From: Alan Hieger

Date: Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 6:47 AM

Subject: VCB Weekly Nag 4-18-16

Today is Monday, and if you haven't filed your income taxes yet, the day promises to be busy, but not much fun.

To take your mind off the whole unpleasant business, let's talk airplanes.

Official VCB Club Business

Angelfest

Nothing new to report.  Still awaiting the release of the environmental assessment.  Stay tuned.

Bylaws

Oddly enough, the prevailing concensus among those responding to the quest to locate our historical bylaws is that they do not exist now, nor have they ever existed.  This is not factually possible, given that the AMA requires a club to have its bylaws on file in Muncie to establish or renew its charter.  Clearly, HQ has something on file.  To answer the question of what that might be, contact with HQ will be required.  Whether it is Ray Firkins or myself who ultimately takes this action would seem to depend entirely on which one of us is the better procrastinator, since it is impossible in the absence of the bylaws to know for certain in which officer the responsibility resides.  Stay tuned for continued humor and dithering. . .unless, of course, someone else preempts both of us.  Without bylaws in hand we can't know that such an action would be forbidden.

2016 Bob Palmer Memorial Contest

This is it: the contest will take place this weekend, April 23-24.  I know that OTS is being flown on Saturday, and strongly suspect Classic will be as well.  Similarly, I know that Expert and Intermediate are being flown Sunday, and predict Advanced and Beginner should be as well.  As to when/whether profile and 1/2A-1cc-Leprechaun are taking place, consult John Wright.  By virtue of dual memberships, VCB will automatically be decently represented at this affair, and several of us "northerners" are headed down to Whittier Narrows to round out our showing.

It was noted in last week's Nag the the KOTRC had spruced up the circles in anticipation of this event.  Larry Renger reports that the improvements are not merely cosmetic, and that with the exception of the Speed cage (which has its own renovation pending) the asphalt surfaces are better than they've been in years.  Paul Wescott confirms this, and included the following photos:

 

Paul says:

The vehicle access gate was removed (below) to keep people from driving through the gate and over the asphalt circles to get all the way over there to the speed circle.  So now I have seen the tether car guys driving in the other gate way over there by the bathroom and driving across the LAWN to get to their playground.  I do not know yet if they drive on the asphalt if we CL-ers are not there to keep an eye on things.

As Kurt Vonnegut was wont to say, so it goes.  Paul found himself Shanghaid into breaking into judging Intermediate on Sunday, which will mark his first turn at the clipboard.  It could be worse: I originally broke in at VSC in 1999.

Look for a report on the contest in next week's Nag.  Given that I'm judging on Sunday, I might miss my self-imposed Monday a.m. publication deadline, but something will get to you.

May Meet

Still scheduled for Saturday, 5/21.  Still planned as a fun-fly and swap meet, with the possibility of an unofficial competition ("unsanctioned" and as yet undefined) in the offing.  Still nothing else to say.

Summer Picnic

According to notes made at a club meeting last year, the 2016 Summer Picnic was scheduled for Sunday June 12, which would technically make it a late Spring Picnic.  As of this date, I cannot confirm that this date still holds or whether any activities are planned beyond fun flying and the consumption of traditional (or not) picnic food.

Here are various ideas which may or may not pan out, pursuant to membership comments in these "pages."  Foodstuffs might be arranged via the potluck method.  Alternatively, VP Steve Schiff has in the past brought his motor home to various club events and provided hot dog (and burger?) based meals at reasonable prices and donated any profits to the club treasury.  In addition, prospective member Chuck Nelson has indicated interest in doing something as well.

It is possible, but by no means certain, that there might be additional activities.  Possible candidates might include a club meeting or a judging clinic.  Get your ideas into the Nag, and after discussion, Ray Firkins (or somebody. . .bylaws) will decide.  Here's an idea designed to make club Safety Officer Jerry Silver cringe.  In order to help dispose of "surplus" airframes and engines, let's fly an event. . .call it Dive Bombing.  Set up a 55 gallon drum on the downwind circumference of the circle.  Contestants pull a wingover and try to "land" in the can.  Nearest spinner impact wins.  In the case of multiple successful "insertions," the winner will be picked on the basis of style points awarded by the spectators.  Am I serious?  Am I sane?  Only you can decide.  I look forward to your responses.

Becoming a Circle Burner

I have received several queries as to how one goes about becoming a member of the club.  Prospective member Chuck Nelson has asked if he can join the club.  We should make it clear to anyone who asks that we are not an exclusive club in any sense, nor do we have (as do some private, mostly RC clubs) an upper membership limit.  Anybody sending or giving $15 to Treasurer Stan Kitzes becomes a member and is added to the Nag subscription list as soon as I hear from Stan, unless the prospect has already requested the always-granted free subscription first.  The only requirement we have is that the prospect be an AMA member.  At least I think so. . no bylaws.

Human Resources Inventory

After I insinuated that we might not have sufficient trained manpower to successfully mount a sanctioned contest, people have begun publicly admitting to having skills.  The moral: never waste a crisis.  After all, that's how I got this job.

