Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Good Ideas

Great Ideas

Last month was not what I would call a good blogging (journaling) effort. There were too many missing days as evidenced by the blog calander. Felix and Honey are lying next to me on the bed zonked out to the world. I wish I could sleep as soundly as they do.

Yesterday I worked on my RC model airplanes. One was the “Foamy” that has flown twice and crashed in each instance. The second attempt however, actually gave me some “stick-time” until I lost orientation and sent the wrong sequence of commands to the distant speck in the sky.

There are some definite lessons learned in this experience. First is to make sure the aircraft is trimmed. Trimming means making sure the control surfaces are perfectly aligned when placed in thejdefault, neutral position. Next, is to let the model climb and gain some altitude once it leaves the ground. Third is to not let the airplane get beyond an old man’s failing vision. There are many more, however these are three biggies.

I have decided that when I “Skin” my models I'll used yellow and red Mono-coat. The top and right side of the fuselage will be yellow and the bottom/right, red. This will help in maintaining orientation. Once the model becomes too small, it's hard to tell if it is coming or going... or up or down. When the plane is inverted the commands are reversed just as they are when it's coming back towards you. If you are flying an actual airplane this is self-evident from the cockpit but controlling one from the ground is markedly different.

In the article I would also discuss the repair of crashed airframes. (A subject in which I am acquiring a growing expertise.) Since I have a connectional mind I am discovering a host of different materials available to the designer/builder. They offer a fascinating array of choices. For example I think my next prototype will have a wing of card-board and styrofoam and a fuselage of foam and 1/32 inch plywood. Talk about something light.

Today I will be putting the “Retracts” into the wing. By this I mean the retractable landing gear. That’s right… you turn a switch and a servo raises and lowers the wheels. How cool is that? Will the guys at the landing field ever be impressed!. (Not that I really give a rat’s petotti.)

I think I’ll consider a course for New Horizon’s Academy called “Writing a Magazine Article.” That would be an interesting class for letting students get their toes wet before embarking on a more serious work. Everybody has a passion and for every one there is a magazine out there. Most of the articles I read these days are boring and seem to miss the essence of what they are trying to express. How about a class on doing a video for U-Tube? Now that would be an interesting as well.