The Official Newsletter of the Dusters RC Club

Dusters NewsDusters NewsDusters NewsDusters News JUNE 2011 ISSUE

Inside:Inside:Inside:Inside: Meeting NotesMeeting NotesMeeting NotesMeeting Notes Area EventsArea EventsArea EventsArea Events Field ActivitiesField ActivitiesField ActivitiesField Activities

Gentlemen: I always save this space for last when assembling the Newsletter. This month, while writing about the Bigger Bird, it strikes me as fantastic that this will be the eight consecutive year we have done this and how successful it

has been to this point. It is a testament to the clubs will that we find a way to get it done and host one of the better events

in the valley. We should congratulate ourselves for a job well done, and lets hope that this year is even better than

ever . -jay

Don Steigman presenting former club president Joe Topper with a Presidents Plaque and offering thanks for his previous term as club presi-dent

Don Steigman presenting for-mer club president Ken Solo-mon with a Presidents Plaque and offering thanks for his pre-vious term as club president

Don’t Forget Don’t Forget Don’t Forget Don’t Forget Meeting Nite Meeting Nite Meeting Nite Meeting Nite

Is Is Is Is

MondayMondayMondayMonday 6/20/20116/20/20116/20/20116/20/2011

7PM7PM7PM7PM

At the Field At the Field At the Field At the Field

BBQ at 6BBQ at 6BBQ at 6BBQ at 6

Steve Stricker with his lat-est electric sport jet, the Habu. Steve has been fiddling with electric jets for years, (remember his Ni Cad T-33..sounded just like a vacuum cleaner, thus named “the Hoover”) and feels that he has finally come to the point he was looking for. Awe-some performance in a pre-fab package from E flite.

Meeting Notes

The May meeting of the Dusters RC Club was called to order at 6:50 PM on Monday, May 23rd. This was the first meeting of the year held at the club field.

There were 15 members present with no new members and one guest, former president Joe Topper. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Don reported that we have 4 new members and that current paid roster is 101. We would like tom extend a warm Dusters welcome to Norm———, Ed Dorman, Dave Clark and Peter Johnson. Treasurers report listed various expenses asso-ciated with the tail trap improvements and Presi-dents Plaques, still leaving the club with a bal-ance in excess of $10K The club secretary/newsletter editor repeated his well worn plea for pictures and content to be included in the Newsletter. Field Marshall Bale reported on weeding ef-forts and a new mowing schedule. A written copy of the mowing schedule will be placed on the Pin Board for members convenience. Don reported that he took some time and pressure washed the pit mats. Ron Campbell as-sisted in tackling housecleaning chores in the Quonset and all is in order there now.

Don took this opportunity to present Plaques of Appreciation to two former Dusters Presidents, Ken Solomon and Joe Topper. A sincere Dusters thanks to these gentlemen for services rendered in earlier years. Bigger Bird preparations are underway, with as-signments offered to club m3emebrs such as set up, parking and registration staffing. Set up will begin Friday and all members are encouraged to jump in and offer a hand. Tear down will occur Sunday afternoon. Dale Nelson has contributed trailer usage to the club, thus negating our requirement to acquire a small trailer to haul the mower for service. Thanks Dale. Jim Riggle offered up a review of the Doolittle Days event scheduled for July. He has a nice look-ing promotional flyer in hand and even offered T shirts to some of those assisting him in this effort . A copy of said flyer can be found in this Newslet-ter. Various members were given flyers for distri-bution throughout the metro area The subject of name badges for new members was brought up for discussion. It was noted that, while everyone had received on upon joining the club, so very few are ever seem . After discussion, motion was made and passed to eliminate this practice in the future. As per usual practice, the June meeting of the Dusters will be moved up a week to June 20th, in order to complete final preparation for the Bigger Bird event to be held the following weekend . The meeting ended with a member expressing appreciation for the effort Don and Laura have ex-pended to this point on field work and club busi-ness. It is appreciated. The $15 gift certificate was awarded to Dan Williams, the $30 to Chris Elliot.

