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Mid-America Electric Flies - 2001
"Well, it's all over for another year.
"The weather was "iffy" on Saturday, but no rain appeared.
Sunday was beautiful sunshine, but a tad on the HOT side, 90 degrees F.
"As usual, there were a lot of really impressive planes, and a ton were
ARFs! I really loved the way Dave Grife's Crazy Sparrow and Pico-Jet flew. The Sparrow had a brushless 020 in it and the
Pico-Jet a brushless 05. The Pico-Jet had to be seen to be believed. Dave had a Hanger 9 Edge 540 with 40 cells (2000 NiMH)
in it that flies great.
"Mark Rittinger, designer of the Sportwin in the S&:E Modeler, had a
prototype P-51 finished in chrome. It was a neat plane that uses a Magnetic Mayhem geared and flies great. It has about 250
sq.in. and it is pretty scale looking.
"Don Belfort had a really nice flying B-36 with 6 small motors. He's the
master of the light. He's the only fellow I know who's made his own Zagi from wood.
"Speaking of Zagis, there were a lot of them there. After the official flying
was over on Saturday, they put up a swarm of 7 or 8 and went at it in full contact combat.
"The Saturday night steak sandwich picnic was excellent.
"The only disappointing thing was that there were no really "new"
and innovative planes. The good news is that the "general" electric flier has reached a very high level in
craftsmanship and ability to match the task to the power system.
"Both Keith and I feel very good about how many people are out there now
that can "spread" the electric flight knowledge around.
"I don't know how many of you remember Keith's old, trusty car, a large
GM station wagon, but it finally died on his way home on Sunday. He now has a mini-van, but I guess he's not your typical
"soccer mom." The day he got it, the seats went!
"Howard Kendall flew his night helicopter demo, and it was better than
ever. There wasn't as much night flying on Friday and Saturday, but lots of sharing and talking through the evening.
Flight Line west of center. Yes, that’s Turbo’s BIG aerobatic plane with it’s red nose sticking out.
Makes all the other planes seem tiny!
Mid-Am Data 2001
Official Name: Mid-America Electric Flies
Date: July 7 & 8, 2001
Place: Northville Township, Michigan
Site: Midwest R/C Society’s 5 Mile Road Flying Field
Host Clubs::
"Electric Flyers Only, Inc. (Walled Lake, MI)
"Ann Arbor Falcons (Ann Arbor, MI)
CDs:
Saturday, July 7, Ken Myers
Sunday, July 8, Keith Shaw
Registered Pilots:
Saturday, 74
Sunday, 73
Total number of individual pilots, 98
Estimated number of aircraft: 400+
Looking east down the Flight Line.
"The Mid-Am", as it is commonly called, is a fly-in with a few simple
competitions. Both clubs award plaques for certain categories of planes flown at the meet. Only planes that flew were
considered for an award plaque.
Saturday’s Awards:
Most Beautiful: Mark Rittinger’s P-51 in chrome finish
Best Sport Plane: Mike Goolsbee’s Goldberg 1/2A Skylane
Best Ducted Fan: Andy Telzer’s Vampire
Best Scale: Chris McHugh’s Great Lakes Special bipe
Longest Timed Flight: Jim Young
All Up/Last Down: Larry Markey
CD’s Choice: Mark Rittinger’s Sportwin
Even further east. Midwest R/C Food Tent in background.
Sunday’s Awards:
Best Multi-motor: Don Belfort’s B-36
Best Mini-Electric: Ted Bigg’s Dornier Pfeil “Arrow”
Most Beautiful: Ken Flaglor’s deHavilland Dragon
Best Scale: Andre Wedseltoft’s P-47
All Up/Last Down: Norm Dmuchowski
CD’s Choice: Chris McHugh’s Great Lakes Special bipe
Andre Wedseltoft’s P-47
Annual Charlie Spear Award for the Advancement of Electric Flight Jim Bourke (Ezone Magazine &
Eflight list. www.ezonemag.com)
Some of Dave Grife’s planes. Note the ARF Edge 540.
