A New Gadget For This Site

"Oh the weather outside was frightful ...." That's a photo by Mary of the Sandia Crest, using her new Canon Powershot SX30 IS.

Check out the new Gadget in the upper right of this blog, guys and gals. Thanks to Steve Riley, we linked to Weather Underground weather reports specific to Balloon Fiesta Park. Scroll down the page after you hit the link and see more, much more about Albuquerque and our region. Thanks, Steve! Our modelers should love this feature.

The Comet Kid

(photo by Mary Moskal)

Electric Replica At Southwest Regionals 2012

This just in!
Bob Angus, Contest Director, has listed Electric Replica (see earlier post) as an event at the Southwest Regionals. It will be flown on Sunday, January 15. Trophies will be presented by SAM 100 for the first three places and prizes will be given to all entrants in the event.

The Comet Kid

Electric Replica

I bought a little Request 020 replica kit during the Concours night at the 2011 SAM Champs in Boulder NV. An idea began to form. Why not get those 020 Free Flight Replica models to fly on brushed or brushless with the only battery limitation a 2S LiPo of any capacity? I thought we could limit the span to 36". My research on those kits (I have five or six just sitting there.) shows they all came in at that span, near it or under. Then, someone could do a plan of a Lanzo Airborne even if a kit or its accompanying plan was not available. The thing that makes this possible is the current availability of micro 2.4 receivers, servos, speed controllers for brushless, and inexpensive 2S LiPos in the 180 mAh capacity.

This photo shows my 020 replica kit of the Comet Sailplane. Let's get these gems out of the box and into the skies!

Richard Dick - a club member in the Albuquerque Soaring Association - had asked me if his little 020 Replica of the Brooklyn Dodger was eligible to fly in Spirit Of SAM. I had to admit that it can't under the present rules. SOS models are based on rubber powered old timers. It seemed unfair that he could not fly that pretty little model in a SAM event.

Vic Newton (co-founder and flying buddy) volunteered to help me with testing and creation of rules in time for the Southwest Regionals at Eloy, AZ in January of 2012. We will finish our E36 Electric Replica models and encourage others to build for the event. Good friend and SAM 117 member, Jack Hiner, vetted our first rules draft and he likes the simplicity of the event.

I'm sticking my neck out here and will personally buy and present trophies to the first three places at the Southwest Regionals in January 2012.

And now the details:

Electric Replica: a new remote-controlled provisional event for old timers

Goals:

Encourage the building and flying of remote-controlled, replica models of fuel-powered, SAM-legal models. There are many kits and plans available for the current Replica .020 Power event. The advent of reliable, reasonably-priced, micro radio control components makes this class workable and affordable. Added to that is the availability of small brushless in-runner and out-runner electric motors coupled with inexpensive LiPo batteries and inherently safe chargers now on the market.

The Model:

1. Not to exceed 36” in wingspan projected.
2. Replica Model of any fuel-powered model kitted or built from plans published by December 31, 1942.
3. Motor - any electric brushed or brushless in-runner or out-runner
4. Battery - a 2 cell lithium polymer battery of any capacity
5. Propeller - fixed, no folding propellers
6. Landing Gear - Two-wheel landing gear may be substituted for a single wheel.
7. Construction - Construction is at the discretion of the builder.
8. Airfoil - Airfoils may be modified, but must retain the characteristic shape of the original, i.e., RAF 32 Type, 6409 type, Single Surface type, Clark Y type etc.

Flight Task:

1. Motor Run - Motor run is 120 seconds. A restart of the motor after 120 seconds results in a zero score for that flight. This time may be changed at the discretion of the Contest Director.
2. The model’s score is the sum of the best two of three flights (10 minute max). In the event of more than one competitor achieving two maximum flights, at the discretion of the Contest Director, the winner may be determined by a fly off.

2012 Southwest Regionals at Eloy, AZ

I'm calling your attention to the 2012 62nd Southwest Regionals at Eloy, Arizona January 14,15, and 16. The longest running model airplane contest in the US! For more information and details, go to Al Lidberg's website or drill down to the 2012 Southwest Regionals page. Mary and I attended for the first time in 2011 and we had a truly wonderful time. Bob and Walt Angus (the R/C CDs) really made us feel welcome as newbies from New Mexico. We are making plans to go in January.

