Aloft Newsletter B.R.C.A.C. Inc. Vol. 2 Issue 1 REMINDER Next Meeting is on Monday Feb 27 th 2012 at the Kangaroo Flat Y.M.C.A. at 7-30pm. Opposite ALDI Supermarket. Secretary Report post 30th Jan 2012 Meeting Off into another year with our first meeting for 2012 out at the field get some flying in first was the intention but most decided it was too windy. Barry however decided to fly in the wind after the meeting yes it had lights and some wild aerobatics before a safe arrival back to earth. Discussions started with the sad loss of our member David Oxley in a Tiger Moth accident along with the pilot John Fisher who is also known to a number of members and our thoughts are with the families. Business covered the Nov-Dec-Jan events with thanks going to all those who helped in any way. The coming years events are in some rough planning with new ideas being considered and Insurance issues to be addressed re Public Display requirements. The trailer donated by Clarrie for the use of the safety cage volunteers has arrived at the field and will be fitted with the cage later on. NOTE: DO NOT TOW ABOVE 80 KmH - SEVERE FISH-TAILING WILL OCCUR. The 2012 Calendar is finally sorted and should be enclosed thanks to Les for helping me out over the last few months. Alan Uren Secretary 5441 8528 or Secretary@brcac.asn.au DURATION Limited Fuel 4th March 2012 Just some pictures of the Wombat replacement so this is the one you will need to beat this year Photos taken of the Wing build status and the other bits on Wed 22nd Feb pm. There are rumours that I may not make it this year - plenty of time left before Sunday week to get it sorted. Don t mess with Seniors - Alan Alan Uren Secretary 5441 8528 or Secretary@brcac.asn.au 1
BRCAC 2012 EVENT CALENDAR MON 30-Jan-12 MEETING AT FIELD SUN 5-Feb-12 GLIDER COMP Loops And Duration 1pm Start SUN 19-Feb-12 FUN DAY- ELECTRICS Novelty Events, anything with electric goes SUN 26-Feb-12 VOTA Sam600 Old Timer Refer VMAA Calendar MON 27-Feb-12 MEETING SUN 4-Mar-12 DURATION - POWER Limited Fuel Duration ( 2 Rounds) SUN 18-Mar-12 GLIDER - COMP 4 Flights for 20 mins.total 1pm Start MON 26-Mar-12 MEETING SUN 1-Apr-12 OLD TIMERS -POWER Club Texaco SUN 15-Apr-12 GLIDER - COMP RADIAN - electric Glider 1pm Start SAT/SUN 28-29-Apr-12 VFSAA Scale Aerobatics CANCELLED Refer VMAA for re-location MON 30-Apr-12 MEETING SUN 6-May-12 FUN DAY - POWER Fun events, 40+ size aircraft ie spot Landings etc. SAT/SUN 19-20-May-12 VIC STATE CHAMPS PATTERN AEROBATICS SUN 27-May-12 GLIDER - COMP 4 Flights for 20 mins Total 1pm Start MON 28-May-12 MEETING SUN 3-Jun-12 PYLON - COMP CPR- Club Sport Pylon SUN 17-Jun-12 GLIDER - COMP Electric Glider-Climb and Glide (can use Radian Glider) 1pm MON 25-Jun-12 MEETING SUN 1-Jul-12 OLD TIMERS - POWER Club Texaco SAT/SUN 14-15-Jul-12 VMPRA Pylon SUN 22-Jul-12 GLIDER - COMP 2, 4,6, 8, mins Time Slots 1pm Start MON 30-Jul-12 MEETING SUN 12-Aug-12 LARGE SCALE RACING GTR Texan and Redbull Racing SUN 26-Aug-12 PYLON - COMP CPR - Club Sport Pylon. MON 27-Aug-12 MEETING SUN 16-Sep-12 GLIDER - COMP 5 Minute drop out ( elimination event) 1pm Start MON 24-Sep-12 MEETING SUN 30-Sep-12 FUN DAY - COMP Fun Events 40+ size Aircraft SUN 7-Oct-12 BUNNINGS S. S. FUND RAISER SUN 21-Oct-12 PUBLIC DISPLAY DAY Bring all for display - and fly everything you can MON 29-Oct-12 MEETING SUN 4-Nov-12 RCGA - GLIDERS High Performance -Glider Comp SUN 11-Nov-12 GLIDER - COMP Electric Glider-Climb and Glide (can use Radian Glider) 1pm SAT/SUN 24-25-Nov-12 SCALE GLIDER TOW VARMS Scale Glider Weekend MON 26-Nov-12 MEETING SUN 9-Dec-12 BRCAC - CLUB Christmas Breakup and Clubman awards for 2012. Rev 23 Feb 2012 WOT S COMING UP with Dam Dairy VOTA. Sam 600 Old Timer Sun 26th Feb...All day event...marong Club Meeting... Monday 27th Feb...7.45pm at Lockwood Road, Kangaroo Flat Duration Comp...Sunday 4th Mar...Limited Fuel Duration. 2 rounds..11am Marong 150 mls of fuel for past entrants and 200 mls of fuel for first time entrants, 2 rounds to be flown, best score used, use your own glow fuel mix with any 2 stroke glow engine. Glider Comp...Sunday 18th Mar...4 flights for 20 mins total......1pm Marong 2
"RADIAN GLIDER COMP" The new event on the calendar for, April 15th 2012. Radian Glider is a one-class glider event that removes all the variables. Only a standard Radian electric glider may be used. Initially, all launch together and one 20 second motor run will be allowed. The aim is to fly for 5 minutes (total time including motor run) and land on the spot. The actual task may be varied on the day at the Contest Director's discretion, but this is a fun event with an easy-to-fly aircraft and well worth entering. The spirit of this event is to use a standard Radian with standard equipment. However, the original 9.75x7.5 prop supplied with the Radian is quite fragile and some fliers are substituting other props, like the Graupner Cam 9x5. Any prop may be used that is smaller than the original. Tip,-- Because all aircraft are the same, and will be flying at the same time, large coloured areas