Special thanks to committee heads:
Debbie McNeely, EFO, registration
Warren Plohr, Falcons, frequency & impound
Jim Young, EFO, raffle prizes
Paul Susalla, Midwest R/C Society, parking
Dave Hares, Falcons, picnic cook and wrangler
Mark Lambert, Midwest R/C Society, food
Howard Kendall, Midwest R/C Society, helicopter night flight demo
One of the many Sig LT-25s along with a Sig Rascal
Also a special thanks goes to:
The Midwest R/C Society for the use of their beautiful field.
All of the Falcon and EFO members who worked so very hard to see that this event was a success.
Ken Flaglor’s deHavilland Dragon
Sponsors & Raffle Prizes:
AirAge Publishing (Model Airplane News), www.modelairplanenews.com
Airtronics, www.airtronics.net
Astro Flight Inc., www.astroflight.com
B&T R/C Products Inc., rc-aero.com/biz/bandt
Balsa USA, www.balsausa.com
Boca Bearing Company, 1-800-332-3256
Castle Creations, www.castlerc.com
Cermark Electronics, www.cermark.com
Dremel, www.dremel.com
Dymond Model Sport USA LTD., www.rc-dymond.com
Electric Jet Factory, www.electricjets.com
ElectroDynamics, www.electrodynam.com
Flying Models, www.flying-models.com
Garrison Aerodrome, www.rc-aero.com
Hitec RCD Inc., www.hitecrcd.com
Hobby Lobby Intl., www.hobby-lobby.com
Horizon Hobby Distributors, www.horizonhobby.com
Magellan Technologies, www.magtechinc.net
Model Electronics Corp., Inc., www.rc-aero.com/biz/mec
Modelair-tech, www.modelairtech.com
Radio Controlled Models, Inc., www.ramrcandramtrack.com
Robart Mfg., www.robart.com
Rocket City Specialties, (256) 539-8356
Ryan Aircraft, home.fuse.net/ryan
Sig Manufacturing Co., Inc., www.sigmfg.com
SKS Video, www.sksvideo.com
Specialized Model Supply, www.sm-supply.com
SR Batteries, Inc., www.srbatteries.com
Star Flight, www.accessv.com/~larionov
Trick R/C, www.zagi.com (via Rotors and Wings)
Vinyl Graphics by Greg, www.flash.net/~vgg1
Windsor Propeller Company, www.masterairscrew.com
Your CD’s with and without their flying hats.
Ken Myers on the left and Keith Shaw on the right.
A Very Special Thank You
We owe a very special thanks to the members of the Oak Leaf Region of the
Model A Restorers Club. They brought out about a dozen of their lovely Model A’s on a very iffy weather Saturday. Thank you
ladies and gentlemen. It is always a treat to have them as our very special guests. Thank you John Mayer for being our contact
and having your club join in to make this a very special meet.
Only three of the Model A’s. Great Cars.
Note the RV’s in the background. Several folks camped at the field. -
Photo: Michael Michaels
In Appreciation:
These mails and emails are for all of the EFO, Falcons and Midwest members.
Thanks to you, this event is a success every year!
Jim Young & Tom Bacsanyi’s planes.
Photo: M. Michaels
Hi Ken,
Well run fun fly, lots of fun, much flying and good food.
You and your coworkers work hard and it shows by the turn out of model electric
airplane fliers. Hope you can keep this event going every year in the future.
Thanks for the event,
Sincerely,
Bill Brown, Northville, MI
(Bill deserves some special thanks too! He’s the head of the mowing
committee for the Midwest R/C Society. Thanks Bill. KM)
Twins anyone? Note the Mustang spoke of in the text.
