AIRSCOOP
February 2012
Newsletter
Below is a couple hints I've had on file, thought I'd share with everybody.
we requested some pictures from the membership, but not one reply, there isn't a lot interest in sharing photos, so we may just keep the ones we have until this summer or take down our slide area.
About a dozen of you members haven't renewed your 2012 AMA Dues, we hope you just have beeen putting it off and plan to renew, as we would appreciate your membership with BSRCM. Remember, you can save $10 by paying your dues by the March meeting.
Also, the Minutes from the February 1st meeting will be on a separate button below the Newsletter button. Thanks for stopping in.
Propellors, what's the difference?
Wood, APC, Glass Filled Nylon. With so many different types of propellors, how do you know which one to use? Well, I personally love the look of a wooden propellor. Performance is sometimes lacking, but with most of today's engines putting out more power than your model needs, you probably won't notice anything different. I also like wooden props for beginners because they are much more forgiving in any kind of prop strike situation. Whether it be the ground on a take off or landing or possibly your hand during startup. Beginners have less experience and are more likely to accidently reach across a propellor of a running engine. Remember, out of site out of mind and running props are virtually invisible, so be concious that they are there during starting and run up procedures.
Ok, back to talking about propellors. I feel like the APC is hands down the top performer and use them on all my high performance aircraft, but beware of a prop strike with these because the propellor won't break, something on the front of your airplane will! I have little experience with the Glass Filled Nylon and honestly don't know why you wouldn't run a wooden propellor in their place. Again the wooden prop will give before the front of your plane does and offers the same performance as the nylon.
Organization
Have you eve gone to your field to fly and not have the right parts? This could be very annoying at times and could sometimes ruin a good day to fly. It always helps to be organized. Your flight box is a very helpful tool for this. A good way to keep organized is to keep your box organized and clean. Some problems that are caused at the field usually lead to have a cluttered box. Another good habit is always put things back where they were when you are done. If there us no method to your box then one night sit down and decide what things are important for a day at the field. Get everything you need and put it in your box to so it all fits and is neat. Extra parts help as long as there is not too much extra. With a Neat box you can enjoy day at the field and not be frustrated because you forgot something.
Servos with stripped gears
Many of us that have been flying for quite some time have probably run into worn out servos if not you are lucky. Most servos have an arrangement of gears to make them work. when these gears break or wear out they slip and do not work or lose their strength. Decent servos get too expensive to replace all the time. A cheap alternative is to buy servo rebuild kits. These inexpensive kits are composed of a set of gears to replace the worn out one in the servos. It is a lot cheaper to buy these kits instead of buying new servos. You also will not have piles of dead servos. These kits can be found anywhere and sometimes brand specific so you might have to look up the kit for you servo type.
Storing your plane
When storing your nitro RC plane you want to keep it in a place that is dry, up off the ground and away from things that could damage it. It better to fix problems after flying and not when you get them out after winter or storage. If you are going to hang them it is always better to hang them horizontal so leftover gas or oil doesn't leak on the floor. If you clean your engine and drain the fuel before storing you don't have to worry about fluids. Another good idea is to use after run oil in the engine before you let it sit for long periods of time. This also helps when you are done flying for the day and the plane is going to sit until you can fly again. Hobbico makes great after run oil and I use it on all my engines and never have a problem. After I started putting the oil in my engines I have never had a seized engine. I also put it in the engines I laying around that are waiting for home in a plane. All you have to do is take the glow plug out of the engine and put a couple drops in the engine. Then turn the prop about 15 time then repeat it again. It also doesn't hurt to put some in the carburetor. Our local hobby shop carries after run oil or you get it at towerhobbies.com
EBay is a great place to look when buying supplies for model airplanes. You can find many deals when shopping there. I have found many cool bargains and had good luck on eBay. I would be careful buying new things because there are companies making exact parts but they are poorly made. Every time i buy items on eBay I always review the sellers feedback and make sure they are a good person to buy from.