November 2009

SPARKS WEBSITE

www.sparksrc.com Or mail to:

SPARKS

P.O. Box 1361 Tomball, TX 77377-1361

SPARKS 2009 - 2010 Officers

Wally Warren President

281-794-0947

Alan Buckner Vice President/Safety

281-655-0992

George Terry Treasurer

281-356-4315

Diane Marson Sect'y/Newsletter

281-374-8915

SPARKS Flight Instructors

Chief Instructor

Lee Dillenbeck ** 281-288-7661

Flight Instructors Airplanes

Bob Allen Alan Buckner **

281-443-8779

281 -655-0992

Jim Greer 281-370-5615

Mark Hunt 281-290-0327

Richard Lewis 281-255-2067

Bill Murad 281-290-8945

Nick Marson ** 281-374-8915

Luis Rodriguez 281-363-9134

Ground Instructor- Airplanes

Vic Baney 281-357-1357 Chris Fredona 281-376-7068

Flight Instructors Helicopters

Warren Watkins

** AMA designated

713-725-0827

Intro Pilots

I ask the question not to anyone else, but to myself, because whenever our time is taken in huge chunks, we are often giving up large chunks of what-ever other parts of life that we have sac-rificed in order to devote that time to just one thing. It means, for me, that it’s time to “catch-up”.

Catch up with family, friends, chores, other business areas and what-have-you. Just try to catch up! I am NEVER all of the way caught up, but there are times when I see light at the end of the tunnel – and that is a VERY good thing.

You might be asking yourself where I am heading with this because it is start-ing to take up large chunks of your time and you want some answers. Well, here you go…

One year ago, as SPARKS started the shut-down of the old field, many were left pondering the chances of ever getting a flying field again. Not just any old field, but a FLYING field. It’s not as easy as it sounds – especially in this day and age. A small group of VERY dedicated members stepped forward to engage in the battle to find a site that would allow us to once again enjoy the

mystery of flight in a group setting and with friends that we’ve come to know and enjoy.

Under brilliant skies on Saturday, Octo-ber 17, at about 11:00 in the morning, SPARKS members and numerous guests gathered at our new flying site to dedicate the field with an official ribbon cutting ceremony with delegates from the Harris County Parks Department. All in attendance appeared to enjoy them-selves greatly and we got lots of nice feedback from both spectators and the members of the Harris County Parks De-partment. I’m glad we got up and run-ning SO quickly. There are many clubs that don’t enjoy the fortitude and will-power of membership that SPARKS R/C club does and they end up disbanding under circumstances similar to ours. Ours is a great group of folks that DO care!

So, where to from here??? That is a fine question to pose, but is not an easy one to answer – just yet. If I am the one giving an answer, here’s what I would like to see happen in the next few years: con’t next page, please

Newsletter for the SPring Area

Radio Kontrol Society

“SPARKS”

Message f rom the Pres ident - Wal ly Warren

SO, WHAT’S NEXT???

That is the question I often ask myself as a self-employed business owner upon completion of a major project that has taken up a large chunk of my time.

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October Meeting Highlights

October Model of the Month - Alan Buckner

SPARKS Grand Opening Day - Nick Marson

3 - 4

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6 - 8

Mini Funtana, update - Rod Kuntz

“Oh ! Hardluck” earned its name - Lee Dillenbeck

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Electric Flight (Fright): Movin’ on up - Rod Kuntz 10 - 11

B.E.S.T. Highlights - Alan Buckner 12 - 13

Can you believe this flew? 11 times no less... - Mike Rose

An Inside look at our Drone Pilots at Work - Mike Rose

Building Tip – Elevators - Rod Kuntz On Board Aerial Photography Rob Jasken

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16 - 17

Useful Addition to SPARKS Field - Rob Jasken

Vintage Bomber takes off by mistake at air show - Lee Dillenbeck

Hirobo Ready To Fly Sceadu 50 size Helicopter Jim Greer

Model Shop Ads

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Inside this issue:

President’s Massage con’t “So What’s Next ?” It is my hope that we can find a way to partner with Harris County Parks over the next few years and deepen and widen our open space so that ANY R/C modeling group will be able to comfortably enjoy the facility. Currently the Pattern and IAMC flyers cannot fly their sequences be-cause of a certain tree located exactly in the way of their pattern!