Our certified and currently available CDs include Terry Thorkildsen and Scott Dinger.  Additionally, Bill Barber and John Wright are certified, but Bill is out of action for an indefinite period of time, and John devotes enormous effort toward putting together contests for the Knights (like this week's Palmer Memorial), so asking him to come up to the Basin and do the same for us is both unfair and threatens to break him completely.  A guy should get to fly once and awhile.  Paul Wescott and Chuck Nelson have indicated interest in taking on the task, but are somewhat daunted by the certification process.

Let longtime CL and FF Contest Director Terry Thorkildsen explain.

"To apply for a CD license is really simple.  Just go on the AMA web site (www.modelaircraft.org--ed.) or call them and they will tell you how to take a test to get it.  It is an open book test (that is right you can read your AMA rule book while taking the test) and I believe you have to have a  couple of signatures on it from fellow flyers that feel you are trust worthy enough to be one. One of the advantages of being a CD is that if you run a contest they will give you 1/2 off on your AMA membership for that year."

Similarly, qualified judges are beginning to admit to expertise and availability.  In addition to Scott Dinger, Stan Kitzes and myself, newly qualified KOTRC dual member Paul Wescott, other KOTRC dual members such as Larry Renger and John Wright are theoretically available.  Again, it is probably not the best idea to rely too heavily on these guys, who frequently have commitments to their home club.  Fortunately, such VCB members as Chris Forbes, Bob Harness, Terry Thorkildsen, and others have expressed an interest in assuming judging chores.  Accordingly, a judging clinic will be scheduled in the not too distant future, at a date yet to be determined.  Thank you to everyone who has volunteered.

VCB Website

I wasn't sure whether to include this item under official business, in that I'm not sure too what extent this site is "official."  For several years now, Paul Wescott has been curating a website devoted to VCB goings-on.  In it you will find publicity for upcoming events, archives of past issues of The Burner, and scads of professional quality photos taken by Paul.  Just in case I have neglected to explicitly do so in the past, I am allowing/suggesting/asking that Paul create an archive of Nag issues as well.  The website address is http://sites.google.com/site/valleycircleburners

One word of warning: the site currently lists an incorrect date for the May meet.  Use the correct date (5/21) listed above.

Basin Flying Activity

The Wednesday sessions have been picking up of late.  I like to think that it's due, at least in part, to the Nag serving its intended purpose, and that a single flyer publicly stating intent is a motivator for others to join in.

Wednesday April 14 had a good turnout.  Ray came down from Bakersfield with what is fast becoming an iconic Heinz 57, and reportedly burned in some nice flights.  Bob Harness came out from the Antelope Valley with two ships, but having left the dedicated lines for his Palmer-designed Thunderbird at home, had to "make do" with his electric-powered Stratos.  Wouldn't you love to know the tech details on that bird (hint, hint, Bobby)?  Jerry Silver exhibited his usual panache with one of the prettiest Trophy Trainers I've ever seen.  Jim Lueken was out with his OTS Viking, still trying to dial the perfect motor run for the Palmer contest.  Despite superlative weather, there were also some who elected not to fly.  Greg Howie and his nephew Chris put in a rare appearence but stayed Earthbound.  Steve Schiff replicated his recent bad habit of doing the hard stuff (packing the equipment, driving to the field, setting up the shade) and then running out of "wanna" when it came time to fly.

Thanks to both Steve and Jim for helping to piece together this field report.

Sunday's action was severely curtailed by wind, with action grinding to a halt not long past Noon.  The day's highlight was courtesy of Bill Barber.  Catching a ride out to the field with Steve Schiff and using a borrowed Ringmaster, Bill was one of the few pilots brave enough to actually get airborne.  Bearing in mind that this was Bill's first attempt to fly since the nasty head-bashing he suffered last year, he was back-stopped in the center of the circle by Dave Hull, short-tanked the ship, and stuck with basic flight regimes.  All things considered, still a gutsy and inspiring performance.  Other pilots braving the Bernoulli Balls included Stan Kitzes with his Cardinal profile, Dave Hull with his Combat Streak, and Alon Yehzkelof with his familiar Super Shameless  variant.  

Notably, Chris Forbes was doing battle with his profile P-51B.  I don't mean using it in combat, I mean having a nasty domestic spat with it.  Chris had acquired a custom small bore venturi for his OS .40 FP from Jim Lee while in Tucson for VSC to try to tame its runs.  Chris is of the opinion that the combination lacks power, and returning to the larger bore brought back the dreaded runaways.  Does anybody know the magic venturi/prop/fuel combo for this engine?  I need to know.  Lee Strickland gave me one of these engines (with a neat custom machined metal small bore venturi) for my in-progress profile.  Chris also reports that the ship is turning significantly tighter inside than outside.  He is currently trying to address this by means of trim tabs on the movable elevators.  Anybody besides me think this might not be a wise approach?  If so, suggestions would be welcome: at least here, if maybe not at the field.

The Harnesses (Sr. and Jr.) were there early, but departed before my sources asked what and how they flew.  Others at the field exercising wind discretion were Alon (Super Shameless derivative), his friend Israel ( 1/2A electric Baby Ringmaster and PDQ Baby Clown), Perry Ohal (I dunno), and Mike Callas (4-stroke powered Legacy).

Thank you again to Steve Schiff, and to Chris Forbes for the Sunday field reports.

Unofficial Fun Stuff

Playmate of the Week

This week's submission is courtesy of Paul Wescott.

