Model Aeroplane Notes

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 252, 24 October 1931, Page 3 (Supplement)

Model Aeroplane Notes

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A number of inquiries have been forwarded to me recently for more information regarding the type of plane suitable for a beginner.* A'.great numbei of our boys and girls liave gone so far along the road to success m model aeronautics that they lo° k moK complicated models, and are able to follow these notes quite easily even when they deal with very advanced theories. However, as there is _ a number of - "raw recruits" coming on I feel that quite a good deal of my recent writing must be a little over their heads and so you champions will have to share this column with your loss advanced friends. ' "What type of model shall I build foi a start?" is a question asked me quite a lot Well, some boys are quite capable of 'building a fuselage model and what is more are successful in flying it as a tart machine. This is very rare though and I would certainly advise absolutely starting at the bottom to t 3 out first of all a more easily m Onr°oid Iriend "The Peanut" is quite a 'good one to start on, and care must be taken in its constiuction I think that anyone with a reasonable amount of mechanical ' struct, especially from good plans which are available. Tlien when you have made this and can reckon on gettin e D consistently, why not essay our popular "Steady Jim." "Steady Jim up-to-date is quite a bit changed fro the model as it appeared m the foim of a -kitset in this column over a year ago. It has discarded the silk covering for the now universally used Japanese tissue, it is lighter by far and flies with a 12-inch propeller instead of tne original 10-inch one. Owing to tiie lower wing loading tlio pitch of tiie pro peller must be made smaller. feo a thinner block is used to carve the pro peller out of. Another desirable feature is that again owing to the lighter wing loading the rubber can be lessened in quantity and so a greater number or

turns may be given. This of ■ course puts up the endurance of the flying and makes it a much better _flyer._ It is still heavy enough to fly in quite a stiff breeze and will often win for its owner in competition with more advanced machines. For the novice I can certainly recommend "Steady Jim" as a faithful flyer. If you anticipate some difficulty in carving the propeller, look up my article of three weeks ago, which very clearly describes the procedure and gives drawings which are easily followed. For any boys or girls that wish to construct either of these models kitsets arc available which contain all the necessary materials and plans for construction Send a postal note for 2/0 for the "Peanut" or 3/6 for "Steady Jim," addressed to Propeller, c/o "Auckland Star," and a kitset will be sent you by return mail.

Glub Notes. The Auckland Model Aero Club, which is a section of the Auckland Aero Club, continues to grow. Each week we have four or five new members, and this summer should prove a very successful one for the club. Last Saturday night a very pleasant evening Was spent at the Drill Hall. The B grade competition for those who had not previously flown over 30 seconds indoors, resulted in a win for Miss J. Lusher with 22 seconds, followed by D. Gulley with 15 1-5; seconds and Hulse with 10 seconds. 1 lie open duration competition resulted in the following times: R. Foster, first, 83 seconds: Nightingall, second, 82 seconds; W Johnson, third, 80 2-5 seconds. Ni^htintrail, who is improving quickly, further distinguished himself by putting up the indoor duration, hand-launched, to lm 54 2-ss. H. Watson raised the indoor fuselage R.O.G. record to 58 2-5 seconds. Good luck to the record breakers. . . Christchurch Model Aero Club for "in" ahead and the boys are making preparations for the summer season. The club now has its own stop-watch, which is a great help indeed.