I would like to see the open space increase by ap-proximately 600-feet in north/south depth and another 300-feet (or more) in east/west width. This increase would give us an open field of approximately 1,300’X 800’ and would decrease the likelihood of flying over the neighbor field to the north. The beauty of where we are presently located is that we would be able to expand our area without shutting down the field for a move!

If we get the go-ahead, we could clear all of the necessary land (south and to the west of where we are now), build a new runway and make it a plug-and-play field without missing a beat. We already have a water line, so the clearing of the trees would be the biggest

obstacle.

I believe that if we continue to be good tenants of the park, and good neighbors to the land owners to the north, that we will be able to expand our facilities and REALLY grow into a premier R/C Flying Field.

It won’t be tomorrow, but if we chip away, then one day….

What say you? What is your vision???

Thanks again to each and every member that gave of your time, talents, and money in order to give us all a flying field that we can enjoy now, and for many years to come.

Come to the meeting so that we can get feedback from all of you! It will be a Valley Ranch BBQ on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00pm. Come early and eat with us – it is GREAT stuff!

Till then… Get to flying, bring a friend, make a friend, and show someone how it’s done – SPARKS-style.

Regards, Wally

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October 7th Meeting Highlights

New member Randy Shewmaker was introduced. Several members have not paid the $35.00 assessment fee as of this Oct. Meeting. Email notices will be sent these unpaid members. The Bylaws state that members must pay all dues and assessments to retain their membership. George had 17 SPARKS badges which he distributed to those members in attendance. There were 19 senior members in attendance so we had a quorum.

Necessary revisions of the SPARKS Bylaws due to the change of the fiscal year dates were unanimously passed. These are the revised Bylaws.

Alan Buckner reported the Club now has three AMA desig-nated Intro Pilots who can assist non AMA members using a buddy box system. They are Lee Dillenbeck, Nick Marson and himself.

It was suggested that the field watering schedule be re-viewed and possibly cut back. The field has had standing water in several locations lately. Vic Baney will adjust the timing and possibly cut a day or two off the schedule now that the grass is more established and temperatures are milder.

A work Day was called for Saturday, Oct. 10th to spruce up the field in preparation for the Grand Opening Day on Satur-day, October 17. A Barbeque sandwich lunch will be served from approximately 11 am until 2 pm.

Registered Pilots and Swap Meet Vendors will receive a meal ticket with their registration fee.

Spectators may also purchase sandwiches and drinks. Invitations have been sent to several other area RC Clubs, Pct. 4 / County Officials and notices posted in both hobby shops. Since it will be an open flying day, we are expecting guest pilots as well as spectators who may have never attended such an event.

A pilot’s meeting has been called for 8:30 am. At 11 am, the official ribbon cutting ceremony will commence followed by demo flights by heli and fixed wing pilots during the lunch break.

please see next page

ARTICLE VI - DUES, FEES, AND ASSESSMENTS SEC. 1 - INITIATION FEES (A) New open senior members shall be assessed a onetime initiation fee. The amount of the initiation fee for the next year may be changed in the November meeting. If no action is taken in the November meeting to change the initiation fee, then it will remain the same.

(B) Open junior members shall not be assessed an initiation fee.

(C) Honorary members shall not be assessed an initiation fee.

SEC. 3 - DUES The amount of dues will be determined by a majority vote of the open senior members at the November meeting. If no action is taken at the November meeting to change the dues, then they will remain the same.

SEC. 6 - PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR EXISTING MEMBERS The fiscal year for SPARKS is Feb. 1 through January 31 of each year. All dues, fees, and assessments for the forth-coming year are officially due and payable from all members on January 31st of each year, for the next year. If a members' dues, fees, and assessments are not paid in full for that year by the close of the March meeting, he will no longer be a member of the club. A member who has lost membership due to non-payment of dues, fees, and assessments may subse-quently reapply for membership in the Spring Area Radio Kontrol Society, Inc., but will be treated as a new membership ap-plicant and will be subject to the rules of admission for new member applicants

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October 7th Meeting Highlights, con’t

The officials at Dyess Park are bringing in extra em-ployees, picnic tables, garbage cans and a tram system to ferry folks back and forth to the designated parking area. Since we do not have enough parking on site, pilots and swap meet folks will drive in, unload and drive back to the parking area. They will then be shuttled back to the field by the tram system. Volunteers are needed to help with unloading and other details to make for a smooth transition. Spectators will also park in the designated area and arrive by tram. We want to ensure their welfare and enjoyment by answering questions and being mindful of safety at all times.

