Gennesseo FAC Nationals

[Balsa Pilot]

Greetings to all!

Just to let you know, on a whim for July 13, 14, and 15th, I went to the F.A.C. hosted Free Flight Nationals in Gennesseo, New York, U.S.A.. ( The meet went on for longer than I had time to stay).
I had the time of my life there, best holiday EVER!

Arriving Wednesday afternoon, I actually joined the club right there-(didn't bring any airplanes with me 'cause the website said "you can't fly if you're not a member"),now THAT won't happen again, but the models that were there of all shape and description were amazing! wingspans of 5 feet to peanut scale, and everyone had a truck or mini van to carry their models in. The learning started as soon as I walked in. There were vendors-(take CASH, most don't accept VISA or DEBIT) with extensive stockpiles of kits, accessories, tools, and whatever you needed. Spent the next four hours pretty much staring and talking. After spending the night in the B&B, I met a gentleman named Tom Arnold, who drove 3 days from Wyoming, who was a great help with tips, and ideas, knowledge etc.. We spent some of the day together and I met many more fine people there, who were very willing to share their experience with me. I met Don DeLoach who won at least a couple of classes when I was there, as well as many suppliers, vendors and club officials.

On one morning I got to "mechanic" for a pilot, for my first time. WHAT an experience. Many aircraft were lost as they flew so well they actually left the airfield and crossed the highway, or well lost in the surrounding beanfields. Just a fantastic experience to see what is possible. The chaos of a mass launch was hard to believe, but oh such good fun! World War 1 combat was again a great time and again I will stress the quality of these aircraft- remarkable. The technology is also so wild- I met this couple from Saskatchewan, Canada, who make this amazing spinner/nose cone combination- so I got 2, one for my new Val, and another for who knows what(Thanks Marcie!)

Apparently the length of flights weren't out of the ordinary either, as there was an enterprising type there with a trailer full of golf carts to rent to pilots who found the walking just to far to go to retrieve their planes.

Everything was just great and I heartily recommend it to EVERYONE!!!

Next year is the "Non-Nats" and I'm pretty sure I'll be back to fly in competition- just to get used to the flying and to learn a whole lot more. Trust me folks if you miss it you'll wish you had gone, and, if you go you will be very much more enlightened, have a great experience, and have a whole lotta fun as well. GO!!!!

Lastly I would like to thank all the very generous people I met who were so willing to share their knowledge and experience. I had the time of my life!

[Steve Blanchard]

I am glad you made it to the Nats in Geneseo. It is quite an experience the first time you go as well as every time after it. I don't know if I met you there (I was the one running the WWI mass launch) but if I did I hope I added to your experience. The Non Nats are a great experience as well but much more low key. The competition is just as fierce though. If you have any local squadron for FAC you should spend some time with those guys to get "in shape" for the Non Nats. One of the best parts of belonging to the FAC is the people you meet and the help they always give. It does become a second family somewhere along the way. If there is any way we can extend that family, we do.

Good luck. Hope to see on the field sometime!

Steve

[Balsa Pilot]

Steve, thanks for the reply, no, we didn't meet, however I remember you(Beard and Ball cap?, I was the guy in the straw hat and VERY brightly coloured clothes), and enjoyed "mechanicking" for Tom Arnold in that class( got his name wrong and was promptly corrected) oops! There don't seem to be any other FAC'ers in this neighbourhood, the closest I've found is Oshawa ( approx. 1.5hrs), and another in Burlington(3.0hrs), but as Tom said, "I build alone", so it is what it is, and really, I don't mind that except when it comes time for flight test and trim, and motors. Those two are like hocus-pocus to me. Eventually I'll get it, but that is part of what makes this such a great hobby as well.
The time spent there was a total blast and I hope I can have a bunch of airplanes ready for next summer.

Several questions:
1. Where can I go to learn about rubber motors and how to make them?
2. On the FAC club website, is there a place that shows pictures of the show and launches?
3. Is there a way I can contact Tom Arnold in Wyoming through the club?
4. Do you know of a way I can contact other builders in my area(if they in fact exist?),

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE
Henry

Thanks again for your help

[Steve Blanchard]

Hi Henry,

Yes that was me, beard and ball cap. No bullhorn needed to hear me either. I'm not sure where you are from but there is a list of FAC Squadrons listed here: http://www.flyingacesclub.com/FACAbout.html. Maybe you can see something closer to you. As far as Tom Arnold is concerned, I do know that he is a member on this site as well as Hip Pocket Aeronautics. Maybe you can send him a PM? There isn't much on the FAC web site for pics but the FAC newsletter should be coming your way soon and there will be a bunch of great information and pics in there for you to take in. In the meantime under that same link to the squadrons there is a list of several of the earliest newsletters from the beginning of the club that were scanned in and uploaded as PDFs. They are the absolute best reading ever. You should definitely give them a look.
Rubber motors. That's always a great topic of conversation. There is a bit to learn and there has been a lot written on the subject. Start doing some searches on Hip Pocket Aeronautics with the keywords rubber motors. Again the best way to learn about rubber motors is through conversation and trial and error. You should begin with "I have this model, at this wingspan, that weighs this much". Then you can move on to "What size prop do you think?". Then "What rubber motor would work best for this?". Each answer gives a new clue to the final rubber/motor combination.

