MODEL AEROPLANE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 102, 2 May 1931, Page 3 (Supplement)

MODEL AEROPLANE NOTES.

GIPSY MOTH MODEL COMPETITION.

(By PROPELLER.)

In order to make it possible for those boys attending school to have reasonable time to complete their it has been decided to postpone the closing date until Monday, May 18. This will give a full week of the school holidays in which to do the finishing touches. Models must be delivered before noon on that date to the manager of Hallenatein Bros., Queen Street, Auckland, where they will be on show in the window, together with other models built by club members. All entries will be numbered, and the judges will not know the name of the competitor. AH models must be the work of the entrant. N The simple rules governing the competition were given in these columns of the "Auckland Star" on Saturday, April IS. The flying of the models will be conducted on Saturday 23rd, weather permitting. The place of competition will be announced later. Remember that the first and second prize of a free flight over the Auckland Harbour in Captain Hewitt's Moth will be given to the two competitors that gain the highest aggregate of marks for workmanship and duration of flight. If boys who wish to join the New Zealand Model Aero and Gliding Club in order to enter for this competition, write to me I will send them enrolment forms. There are a number of models welt advanced, I hear, but the extension of time will give you all a much better chance. The question of duration in ordinary spar models crops up time and time again. A number of our advanced flyers can get over the minute, but many seem to find it hard to pass the 20-second mark. A few simple hints may help you. (1) You cannot be too careful over the construction of your model. Cut out every little bit of weight you can without detracting from the strength. (2) Propeller. —This is most important. It must be sufficiently large to unwind slowly enough to give duration and yet not too large. On the endurance model ,a propeller 12in in diameter, driven by three strands of -Jin strip aeroplane rubber should give yorv 40 to 60 seconds' duration. If you load on the rubber and thus drive your propeller too fast the resulting torque will probably send your machine into a spin. If your pro- , peller is too small you will get a short, fast flight and probably end with a crash. ' . See that your propeller is well balanced and runs true on its spindle. Always use lubricant on your rubber. It gives nearly twice as many winds and stops a lot of breakage.. Don't lubricate the rubber up to the very ends or it will slip off the hooks and possibly break your wing. There is no royal road to propellermakifig, except to keep on trying. Having made a good one, don't stop. You should go to your flight meeting equipped with four or five propellers. Speed contests seem to be interesting the model aeroplane builders lately. At a recent meeting a speed of 15 miles per hour was put up. This will be improved upon later, I have no doubt. For indoor flying, the model about 24in to 27in wing span seems about the right size, and many fine performances I are put up. These models seem a fair mixture of the Peanut monoplane, Steady i Jim and Balsa Endurance, the best points of each having been cleverly picked out and very good results obtained. Now, boys, if you are in trouble over your models, just send me a stamped > addressed envelope for a reply and I will be pleased to help you if I can.