Volunteers are needed to assist with parking, unload-ing equipment, sign up, drinks, flight line and safety in gen-eral. SPARKS members are requested to wear their badge for easy identification. Some of the items needed include a portable P.A. system and coolers with ice and water.

It was suggested that we have an additional toilet facil-ity. Volunteers and SPARKS members should arrive by 7:30am since the Event starts at 8 am. There will be no flying until after the pilot’s meeting at 8:30.

Alan Buckner will conduct the Pilots meeting and handle the flight line throughout the day. Additional members are needed to insure a smooth and safe flow of pilots and planes. Alan reported he met at the Cy-Falls High School cam-

pus with the ROTC RC Group who we voted to sponsor and mentor at the Sept. meeting. They are in need of basic RC equipment and SPARKS members are asked to donate their surplus items by bringing them to the field on Grand Opening Saturday. It was suggested that a few SPARKS members could

attend one of their Monday meetings to stage a flight demo and explain the use of basic equipment. Rod Kuntz brought the remains of his electric Yak 54

craft which crashed and burned recently. Model of the month was presented by Alan Buck-

ner….His Extra 330 weighs in at 4 ¾ lbs.

A note of thanks to the fo l lowing contr ibutors……

Alan Buckner, Lee Di l lenbeck, J im Greer, Rob Jasken, Rod Kuntz , N ick Marson and Mike Rose

Please send your contr ibut ions for next

month’s issue to me at : dgmarson@earth l ink.net I appreciate everyone’s ideas.

Also, p lease send your contact info changes to me.

Thanks, Diane

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Specs:

3D Hobby Shop 57” Extra 330SC

57" Wingspan 57" Long w/ spinner 680 sq. inches wing area

4.75 lbs

1100W (231W/lb!)

October Model of the Month by Alan Buckner

Media: Favorite video flown by the owner of 3DHS, Ben Fisher: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showatt.php?attachmentid=2711386

WebSite: www.3dHobbyShop.com

RC Groups Thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1110083

Setup: Reaper GR-45 motor

Airboss 80A ESC

14x7 XOAR wood prop for electrics

Zippy Rhino 4S3700 LiPos (I can fly continuously

with only two batteries at ~$40 each)

4 x HS225MG Servos

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Grand Opening Day at SPARKS, Oct. 17, 2009 submitted by Nick Marson

Photo to left: Official Ribbon Cutting Vic Baney, Wally Warren, Sammy Bush, Park Superin-tendent and Dennis Johnson, Parks Administrator.

Many thanks to Mr. Johnson and Mr. Bush for their much appreciated assistance in making our “Field of Dreams” a reality.

It goes with out saying that Vic and his Field Committee deserve a round of applause for their many hours of work in planning, organizing and executing all the many phases of construction. Job well done, guys !!!!!

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Grand Opening Day at SPARKS, Oct. 17, 2009 submitted by Nick Marson

Ten planes were entered in the “Most Awesome Plane” contest….Pilots and spectators alike gathered on the runway to view and vote on their choice.

The guest who travelled the farthest was Alex Ramcke, the heli pilot from Germany who flys with us when he is visiting here on business.

Alex reads the newsletter each month and was able to extend his stay to include our BIG day.

Chow time !!!!

Well, the overwhelming choice was Vic Baney’s “Jenny” and well deserved too. “Jenny” is a work of art and also flies like the real craft.

Vic was presented a gift certificate to Randy’s Hobbies by President Wally Warren.

The show stopper, “Jenny” ... Vic probably had to wipe all the drool off, everyone was so intrigued with it.

Wow - more photos, next page

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Grand Opening Day at SPARKS, Oct. 17, 2009 submitted by Nick Marson

Several of the Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Club of Cy Falls High School were also present at our Grand Opening. SPARKS has taken them under our wing (no pun intended) . Major Tim Nichols and several of the Club members took buddy box flights with our Intro Pilots and enjoyed question and answer sessions with several SPARKS members.

