Conference vmszoo::rc

    The indoor contest went well!  I didn't compete, but Ed Kaufman
    did some time with his faithful Bostonian.  There were a few
    interesting craft, and the WWI and WWII "mass launch" are always
    interesting to watch.  The event calls for them to fly in heats
    where the airplane that has the longest endurance gets to fly
    again.  In this contest they give extra points for neatness...
    flying backwards will increase your time (a "pusher" type) as
    will bi-planes and tri-planes.
    
    The Bostonians were few, as were balsa Hand-Launched Gliders,
    but the ones that flew, flew well.
    
    Just for interest, I saw 2 of the new rubber-powered free-flight
    helicopters!  They flew briefly, but they flew.  One was highly
    detailed too.
    
    A few Easy-B airplanes were turning in their usual 5-10 minutes
    indoors... oh, and this place in Glastonbury was huge.  2-4 times
    the flying floorspace that MIT has and not the problems with
    girders on the ceiling that we have at Andover's Phillips Academy.
    One old gent tossed his Easy-B up for a 5 minute flight just as
    the scale mass launch was beginning... one guy called it "target
    practice"... but he got lucky.
    
    Peanut scale competition was stiff.  I timed one flight of a
    13 inch wingspan model... for a 1 minute and 6 second flight.
    That's not bad for a rubber-band under a 40 foot ceiling.
    
    Keep your tail light,
    
    Glenn

    The MIT Tech Model Aircrafters will hold flying sessions
    this winter on the first Saturday of each month from 6:00
    to 10:00pm at the DuPont Gym on Vassar Street and Mass Ave.
    Those dates are Nov 4, Dec 2, Jan 6, Feb 3, Mar 3, Apr 7,
    and May 5.  For more infomation, call Ray Harlan at
    (508)358-4013 or write to him at 15 Happy Hollow Rd,
    Wayland, MA 01778.
    
    Glenn

    I flew three aircraft this weekend with the MIT Tech Model Aircrafters.
    There were many interesting and unusual craft flying and at one point
    I counted 8 in the air at once.  Not bad, considering that we were
    flying inside the DuPont Gym at MIT.  I timed my best flight ever with
    over 3 minutes and 5 seconds and still plenty of room for climbing.
    All are welcome.
    
    Glenn

    I forgot to mention that I was flying an aircraft called an Easy-B.
    It has an 18 inch wingspan and weighs about a gram without the
    rubber band motor.  It's called "Easy-B" but it's not easy!
    
    Glenn
    

    
        The 12th annual indoor flying contest will be held Sunday,
        March 11 from 9:30 to 4:30 at the Phillips Academy in Andover,
        Mass.  The Phillips Academy Cage is located on Route 28, Andover.
        For further information, contact the CD:
    
    			 Don Walworth
                         Salem, NH. (603)898-5338
        Glenn

    The contest went well and came out much as I expected.  Some of
    the best regular fliers from MIT took home the first place prizes.
    
    The best Peanut scale (13 inch wingspan maximum) flew for 80 seconds
    and got 64 out of 100 scale realism points.
    
    The best nine flights of indoor hand-launched balsa-only glider seemed
    to be averaging about 30 seconds (or so) per flight.  That's much better
    than your average rock.
    
    The best Bostonian (7 gram minimum) was flown by Ray Harlan for
    2 minutes and 20 seconds.  He's quite a master and has an AMA number
    just slightly over 100... (while mine is well over 200,000!).
    
    Ray Harlan also turned in the best Easy-B time with a 12 minute
    flight (remember, this is indoors under a 40' ceiling using a rubber
    band).  I timed that one myself because I knew it would win.
    
    The mass launch was done at 1:30 and was quite exciting.  One mid-
    air collision (extremely rare) where one plane carried the wing of
    the other down to a soft landing!
                                                               
    Glenn

>    Ray Harlan also turned in the best Easy-B time with a 12 minute
>    flight (remember, this is indoors under a 40' ceiling using a rubber
>    band).  I timed that one myself because I knew it would win.

WOW!

How many times have we flown less time than Ray off a high start or winch?
In fact I usually set my timer for 11 minutes when flying the Aeromaster!

WOW!

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
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    This year's indoor contest was held at the same site (Andover
    Philips Academy Cage) on Sunday, March 10, 1991.  The turnout
    was good.  When I left at 3:00, they were still flying, mostly
    EZBs and some of the best scores looked like this:
    
    	Hand Launched Glider   		 :29
    	Peanut Scale (13" wingspan)	1:10
    	All Scale			1:16
    	Military Combat			Winner found by elimination
    	Bostonian (16" wingspan)         :52
        No Cal profile			2:23
        EZB/Penny plane			7:18
    
    I believe this was their 13th year... and a successful one run by
    the Massachusetts Barnstormers and Bill's Hobby Barn in Salem, NH.
    
    Glenn

    CORRECTION to -.1
    The indoor fly is sponsored by the Lawrence Airistocrats (sp) and
    Bill's Hobby Barn.  The Airistocrats is a group that is probably 30
    years old or so (WAG)  that used to hang around a now defunked hobby
    shop in Lawrence called Hobby Haven.  
    