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A Tale of Three Sportsters Jay Penninger

This adventure began last fall, with the age old Rc’er question, “What am I going to build next? In conversation with flying friends Jeff and Steve, the idea was advanced that perhaps we should build one of those planes that got us excited about this hobby in the first place. The plane that immedi-ately came to mind was the Bridi RCM Sportster. This was the first real low wing plane for each of us and we had each owned several over the years. Perhaps it was time to revisit an old favorite. The Bridi Sportster was designed by Joe Bridi in 1973 and the plan was published in the November 1973 issue of RCM. It was designed around a Veco.19, featuring a 50 inch span, flat bottom wing and conventional landing gear. The kit was sold to great Planes in 1981, and they redesigned it a bit, called it the Super Sportster and sold it in all sizes. An ARF version is still sold today, 38 years later. We ordered the plan from RCM, then created a bill of materials and ordered the wood in November. We cut kits in late December and each took our parts home to create our Sportsters. Insofar as we had always used FSR .25’s in our versions, practical experience told us the OS FP .40 produced the same power and used the same mounting dimensions. We each had these FP’s laying around, so that’s what we went with. Experience had also taught us that these little planes balanced and flew better if the tail was ex-tended another 1 and ½ inches and the ailerons were increased to 1 ¼ inches in chord. Spruce works better than balsa for the aft fuselage stringers, tempered aluminum gear works better than 3/16 music wire and nylon motor mounts work better than the plywood plates of 1973. The plans also provided a template for a slightly semi symmetrical wing, so we decided to use that also. With these changes in mind, we spent the winter building, sharing pictures and comparing notes, finishing them up over a month ago. (My own first Sportster was a Friday Surprise sale purchase from Strictly RC in Multnomah on a spring day in 1977. The sale price was $28 for the kit (I still have the box) and, it seems to me, that a new OS.25FSR was an additional $42! After many, many flights, ending in a high speed pass right into a giant spruce tree, I built four more of them…several lasting a long while, several lasting a single flight.) We finished these little Gems in Early May, and first flew them June 12. They balanced perfectly without additional weight and 2 flew well right off the building bird. The third engaged in some flight stress analysis after taking off with reversed ailerons, but I am told it is already repaired and ready to go. I was surprised at how well this plane flew. The word that keeps coming to mind is LIVELY. It ap-pears to be very aerobatic, yet behaves in a very honest fashion, with no violent stall surprises. I can’t believe how much I look forward to flying this little classic again.

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From RC Hobbies Online

RC Airplane Tips: Getting that Great Looking Finish by John Adams A beautiful, professional quality finish adds that all-important final touch to your model. It’s what gets those extra stares at the field $ and makes you proud of a job well done. Some expert builders would have you believe covering is an art that takes years of experience to de-velop, but the truth is that you can achieve it with some basic know-how and patience. Understanding the materials you’re working with is vitally important, and surprisingly, this is where many modelers make the biggest mistakes. Each brand of covering has unique properties. So if you learn using one type of covering and then try using those techniques with a different brand, it often leads to marginal results. I’ve been using Ultra-Cote exclusively for the last 15 years. UltraCote offers several unique properties that are advantageous over other film coverings, making it easier for me to achieve and maintain a professional finish. Multitemperature, Maximum Control UltraCote is unique in that different things happen at different temperatures. This allows for precise control during covering. Covering with UltraCote becomes many times easier—with vastly improved results—when you under-stand what specific temperatures do to UltraCote, and when to use those temperatures. 220°F: Application The adhesive is activated at just more than 220°. At the recommended application temperature of 220°, the adhesive reaches its full bonding strength. No shrinkage of the film occurs, so no distortion of the film takes place. Use the 220° application temperature when applying covering and when applying Ul-traCote trim pieces over UltraCote. Remember, if you iron is set at 220°, no shrinkage or distortion will occur, so there is no risk of distorting seams, trim lines, or trim pieces and full bonding strength occurs. Watch out for $ don’t press! Heat liquefies the adhesive, not pressure. Let the heat do the work and avoid gouges. It’s natural to want to apply pressure, but it doesn’t affect the bonding strength. If you’re using a sock (highly recommended), it will be necessary to go more slowly over a given area, as it takes longer for the heat to penetrate the material. Some modelers turn up the heat to 240° when using a sock, but I prefer to stick with the 220° temperature and go at a slightly slower pace. This creates fewer air bubbles. 300°F: Shrink Onset At 300°, UltraCote will begin to shrink. Use this temperature after the covering is applied to tighten it, remove wrinkles, and remove imperfections. It’s amazing how many wrinkles can be removed at this temperature, and it’s important to start removing imperfections at this minimum shrink 300° setting. UltraCote features a unique property that allows for a controlled shrink rate based on the selected tem-perature. While it begins to shrink at 300°, at 320° UltraCote shrinks 18% of its total shrink rate. It’s im-portant to use the minimum temperature necessary to achieve a smooth, wrinkle-free finish. Most modelers don’t realize that to further shrink most brands of film covering, it must be heated above its previously exposed peak temperature. In other words, if a covering was already exposed to 320°, it will be necessary to go above 320° to further shrink the covering. Use the lowest temperature possible to achieve a smooth wrinkle-free finish at the starts and you’ll have the largest available shrink rate re-maining should you later need to shrink the film.