(The photo is the LMR fly-off between me and my Brooklyn Dodger and Dave Harding's Stardust Special. We are taking off for an eventful duel. I recall one onlooker said, "You'll probably never see this face-off between two distinctly different aircraft." I won and beat a truly exceptional pilot.)

Photo Credit: Bob Angel

The Comet Kid

SAM 100 Receives its Charter

Our Charter arrived in the mail! You can see that it's signed by the top brass at SAM. My thanks to Grant Carson, Chapter Coordinator, for expediting my application. I got to meet Ed Hamler and Tommy Gray in person at the Champs this October. Both are great guys. Webmaster Trevor Boundy quickly and efficiently has linked to us from the main SAM Website. So, now our Roadrunner Squadron is official. Stay tuned for a very informal meeting to be announced here soon.
Fly New Mexico!

The Comet Kid

Glen, Jack & Lanzo Airborne

Here we are again at the SAM Champs with SAM 117 members Glen Poole and Jack Hiner. Glen is holding the fuselage of Jack's Lanzo Airborn. Jack writes,"The Airborn on the web site with me and Glen is the one for Electric Texaco.  It is 1000 sq. in. Holman kit and got 2nd place with a 40 minute flight.  1st was a 41 minute flight.  The Airborn I flew in LMR is the 1600 sq. in. Holman kit."

The Comet Kid

(Photo by Mary Moskal)

Vic Recovers at Champs

Our good friend Vic Newton is catching up on his "Zs" Friday morning. Friday was the most weather-friendly day of the Champs this year. I can't blame him!

Allan Laycock and his Lanzo Airborne

My good friend Allan Laycock returns from the flight line with his Airborne. This design is getting really popular. (I wish I had a photo of the Airborne returning from the Old Time Glider event!) Allan comes to the Champs from Australia. I really dig the finish color and markings of his model.
The Comet Kid

(Photo by Mary Moskal)

Glen Poole and his Gollywock

Glen wrote in response to my email query: "My S.O.S. model for the last 3-years has been the Midwest Gollywock placing 2nd in 2011, 4th in 2010, and 3rd in 2009 at the Champs. Mike (McIntyre) flys the Midwest Jabberwock and been real successful as well. I believe Cal Ettel also flew a Jabberwock and had good luck? The Gollywock is the stick fuselage, and the Jabberwock is the cabin, both having the same wing and tails. I built my model from the Bob Holman short kit. Jack Hiner also used to fly a Gollwock a few years back. My model weighs about 5.5 ounces."

Glen is standing on the El Dorado dry lake bed, site of the 2011 SAM Champs. He and good friends Jack Hiner and Mike McIntyre are members of SAM 117 in Illinois. Sometimes known as "The Chicago Electric Mafia", the Chicagoland Buzzards are tough competitors.
The Comet Kid

(Photo by Mary Moskal)

Vic & Rise at the 2011 SAM Champs

Vic and Risë came to the 2011 SAM Champs in Boulder, NV. I loaned Vic a prop which (naturally) got him into the 7-person Fly Off for Electric LMR. I (sob!) did not. But that's model building and flying. Over the years others helped me do some amazing things with miniature aircraft. It was natural to give Vic a prop to try. I didn't make that Fly Off. And, by the way, his Lanzo Bomber is 20 years old. He had to work hard to make it legal for E-LMR.

The Comet Kid
(photo by Mary Moskal)

Speed 400 Mass Launch - 2011 SAM Champs

This beautiful morning all are set up to mass launch the first flight of the Speed 400 class. Jack Hiner (green shirt, white ball cap on the right) asked me to launch and time for him. I'm in my red wind breaker holding Jack's Lanzo Airborne as high as possible. The pressure is on because CD Steve Roselle has told Jack that we will launch first followed by the others on the flight line - sort of a SAM "Wave." Jack had the high time in this round and went on to place Third in the event. However, he did really well in other electric events by launching early in the day.

The Comet Kid
(Photo by Mary Moskal)

Who and what is the Roadrunner Squadron?

The Roadrunner Squadron will hopefully be chartered by SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) as a new chapter for the State of New Mexico. That process is now under way. We expect to receive a Charter from SAM as Chapter 100. Why 100? Well, no other chapter has the number and New Mexico will celebrate its 100th year of statehood in 2012.

We will start small and hopefully grow in numbers with interest from modelers in the Albuquerque, NM metro area.

For now, we are not accepting comments to our posts.

Steve Moskal
Charter Member and Editor of this Blog