Keep asking questions. That's the only way your going to learn.

Good Luck,

Steve

[Chris A.]

The FAC Nats (and Non-Nats) are just a lot of fun. Several years ago I crewed for Rich Zapf from the Boston area where I got a good lesson on how to make a twin fly. He also gave me good instructions on how to fine tune the Guillows f24 Fairchild. The late Nate Sturman who not only was an expert on Japanese WWII aircraft but fluent in Japanese and kind enough to read me the Japanese instructions from a 1/24th Kawanishi N1K2 Shiden-Kai kit. As for the flying area, not only is it pretty wide open and flat, but late afternoon thermals are common. A Peck Moth caught a thermal over the parking lot, went up a couple hundred feet where the breeze took it east away from the parking lot. The wind changed near the ground and it ended up over the parking lot only to thermal again. This went on for a good five minutes with everyone stopping to cheer it on. "OOS" out of sight is a regular occurrence and planes have been know to come down on the roofs over at Geneseo College. Kids look for them as it is the custom if they are found to buy the plane back for $20. You post a return label under the wing wit your contact info. Tom Arnold is one of the true masters of design and building.

[Balsa Pilot]

Thanks for the replies Steve and Chris!

Being from the Belleville, Ontario area, there don't seem to be any other people around that are similarly afflicted with this hobby, but sooner or later I hope to find them.
Steve, just joined those 2 website forums; hip pocket aeronautics and stick and tissue.com, so they should be able to assist me in learning some more. As you say, asking questions is the only way to learn.
Chris, it sounds like our experiences were similar. It is a never ending source of amazement that people in this hobby are so willing to share, and assist with what in some other hobbies would be subversive intent. And as Steve says the competition is pretty fierce, yet anyone is willing to take the time to assist-( except when they're winding, and even Don D. stopped, put down his winder, and took me over and introduced me to
George Bredehoft).
As my models struggle to attain longer times and better flights, I'll keep asking loads of questions and hopefully keep the knowledge curve struggling upwards as well. It strikes me that flying, or competition etc., is really why we do what we do, to make ourselves and our airplanes better, and the camaraderie, and the knowledge gained is just a part of the whole journey.
Hope to meet you all at the "Non-Nats" next year.

Thanks again-Blue side up!

Henry

[Mitch]

Hi BP and all,

Looks like you meet all the right people. I meet up with them at my first WEST FAC in California, and again last year in Arizona.

Quick and general answers about Prop and Rubber.

Prop size can be up to 40% of wingspan. So for 400 series models I use 9 inch. For the 1000 series (30+ ws) I use a 12 inch prop.

Rubber is sold in different thickness and you can combine to really customize your power. For the above models I use 3/16. I have been told ideally the AUW of the model will be 1/3 Rubber motor and 2/3 the plane. With Guillow models I have been getting close to 1/4 weight in rubber. I use 4 stands and usually about 1.5 time hook to peg length. ( I move the rear peg forward.) There gets to a point I want to put in more rubber but not enough room. You want to 'braid' your rubber motor as this will shorten it up also.

So as stated before you need to experiment... I hope my suggestions help... but they are only suggestions.

Tom Arnold and Don DeLoach know way more than me... They are 2 of my many mentors...

Good Luck Flying, Mitch

[Balsa Pilot]

Mitch, thanks for the reply!

I'm just waiting for my LHS(75miles) sheesh! to get in my first ever bottle of rubber lube, then I can try out the Monocoupe, the Val, and the newest addition to the fleet-the "SKYBUNNY" from Peck.-Thought it would be fun haha. It's just fun building and trying to make them do what you want.

As you say Tom Arnold is truly a master of this hobby, and it was a lot of fun meeting and learning from him-hard to soak it all up in such a short time.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to not let ticks to bite??, apparently they are becoming a problem near here and I don't want to get sick, nasty symptoms!

Regards to all, Blue side up!
HENRY

[Bill Gaylord]

Looks like a great time. I wish we still had our cottage on nearby Canandaigua lake, closer to the museum than where I currently live. I used to visit the museum when dad, and his WWII friend who volunteered at the museum, were still around. I remember boarding the airworthy PBY they had there at the time.

Good stuff from Mike's Flying Pages
http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page3ag.htm
http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page3ah.htm

[Balsa Pilot]

Hey Bill!

Thanks so much for your reply! It was a lot of fun reading your message and seeing the airplanes again from the field.
The two sites listed are awesome, that's it - awesome. You should post them for all to see, I learned a ton from the second, and (oops) was late for reading so long - what information!

Thanks again, it was a real pleasure!
Blue side up!

Henry

[Bill Gaylord]

Hey Bill!

Thanks so much for your reply! It was a lot of fun reading your message and seeing the airplanes again from the field.
The two sites listed are awesome, that's it - awesome. You should post them for all to see, I learned a ton from the second, and (oops) was late for reading so long - what information!

Thanks again, it was a real pleasure!
Blue side up!

Henry

You're welcome. Mike's site is a hidden gem, and a real inspiration for my micro building. I've spent many hours there.
http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page3ag.htm
http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page3ah.htm