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Bullsheet - January 2001
Vol. 01 No. 01 - January 2001 |
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Club Auction January 9th |
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| Club Auction This month's meeting is the SNHRCC annual auction. So there will be no business meeting, just an opportunity to pick up some of those things you needed, or didn't know that you needed. Here are some important things to keep in mind for those in attendance. The first is the Theorem of Scarfology. "Buy it now even if your not sure why, because it won't be available later." This is why most of us have attics full of "stuff". Come early and bid often. Come early (6 p.m.) to take a look at the merchandise before the bidding starts.  Watch the auctioneer, "Dandy Darrell" (guy in the cowboy hat). He has been known to sell ice cubes to polar aborigines as a convenient method of storing drinking water. His job is to part you from as much of junior's college money for the club coffer and the seller as possible. Caveat Emptor. The event is open to all of our friends in the hobby; so pass the word around. Everyone should take a look in the attic, under the benches, and on the top shelf for that unused item that can be turned into the coin of the realm. |
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President's Message |
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Happy New Year After this last storm, I don't see much flying taking place soon. I measured 10 1/2" of snow on my deck! We have not seen a snow fall like that in a while and I hope this isn't what we have to look forward to the rest of the winter. It's Building Season... what is everyone working on? Bring it to a meeting and share your model building experience with us. Everyone likes to see different models, especially in the different stages of building! I'm calling on all of you to bring in a finished or unfinished model or something hobby related to make the meetings more enjoyable! The business end of the meetings are going to be short and sweet so let's talk AIRPLANES! Don't forget we'll have coffee and donuts thanks to Rick Lazzar. He has taken over the urn this year! Thank you Rick. Kip has been busy collecting dues. Remember, if they are not paid by February, there will be a late charge and if you are not paid up by May, YOUR OUT , NO EXCUSES!!! We have a waiting list and we will fill your slot. Don't forget the Auction. Time to clean out your hangar and bring all your unwanted models and radios, kits, tools, covering, props, engines, wheels, toolboxes - you name it. Don't forget to bring money so you can get a refill! In closing I would like to thank everyone from SNHRCC for the beautiful arrangement of flowers you sent me in the passing of my Dad. It helped me through this difficult time. Thank You All Very Much. -- Harry Peters Jr. |
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Secretary's Report |
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SNHRCC MEETING December 12, 2000 Officers in attendance: Harry Peters, Rich Kelley, Kip Bean and John Hayes. Secretary's and Treasurer's reports were read and accepted. Harry "called the meeting to an order". Harry asked for Safety Officers and Field Marshals. Ken Ux will be Safety Officer Joe O'Leary will be Field Marshall. Harry asked for a volunteer to take on the Club social. Bob Brodeur volunteered. Harry asked Darrell to be the auctioneer Maurice and John Hayes to take money. Harry thanked Ken for great job of maintaining the Litchfield site. Several people helped at the Hudson site. Ray Bretton limed Hudson with 600 lbs of lime. Harry and Rich and Ray cleaned up the Litchfield site. Harry mentioned the canopy at Litchfield site would not be needed at Hudson based on work required to install, and the aesthetics. Harry made a motion to donate the shelter to the Granite State Quiet Flyers. The motion was passed pending Quiet Flyers ability to take and place the shelter. Harry mentioned the need to pay dues in a timely fashion, as of May 1st those not paid will be dropped from the roster, there are 24 people waiting on the list for membership. The next normal meeting of the Southern New Hampshire Radio Control Club will be replaced by our annual auction. This is a great time to purchase what you don't have or sell what you don't need. The normal business meeting was adjourned. Our annual Yankee Gift Swap followed the meeting and there were a couple of hot items up for grabs. One was a electric park flyer and the other was a singing and jumping turkey. A good time was had by all. -- John Hayes |
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Spruce or ??? Bob Johnson |
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Has anyone noticed the high price of Sitka spruce? That is the stuff that we use for spars, longerons, etc. in our models. It is tough, with a long grain and is relatively lightweight. The problem is finding a second mortgage to buy it. In scouting around I found a local supplier that has non-aircraft grade for $9.75 per board foot in 2x8 sizes or $13 per linear foot. Now if you are building peanut planes this is probably not an issue, but for anyone interested in Giant Scale models this becomes a major expense. It was enough of an issue for me to do some research into what is a reasonable substitute. The first stop was the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). These fellows are just modelers without R/C radios, so it was logical that they would have the same problem in a big way, and I was right. The EAA has published several white papers on the subject of spruce replacements. The following chart, from one of those papers, compares several types of wood recommended by the EAA as spruce substitutes in experimental aircraft.