The information on the header represents all I have on this bird.  From this you may accurately surmise that the barrel's bottom has indeed been scraped, and if nothing changes in the next seven days, you will  be looking at photos from my personal archives.  I'm actually okay with that, if you are.

Oh, what the hell.  Here's a bonus bird, also from Paul.

As Sgt. Schultz would say,"I know nothing!  Nothing!"

My guess, however, is that this is a .15 powered Goodyear racer.

Stunt Clinic?

Terry Thorkildsen sent me an e-mail in which he looked forward to attending a "stunt clinic."  Now, I think he really was referring to the judging clinic I'm trying to set up, but in fact, such a thing as a stunt clinic historically exists.  Such events are typically conducted by one or more experts in various areas of our specialty, and can include discussions of building and finishing techniques, flying the maneuvers, trimming the airplanes, power management, and even coaching through the pattern.  I attended one such clinic which materialized seemingly out of nowhere many years ago at the Rodeway Inn in Tucson on one of the rare occasions that the VSC was essentially rained out (I think it was only a three day contest in those days.).

It seems unlikely that we could attract the entire Northern California Stunt Mafia to one of our little fun flys (fun flies?. . .nah!), but we might be able to attract one select expert to cover one topic in a mini clinic, and maybe do several over time.  Any ideas for preferred topics and candidates for presenters?

Burn Dup Fesses Up!

See!  I told you he was for real!  In his own words:

My name is Jason Sogolow, I live in Burbank, and I am in possession of a VCB T-shirt that actually fits me. 

Unfortunately I haven't been down to the basin in a couple of years, despite working a few blocks away. 

I have a couple planes (their names escape me now) unassembled in their boxes, and another dusty box of old engines. 

Flying CL is something I'd definitely like to do, but it just hasn't made it up the list of priorities during my very limited free time. I hope to be able to retire when I'm 90 (just about halfway there) and have time then. ;)

Please keep me on the list, I definitely enjoy seeing the plane pictures, and I try to read the newsletter every week, but you caught me slipping last week's. 

As for the funny-sounding email address, it relates to my first attempt many, many years ago at troubleshooting an automotive electronic fuel injection system, which as you can guess, didn't go so well. Never put it back together without new O-rings!

Thanks,

Jason

So there!

Broken Promise OMT

I know!  I know!  I know!  Look, this week's Nag has already gone on too long, and that's with me leaving some stuff out.  Next week we're covering the Palmer, and I'll be getting home and starting on that late.  I will hereby commit to the "miracle covering repair" featurette in the May 2 Nag.  If it's not in there, that'll be it for the remains of my self-respect.  Deal?

Wanna Go Flying?

You should: the Palmer is this weekend.  Get those last-second trim flights and engine tweaks in.  You know the drill.  If you think you might, post it here and inspire some comradeship.  And here's a novel idea.  When you get home, drop me a quick e-mail detailing what you did and who you flew with.  See your name in print.  After all, don't we all do this for the fame, money, power, and women?

TTFN

I am done.  See you at the Palmer?

From: Alan Hieger

Date: Mon, Apr 11, 2016 at 12:13 AM

Subject: VCB Weekly Stunt Nag 4-11-16

Today is Monday, and like the Great Cosmic Wheel, the usual topics go round and round.  Let's do it again.

Official VCB Club Business

Angelfest

We remain in a holding pattern waiting for the environmental assessment to be published.  Watch this space.

Bylaws

No progress this week.  I intend to continue the investigation into what our historical bylaws are in the near future, but honestly, this remains a low priority item.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but nobody seems particularly interested.

Human Resources Inventory

Based on last week's call for volunteers capable of  filling skill positions at future VCB contest events, our only (publicly identified) certified CD is Terry Thorkildsen, who as a sometime FF kind of guy is also competent with a stopwatch.  Paul Westcott has expressed an interest in becoming a CD, but appears unaware of the process required to do so.  Terry, maybe you could help walk Paul through the application and test.

The only people willing to cop to being stunt judges are Stan Kitzes and myself (who also being a sometime FF kind of guy can also make reciprocating motions with my thumb), which will limit us to a single-circle contest at best.  There was zero response to my offer (which remains open) to conduct a judging clinic, so prospects for improving the situation appear, for the time being, dim.

As for the Carrier, Speed, Racing, Combat, and Scale fraternities, I have heard squat.

Folks, I'm back up on the soapbox again.  We have already deeded the Palmer Memorial over to the KOTRC, turned the May meet into a fun fly, and currently carry only the Hi Johnson Memorial in October (which may be displaced by Angelfest) on our contest calendar.  If we are not going to step it up as a group, we need to accept that we are unwilling to put out the effort to be anything other than a social club and turn the Johnson over to the Knights to prevent it from going out of existence.  If so, it would only be polite to not drop this on them at the last minute.

Discuss.

Please.

Okay, off the soapbox now.

Bob Palmer Memorial

Just a reminder, this year's Palmer Memorial will be run by the KOTRC at the Whittier Narrows flying site in El Monte on April 23-24.  Let's put on the club shirts and make a good showing in Bob's memory.  According to Ron Duly, the circles and pits have received a fresh coat of paint, and must therefore look "mahvelouss."  No word on the actual asphalt conditions.  I'll let you know after the Palmer.