Photo: Bob Livin
Chris McHugh’s Great Lakes Special bipe
Photo: B. Livin
From: James Martin jmartin000@ameritech.net
Dear Ken,
I am writing to tell you and the rest of the Midwest R/C Society how much my
girlfriend and myself enjoyed attending the Mid-America Electric Flies this last Sunday. This event was one of the best run and
attended events that I have seen in a long time. Every person that we came into contact with was very friendly and open to
discussing the event and electric flight to us in great detail. We spent several fun and educational hours looking over the
wonderful aircraft on exhibit and in flight and were both surprised at the expertise of all the pilots that flew that day. I have
recently begun working towards getting myself involved in E-flight after a long hiatus and after leaving your event, I am charged
with enthusiasm.
Please extend our thanks to all of your club members for making our visit to your
field an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
James Martin, Detroit, MI
One of the MANY ARF-type planes seen at this meet.
Don Belfort works on his non-ARF B-36 in the background.
Photo: B. Livin
From: Pete Foss Drpetefoss@aol.com
Hi Ken,
Great meet guys, we had a blast. Well run as always.
Thank you Dymond USA! I wanted to publicly send a thank you to Helmut from
Dymond USA. He donated a Flipper Speed 400 glider ARF to the Mid America meet as a pilot prize. My wife, Carolynn, won it!
Flight review to follow after she assembles it. Thanks also to Ken and Keith for a great meet.
Pete Foss
Skymasters RC of Michigan (Detroit)
www.geocities.com/~skymasters
Andy Telzer’s Vampire
Photo: B. Livin
From: Ted Biggs tiggs@eos.net
Ken,
I hope that the clean-up wasn't too onerous. I really appreciate your and Keith's
efforts, as well as all the local club members who helped.
I got back yesterday from the GREAT time that I had at my second Mid-America
fly in with 4.5 rolls of film. I thought that I may try and put together an article to get electrics a little exposure in one of the
magazines if the pictures come out.
If their are any good shots, you're welcome to use them in the Ampeer so those
who missed can see what was there.
Jim Ryan called to tell me that I had won an award. I'm greatly honored that the
guys liked something I did well enough to give me an award.
I'm sorry to have missed the ceremony, but I had to pick up my long-suffering
family on Toledo and get on the road back to Cincinnati. I'm really looking forward to next year!
(I had the Do 335)
Ted Biggs
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Don Belfort with his Award Winning B-36
Photo: B. Livin
From: Robert Livin livinr@direcpc.com
Ken,
Just a quick note to thank you for a great fly-in, as usual. You seem to have the
right formula, keep it up. I will send you my photos as soon as I can.
(As you can see, he did! KM)
Bob Livin
Bob Livin on left, Plenny Bates on right, both from Iowa
Photo: M. Michaels
From:Alan Biggerstaff bstaff@attcanada.ca
Hi All,
Just returned late last night from the Mid-America Fun Fly. It was a great event.
Ken Myers, Keith Shaw and all their support people are to be congratulated.
While I was there I purchased an AI/Robotics FX35 ESC from a gentleman who
was selling some items for a fellow modeler who had past away. . In my haste for "the deal", I neglected to get the specs and
instruction sheet, which the guy had on hand. To make a long story short, does anyone out there in electri-fly land have the
instructions for the FX35 set-up, or knows how to set it up?
Alan Biggerstaff MAAC 6861 Bolton ON Canada
(The good news is, he’s found what he needs. KM)
Nice lineup or fighters.
Photo: B. Livin
From: Randall Roman RJRoman@att.net
Hi Ken,
Just a note of thanks to you and Keith for another great event. This was my
second Mid-Am... the first being the '99 event. Hopefully, I'll be able to attend many more in the years to come.
Kindest regards,
Randy Roman, Lilburn, Georgia
Electrified version.
Photo: B. Livin
Dear Ken,
My wife and I would like to thank you and your committee for a great Saturday
at the airfield. Here are some pictures for your historical records.
The best to you and your club.
Michael H. Michaels, Westland, MI
(Thank you Michael. As you can see, several made this issue of the Ampeer. KM)
Award winning Goldberg 1/2A Skylane. Flew better than an .049 version.
Photo: Michael H. Michaels
Keith Shaw & Dave Grife prepare to fly their Spitfire & Hurricane at the Mid-Am.