on the wings top and bottom, will be of great advantage for identification, specially while gliding around with the similar aircraft, there will be no points for flying or landing the wrong aircraft. ( Sorry ). Glider Comp 5-2- 2012 Loops and Duration was the Glider Comp for February, 1pm start time, to get as many loops as poss off one bungee launch, and duration glide time as to set at 10 minutes. Awake at 7.30 am to find a nice day blue sky with a few clouds and no wind to speak of, a great day for our comp I thought, but by 11am grey sky and wind gusts up to 45 kms per hour, so it looks like N.F.T. " no fly today ". At 1pm, I arrived at our flying field to find 2 flyers ready to go, but aircraft was still in the safety of their cars, I wonder why? While we were standing there, a dust storm went through, couldn't see the other side of the field, we all looked at each other and said who's going to lock the gates? I'm off and away we all went. Results 1st Place, Wind. 2nd Place, Gates. 3rd Place, Home. Report came in by courtesy of, Bigga Windagustie. Electrics - Fun Day 19-02-2012 What a P--- P--- turn up, the weather was ideal, warm not hot, very little wind and a fully clouded sky what more could a electric flyer want, ( no you can't have a 240V outlet for chargers, sorry) Larry was first to fly, with his new Radian Electric Glider, and extremely pleased with its performance, yes he has an aircraft that will do a straight loop, it has some thing to do with non twisted wings, as the Radian has moulded wings that's, probably the answer, Larry. 3
Brian and Les then took to the sky, chasing thermals around for quite sometime, before landing and changing to other electric aircraft, and started chasing even more thermals, with half hour flights as the minimum flight times, it was unbelievably good flying conditions. And that was it, Billy and Andy arrived without aircraft, just as the rain started to come down, with only 2 flyers left, as Larry had go home to get ready for work later in the afternoon, we decided to call it a day, at 3pm, very disappointing day, for the Club, it puts on these special days for Electrics Flyers, as most members have at least a foamie in their hangar, and the day it not utilized, say no more. Reported by, Dissa Pointing. Two Funerals One Week. On Monday the 13th Feb. Two of our club members attended the funeral of the late John Fisher, the pilot of the Tiger moth which came to grief at Maryborough a couple of weeks ago. The Bendigo Cathedral was filled for the service, and a nice touch at the end, was a fly over of a Tiger moth followed by 3 vintage aircraft in formation. On Wednesday the 15th Feb we had 13 representing of our club attend the Celebration Service for David Oxley, (our club member) who was the passenger in the same Tiger moth that came to grief at Maryborough. Although this was a Celebration Service of David's life it was just as important to us as the Funeral Service, as it allowed us to say goodbye to a very well like member of our Club whom was doing what he like most, "Flying" I know that David's name will come up many times in conversations on the flying field, for many years to come, who can forget his witty jokes and laughter that made us all feel good, thanks David for the time that you blessed us with. QUIZ TIME??????? Pictured here is the Southern Cross that Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew in from, 1928 until 1935, on a Dollar coin. Southern Cross aircraft was registered 3 different times, first time 31 May 1928, second time on 4 July 1928 and third time on the 5 April 1931. Question, Can you name all 3 different registrations? Answer: First registration as "1985" in the USA. Second registration as "G-AUSU" 4th July 1928 to 3rd July 1929 in Australia. Third registration as "VH-USU" 5th April 1931 in Australia. (Info for answers supplied by Wikipedia/southern cross.) 4
How lucky is Bill Matthews Bill s son cut these parts for him, the parts look just great,another Fieseler Storch coming. Les and Brian using up all the thermals on Electric Day, pic by Bill M. Les and Brian using up all the thermals on Electric Day 60th Anniversary Badges. Any members who didn't attend the 60th Anniversary celebrations,( Christmas Breakup) and have not received a 60th Anniversary Badge, would you like to contact Les Davis on 54438681 to arrange a pickup, its a gift to you from the club. We are waiting for the following members to collect theirs, Aaron Nelson, Bradley Ferrari, Glenn Weeks, Alan Watkins, David Barker, John Brennan, Bruce Thorpe, Adrian Todd, Terry Passalaqua. These badges may become very valuable in years to come, if you would like to purchase a second badge for safe keeping there is only a small number left for sale, and when there gone there gone, there will be no more made end of story. Cost of second badge is only $12.00. At last count there was only 8 left for sale, so please hurry if you need a second badge. Who was the Birthday Boy. Feb 2012. Another mile stone birthday has come along, yep three score