May Fun-Fly/Swap Meet

Definitely on for Saturday, May 21.  Nothing else to say.

Field Activity

Same old, same old.  No weekday activity reported, probably due to inclement weather and imminent tax season.  Same guys flying the same stuff on Sunday.  My spies tell me that flying conditions were beautiful until the winds came up around 1 pm. The southern circle sported Stan Kitzes with his Profile Cardinal, Steve Schiff with his Chipmunk (the tail reattached after last week's automotive incident), Jim Lueken with his OTS Viking (He reports the Magnum .46 GP is finally breaking in.), and Gene (Smith?) flying a second-hand Easy Does It (or EZ Duz It?), an OTS design with a unique vertical fin shape that looks peculiar to the modern eye. On the northern circle, Alon Yehzkelof was giving his venerable Tehila/Super Shameless a workout under the watchful eye of Perry Ohal.  Perry wasn't flying, but had an airplane with him which is something of a mystery.  Scuttlebutt has it that the ship is a one-off from the workshop of prodigal son Steve Sobel, currently orbiting somewhere around the aphelion of Neptune.  The mystery ship, recently repaired after a rampaging bush reached out and snatched it from the air, is purportedly powered by an O.S. LA .46.  Earth to Steve: might you possibly fill in some details? 

Unofficial/Fun Stuff

Playmate of the Week

Thanks to the efforts of Jim Lueken, we have one more week before we are reduced to dredging my photo archives for "entertainment."

I know, it doesn't look like it could do a complete pattern, or even burn much of your 8-minute working time, at least without thermal help.  According to Jim, this pretty ship is a 1939 Scientific Fleetwing, and he's hoping to inspire us to employ tissue trim to beautify our transparent-finished birds.  Unlike last week's Viking, Jim claims (since I have no means of independent verification) to have built this one himself.  The 30-inch span old timer sports an anachronistic plastic prop and wheels which might either have clear plastic hubs or be the fabled silk-spoked Fulton Hungerford wheels: the picture isn't clear enough for these eyes. In outline, the Fleetwing appears to be identical to the Ritz Tractor, right down to the wingspan.  Same v-dihedral elliptical wing, same sheet balsa twin rudders, same motor stick.  The built-up surfaces of the two ships differ significantly, with the Ritz having the sparless structure framed by the substantial sheet balsa leading and trailing edges which was the defining characteristic of the classic Ritz wing, and with the stab lacking the diagonal members seen above.  The other major difference between the Ritz and the Fleetwing was that the Ritz wing mounted on a pair of y-shaped cabane struts, unlike the pylon of the Fleetwing above.  Speaking with Jim on the phone last night, he indicated that the original Fleetwing design called for such cabanes, but that he found them too unsightly.  Alas, the "improvement" renders this particular rendition not legal for OT Rubber Stick competition, but it sure is pretty!  By the way, the Ritz Tractor is still available as a kit from Easy Built Models, if you go in for this kind of thing like I do.  Actually, like I did.  I have to dredge out my plan for the Ritz I built in 1999 and compare it to Jim's bird.  I think an RC electric-powered version (Horrors!) would make for a neat early-morning park flyer.

Next week: a more easily stuntable design, for sure.

Wanna Go Flying?

I have it on good authority that at least three different pilots intend to be at the Basin on Wednesday.  Why not show up yourself and find out who?

Broken Promise Encore

The much-awaited mini article on "miracle" covering repair will have to wait at least one more week.  Why?  Because I'm such slime.  That's why.

Burn Dup, Fess Up

I still have no idea who this man of mystery might be.  There has been no response to last week's plaintive query.  I suspect that many of you think the line item was an April Fool's joke.  I assure that this is not the case.  A subscription goes out to his (Burn sounds like a male name, to me anyway.) e-mail address every week, and is successfully delivered.  Burn, please check in with me and reveal your true identity.  I can promise not to reveal it if you so desire, but I need closure.

TTFN

Until next week: see you at the field?  

From: Alan Hieger

Date: Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 6:18 AM

Subject: VCB Weekly Nag 4-4-16

Today is Monday, and Spring has sprung.  Now, someone tell the weatherman, as the denizens of the Midwest and Northern plains continue to shovel the partly cloudy from their driveways and walks.  Let's get started.

Official VCB Business

The Angelfest Crisis: An Editorial

You guys made me the editor, so it's my prerogative.

It was certainly my intent to activate the membership, but gee whiz, a little perspective is in order.  It's time to take a step back, breathe deeply, and take a chill pill, at least in the short term.

Responses to the Angelfest proposal started at, "Oh Hell no!," and escalated from there.  Particularly vehement were those from members whom we share with the Knights of the Round Circle (henceforth forever known in these "pages" as the KOTRC), who related tales of an analogous experience at the Whittier Narrows field which resulted in severe damage to the circles and surrounding properties, wholesale drug abuse (I am shocked!  Shocked!) and criminality, and even a death.  I do not intend to minimize these concerns, but the fact that the city has provisionally green-lighted the project should be a clue that highlighting these concerns might not be the most promising approach to these issues.