A donation table was set up for them and several SPARKS members brought spare equipment.

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Min i Funtana, update Submit ted by Rod Kuntz

The easiest way to show the changes is in tabular form:

As promised in the previous newsletter I said I would send an update on the mini Funtana as I planned to upgrade the power system on it to improve perform-ance. After all it is supposed to be an extremely aerobatic 3D type airplane, and quite honestly with the way I had it set up before it’s flying performance was somewhat like driving your wife’s minivan….predictable, but totally boring.

So, what did I change? The motor, to a bigger brushless outrunner and a big-ger prop. I kept the same ESC and the amp draw was still acceptable. There was a resulting increase in total weight of the plane, even though I did not change the battery size. Total all up flying weight went from 18 oz to 22 oz.

Old setup New setup

All up flying weight 18 oz 22 oz

Power system Eflite Park 400 out-runner

Cermark 2820-1210 outrunner

Measured output 135 watts @ 15 amp 240 watts @ 22 amp

Battery 3s 1300 mAh 25C Lipo

3s 1300 mAh 25C Lipo

Prop 10x5 apc 11x5.5 apc

Watts per lb. of air- 120 watt/lb 170 watt/lb

The Cermark motor has a reported equivalent thrust of 32 oz giving me almost a 1.5:1 thrust ratio. Well, that is all well and good, but how did it fly now?? In a word YEE-HAWW! Unlimited vertical (well unlimited until these old eyes have trouble seeing that little bitty plane), and a completely different machine…no more minivan…now a Porsche ! !

From the http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/bombers4.html website “At about 10 p.m. local time on May 8, 2006, a 7th Bomb Wing B-1B Lancer (Tail Number 86132 - called "Oh! Hard Luck") based at Dyess AFB, Texas, made a wheels-up belly landing on runway 31 at Diego Garcia, skidding 7,500 feet down the runway. The aircraft was landing at the end of an 11 hour ferry mission that started at Andersen AFB, Guam. During the landing, the B-1B caught fire and emergency crews extinguished the flames. The four-person aircrew escaped from the plane through the overhead escape hatch. The aircraft was finally removed from the runway 4 days later. The Air Force Accident Investigation, released 18 September 2006, concluded the pilots forgot to lower the landing gear. The USAF estimated the dam-age to the B-1B at $7.9 million, and the damage to the runway at $14,025. RBRM and those old SEABEES made one tough run-way, that's for sure! For those of you who've never seen a $285,000,000.00 bomber on the deck, here she is! And at the bottom is a picture of what $7.9 million in repairs and a year of work can accomplish! “

“Oh ! Hard luck” earned i t ’ s name Submit ted by Lee Di l lenbeck

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E lect r ic F l ight (Fr ight) : Movin ’ on up by Rod Kuntz

A l so somet imes referred to as “THE CREMATION”

Page 10 Crosswinds

By this point I feel like I may be providing step by step instructions on how not to progress in electric flight from basic planes to serious aerobatic planes (or I could just begin a series of articles on spectacular small plane crashes). However, every once in a while something happens ( in the oilfield we use the “s**t happens” excuse for almost anything) and you have to stand back and just say, “What the heck!!!”.

Having flown my Funtana EP for a while and really enjoying it, I decided to step it up and go a bit bigger. So, late one night in a fit of eBay madness I bought an Ultrafly Yak 54. Lovely ARF, 471/4” wingspan, 39” length plug in wings etc. They said it should weigh in at 37 oz. However, they did not specify what motor/engine combination that would include.

I quickly decided that a bit more HP was better than less, so I also found an Eflite Power 25 and became the proud owner of that as well. Now then, one must have proper servos for a plane of this lineage, so out came a purchase of a set of Hitec HS-65’s and a Phoenix 60 amp ESC.

To power this baby I decided I needed a BIG battery so bought a 4000 mAh 3s 11.1V 20C battery ($$), and connected it all with a Spektrum AR7000 receiver.

I put it all together slowly, but the result was absolutely beautiful (see pic to left).

