July 2011 Inside Loop

"...we need to think of ways to introduce modeling to the general public!"

Editor Jay Smith
[email protected] we want our hobby to grow, we need to think of ways to introduce modeling to the general public. Mall shows, charity events, and attending full-scale airshows are some forms of outreach that have been successful.
My friend, Jeff Shutic, who is a member of the Lorain County RC Club (www.lcrc.org), invited me to attend a production of Billy Bishop Goes to War. The show was running the month of May and was a collaboration between the Lorain County Metro Parks and TrueNorth Cultural Arts (www.tncarts.org).
Because a WW I production was happening right in their own backyard, the club members stepped up to provide models as stage props and to be displayed in the main hall. A secondary room was also provided to display all different types of models, a video about RC, as well as information to promote the club and AMA. The production’s director even promoted the club in her remarks preceding each performance. By the time I saw this excellent production in the middle of its run, Robert Brassell, Corain County RC Club president, shared with me that a few people attending the show had shown interest in learning more about the club and possibly becoming involved in flying. The night I was there, a gentleman even inquired about donating a new trainer airplane and engine to the club!
This collaboration is a proactive approach to bring awareness of model aviation to the public and show what the club can do for its community. Thank you to the Lorain County RC Club members for their hospitality and for promoting our hobby and our organization!
This month’s event coverage is also WW I related. The Blue Max RC Scale competition celebrates its second year at the fantastic Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida. I attended the event last year, but terrible weather grounded models and full-scale aircraft alike. Thankfully, this year the weather was greatly improved and T.J. Royhans was able to give the competition the coverage it deserves.
If you are ever in the area, I recommend a visit to Fantasy of Flight. Kermit Weeks has the largest privately owned collection of rare full-scale aircraft in the world, most of which still fly regularly. Although the term Steampunk was not coined until the 1980s, the vision of steampowered aircraft and machines has been around since the 19th century. The works of authors H.G. Wells and Jules Verne immediately come to mind.
Paul Gentile has done a wonderful job of providing a nice overview and showing that steam powered-aircraft are not just for fiction and have even been used in RC.
If you’re a fan of Golden Age of Aviation biplanes, then I hope you will enjoy the two WACO offerings we have in this issue. Roy Day’s nice 44-inch-span offering is of the less-frequently modeled WACO 10, as compared with the ARE and YMF versions. He also supplied us with the tips and tricks to make a cowl for the WACO that can also be used to construct cowls for other types of aircraft.
If you don’t have time for a scratchbuild, or maybe want something a little larger that can be gas- or glow-powered, then the Great Planes WACO YMF-5D may be for you. Tom Sullivan also supplied us with two videos as part of the review: an overview of the build and a flight video. The link can be found in a sidebar in the article.
Providing online content in the form of additional pictures and videos is something you will see us doing more of in the future. This lets us provide you more coverage than space in the magazine allows. Before you put down this issue, be sure to check out our “About Us” feature on A2Z Corp for your chance to win more free stuff. We have already given away several thousand dollars in prizes and will continue to do so every other issue. MA