ack-form and bring it to the next meeting. Every club member is required to sign a new acknowledgement form each year. Please take some time to read the manual. If you have any questions, bring them to the next meeting and they will be answered. AMA Membership Dues Reminder To protect you, the club, and the field property owner from liability, membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics is required. You must have a current (2013) AMA membership in order to fly at the COL Eagles field!