I installed larger wheels for our grass field and initially had a 12x6 prop on it. Maiden was uneventful and it flew very stable, but like a school bus (slow and not very exciting). I put my meter on the motor after the flight and found that it was only making 300 watts at about 20 amps. (Thought to self….that stinks as the motor is rated at at least 550 watts and the plane weighs almost 3.5 pounds…not a good combination). Next day I called Eflite tech support and found out that, for their motors that are rated above 3s, their stated output is as-suming you use the maximum number of LiPo cells; thus my Power 25 would not make the stated 550 watts without using a 4s LiPo battery. This raises all kinds of technical issues now with the Castle Creation ESC…particularly the fact that you have to either:

A. disable the BEC connection to the ESC and add an external ESC wired into your LiPo battery; or B. disable the BEC connection to the ESC and add a second battery pack connected to the battery port on the re-

ceiver to power the servos. I chose the second option, ordering a 4s 3300 mAh pack from Hobby City (Turnigy), and buying a 5 cell-6 V mini battery pack to power the servos (only added 2 oz of weight).

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What’s left….Boo Hoo. Fibreglass wing tube visible laying on landing gear; the black box beside the tube is what’s left of the Lipo. Part of the canopy was thrown clear and there is a bit of the wing above the motor remains

Got it all set up finally, rebalanced and did a short power up test in my workshop before flying again last Saturday (Oct. 3)….WOW!! At about ¾ power I was reading 600 watts and 42 amps on my meter with a 13x6 prop. Total new flying weight it 3.5 lb. We are happy!!

Checked everything carefully, and everything looked great…all connections were good, locktite in place on all bolts, etc.

Early morning Saturday, October 3, connected every-thing, preflight check then taxi’d out and took off. BEAU-TIFUL, nice climb out literally hands off with no trim needed. Turned out parallel to the runway (heading West), and then at about 50 ft altitude the elevator started flapping loosely with no control. The airplane slowly nosed over and went down, as I pulled off power. It hit pretty hard. I walked back to put my transmitter on the table and Bill Murad shouted “IT’S STARTING TO SMOKE!!!”

We made our way out the crash scene as quickly as possible, but there was absolutely nothing to salvage as the plane was completely engulfed in fire. We suspect the fire was caused by a short somewhere ( but not an initial LiPo failure) which caused the actual wood/fabric to start burning. Once the batteries got hot and the Lipo failed, it really got going.

We made our way out the crash scene as quickly as possible, but there was absolutely nothing to salvage as the plane was completely engulfed in fire. We suspect the fire was caused by a short somewhere ( but not an initial LiPo failure) which caused the actual wood/fabric to start burning. Once the batteries got hot and the Lipo failed, it really got going.

Anyway, Bill helped me pick up the pieces in a little box (amazing how little was left of the electronics), dug the motor out of the ground, etc. and we carried the remains back to the field once the fire was out. Our analysis of the incident was that somehow the connection between the elevator servo and the elevator failed some way. If the hinges had failed the elevator would have been flapping/trailing behind the plane, but that was not the case. Push rod failure?? Servo connection failure? Don’t think even the NTSB could sort this one out from the remains.

E lect r ic F l ight (Fr ight) : Movin ’ on up, con’ t by Rod Kuntz

A lso somet imes referred to as “THE CREMATION”

Plane on fire on the field

Almost out….

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Please see next page for more

B .E .S .T . Event submitted by Alan Buckner

Some fantastic flyers were there such as our own Andy Warwus and former member, Ian Bange (used to work at Randy’s). Since the last time I saw Ian fly, he’s concentrated on ProBro style 3D flying and – WOW – he’s really something else! With pilots coming from all over Texas, Louisiana, and even Missouri, I was able to meet a number of people I have “met” on RC Groups. In fact, most people put both their real names and their RC Groups name on their name tags!

I think the best part was seeing all the different electrics planes. From 1 lb to 52 lbs, Pro-Bro profiles, aerobatic, balsa, foam, giant-scale, auto-gyro, towed gliders, and even a flying shark!! Here are some pictures of the site and some of the more unique planes. I would highly recommend next year’s event to anyone even vaguely interested in electrics.

I thought this was a very unique design...

On October 10-11, the B.E.S.T. event was held in New Waverly, TX which is about 15 miles north of Conroe off I-45. B.E.S.T. stands for Best Electrics in South Texas and is the 2nd largest electric only fly-in in the US. The largest is S.E.F.F. (Southeast Electric Flight Festival) held in Georgia in the Spring. This was a very well run event with raffles, contests, demos, vendors, and LOTS of planes. My father counted over 150 planes of all shapes and sizes before he got tired of counting!