Photo: Ken Bates
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
2001 Mid-Am Videos Available
Many of the wonderful planes and pilots that attended the Mid-Am were recorded on
tape by Scott from SKS Video Productions. NTSC & PAL formats are available. If you’d like to get a copy, contact:
(U.S. Call Toll Free)
1-800-988-6488
Outside U.S. 717-259-7193
By Mail:
SKS Video Productions
85 PINE ROAD
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA 17301
USA
By Fax: 1-717-259-6379
By e-mail: scott@sksvideo.com
Web site: www.sksvideo.com
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
Next EFO Meeting
The next EFO meeting will be a “flying” meeting on Saturday, September 15. It will
be held at the Midwest R/C Society flying field on 5 Mile Rd., Northville Township, MI. Gathering time will be 10:00 A.M.
Bring your latest projects to share and fly. If luck is with me, I should have my new SR Batteries’ Cutie ready.
Should the weather prove "unflyable" on Saturday, the meeting will be
held on Sunday, Sept. 16 at the same time. Check with Ken, 248.669.8124, if the weather is "iffy" on Saturday. Any
efliers in the area with an AMA card may join us, whether they are EFO members or not.
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
I’m a Luddite
Editorial by Ken Myers
Seldom in these pages do you see an editorial, but there are two things that are
bothering me, and I wish to share my concerns with you.
The first issue, brought home by three "incidents" at the
Mid-Am that I know about, is computerized programmable radios with plane memory. We’ve all heard about pilots taking off
with the wrong plane memory loaded into the transmitter, but having first-hand knowledge that three of the "incidents"
at the Mid-Am were caused by this has bothered me greatly. One "incident" even totaled one of the award-winning
planes!
I saw many wonderful transmitters that allow the mixing of many functions for
various reasons. These are wonderful for the person who needs to set up their plane in a special way.
Unfortunately, I believe, the feature of model memory is setting up the pilot
for an unneeded crash. There are hundreds of you right now who could send me mail stating that, "I’ve flown transmitters
with model memory for X years and NEVER had an incident because I had loaded the wrong plane into memory." I
know this! But you will, someday, you will.
To avoid this unneeded crash is simple. Multiple planes can and have been flown
with the same transmitter for years. It’s easy. Fly the planes that are "setup" the same way with the same
transmitter. Trim out the planes so that transmitter trims are at neutral. Plan ahead. Don’t be lazy. Don’t lose a special plane,
or risk the possibility of hurting someone, just to save a few minutes of setup time or have one less transmitter sitting around.
The other issue is Park/School Yard fliers. These planes are relatively
easy to fly, don’t take a lot of room to fly, and for the most part, are quickly put together, with little investment in time and
money.
While some people are concerned that these planes can cause a danger to
"local" established flying fields because the user might not be familiar with safe operating distances for transmitters
thus causing radio interference at the established field, that is not the problem that I have with them. Some manufacturers and
suppliers are trying hard to see that these planes are provided with 27 MHz radios in the US. 27 MHz has a lesser chance of
interference, since the majority of radios at the established flying field are on the 72 MHz band. I laud them for this.
My problem with these planes is the "social aspect." Indoor and slow
fliers flown indoors require a group of modelers to assemble at a certain time to fly them. There is learning and sharing going
on. There is a group dynamic going on. Anything more powerful than Park Fliers requires an established flying field. Again,
there is learning, sharing, and group dynamics happening.
If you are reading this, you are most likely involved with some type of model aircraft
group. There are a few of you out there that still have to "go it on your own", but for the most part, you do have
some type of group to share your activity with.
The way that Park Fliers are being currently promoted appeals to the
"lone wolf", the person who can do it on their own. This is too bad, as they are missing one of the best aspects of
this hobby/sport, the group dynamic.
As human animals, we tend to learn more in a group, where our ideas and thoughts
can be shared. Too bad some folks are learning the hard way. Invite them into your group.
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
Dick's Guillows P-38, also seen at the Mid-Am.