and ten, for those who don't know what 3 score and 10 is, well score is equal to twenty, so 3 x20 = 60 and 10 equals 70, so who is 70 years young. Well lets have a look, he loves radio controlled gliding either on the flat paddocks thermal flying or off the hill for slope soaring, and his other passion is building weird type electric aircraft from depron or any other materials that he can find including plastic coke bottles, to build some unbelievable flying aircraft. (or flying junk). I can remember one aircraft (piece of stuff/junk) that he built that flew backwards so I thought I would let you know who it was, by spelling his name backwards, so it was a Happy 70th Birthday to Yor Dleifrettub. Ps:I think there is a photo some ware? Little Bit of Goss From the flightline/grapevine. Sad Loss. What a sad start to the year with the loss of one of our Favourite Friday Flyers, his wit and happy go lucky nature along with that pommy accent is something we'll always remember, and miss. 5
Long trip. Our Rochester member donated a old 4 wheel steel trailer to the club, (Which we thank him for very much) When the President went to pick it up, he thought a quick trip in the mitre 10 work Ute to Rochester and back shouldn't take too long. Well when arriving at Rochester he found the trailer still had some rubbish on it, but that's not too bad, I'll hook up and take it as it is, drop the rubbish off at the tip on the way home. Hitched and onto the Highway, 60, 70, 80 "wahoo" its got speed wobble, back off, steady,steady,steady, back off, under control, Phew! (what's that smell). This aren't going to be a quick trip after all, steady at 60-70 KS at the best all the way home or should I say to the tip to get rid of the rubbish that's on the trailer. Even after the trailer was empty it still couldn't be towed any faster than 60-70 at max. What started out to be a quick trip took almost all day, never mind we now have it at the field, thanks to our very patient President. Booked. The other Friday coming home from the field, I stopped off at the IGA supermarket at Maiden Gully to pick up some goodies for lunch, when I noticed that in the magazines rack had a copy of Airborne, yes our "Airborne Magazine", it was December 2011 edition No 241. (Current at this time of writing). So I asked the check out lady about it and she replied it s something new we are trying, may be one of our members have asked them for it, let s see where does our current Vice President now live, Maiden Gully, I wonder? Update, they now have 2 copies of February 2012 edition, No 242 of Airborne magazine on the shelf. Prang poll. In this current edition of RCM & E (English Mag) they had a poll with their subscribers, the question was, have you had a mid air collision, if so how many aircraft were in the air at that time? Results were,no 50% (Never had a mid air). YES 30%...when 2 aircraft in the air, YES 4%...when 3 aircraft in the air, YES 2%...when 4 aircraft in the air YES 3%...when 5 aircraft in the air YES 11%...when 6 or more were in the air So there you go, the results show the age old suspicion that just 2 aircraft provide the greatest risk of a sudden and impromptu meeting! Where would you be without this valuable information, hey? Lucky Bee. After the last Club Meeting which was held at Marong in our Clubhouse 40, one of our executive members decided to have a night fly, with the lights switch on he was ready to although it was rather windy and quite dark at the time. Lift off, climb and a few aerobatics all was looking very pretty with the lights on, then caught a little too far down wind, fighting against a strong wind gust ( blowing from the south) the aircraft got blown to the right across the front of the Canteen, between the metal poles and the wind sock tower before coming to a roughish landing in the long grass towards the edge of the runway. What's the old saying," If you can't see it you can't hit it ", well it was correct this time, and someone is happy about that, well for the rest of us it was exciting to watch and how it missed everything was unbelievable. 6
New Stuff. Would you believe it, believe what? Model Engines Aust is importing Balsa from Vietnam in some sizes at this time, maybe more sizes later. But not only balsa, there is also Basswood ply along with Balsa/plywood, in sheets of 900 x 300, balsa/plywood is used in the laser cutting, to make bulkheads and formers in the Vietnam ARF's aircraft kits and probably many other aircraft kits was well. Oh shit! The prop has come off, gotta go, " L A N D I N G " Good news on Orange Receivers As from the 15th of Jan 2012 the little "Orange Brand" 2.4 receivers made by Hextronik have been accepted by the MAAA for use in Australia, to operate with Spektrum Radios only. ( No Futaba as yet) However there is a foot note, on the MAAA web site to the range of these Orange Receivers, that the 6 channel version is considered "Reduced Range" even if fitted with satellite receivers. For more info read the MAAA 2.4 GHz Equipment Policy, Requirements section 3.8. 7