Though it was overcast, Saturday afternoon was very pleasant with low winds making for ideal flying conditions. They, like us, have a crested field so the water from the Friday night thunderstorms did not affect flying. I got in a number of flights and spotted for a number of others.

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B.E.S.T. Event con’t submitted by Alan Buckner

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This cub is much larger than it appears and had a lot of attention to detail.

Ian and Andy flying over the tall grass.

This bomber is 52lbs! Per the owner, it was cheaper to go electric than gas.

This auto-gyro was really fun to watch fly!

Check out this charging station. He flew multiple very large planes and with this setup, flew non-stop all day.

These “ProBro” style profiles are

great for outlandish 3D!

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Can you believe this flew? 11 times no less... - submitted by Mike Rose

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“Designed by World War I aviator Konstantin Kalinin with a wingspan greater than a B-52's and a much greater wing area, the K-7 was one of the biggest aircraft built before the jet age. It was only one engine short of the B-52 as well, having the curious arrangement of six pulling on the wing leading edge and one pushing at the rear.”

Read more about this strange craft and the fate of it’s designer…..

http://www.aviastar.org/air/russia/kalinin_k-7.php

http://www.aviation.ru/k7/k7giant.html

http://www.officiallyrad.com/post/83255654/designed-by-world-war-i-aviator-konstantin-kalinin

An Inside look at our Drone Pilots at Work submitted by Mike Rose

“ This is Fascinating. From the comfort of their "Office" our people can take out the Taliban and Iraqi Insurgents and never break a Sweat!!!! This is Fascinating. From the comfort of their "Office" our people can take out the Taliban and Iraqi Insurgents and never break a Sweat!!!! This is Fascinating. From the comfort of their "Office" our people can take out the Taliban and Iraqi Insurgents and never break a Sweat!!!!”

Read more about it on the website…...

http://www.aviationservicesdirectory.com/permalink.php?id=218

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Another build tip that some may find useful. This deals with strengthening joined elevator halves. Many planes come with elevator halves that are joined with a hardwood joiner and have just a big open space between then to allow for proper rudder movement. Such is the case with a .60 size Ultra Stick I am putting together

Building Tip, Elevators – submitted by Rod Kuntz

However, I am always concerned this is not as strong a connection between the two halves as I would like it to be. So, what I have been doing is using some carbon fiber to strengthen the hardwood joiner. I cut a careful groove into the hardwood joiner at the midpoint on both sides of the elevator.

I typically use thin carbon fiber that is about 1/8” wide. I cut the groove into the hardwood with an Xacto knife and a balsa hobby saw and then gently tap the carbon fiber strip into the slot. I then soak it all in CA.

Repeat on the other side. If you really want to make it super strong you can also use some round toothpicks and drill holes through the hardwood and into the balsa behind it. Fit the toothpicks in the holes and epoxy them in place, sand flush on front if needed.

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Many have asked me about the link on the SPARKS homepage and the process I went through to make movie. I thought I’d share a few things on the market now to allow on-board video.

Today’s technology is allowing things to get smaller and smaller, especially in the tech world. Cameras and video cameras are no exception. Currently I have 3 video cameras that I use for aerial photography, and a couple on the way!

All of these can produce a movie format that can be ed-ited with Microsoft Movie Maker program (free from Micro-soft). It is very easy to add titles, captions, remove parts of the movie, etc.

I’m also waiting for 2 more small cameras I have on or-der from Hong Kong. One is the size of a small keyless entry fob, the other will fit into a package of chewing gum. They were about $20 each. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

On Board Aerial Photography submitted by Rob Jasken

The black camera in the picture is the FlyCamOne2. A specially made camera for planes, cars, etc. It is 3”x1.5”x.5” and weighs 1 ounce. It has a standard SD card for the video. It has the ability to connect to a servo for lens movement and to take stills in the air. It has an internal LIPO battery charged from a PC. It also has vari-ous other modes that are not useful to us flyers. It also has full sound. The movie format is AVI. A simple piece of Velcro secures it to my planes. It has stayed on my 87mph Pulse Xt 25e!

