Early in May Matt flew the Shrike's maiden flight after a wild takeoff Matt tamed the beast and concluded with a perfect landing. Then I began to feel woozy and found myself in Cape Coral's Emergency Room. Three days later I began to realize there was a garden hose down my throat. I had pneumonia. Actually I had an infection that attacks the weakest link in your body and brought on the pneumonia.:mad: More info and photos are at http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...784941&page=24

Hurricane Larry

The Shrike is finished. I saw the plane at the Reno Sted airport (photo) so I decided it is a tourist commuter between the lake and Reno. Fly them up to see or swim in the beautiful lake in the summer. Go skiing in the winter. Maybe a few odd trips to Sacramento. As built the plane is all white so I have trimmed the tips in red, added some panel lines and an under the wing advertisement for Reno - Tahoe. I hope to get the strips /trim on tomorrow, then photos. I think this will be a good looking aircraft.

Hurricane Larry:popcorn:

I learned that the Aero Commander Shrike was the smallest Air Force One, Eisenhower had one for short trips (actually the AF had two identical) I considered redoing my plan and turn mine into AF1 but it is very bland just some blue and nothing like todays scheme. Nobody would know. I am still fussing with the fit of the tail feathers, went on to fit the wing and had a similar but not as severe problem. Meanwhile there is all the work of motor install, controller wiring, battery install, complicated by really heavy wire out to the two motors...... no to mention control rods for all the surfaces, servos. Then there is the issue of controlling all the wiring from the wing to the fuselage. Complicated as I have addled navigation, collision and landing lights. No night flying but I like the lights. Fun but it does not look like your accomplishing anything. Additionally I would go bananas if I did not have something to do that keeps my brain working.:popcorn:

Hurricane Larry

I continue to be disturbed by questions posted on RCGroups. I believe there is a large component of the want-to-be electric pilots that have no clue. Not surprising because the capability to fly almost any model aircraft using an electric motor is new. Further there is no standard specification for motors. To complicate the issue many self proclaimed electric experts are dummies in disguise. I am requesting a "real" expert write "Electric for Dummies"

I would love to write the book but I do not have the depth in knowledge required. I use MotoCalc or WebCalc and sometimes for Ducted Fans I use FanCalc I am not sure any of these programs are very accurate but my experience is that MotoCalc will get you in the ballpark. Do not forget to search RCGroups for your setup I have also gotten good leads searching Google. Careful on Google sometimes you get answers for full sized aircraft. There is a good thread for the Midi ducted fan at http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...i+10lbs+thrust

Now let us talk watts. Watts is power 745.7 watts equals one mechanical horse power for purest click Watts volts multiplied by amperes equals watts in a direct current system. All of our battery operated systems use direct current (DC). Again for those who like to pick fly poop out of the pepper our motors run on AC (alternating current) The ESC (Electronic Speed Control) converts the battery supplied DC (Direct Current) to AC (Alternating Current) for the motor. Explaining AC is beyond the scope of this blog they use things like real and imaginary numbers.

We need to know watts because it is power that will fly the plane. My general rule of thumb is 100 watts per pound and it will fly. That assumes there is some sort of lifting surface. Again many "experts" will tell you that you do not need so much power.

So I got a battery and an ESC a motor and a propeller how many watts do I have? The best and quickest answer to that is BUY a WATTMETER. You can measure the current (amperes) and the voltage and multiply to get watts. It is easier to let technology do the job.

Turn the page back - If your very new in this world of electrons think of Voltage as water squirting up in the air from a hose, the height of the water is the voltage. The size of the column of water is current (amperes). Put the two together and you X gallons per hour. Oops I said gallons per hour same with electricity it is watts per hour, not just watts. Like horse power pulling a wagon at X miles per hour. Standing still the horse is not doing any work. 3S and 4S and 2S2P etc. Very confusing; somehow the electric model airplane community began to specify batteries by the number of cells the battery contains. The rest of the world specifies batteries by the voltage they produce. A single lithium (Li-poly) cell generates 3.7 volts of direct current (DC). A car battery (lead acid) generates 2.0 volts of DC. Six lead acid cells generates 12 volts DC, the old carbon zinc battery generates 1.5 VDC (Volts DC). A single cell nickel-cadmium battery generates 1.2 volts. If you want to know more about batteries do a search on Google. Back to the RC world a 3S lithium battery would produce 3.7 X 3 VDC or 11.1 volts. So it would be easy to think that if the circuit takes 10 amperes (volts X Amperes) we would have a 111 watt system. Wrong
You never get all of the battery nothing in this world is 100% efficient and our batteries are no exception.