(COVERING$..CONT$$) Watch out for $ stay away from seam lines and edges! Remember, 300° is well above the adhesive activation temperature, and seems will pull away. If you have some stubborn wrinkles close to the seam line, try this trick. Soak a washcloth in cold water, then fold it twice and place it on the seam line, covering the seam but exposing the wrinkles. With your iron at 330°, quickly apply it to the wrinkled area for about 5-10 seconds. The washcloth will keep the seam cool, and prevent it from pulling apart and distorting. 350°F: Maximum Shrink At 350°, the maximum shrink is achieved. You won’t use this setting very often, but it’s important to know the total shrink temperature range. That’s because the amount of shrink rate you’ll have left is based on the temperature you use to shrink the covering. For example, if you’re shrinking your film using 320°, you’ll find that 82% of the total remaining shrink is left. That’s good! That means that, if in the future you need to re-shrink the covering, it won’t be a prob-lem. But a word of caution: use the high temperatures only as a last resort to shrink wrinkles and imper-fections. In most cases, if you need to use this much heat, you’d be better off to just replace the cover-ing with a new piece. Watch out for $ stay away from seams and edges. The higher temperature can cause bubbling and blistering. Removing UltraCote You may come to a point when you’ll need to remove or replace a piece of UltraCote. In many cases, the covering will simply pull away, but if you’re having a tough time, use your heat gun. Lift a corner of the covering and then pull away while directing heat in the area to be removed. I just re-covered a two-year-old Reebok CAP 232 using this heat gun technique and it looks as good as new. Bubbles and Blemishes When your airplane sits out on a hot sunny day, you may notice that the covering bubbles and wrinkles. This is common with all brands of film covering, no matter what the manufacturers claim. But getting rid of those wrinkles is easy. You’ll need a heat gun, a covering mitt, a wet washcloth, and a fine straight pin. Heat the affected area and notice how the air underneath the cover expands, making bubbles. As you continue to apply heat, moving in a 6-inch circle, it will release the adhesive bond. At first, several smaller bubbles will appear, but as you continue to work the area, the bubbles will join to form one large bubble. Now pop the bubble with the pin, and immediately wipe the area with a covering mitt to reattach the covering. It may take several attempts, and you’ll get better after you do it a couple of times. It’s important not to stay in one place for very long with the heat gun, especially if you’re working with a balsa-covered foam part as warping and damage could occur. If the affected area is close to the seam, use the wet washcloth trick to prevent the seams from distorting and pulling apart. Preventing Heat Blemishes Heat blemishes occur when the elevated temperature causes the trapped air in the wood to expand. With nowhere to go, the expanded air causes a bubble to form in the covering and stretches the film. When the air cools, the stretched covering remains. You’ll notice this happens especially with dark col-ors like black or dark blue, and that this never happens on the bottom of the wing, but only the top where the sun heats the surface. The solution? While several methods have been tried—like completely painting the wood structure with thinned white glue to prevent the air from reaching the surface—we know of only one method of pre-venting this from happening: don’t leave your airplane in the sun! Seriously, get a cover or a tent or find some shade. Also, choosing light colors will prevent the intense heat buildup. Last summer during our hottest days, I measured the covering temperature on a dark blue airplane that had been sitting in the sun at 163°. If you keep them from getting hot, there is no problem, but, for those times when they do, practice the re-shrinking techniques mentioned, and it will only take a few minutes to bring back that pristine finish. Q

NAVIGATION

I-5 Exit 271

West on 214 to Butteville Rd.