Understand that this is not a done deal.  Last week, Deborah Lamb of the Army Corps of Engineers responded to Ray Firkins regarding our concerns.  The letter read in its entirety: "Thank you for your interest in the proposed project.  The Environmental Assessment should be available for public review within the next few weeks."  In other words, no final decision has been reached, and there will be an opportunity to provide our input.  Additionally, it should be realized that we have numerous allies beyond the modeling community who do not in any way want this festival to take place including, but not limited to: area residents, golfers and golf course management, tree-huggers, bird lovers, some nearby businesses, and park users of various stripes.

Ms. Lamb's response has been forwarded to Laurence Tougas, AMA District X VP, who continues to follow developments with appropriate interest.

At this point it would seem that cautious optimism is warranted.  Never fear: you will be kept well-informed.

Proposed Format Change Results

The voting is done, the results are in.  Democracy is a messy thing.  With 60-odd members eligible to vote, I received a total of ten legitimate votes, for a participation rate of roughly 15%.  This is not a complaint, merely an observation that it would seem that the format of this communication is not a burning issue.  I say ten legitimate votes because there were several instances of multiple voting, probably due to my having provided a "clarification" in mid vote.  I have to conclude that some other force or forces were also in play, since one member voted a total of four times.  Gotcha!

Some interpretation of results is needed.  I gave you an "A or B" choice, and received votes for options A, B, C, and 4.  The pluraliity split evenly between "Leave it as it is," and "Do whatever is easiest best for you," at four votes each.  There was a single affirmative vote for the PDF file attachment option, and a single vote that I use a methodology which had not been proposed, but which was purported to be superior in various ways.  This monkey suggests that this latter individual get together with my tech guru/best friend and, well, spank the monkey (joke).

In light of the results above, I envisage no changes to format in the immediate future.  I remain open to suggestions, but implementation will have to wait until my hopelessly obsolescent desktop is replaced and I have enough free time to learn the required software and procedures.  Honestly, I generally have other things I'd rather do.

Bylaws

I am now officially in Nancy Drew mode, but will take no affirmative action until I get my business taxes done.

May Meet

The sanction has been officially received, and we are go for Saturday May 21.  Activities will include a swap meet, fun fly, and maybe an "uncontest."

Basin Field Activity

Wednesday's flying session had light turnout. Only Steve Schiff, with his Gieske Nobler, and Jim Luekin, with his OTS-legal Viking came out.

Sunday's turnout was predictably higher as the "flying season" has fully arrived.  Over a dozen people passed through during the day, with both northern circles in use well into the afternoon.  For the most part, participants included the usual suspects flying the usual equipment.  Notable exceptions included a pair of PDQ Baby Clowns: a Medallion .049-powered example campaigned by Dave Hull, and an electron-burner version flown by a nonmember who was, I believe, named Israel.  Language issues, and equipment problems with my Magician (bad glow plug, as it turned out) kept me from getting full information.

Bob Palmer Memorial

Just a reminder that the KOTRC club is conducting this year's Palmer Memorial contest on April 23-24 at the Whittier Narrows field in El Monte.  Bob was for many years a VCB member, and it would be really nice if we could regain sufficient tactical capability to reclaim the contest from our sister club and return it to the Basin.  Perhaps this is something we could discuss in the future.

Human Resources

In order for the VCB to successfully put on contests, volunteers will always be needed to perform various functions.  Some, like field setup, can be performed by anyone who can be strongarmed/jawboned/shamed into volunteering, but many require specialized skills.  If we intend to continue forward as a competition sponsor, we need to identify and expand our resources in several areas.

Contest Directors--The job requires nominal AMA certification, as well as the ability to exhibit significant knowledge of rule book content in the events of interest.  I'd appreciate anyone holding a current CD ticket to self-identify by doing a "reply to sender" (I won't out you without permission) to this missive.  If anyone else is willing to pursue qualification, that would be a major asset to the club.

Stunt Judges--The job requires a working knowledge of the various official stunt patterns, an awareness of the elements of flight which go into scoring, plus experience and an "eye" for the task.  I'd like to establish a roster of "go to" candidates which could be made available to prospective CDs, and again request self-identification, beginning with myself.  Here we could expand our resource base by conducting one or more judging clinics, which I am hereby volunteering to conduct.  I'm certainly no Keith Trostle, but I have attended several of his seminars and have over 16 years of stunt judging experience, including 14 Vintage Stunt Championships.  I have never been Nats qualified, however, so there's that.

Attitude Judges--Needed for Carrier events.  Relates to the 50 degree maximum nose-high rule, not flyers field behavior.  To Tony Naccarato and the rest of our carrier cohort:  who have you got, and do you need anything other than those ping-pong paddle sighting devices to have useful workers.

Timers--Needed for Carrier and Speed.  Must be quick on a stopwatch, and preferably should own one.

Cut Counters--Needed for Combat.  Anybody want to fly a contest over pavement?

Scale Judges--Is anybody left in the club who can reasonably evaluate a documentation set?  With Fred Cronenwett and Grant Hiestand no longer in the area, does anybody still care?

In the end, if we identify our resource base ahead of time, we will be able to schedule competitions confidently, without fear of last -minute scrambles, or of doing a crap job.  There is no shame in deciding we want the club to be a non-competition oriented social organization, but if so we should make a conscious decision to do so.  Otherwise we're just kidding ourselves.

Okay.  Climbing down from the soapbox for the second time this week.