Our batteries are rated in "C" the capacity of the battery to output it's power. A 10 C battery can output 10 times it's capacity. For example; a 3.000 mah battery rated at 10C can output 30,000 milliamphere hours. A milliamphere is 1/1000 of an amp. No free lunch here you still only get 3,000 mah out of the battery just faster*. In the early days of RC lithium batteries most capacity ratings were smoke and mirrors. Batteries now available are much better but do some research before you buy.

*I got lazy and did not finish the explanation. The duration the battery will output a give current can be calculated T (time) equals the battery capacity divided by the current. Just be sure to keep all the units the same.

Hurricane Larry

Readers please feel free to add your favorite reference.

Hurricane Larry

I have been building model airplanes since the 50's balsa and dope. A galloping ghost control system was a dream, I had just an escapement controlling elevator and rudder. Many years went by with wonderful wife, family and career. With retirement the urge to create continued. My youngest son gave me an antique kit for School Girl. I built the plane and hanged it proudly on the wall a reminder of my younger days. After I built the plane I was told the kit was worth more in the box than completed on my wall.

I have build a lot of planes since the School Girl, most used balsa wood as their prime component. One very unique design out of Australia used a totally unique method and may be the best engineered model I have ever built. It was very labor intensive and I believe that limited it's popularity. I am currently building an all balsa model of the Aero Commander it is a nice design but trying to bend balsa wood is not my best skill.

I have concluded the best kit design would be a fiberglass fuselage, built up tail feathers using the balsa core technique and sheeted foam core wings. More on that next time...

Yet another month rolls by without a Blog entry. I have not been inactive and have started building the Aero Commander Shrike. I have been posting to the later part of this thread http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=784941

Big rain here today but far better than the snow storms up North. In fact this area is so accustomed to rain it is almost a non-event. In Cape Coral we have about 400 miles of canals so drainage is no problem. In addition the sandy ground eats water.

I like this new smily :popcorn:

It is nearly a month later and I am mostly mended physically but my mind is a basket case.

I decided the large entertainment center was not working out for RC parts, building supplies storage and computer desk. My good friend C B Smith made it for me years ago. It was designed to house my stereo and my TRS-80 computer it served me well until we moved into the condo. It is too big for the room I commandeered as my hanger and manufacturing facility. It was not without some nostalgia issues the day the Salvation Army hauled it away.

Consequently my aircraft construction has come to a halt with most of my tools etc in boxes until we put the facility back together. Meanwhile I fell in love with Keith Spark’s latest design a C-130 http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1112544
Cutting the 20+ foam sections needed for the fuselage left me behind. I noted an earlier design by Keith was available in a kit from EAM http://www.eam.net/EAMRC/skunkworks/C-130/C-130.htm It is an older design using brushed motors my immediate response was to upgrade to brushless motors. However there are some advantages to the brush motors in a multi engine aircraft, mainly one low-cost ESC.

Then I stumbled across Top Notch Kits and their Aero Commander Shrike http://www.topnotchkits.com/index_files/TN_Kit6.htm I had seen Bob Hoover demonstrate the plane, I will not forget when he shut the engines off, did a perfect loop, landed and taxied up to the front of the bleachers and came to a stop (without braking) I planned to squirrel this kit away for building during the super hot days of southwest Florida. It is 76 degrees here today and a great day for flying the larger models as it is windy. The kit arrived very quickly after I ordered it, one look at the contents and the reviewing the plans changed my mind. The C-130 has been put on the shelf for a future build.

Coming back from the flying field Sunday 20th I got into an auto accident. Spent 3 days in the hospital two of which were in ICU. I am still sore and not in a good mood. I was told the other driver is in much worse shape. I am very concerned and my mind is not in RC at this time.:censored:

Wow it is nearly a month since I updated this Blog.!

The B-58 flew but my pilot was having trouble with control. He circled the field several times but decided to land early. A lot of different opinions as what was going on but when I got her home I found the gears on one servo could slip a tooth. I replaced both elevon servos with metal gear versions to be safe. One of our experts recommended I lower the high angle of attack I have set by the nose LG. I did that to make landing easier.wrong:(

On the next flight a week later my pilot could not get the plane to rotate. Back to the revision facility once again. I had to do some repair as our last attempt to take off caused some damage when the plane cartwheeled. Most of it is fixed but I was really worried about the possible lack of thrust, I just received my new power meter that is supposed to handle 150 amps it is a Hobby City wonder but appears to be accurate. I checked power and have 148 watts/pound which should be plenty.