The white thumb drive looking camera is the 5 in 1 eDvr. These are said to not be made anymore but you can still find them on Ebay. It weighs less than 1 ounce and is 3”x1”x.75”. It has an internal battery that is charged when plugged into a USB port. It also has full sound and can take stills. Pros: VERY reliable, easy to use, if it runs out of battery or memory it WILL save your video. Cons: shape makes it hard to mount, 128meg of memory so only 6 minutes of video. It also uses it’s on video format that must be converted using their provided soft-ware. Not a big deal but an extra step. Cost about $50 on Ebay.

Pros: size, adjustable lens, SD card(2 gig), easy to use. Cons: Sometimes a little finicky. It’ll start working, then some-where in the flight it will quit and it will not save the video. I have found that it you copy the video off the SD card and for-mat the card before each use, it is more reliable. Cost about $80 and comes with a cable and mounting platform.

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Usefu l Addi t ion to SPARKS F ie ld submitted by Rob Jasken

The last camera pictured is the new Sony Webbie. I actually have not put this on a plane yet since I just got it. It is the big-gest of the 3. It’s 4”x2”x.75” and weighs 4 ounces. It has the moveable lens and will sit flat on the plane. It has a remov-able lipo battery good for 2 hours. It will take stills, has full sound, and a 3x digital zoom (excellent quality for a digital zoom). It is one of the new HD mode cameras and for it’s size the video is high def!

On Board Aerial Photography submitted by Rob Jasken

Page 17 Crosswinds

It has a removable Sony mini memory card. It also has 3 modes of video, 1080hd, 760hd, and a VGA mode. It comes with software that allows you to trim video off the beginning and end of the movies It does have a process that will allow conversion from it’s MPEG4 format to WMA(windows). When you convert you do lose the HD quality. But MPEG4 will allow HD video to be uploaded to YouTube. Pros: HD, shape, lens. Cons: MPEG4 format, weigh for smaller planes. Costs about $149 and comes with a charger and cables to connect to a TV.

At first we were not sure how sensitive it would be, but it will swivel with even a slight breeze. Like all windsocks I found, they are designed to fully extend at 15 knots (17.3mph). It has an 8” opening and is 40” long. I’m sure it will get plenty of “looks” too ! !

Being a new member to the club I was out flying one day and noticed something missing. An official windsock. While the sock that was in place and moved from the old location worked perfectly fine, I thought that Sparks needed an “Official” orange windsock!

So a couple quick searches on Google and Ebay, about 5-6 days later, and with some help from Bill and Rod on the installation, the new windsock is in place!

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Vintage Bomber takes off by mistake at airshow submitted by Lee Dillenbeck

Hirobo Ready To Fly Sceadu 50 size Helicopter which includes the following. * Thunder Tiger Heli Pro engine * Thunder Tiger Redline Hi-Flow 3D tuned exhaust * Thunder Tiger Carbon Fiber (620mm) rotor blades * Thunder Tiger Carbon Fiber tail rotor blades * Futaba 401 gyro w/Hi Tec HS- 6965 HB high speed servo * All other servos Hi -Tec HS-6975 HB's * Curtis Youngblood ATG V3 Governor * Spectrum AR-9000 9 channel 2.4 Ghz receiver w/ one remote receiver * Conveniently located remote glow starter * Simple fuel dot/ pinch valve fueling * Fuel line filter * 3300 Mah NiMH battery pak. less than 4 months old. Excellent condition and flys outstandingly.

Contact Jim Greer anytime at either 281-370-5615 or 713-412-6482

$675.00 w/ ATG governor obo $ 640.00 w/o governor obo

Wow, talk about quick thinking from an old pilot !!! Read this amazing account and how the pilot saved the day…… http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6826566.ece

Here is an actual video from where else ?? You tube ! !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh2YSzBdWFg&feature=related

Page 18 Crosswinds

“The recently restored Handley Page Victor, a vital part of Britain’s nuclear deterrent in the 1950s and 1960s, was intended only to taxi along a runway in front of spectators, before stopping for photographs, at a Leicestershire air show.”

For Sale

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Page 19 Crosswinds

Troy Built Models

1650 Honore Ave. - Sarasota, FL 34232

941 - 342- 8685

http://www.troybuiltmodels.com/

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