Photo: Dick Fleming
Dick’s P-38L
Richard C. Fleming, 408 Cottage St. Box 411, Olivet, MI 49076
(616) 749-9024 email: richardefleming@cablespeed.com
I thought you might be interested in a recent project. I have recently discovered
"little" electric motors and what fun one might have with the Speed 280-400 size power plants. One of my latest
projects is a P-38 made from a modified Guillow’s kit. The building of it took me back to the old "stick and tissue"
days of my youth. There is a lot of building in these kits and they aren’t for beginners. The results, however, are well worth the
effort.
Here is the basic information relative to the e-powered model: Lockheed P-38L
from modified Guillow’s Giant Flying Scale Kit.
Wing area: 270 sq.in. (raised from about 200 sq. in. as kit is supplied)
Wing loading: 14-15 oz./sq.ft. (depends on motor battery used)
Power: 2 Promax Gear motors (Maxx Products cat. no. ACC320) These gear boxes are quite well made; the motors appear to be 280-300 size--I’m not really sure what they are.)
Props: 7x6 as supplied with motors.
Battery: One 7 or 8 cell Sanyo KR 600 AL wired in parallel.
Servos: 2 MPI MX-30, one in each wing for ailerons. One MPI MX50 for elevator.
ESC: MPI MX-9115
Radio: Hiteh/RCD Focus 3 AM
Covering: Litespan and a little Monokote.
Flying weight: 24-25 oz.
The only major modification was to the wing. I increased the span from 40" to
50" by spreading out the ribs and I added a top and bottom main spar of 1/4" sq. medium weight balsa. The top
leading edge back to the main spare is sheeted with 1/32” medium weight balsa, as is the center wing section. This modification
produces some added strength and increases wing area. A completely scale P-38 has rather a small wing as did the prototype
considering the weight. A Grumman F6F had more wing area in fact. Otherwise I built the model as per plans. The Guillow’s
plans are really well done and they supply two full sets. There is one for display scale and one for .049 gas or rubber flying
model. Instructions are extremely complete and are spread out in paragraphs all over the plans--much like the old Berkeley plans
of the days of my youth. The kit is very complete and my only criticisms would be with a few die "crunched", parts and the
quality of some of the wood. The plastic parts are very nice and add considerable realism to the finished product.
Now for the good stuff. How does it fly? Very well indeed. I asked a friend who
knows how, to hand launch the plane. It climbed out nicely with almost no control input--just a little up elevator. I took it up to a
safe height and tried a roll, which it does well. Though not a trainer or slow flyer, it is rather easy to fly. I have not had a chance
to check out its stall characteristics yet. After about 5 minutes I had an easy landing on our grass airstrip. In summary, I suggest
that with some of the excellent small radio equipment and really functional small electric motors and better batteries, several of
the Guillow’s and probably others (Herr, Dumas) present great possibilities.
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
Great Lakes Electric & R/C Hobby Expo
October 6, 2001
10 A.M. - 9 P.M.
Oakland Yard
5328 Highland Road
Waterford, MI 48327
Phone: 248.673.0100
The Electric Flying Club was started in 1998 by aviation director David Dobrin.
Since it’s start, over 3600 people have attended our biweekly flying. Started as a pure electric endeavor, Oakland Yard has
developed a niche market and extremely strong following of electric ‘purists’.
Oakland Yard just didn’t stop as the seasons changed. Over 300 children have
gotten electric stick time in the summer months in our week long summer camps. Starting this summer, Oakland Yard will be
constructing an outdoor dirt track for the electric car enthusiasts.
About the Electric Show…
Check out the high performance of ELECTRIC!!!!
The dome at Oakland Yard is 80,000 square feet, 90 feet high in the center!
The Saturday, October 6th Show will feature over 60 ‘swap shop’ tables, 10
retailer/manufacture exhibit areas, a children’s R/C interactive zone, adult R/C car racing series, advanced model flight demos by
leading manufactures, model contest and of course food and drinks. All clubs across the Midwest, our complete data base of
members, all retail stores in the Midwest, all model shows and the surrounding media will be informed of this show. Oakland
Yard Athletics plans on running the biggest and finest electric show in the Midwest’ General public tickets are $5 per adult, $2
per child (12 and under), $4 senior citizens (55 and over).