Unofficial/Fun Stuff

Playmate of the Week

Thanks to Jim Luekin, everyone gets one more week until we're all reduced to looking at dredgings from my photo album.  Check out this beauty.

Jim relates that this beautiful OTS Viking (which was the one he was flying on Wednesday) was constructed for him from a Brodak kit by Jim Levell "after a month or so of polite discussions. . .make that pleading!"  The silkspan covering was applied and sealed with nitrate dope, followed by spray application of color courtesy of Pep Boys Dupli Color paints.  Final fuel-proofing was provided by multiple sprayed coates of butyrate dope, brand unspecified.  It was either brave of Jim (Levell) to court compatibility issues in this finish or he did significant proof of feasibility tests.  This combination of transparent covering and opaque color trim is extremely attractive when well done, but it has a tendency to highlight every workmanship flaw, so a certain amount of courage is required simply to attempt these schemes.  They seem to turn up most frequently on OTS designs such as this one, but the effect on classic era I-beam designs needs to be seen to be believed.  Jim is powering his bird with a Magnum .46GP which required more than a little initial tweaking, but which is now providing reliable runs.  Next stop for the Viking: its competition debut at the Palmer Memorial.  Thanks Jim(s) for the preview.

Wanna Go Flying?

I sure do, but the imminence of tax time means I'm out of action again until the weekend.  I suspect you guys can manage to have a good time without me, so get your half-formed intentions into the "reply all" stream and link up.

Broken Promise OMT

I'd like to do a creditable job on the "miracle silkspan repair" how-to but, taxes. . .  I really, really, really promise to make good on this soon.

Do You Know Me?

The original Nag distribution list which I stole from Bill Barber contains the name of a flyer who does not appear on the VCB roster: Burn Dup.  Now I have never met Mr. Dup, nor have I ever encountered references to Burn in any of the usual stunt publications.  I'd like to track him down and provide him with the kind of public exposure he undoubtedly deserves, which would certainly be on a par with that of his purported relative, Deez Nutz.  Note that the Nag is successfully transmitted to his e-mail address each week, so Mr. Dup actually exists in some incarnation, even if his true identity is hidden (perhaps to avoid the attention of various authorities?).  April 1 always seems to do fascinating things to my computer files.

TTFN

Until a less taxing time. 

On Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 12:03 AM

Alan Hieger wrote:

Subject: VCB Weekly Nag 3-28-16

Today is Monday.  Like the fulfillment of the venerable Chinese curse, we “live in interesting times.”

Official Club Business

Basin Access in Jeopardy

Well, that got your attention, didn’t it?

Although I normally dispose of my daily e-mail before dawn, I went on-line close to midday Thursday to conduct some “business” business, and discovered the following letter from Jerry Silver:

 Dear Ms. Lamb,

I am a long-time member and officer of the “Valley Circle Burners” which is a model airplane club specializing in control-line model aviation activities. Our flying site is adjacent to the “San Fernando Valley R/C Flyers”. I just received the following notification today (Wed., March 23, 2016) and it says that our response must be received by Wed. Does this mean today?

My only response to this proposed closing of our site, for the entire month of Oct., is that this is totally unacceptable. We hold a major contest that month and we have been doing so for approx.  25 consecutive years. Changing our event date would be virtually impossible. Anything that the Core can do to prevent this closing will be most appreciated.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter,

Respectfully,

Jerry Silver

Subsequent research by Ray Firkins has uncovered a proposal for a multi-day music festival, to be named Angelfest, which promises to bring 65,000 spectators to the Basin each October for the foreseeable future.  Thanks to Ray, you may view the actual proposal filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  You will find the text of the proposal as an attachment at the tail end of the Nag, because it is just too long for inclusion in the body of the rag/mag.

Because I received this info at a time that most normal people are working, and because an urgent response was required (if not already too late), I dashed off the following letter to Laurence Tougas, the AMA District X Vice President:

Dear Larry,

I am forwarding for your attention an e-mail I received today from the Valley Circle Burners' Club Safety Officer.  As the club's Secretary, I felt this should be brought to the attention of yourself as AMA's representative for the district.  It appears that plans are pending to shut down the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area for the month of October, beginning this year, and in perpetuity.  As this is the only significant flying site utilized both by the Valley Circle Burners and the Valley Flyers r/c club, and additionally used by non-club sport flyers, park flyers, and multirotor enthusiasts, this action has the potential to significantly disrupt aeromodelling  activities of all kinds throughout the northern L.A. County area.

We apparently have only today to raise any objections.  There has been, to my knowledge, no previous notification of this intent, and we (club officers) feel totally blindsided.

Anything AMA can do to assist us in this matter would of course be greatly appreciated.  I will attempt to follow up with you via phone.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

Alan Hieger

Secretary, Valley Circle Burners

AMA# 69272

Phone: 805-210-2011

Fearing that a full day might pass before the letter got read, I immediately followed up with Laurence by phone.  He agreed to write a brief letter to the Corps supporting our interests.  The text of that letter follows.

Dear Ms. Lamb,

I represent model aircraft enthusiasts in the south western United States for the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).  The AMA is a nationwide organization that promotes the safe and responsible operation of model aircraft for leisure, competition, and education.

It was brought to my attention that there may be a desire to close the field for the month of October 2016 and future years.  I'd like to confirm if that is correct.  If it is I'd like to arrange for the field's users to be able to submit feedback on any such plans.