* It should also be noted that many of the balsa suppliers are recommending basswood as a replacement for spruce. Unfortunately I do not have any comparative values for basswood. Of the woods in the above chart, probably the most common, and the least expensive, for us here in the northeast is white pine. From the chart it is noted that the strength of white pine is less than spruce by as much as 15%. This reduction in strength can be compensated for by an increase in the wood size. Before you say "OK it is a replacement, but I'll have to use a 2x4 to get the same performance", let's look at what it really means. The 85% strength requires an increase of 17% in the cross section of a member if we assume a linear relationship. In a recent project I have been using 3/8"square stock. To compensate for the white pine, the cross sectional area should be increased a 1/32" in both dimensions. In woodworking this is probably not worth worrying about. Until a difference of 1/16" is reached in any dimension no adjustment is probably necessary. The other two columns in the chart point out the other important aspect of substitution. The wood must be of a suitable grade. When you go to the lumberyard to pick out some stock it is important to understand these variables. There are basically two metrics used to grade the wood. These are the numbers of annual rings visible on the end of a board, and the Grain Slope. The annual rings are obvious. Just look at the end of a piece of wood and count the rings in an inch of distance. The Grain Slope is a little less obvious, but is defined as the amount the grain deviates from being parallel to the board edge over a given distance. In the chart above, acceptable Grain Slope is defined as 1" in 15 feet (15:1). OK, now that we have a Forestry Degree, lets look at the practical part. I found that if you go to the lumberyard, and ask for "D Select" pine, you will be directed to the right stuff. First select boards of a size that you can easily rip up on your table saw or band saw (1"x 6" x 6' works for me). Then proceed to discard any boards with any form of blemish, stain, pitch, or knot. There should not be very many if this is really a D Select pile. Now inspect boards for the rings per inch and the grain slope. A small ruler may help here. Pick the best of the best. You will probably want to scarf up three or four of the nicest pieces and stand them in the corner of the shop for projects this year. To give you an idea of the possibilities, here is the project I have been working on. The airframe is almost exclusively white pine. I have laminated the rudder components from thin strips of pine, bent all of the longerons into place, and have not had a single piece fracture. Another major advantage of cutting my own parts is, despite the 86 inch long fuse, none of the longerons have been spliced! Another interesting fact is that I do not believe that I am paying much of a weight penalty for the use of pine. As the airframe stands it weighs 10 pounds, including the plywood and steel landing gear . Give white pine a try. -- Bob Johnson |
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Touch and Go |
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While engaging in a general BS session about selling stuff with one of the wiser members of our club, the conversation turned to the attitude of our wives. In particular how to respond to the sometimes-critical suggestions they offer. This gentleman suggested that the next time your wife suggests you, "Should sell some of your stuff ", remind her that is what normally happens when a modeler passes away. So selling "stuff" ahead of this event is out of the question because it will needlessly upset the neighbors. Good logic! -- Bob Johnson |
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Dues Are Payable |
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| A REMINDER- SNHRCC 2001 dues are payable. Everyone should have received a renewal form in the last Bullsheet. Note that late fees apply after the February meeting. More importantly, note that you will be dropped from the membership in May 2001 if dues are not paid. We have a waiting list to fill any open slots that show up in May, so don't procrastinate. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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HO - HO - HO! |
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The 2000 Yankee Gift Swap is behind us and as near as I can tell everyone had a great time. The hit of the party was a stuffed turkey that sang a song when prompted. I still think, judging by the excitement, that some of the Quiet Flyers think it was an ARF. If it is, this is the first electric I've seen that will need a muffler. -- Bob Johnson |
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