The Bronco failed flight line inspection and checkout of the rudder servo in the starboard pod is on the list of things to do.

Some how I managed to complete two jobs this week, one a left over finish the B-58 modifications. The other a new one to complete the final assembly of my Bronco.

Once again my B-58 is ready to fly, this time with the correct CG and new V2 batteries thanks to Thunder Power. My B-58 had flown before but I decided to check the CG I built a small scale chuck glider and corrected the CG accordingly. The flight was a disaster and very embarrassing, but that is another story. I hung the plane on the wall as a hanger queen.:censored: Then Keith Sparks built his B-58 he had untold problems finding the CG. I began to feel better. When I found out he too had used a chuck glider I felt even better. Some body told us that you can not find the CG of a delta wing with a scale model unless it is exact, not just a wing and silhouette fuselage. Who am I to argue with him. Today I took 5669 off the wall and readied her for her next flight! And I put her CG back where it should be.

Earlier in the week I put my Bronco back together. I built the Bronco about a year ago. The plane comes apart in two pods and the cockpit module; it is much easier to move and store the plane in pieces. Putting it back together is a juggling act but once completed it looks great. The bad part is once together there is no access to the pods. I have a battery & controller in each pod so changing batteries is a career. As designed throttle wires, elevator servo wires and rudder servo wires were routed back to the center module. To me this seemed like a guaranteed interference problem. At the time Sombra Labs was selling a inexpensive 72 mhz receiver so I purchased three, one for each pod and the cockpit module. The cockpit module rx controls the ailerons and steering. Each pod has it's own rx for rudder, elevator and motor control. So far it works well on the bench Sunday I hope to find out if it works as well in the air.

She flew again this morning (Sapac L-39). Much better after I got the flaps even still a handful but my pilot made it look easy. I need to couple some down elevator with the flaps.:)

My Navy L-39 flew today!!! After a couple of attempts to get her to track down the runway my pilot rotated a little early. The left wing dropped and I was sure it was going to stall but Matt pulled her out and grabbed some altitude. It did not take him long to trim her out and he did a full acrobatic routine. I was very impressed how well he could fly her on a maiden flight. Maybe a dozen circles around the pattern and then a gear pass but the left wheel would not come down. Matt belly landed her in the grass without even a scratch. He reported that the elevator was too sensitive he reduced the throw and added some expo. He tested the flaps at altitude they were set as recommended but he suggested I reduced the throw and correct a slight pull to the right.

Of course my camera did not work, batteries I guess.

US National Anthem by the Academy Choirs (2 min 39 sec)

Mind you I am not standing on an aircraft carrier claiming "Mission Accomplished" but my Sapac L-39 ARF is finished...almost. All systems have been run up, I used a 3S TP for battery for testing. I have a separate Rx battery to provide control in the event of a flame out. I need to install the other gear door and then test the retracts again and again. Since the passing of the glow engine I believe retracts are the most unreliable device we have. ;)

Yes I am still building an ARF my Sapac L-39 since my last entry I have completed and tested the retracs. I spent an untold amount of time trying to install gear doors for the nose wheel. I followed a fine thread by Carl Rich http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...0#post12138990
and he show how he installed gear doors in the Hero Eagle. It looked easy so I sent my money off to Sonictronics. What I did not consider was the installation in the L-39 is blind, in other words you can not access the top/inside as in the Eagle. After several failed attempts I figured out how to do it, but not before I messed up a spring loaded hinge. :( If anyone wants my method send me a pm. It is easy but more than I want to describe here.

As always there were a few problems that came with the ARF. The servos recommend do not fit in the pocket for the ailerons HS-55 will fit and work fine. The belly pan does not fit. Use caution on the flap installation, the design prevents the flap going up, so be sure to set the servo travel limits or you can burn out a servo. In my personal opinion the 1/8" plywood for mounting the nose retract is inadequate, I doubled it. Do not let these little issues deter you the plane is beautiful and hot.

For the past 10 weeks I have been going to pulmonary rehab I ruined my lungs smoking I quit in 1986 I had already done the damage. Rehab helped and I recommend it if you have a problem. It will not fix your lungs but it will help you live with the problem.

I spent some time generating the 2010 flier advertising our club's Warbirds over Paradise next January. This is our fifth year and the event is lots of fun, no size limits but it does have to be a warbird past present or future. :o
We have an exciting jet meet next month Jets Over the Cape. Join us and enjoy the fun.