All types are welcome to display/sell; electric or gas; boats, cars, planes and helicopters
General hobbyists will have access to all swap tables, model displays and retailer
space. The public will be able to purchase from the vendors all day and will be able view all demonstra-tions from the flight
line.
‘SWAP SHOP’ Tables (gas or electric)
Individuals will he able to purchase a 3’ x 6’ table, two chairs (without power) to
display and sell their wears. Gas or electric, it doesn’t matter. Sell what you want! Complete the application, available from
Oakland Yard, and additional logistic infor-mation will be sent out on receipt of check and application. i.e.., set-up time, tear
down time, etc. Swap shop table purchase includes two adult entry tickets. tickets.
‘Expo Space’
Those that purchase one of the 20 x 20 expo sites will have the primary advantage
of both a larger and more centrally located site on the flight line, and they will also receive allocated demo time for their products
and customers. Each expo space will be given equal time on our car and plane demo floor throughout the day. All indoor demos
must be driven by a non-combustible power source. All expo spaces will be supplied with four tables six chairs, one power line
and pre-scheduled demo times. Expo space is limited. A completed application and full payment is required to reserve space.
Additional logistic information will be sent out on receipt of check and application. ie., set-up time, tear down time, etc. Expo
space purchase includes employee passes and four adult entry tickets.
Competitions:
Car Racing
Preregister for one or more of six adult race heats throughout the day to qualify for
the championship race at 8:00 P.M. The top two cars per race, from the preliminary heats will race in the finals for electric
prizes! Register for as many races as you would like to ensure a chance in the finals. Racers will race from an elevated drivers
stand. Each race will cost $3 per. Racers can enter as many times as they want. All second place cars will compete in a
semi-final, where the top car will advance to the finals. The championship driver will be awarded the overall prize. Electric R/C
entrance ticket required.
Race times: 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 6pm
Semi Finals @ 6:30
Finals @ 7:00 pm
Classes: Off Road 2W & 4W 10th scale open
Flying Combat
Zaqi combat! Full contact, 40 miles per hour heart stopping fun. Zagi planes
(flying wings with electric motors) will battle to the finish. All Zagi planes will start at the same time, then attempt to score points
by making hits on the opponents air-planes. Most planes will be knocked out of the sky. The plane with the most points and a safe
landing will be declared the winner. Awards for the top gun in each race. Zagi competition $3 for two combat sessions. Electric
R/C entrance ticket required. Zagi combat will take place on Oakland Yard’s soccer field. (Weather Permitting)
Combat Flights: 1pm, 5pm
Model Competition (Gas or Electric)
Judged in their respected classes (land, air & sea), our expert judges will
award first place prizes and one best of show award. Entrances will be charged $5 per model. Pre-registration required. Hand
built models only no ARFS or semi-complete kits allowed. Hobbyists interested in entering the model con-test need only complete
the application form available from Oakland Yard.
Judqing awards at 6:00 pm
Special Demonstrations:
- Advanced helicopter maneuvers (gas outdoors, electric indoors)
- High performance electric cars
- Precision aerobatics
Oakland Yard Aviation Club - Winter Schedule 2001 /2002
Saturday, November 3rd - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, November 1 7th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, December 8th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Wednesday, December 26th - 7:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. ‘Reindeer Fun Fly II’
Saturday, December 29th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, January 1 2th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, January 26th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, February 9th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, February 23rd - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, March 9th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, March 23rd - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday, April 6th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
Saturday April 20th - 8:00 P.M. to 12:00
For more information, an application or sign-up for the winter flying session, contact
Dave Dobrin at the dome, Oakland Yard, 248.673.0100.
Return to "What's In This Issue?"
To Reach Ken Myers, you can land mail to the address at the top of the page. My E-mail
address is:
KMyersEFO@aol.com
EFO WEBsite: http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/
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