There are over 400 AMA members that regularly operate model aircraft from this field.  It is the preeminent public model aircraft field in Southern California, and its loss would be keenly felt.

Please let me know if the information I've been sent is correct.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Tougas

At his suggestion, I also drafted and sent a letter in the name of the club, which reads like this:

Dear Ms. Lamb,

I am the Secretary of the Valley Circle Burners, an L.A. area-based aeromodeling club which utilizes the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area as its base of operations.  It has come to my attention that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering a plan to close the Basin to modeling activities for the month of October on an annual basis.  My purpose in contacting you is to provide you with information of which you might not currently be aware in hopes of dissuading this action.

The airfield in question, located to the West of Woodley Avenue between Victory and Burbank Boulevards, is home to the Valley Flyers (radio control emphasis) and the Valley Circle Burners (control-line emphasis) clubs.  These clubs are chartered entities of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which operates under the aegis of the National Aeronautic Administration as the official national representative of American aeromodelers.  In addition, the site is routinely utilized by "park flyers" (radio-controlled aircraft of minimal weight and range) and "drone" enthusiasts from both the AMA membership and the general public.

Closure of the Basin for a full month each year would be massively disruptive to the entire aeromodeling community throughout the northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County areas.  Firstly, there is simply no comparable facility within an hour's drive, and one would expect dispersal of such activities to less well-suited and potentially less controlled areas.  This has potential public safety implications.  There has been considerable concern of late regarding the activities of so-called "drone" operators: so much so that a national registry has been put into place.  Sadly, many "dronists" (my term) operate outside of the AMA's sphere of influence, and are not well-schooled in safety issues.  The availability of the Basin brings them into contact with AMA-trained flyers, who then have the opportunity to educate them regarding appropriate procedures and practices.  Loss of the Basin would essentially put these people out into the general public without such education.

In addition, both chartered clubs conduct multiple annual competitions at the Basin, and have done so according to a schedule which has remained essentially unchanged for decades.  These competitions draw flyers from all around the country, and occasionally from foreign nations.  In addition to the potential disruption of travel and/or vacation plans already established, it must be noted that these competitions are scheduled in coordination with other events occurring nationwide, so that the loss of use of the Basin over this period can be expected to have a cascade effect across multiple states.

Speaking for my club as an officer, we would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or another designated representative of the Corps to present our case and explore ways in which the Corps could achieve its objectives without the major disruption which is currently envisioned.  I would be happy to address any concerns which you might have in the interim.  I can be reached at this e-mail address, or by telephone at 805-210-2011.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Respectfully yours,

Alan Hieger

Secretary, Valley Circle Burners

At this point, all club officers are up to speed on the situation.  Ray will be taking point on this issue going forward.  It is by no means certain that this is a done deal.  There are issues concerning how such a festival might impact the Basin’s dual functions as a flood control facility and a wildlife refuge.  Updates will be provided as information becomes available.  For the moment, you all now know as much about this as me.

Bylaws

To date there has been no response to my quest for a copy of our existing bylaws.  Though I still encourage anyone who might possess one to conduct some home archeology, my search is now officially in Nancy Drew mode.

May Meet

Per Terry Thorkildsen, the sanction (Class C) for our May Fun Fly/Uncontest/Swap Meet is now officially on file, and we are go for liftoff on Saturday, May 21.  As details become available, you’ll see them here.

Basin Activity

On Sunday, March 20, a baker’s half-dozen flyers turned out on an overcast morning to scribe on the sky.  Thanks to Steve Schiff for providing details.

Perry Ohal showed up with his LA .46-powered Brodak P-40.  Apparently the combo acquitted itself well and gave Perry some nice flights.  Dave Hull was out with his Cardinal (profile?) powered by an LA .40 and an OS .30-powered Top Flight Combat Streak.  Apparently he was plagued by inconsistent runs from both engines (“one too lean, the next too rich”).  Terry Thorkildsen apparently “enjoyed” similar “fun” from his Fox .15, a motor known throughout California for its suitability as a paperweight and renowned for its hurlability characteristics.  The identity of the airframe thus “powered” was not specified.  Terry?  Steve himself brought out a Primary Force powered by an Evolution.  Apparently Steve considers its cost ($75) to be more significant than its displacement, which he did not note.  He also brought out his Gordon Delaney-designed Pathfinder profile, with a hybrid (classical Greek word meaning “bastard”) motor comprised of Tower .40 externals and OS .40 (-S or FP?  Certainly not LA?) “guts.”  Kestas Dvarvydis and Alon Yehzkelof were also present, but tech data on their birds is not available.  It’s probably not too much of a reach to guess that Alon was campaigning his Tehila, which is his interpretation of Dave Trible’s Super Shameless design, but he can correct me if I‘ve gotten this wrong.

Chris Forbes had indicated intent early in the week to put in an appearance on Thursday, but I have no information as to whether or not this actually took place, and I’m not quite to the stage of writing fictional field reports. . .yet.