For now may all your landings be fantastic,
Hurricane Larry

There is not a lot to report; on the L-39 I have installed the horizontal stab servo, fan, motor and exhaust ducting. Getting the servo set up is tricky but all else is a piece of cake. I ran the fan to be sure the rotation was correct, the motor has marked leads red, white and black. The CC HV85 has leads marked red, white and black. So it was easy, so easy I almost did not bother to check. You guessed it the fan/motor ran backwards!

I have assembled the retract input connector, pressure gauge air tank and the servo activated air valve so it can be installed intact. Pressurized it and found a leaky pressure gauge and the splitter that came with the pressure gauge. I fixed the gauge and replaced the splitter and it held pressure for over an hour. Now all that is required is hook up the air lines from the wheels and test them for leaks.

There is always a catch 22 as I need to install the nose wheel pull-pull steering and get the wire lengths correct so I can mount the retract to test the air system.

This kit is an ARF but you would not know it from my build speed. I spend a lot of my time just puttering but at my age it is allowed. :)

Hurricane Larry

Friends & Countrymen,

The recent news of Russian submarines off the east coast prompts me to add this to my Blog. It was originally an email to friends. Although down played by the Navy and our defense department I believe this is a serious issue. Our Navy is being tested and we may not be getting good marks. During the cold war we wired the Atlantic we could detect submarines in the Atlantic, very secret at the time. I do not know if that system still works. I suspect the Russians may be testing it, our costal defenses and recording activities of our subs.

The 2007 news release (below) reporting a Chinese sub popping up next to the Kitty Hawk was a huge embarrassment to the Navy. Two US submarines normally protect an Aircraft Carrier I would be amazed beyond words if they missed detecting the Chinese Sub. More likely they were not there because of budget restrictions.

Then comes the Pirates of Somalia and we can not get but one US ship their days later. We can no longer protect our Oceans and our ships at sea. For years the spotlight has been on our Air Force and recently the Army it is important you support the US Navy before the Oceans say "Made in China"

Copies of the news releases below:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) August 2009 - Two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines have been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in the first mission of its kind so close to shore in nearly a decade, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

Nov 2007 - American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board. The lone Chinese vessel slipped past at least a dozen other American warships which were supposed to protect the carrier from hostile aircraft or submarines.
And the rest of the defensive screen, which usually includes at least two U.S. submarines, was also apparently unable to detect it.

WASHINGTON April 2009 — A high-seas drama unfolded off the coast of Africa on Wednesday, as Somali pirates seized a United States-flagged cargo ship and held 20 American sailors hostage. The crew managed to retake the ship within hours, but not before the pirates had spirited away the ship’s captain and held him for ransom.

I saw a reference to my B-58 drawings on a thread in RCG that was a surprise. So I decided to make all of my B-58 data available on-line. You can find it at http://www.rcmodelmaker.com/Drawings.htm Do not get over excited it may be a help to some but is is not a biggie.

As I write this it is about 23 hours since man landed on the moon http://wechoosethemoon.org/ was rerunning the flight of Apollo 11 in real time. I relived those exciting days. Many of you were not born yet so I want you to know those were the days when we, the USA did it right. It was a few years later when a lady responded to an announcement over the supermarkets public address system about the anniversary of man walking on the moon. The lady remarked, what a waste of money we spent in space! I could not remain silent and told the lady, there are no stores in space! We spent the money right here on earth in the USA; in fact it fed my family for 4 years! In a huff she admitted she never looked at it that way. You talk about a stimulus program President Kennedy figured it out long ago. Over 400,000 people and 20,000 companies worked on the program and I was one of them.

The Apollo program fed my family for several years when we lived in Florida. At The Instrument Corporation of Florida we won the contract to build the Timing System for the Apollo Tracking Ships. I was the program manager for the project. Three tracking ships, Mercury, Redstone and Vanguard, were built to complete the around the world tracking and communications capability. The timing system was a huge array of equipment all redundant that output real time referenced to a cesium beam frequency standard the same type as used by the National Institute of Standards and the U.S. Naval Observatory. Time was output in coded format slow enough for ink pen recorders and fast enough to provide time of year in microseconds.

Below is a picture of the Vanguard and the Timing System I built after it was installed in the Vanguard.

I went up to our field this morning and watched a few of the guys flying. Sunday is often a mob scene but not today. Maybe some of our pilots had too much happiness yesterday? Bill Hofer gave me a CD of photos taken at the Georgia Warbirds meet. I shall post them on the web site in a day or two. I cut and fitted some plywood to use to strengthen the nose gear mounting. In the meantime Maria dressed the pilots. So the pilots are ready to go, I better hurry up and get this plane air worthy.