SEN 2039
Table of Contents – SEN 2039
- fantasy FF 1915
- Yipee
- Scandinavian World Cup Report
#FantasyFreeFlight: A 1915 Aeromodeling Conversation
Here’s a snippet of what modeling was like for the model airplane pioneers 100 years ago, in poem form. Hopefully, this puts you in the mood for #FantasyFreeFlight, starting next week!
“A Conversation Between A Model Boy and a Passing Old Lady”
By Arthur Elton Nealy
Lady- Little Boy, what is that which you have in your hand?
Boy- A model flying machine.
Lady- A wee, baby aeroplane; goodness me! It’s something I never have seen.
How high
In the sky
Little boy, will it fly?
Boy- O, way out of sight when the wind is just right and the rubbers are wound good and strong.
[Visualize An A-frame twin pusher. 1996.87.02, donated by Vic Cunnyngham, Jr.]
Lady- Well, who’d have thought such a contraption could be! Now, how do you push it along?
Boy- In the air.
Lady- But where?
Boy- Those propellers right there.
Lady- What? They make it go!
Then how do you know
That you won’t fall down and be killed?
Boy- Well, Miss,
It’s like this;
As it won’t lift me up, you see, I will never be spilled.
Lady- What! Won’t lift you up! You said it would fly,
O, every so high
Little boy, are you joking or telling a lie?
Boy- Well it can!
But a span
Of a foot and half is not meant for a man.
Lady- Then who does the steering, and where does he sit? My goodness! A flyer must have lots of grit.
Boy- But Miss!
Now This
Is a model. Gee Whiz!
Lady- I see, it’s a toy
Made for some little boy.
Boy- No, no. Not a toy!
But a model! (Oh, Joy!)
Lady- My dear,
You appear
Rather peevish, I fear.
But nowadays the urchins are all of ‘em spoiled.
Ah, things were so different when I was a child!
Little brat!
What is that?
Boy- A winder. (Old cat!)
Lady- Well, now, will you wind it and fly it for me?
Boy- Yes, Yes, if you’ll hold it a minute, I’ll see.
(Hands propellers to lady and starts winding)
These bands are the motors, you see how the wrap
Around tighter and tight – and sometimes go SNAP!
Lady- Oh! Ow!
Boy- That’s how
The motor back-fires. Here, take it again.
Lady– My goodness, no, sonny – t’was bad enough then.
Credit: Nealy, Arthur E. “A Conversation Between a Model Boy and a Passing Old Lady.” Aerial Age Weekly, April 12, 1915, pg. 91.
Taken from :
the AMA Museum in Muncie has many historic model airplanes and interesting articles on the AMA Website www.modelaircraft.org
Yippeee!!
From: Mike Roberts
Roger
I trust you can give Howard the correct coordinates for the Latte deliveries. Thank you for including me in the process as I will help in any way. I know I can be real competitive once I am fully caffeinated in Lost Hills, so look out Artem. Might you be able to get Howard to quickly test the service in Ulaan Baatar, although I am not yet sure of the Ger number where we will be staying?
Celeste is not interested in purchasing in the new development, much to my dismay. She claims allergies but I think that might be just the first excuse that comes to mind. Safe travels and see you soon. We are bringing lots of Starbucks Via but I don’t think we can replicate your order without non-fat Yak milk.
Best Regards
Mike & Celeste
The Scandinavian World Cup Contests
Sweden holds three World Cup contests over June 25 (Swedish), 26 (Danish) and 28 (Norwegian) with the minis on June 27th. It’s the best field in Scandinavia, consisting of rolling terrain used for meat cow grazing (fenced off with a cable carrying low voltage electricity) and grain fields (but no corn). The contests are attended by the Scandinavians as well as many German fliers, Brits and fliers from the Netherlands to Russia. Participants and results are posted on http://www.norbergsfk.se/swedishcup. From the States, it’s easiest to fly to Copenhagen, rent a car and travel through a tunnel and bridge under and over the Oresound strait to Sweden. The site just north of Rinkaby can be reached in about two hours. Carrol and Suzann Allen, Walt Ghio, Alex Andriukov and I (for the first time) made the trek this year.
Late June is just after the summer solstice, and it’s only dark for a few hours. But at 10 PM sharp everything closes down. Because the western part of Sweden is very flat, placed between the North and the Baltic seas, it’s typically cloudy and windy, attested to by hundreds of wind turbines. The first two contests were cloudy and windy (like our late fall). There three contest directors knew the field well and adjusted the maxes and the maxes were set at 2:30 and even 2 minutes so that people landed on the site. Since there are only access roads on the west and east sides of the site, all retrieval is done by foot. The contests were flown in five rounds, each over an hour and fifteen minutes, with a fifteen minute break. In windy weather, retrieval on foot could take over 45 minutes.
I was hoping to fly with other nationals, but fliers seem like to fly with their countrymen, so I paired up with Carrol Allen. (Walt teamed up with the Brits and Alex with Kulakovsky). All flights had to be timed by two timers, so Suzan Allen was our second timer. There is no doubt that having two timers assures accurate and consistent timing. But this requirement also means cross timing across A and B fliers and maybe C and Q fliers. Consequently events were not separated. The upside is good thermal indications; the downside were two collisions of B models with tow-lines, one unhurt, the other demolished.
One of my reasons to participate was to observe the European Q models. The lower energy multiplier (4 Joules/gram) and raising the motor ceiling to 40 seconds, meant that with the exception of Andreas Lindner, Q models were equipped with low power motors/large props with long motor runs. There were a few max outs, even though the weather in the first two contests was rough. Although Andreas did not max out, a fast climbing model is better suited to such conditions in my opinion.
On the mini day there were nine E36 entries of all shapes and forms. The event was flown in the upcoming F1S format (5 rounds with 10 second motor runs). Three maxed out and in a flyoff, to my surprise, all went off as the window was announced – what we call a fun flyoff. There is definitely a lot of interest in F1S and I call it the cradle to grave event – ideal for young entries and retiring exits. A perfect combination would be a grandfather and his grandchildren.
After finishing at around 3 PM, the flyoffs of the last contest were done at about 9 PM. After the majestic A bunts, B was flown as darkness was setting in. Alex broke 4 motors and launched last. He was the only one to make 7 minutes, and timing the last two minutes could only be done by tracking his flasher.
These contests are the equivalent of our Maxmen cycle. Many of the Brits and Scandinavian attend it but Sweden attracts many other central European fliers we never meet. I highly recommend the trip to those who want to fly in an alternative universe. And the Scandinavians are wonderful hosts and they all speak English.
Aram Schlosberg
…………….
Roger Morrell