Yesterday’s turnout was light early in the day.  I split very early.  Despite having desnotted my ancient Banshee (unflown since 2004) in advance, my formerly “best” motor, a George Aldrich reworked and chromed OS .35S, exhibited almost no compression whatever and absolutely refused to start.  It did, however, manage to kick back exactly once and wreck another of my rapidly diminishing supply of new Rev-Up 10x6s.  I want to publicly apologize to everyone there for my having vented my frustrations in front of everybody.  I will apparently never grow up.  See, I told you I was temperamentally unsuitable for this job.

Should the Nag Format Change?

My tech guru, without whose assistance the Nag would be a garbled mess (really), has advised me emphatically that the format I’ve been using is “all wrong,” and that “Nobody in his right mind does [things] that way.”  Specifically, he objects to my presenting the Nag as a straight e-mail, and insists that sending it as a Word document attached to an e-mail header is the only sane way to go.

I personally see both advantages and disadvantages intrinsic to each method.  The current pure e-mail format is somewhat harder to edit, but it has the advantages (at least to my so-called mind) of immediate accessibility and, being stored in “the Cloud,” not crapping up all your hard drives.  On the other hand, sending it out as a downloadable attachment under an e-mail header makes it at least potentially easier to edit, and gives the subscribers an opportunity to maintain an archive of “magazines” on their own equipment as opposed to storage in e-mail accounts which are potentially liable to deletion.  Additionally, I am given to understand that certain “mailer” programs really scramble the Nag’s format, but not having received a single complaint to date on this point, this may not be an issue with current subscribers.

Like any good monkey, I am probably capable of eventually being trained to do either, though at this point I’m still largely incompetent at both.  Therefore, let the customers’ preference reign supreme.  Let me know before next Sunday how you want it.  I’m only going to ask this once, and the majority who reply this week will get their way, so don’t kvetch (a Yiddish word which for our purposes shall mean “whine and moan”) if you don’t express your preference.

Upcoming Competition Note

In case you’ve been living under a rock, be aware that the Knights of the Round Circle will be conducting the annual Bob Palmer Memorial contest on April 23-24.  Bob, a pioneer in the stunt world and world-class competitor, was a long-time member of the VCB, and I urge everyone who can to turn out in commemoration of his life and achievements.  I will once again be judging, so I’ll know who shows up. . .

Unofficial Fun Stuff

Playmate of the Week

The title of our weekly photo feature has been changed to face the reality that it is impossible (unless otherwise instructed by the tech guru) to physically fold an e-document.  This week’s contributions come to us once again from the camera work of Chris Forbes.

 

Chris describes this nifty profile ship as a P-51D (although cogniscenti will recognize it as a B/C variant) from a Brodak kit.  The fuselage and empennage (tail feathers, if you’ve never taken French) are finished in Sig butyrate over silkspan, with the wings done up in Coverite iron-on with Monokote trim tape.  Grunt up front is provided by an OS .40FP “reworked and fitted with a button head by Tom” (Muggleton?), fed by a 4 oz. uniflow tank and spinning an APC 10.5x4.5.

The P-51, although far more understated in its appearance than his justly renowned Spiderman Nobler, has to be seen close up to be appreciated.  Check out the detail trim on the nose tripler and spinner.  Also, see if you can pick up any color differential between the sheeted and open areas of covering.  Metallics, particularly silver, are hideously unforgiving of craftsmanship lapses.  Never mind the photos, check out this bird in person and see if you find any flaws.  If you can, you will be the new appearance judge at our next contest.

Chris adds, “And this is how I like to fly it!”

 

I’m not going to even try to intuit what Chris means by this.  Ask him yourself if curious.

Alternative Flying Opportunity

Paul Wescott, one of our more southerly located members, who shares his loyalties with the Knights of the Round Circle, informs the Nag that there exists a quasi-reliable flying session at the Whittier Narrows field every Friday morning.  Flying typically starts around 9 a.m. and continues through 11:30 or noon, after which the group typically retires to Mario’s Tacos or some coffee shop to shoot the shizzle.  Norm Furutani (who, incidentally, I understand publishes some kind of Nag analog on Thursdays) appears to be the primary organizer and carpool leader behind this activity.  Paul notes that the entrance fee to Whittier Narrows which we have come to expect on contest days does not apply to weekday flying.  For those with Fridays available, particularly members living in the southern and eastern reaches of our draw area, might find this to be an attractive addition to our existing flying opportunities, and help further cement bonds between the two clubs.

Wanna Go Flying?

For once, I’m not particularly stoked for a midweek session.  The taxes need to be done, and entropy has assaulted my home and yard with a vengeance while I was in Tucson.  On top of that, since I’m currently too chicken[substance] to fly my Oriental, and everything else seems to have crashed and/or burned, at the moment I’m pretty much down to my Magican (No, not Magician, Magican).  Still, I could probably be coaxed/sweet-talked/subverted into making a Basin run.  State some intent in these pages and avoid the rush.

A Promise Broken

At about this point in last week’s Nag, I promised you a “how-to” articlette on repairing tears in silkspan and tissue coverings using Saran (or similar brand) Wrap.  Due to the length of this week’s Nag, I am electing to postpone the discussion until next week.  If for some reason you absolutely need the information before next week, call me.

I have now exhausted the rush of photos that flooded in when I started doing this.  This means that until fresh content arrives, you will be looking at photos from my personal archives which, although not necessarily related to our club, are probably worth a glance.  I don’t care much.  Do you?

TTFN

Until next time. . .