    Ken

>                     <<< Note 875.18 by SSGBPM::DAVISON >>>
>                          -< Indoor Airplane Contest >-

I saw you Glenn and was going to say hello when I got side tracked
watching something.  Next thing you know I couldn't find you any where.
I checked the score sheets and didn't see you listed.

Now Ken Colby you must have been hiding real good - I never did see you.

I brought 3 planes and entered an Andreason Bipe in Peanut scale.
Just played with the other two - where else can you fly indoors:-)
I took a local 15 year old with me - I'm sure he wants to have a plane
ready for next year.

Anyway my bipe flew great but hardly record setting.  My longest flight
was just over 19 seconds.  Compared to the top finishers this is not
even close - but picture a cute little peanut scale bipe and count to 
19.  I was on top of the world.  It didn't start out that way however.
We had to add a penny to the nose and a ton of down thrust and warp in
some down elevator and left rudder.  First recorded flight was 6 seconds
and each one after that got better.

I also brought a Florio Flyer (a rubber band launched glider with spring
loaded wings) and played with that - it didn't have much of a glide ratio
but it was fun to zip it up to the ceiling and watch the wings pop out.

Last but not least I brought a foam peanut size Zero and it flew pretty
good but hardly competitive because being foam it was much heaver than
other planes in it's class.  But it looked great (mostly ARF out of the
box) and one guy even asked me to hold it while he took a picture of it.

Sure makes me want to order some bulk rubber and lube and get serious.

Now let's see - what was really interesting...

One guy had a white Japanese plane (don't know what it was) that looked
great and flew even greater - it was rather large (maybe 20+ wing span).

Another fellow had a Silver Seversky that looked great and had varying
flights from great to poor.

One guy had a little (maybe pistacio scale) J3 Cub that flew great - 
absolutely rock steady.

Jack Buckley (of Scale Masters fame) was there with several hand launch 
gliders and a young fellow in tow.

Jim Tyrie (of RC Glider contest fame) was there with a little of everything.
He had one HLG that was approximately 2 inches long with a 2 inch wing span.
It actually flew pretty good.  But on it's last flight it broke in half.

Several guys were there from the 495th club.

Like two years ago - it was very cold and they had the heat off so that
the heaters wouldn't disturb the air.

Fun stuff.  There is a lot of find craftsmanship in these indoor planes
and a lot of trimming expertise.

Hey - does anybody know how they make the little prop holders on the EZB
stuff?  They look like a bent wire with a micro hole in the end to insert
your prop wire thru.

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
################################################################################

    >>> it was fun to zip it up the the ceiling and watch the wings pop
        out!!!!.
    
    Gee Kay, didn't you used to do that with one of your HLG'S?????? 8^)

    Kay,
    	Those bent pieces of wire are called nose bearings.  I'd suggest
    two sources.  The first is by mail through Indoor Model Supply.  I
    can get you the address tomorrow if you'd like.  They are one of the
    best sources of materials for indoor flight... rubber, jap tissue,
    mylar, winders, kits, etc.  The second source is Ray Harlan who usually
    shows up at the once-a-month sessions at MIT.  I bought one of his and
    haven't used it yet... interesting approach, his are "n" shaped but one
    leg has a hole and the other leg is "split" so that props can be
    switched easily.  He sonically cleans them too!  I have a few other
    nose bearings, but they have planes attached to them (smile).
    
    Glenn

    When are the once a month sessions at MIT? I would like to go down and
    just watch and ask questions, etc.
    
    	Marty

    REF .20
    Kay, I couldn't make Phillips this year.  My wife and I were invited to
    my best friends birthday party, given by his girlfriend.  Something
    like that you can't miss.  Next year, fer sure.
    
    Ken
    

    Marty,
    	Last year it was the first Sunday night of each month.  I don't
    have their schedule for this year... even so, I think March or April
    is the last meeting for the winter.
    
    	If you'd like some information about it, give me a call.
    
    Glenn

    The schedule for this winter's indoor flight is:
    
      Tomorrow, November 2,
    		January 4
    		February 1,
    		March 7,
    		April 4,
    		May 2
    
    They go from 6-10pm at the Dupont Gym at MIT.  Contact Ray Harlan
    for more information.  His number is in an earlier reply.
    Glenn

    Sorry for the short notice... but if you're interested in the indoor
    model airplanes, there's a contest being held a the Philips Academy
    "Cage" this Sunday, March 15th at noon.  There will be the usual six
    categories of indoor airplane flight... Bostonian, Peanut, WWII Combat,
    HL-Glider, PennyPlane.
    
    For more information, call the contest director J. Fiorello at
    508-687-0024.
    
    I probably won't compete, but I'll be there in the morning for some
    test flights.
    
    Glenn

    Terry Sweeney is planning on bringing his radio controlled hand launch
    glider and his CO2 un-guided plane to this indoor contest Sunday.
    
    The flying weight of his R/C HLG is   3.5  ounces.  The span is about 2 ft.
    Enough battery to fly two hours.
    
    I think the CO2 is about 1.5 oz.  He had it flying in my living room
    the other night. Crashes are gentle and harmless.
    
    Alton,   who will move this reply next week