South on Butteville to Le Brun Rd

West on Le Brun Rd. until you Cross the Tracks

Look left, towards Duster Field

The Official Newsletter of the Dusters RC Club

Upcoming Oregon Events

2011 June

OR

6/25/2011 -- Medford, OR (D) DEMONSTRATION. Site: Medford-Jackson Co Airport. Clifford Sands CD PH: 541-941-0503 Email: tonto8282@yahoo.com. Sponsor: ROGUE EAGLES RC CLUB INC 6/25/2011 - 6/26/2011 -- Redmond, OR (AA) OREGON HI DESERT PATTERN CLASSIC. Site: Club Field. Gordon Anderson CD PH: 509/588-5410 Email: gaa@owt.com. Visit: www.nsrca.us. Events 401, 402, 403, 404, 406(JSO). Any AMA legal aircraft permitted in Sportsman class. Sponsor: FIELD OF DREAMS 6/25/2011 - 6/26/2011 -- Salem, OR (A) LSF THERMALITIS. Site: Willamette Turf. Thomas Culmsee CD PH: 503-358-8421 Email: t.culmsee@comcast.net. Events 442, 444, 460(JSO). Sponsor: PORT-LAND AREA SAILPLANE SOC 6/25/2011 -- Turner, OR (C) MELON'S FOLLIES 20TH ANNUAL FUN FLY AND MODEL AIRS. Site: Club Field. W L Pete Melin CD PH: 503-910-2860 Email: pmelin@msn.com. 20th annual fun fly for all types of pilots (expert to beginner). Team type events with buddy boxes allowed. This event is de-signed to promote the sport of RC flying. Sponsor: SALEM R/C PILOTS ASSOC

July OR

7/9/2011 - 7/10/2011 -- Cottage Grove, OR (C) WARBIRDS OVER THE PACIFIC. Site: Moseby Field. Gus Phillips CD PH: 541-643-9430 Email: sales@magnumrc.com. Visit: www.southlanerc.net. Fun fly scale model event. All entries must model a full scale aircraft of military or civilian design. There will be static judging by people's choice and prizes donated by our sponsors. Overnight camping allowed Thursday night, no RV hook ups. Call CD for details. Sponsor: SOUTH LANE RC MODELERS 7/9/2011 - 7/10/2011 -- Selma, OR (C) SELMAC FLOAT FLY. Site: Lake Selmac County Park. Arthur Kelly CD PH: 541-472-9683 Email: bass456@earthlink.net. Visit: www.roguevalleyflyers.com. Camping sites available, call Floyd Grove PH:541-660-6581. Sponsor: ROGUE VALLEY FLYERS 7/9/2011 - 7/10/2011 -- Wamic, OR (C) NORTHWEST SEAPLANE CHAMPIONSHIP. Site: Pinehollow Lakeside Resort. Dale Mcdonald CD PH: 503-761-3109 Email: dalemcdonald@comcast.net. Must R.O.W., effective mufflers required for internal combustion. Sport, scale, and electric trophies. Sponsor: SKY KNIGHTS RC CLUB OF PORTLAND 7/15/2011 - 7/17/2011 -- Eagle Point, OR (C-Restricted) ANNUAL IMAA FLY IN. Site: Agate Skyways. Clifford Sands CD PH: 541-941-0503 Email: tonto8282@yahoo.com. Sponsor: ROGUE EAGLES RC CLUB INC 7/16/2011 -- Woodburn, OR (C) DOOLITTLE DAYS. Site: Dusters Field. Jim Riggle CD PH: 503-655-3243 Email: jim@jimriggle.com. Visit: www.dustersrcclub.com. Join Northwest pilots in celebrating the most decorated American pilot of the last century. Jimmy Doolittle won the Schneider Cup, 1925, the Bendix Trophy, 1931 and the Thompson Trophy in a Gee Bee, 1932. He led our raid of Tokyo with 16 B-25s flying off the Hornet in 1942, for which he received the Medal of Honor. Visit website for more info. Sponsor: DUSTERS RC CLUB

The Official Newsletter of the Dusters RC Club

The Official Newsletter of the Dusters RC Club

Upcoming Washington Events

2011 June WA

6/25/2011 -- Olympia, WA (A) OLYMPIA HAND LAUNCH GLIDER CONTEST. Site: Club Field. Russ Mcmillan CD PH: 360-701-6918 Email: russmcmillan@comcast.net. Visit: www.pugetsoundsilentflyers.org. Event 441(O). First round 9:45AM. Sponsor: PUGET SOUND SI-LENT FLYERS

July WA

7/5/2011 - 7/10/2011 -- Arlington, WA (C) ARLINGTON FLY IN. Site: Club Field. Ronald Swift CD PH: 425-788-6045 Email: ronswift@cablespeed.com. Visit: www.imminent-events.com. Sponsor: BARNYARD BUZZARDS MODEL AIRPLANE CLUB 7/6/2011 - 7/10/2011 -- Arlington, WA (D) ARLINGTON FLY IN. Site: Club Field. Lynn King CD PH: 360-293-1183 Email: lynnk2374@comcast.net. Visit: www.arlingtonflyin.org. Sponsor: SKAGIT COUNTY RC CLUB 7/16/2011 -- Olympia, WA (A) OLY HAND LAUNCH GLIDER CONTEST. Site: Club Field. Russ Mcmillan CD PH: 360-701-6818 Email: russmcmillan@comcast.net. Visit: www.pugetsoundsilentflyers.org. Events 441(O). First round 9:45AM. Sponsor: PUGET SOUND SILENT FLYERS 7/16/2011 -- Redmond, WA (C) SCALE FLY IN. Site: Mary Moor Park. Stephen Guty CD PH: 425-301-2820 Email: ctl-alt-del@msn.com. Visit: www.mar-c.org. Sponsor: MARYMOOR RC CLUB 7/16/2011 - 7/17/2011 -- Richland, WA (C) IRON MAN ELECTRIC MEET. Site: Higgins Field. James Reynolds CD PH: 509-627-6078 Email: rrinds@frontier.com. Visit: www.higginsfield.com. All ectrics welcome. First annual "Iron Man Electric" is a fun opportunity to being your winter pro-jects out for fun in the sun. Columbia Basin is a great place to fly this time of year. See www.my2wings.com/calendar/ironman2011. Sponsor: MINIATURE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION 7/22/2011 - 7/24/2011 -- Monroe, WA (C) MONROE AEROTOW. Site: Club Field. Donald Bailey CD PH: 425-350-9557 Email: dgliderguy@gmail.com. Visit: www.smaa.net76.net. Aerotow event for scale sailplanes of any size. Tugs up to 100cc will be available. Scale motorgliders and SLS welcome. AMA or MAAC membership required. All 72 mhz radios must be on event channels only. Flying starts after 9AM, $10 entry fee. Sponsor: CASCADE MINIATURE AIRCRAFT ASSN 7/23/2011 - 7/24/2011 -- Coupeville, WA (C) WHIDBEY ISLAND RC SOCIETY ALL BIRD FLY IN. Site: Navy Olf. M Mosbrooker CD PH: 360-679-9139 Email: mosbrsr@comcast.net. Visit: www.wircsrc.com. Registration starts at 0800. Electric powered aircraft only until 1400 Saturday. Thereafter open flying under 1300 Sunday. Dry camping 0700 Sat until 1700 Sun. AMA and driver's license required for entry. $10 landing fee. Pilot lunch Sat, no other food sales. Prizes and momentos. 5500' concrete runway. Sponsor: WHIDBEY ISLAND RC SOC

2011 Dusters Officer Roster

President: Don Steigman Secrtry/Newsltr: Jay Penninger 503-678-1243 ldacascade@centurytel.net 503-437-2803 jaypenninger@gmail.com

Vice President: Rob Campbell Safety Officer: Dan Lurvey 503-245-6911 campbr_2@msn.com Field Maintenance: Bill Bale Webmaster: Terry Criswell On the Road

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