March 1999
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Bob O'Neil, Paul Spara, Eric Adams, Lorraine Adams, and Ron Swift welcomed the 60+ students to the Radio Control Session of the Brighton Festival of Ideas. The theme of this project is to introduce the students to a range of experience to broaden their awareness. We were invited to participate again this year. Here, the first of three sessions started out with a theory of flight and how aircraft fly. |
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Seen here, Bob O'Neil discusses the airplane control surfaces as Eric Adams works the controls on the transmitter. Paul Spara (seen in the inset) held one of the Radio Control airplanes so the students could see the effect of the control surface movements. This helped to reinforce the theory of the flying with the visual aide of what happens on the airplane. |
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Following the theory session, the hands-on portion of the program illustrated the radio control components and engines. A prototype board was used with a Futaba Radio set to show the nicad batteries, the radio receiver, transmitter, servos, and pneumatic components that we use for retracts. A B2B stealth model was used to show the Electronic Speed Control (ESC) and electric motors. Shown also were a Zenoah G62 gas engine, Cox 0.049, SuperTigre 4500 and 0.90, a Saito 4-stroke 1.30 CI Twin, and an OS Wankel 0.030. |
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After the hands-on session, safe engine starting procedures were demonstrated. Both Bob O'Neil's biplane and Ron Swift's RV-3 giant scale model were started. The students were impressed with the noise and power of both models. Four models were used during the presentation: Eric Adams Kadet trainer, Bob O'Neil's bipe and Ron Swift's B2B Stealth and RV-3. |
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The next segment of the 50 minute presentation involved building and flying the rubberband powered models. Eric is seen here walking the students through the process. Every student got their own glider to take home. |
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We had lots of flying, while trimming the Sky Streaks. The airplane kits were purchased (at a discount) from Dan's Crafts & Things on Empire Blvd. and donated by an anonymous club member. A competition was held and an award was presented for the airplane that traveled the furthest in a straight line. |
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Two of the winners from the second and third session, Max and Rudy, proudly displaying their awards. The competition was fierce and there were planes that stayed aloft for more than a minute and a half! |
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Competition was fierce, and the learning was challenging. Everyone wanted to win the competition, and each student made one attempt to win the prize. |
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Actually everyone won. Each of the students was awarded their own certificate. The RAMS members also learned a lot that day and had the opprotunity to share some of their R/C building and flying skills. An invitation was extended to all of the students to participate in the RAMS open house, July 31 and August 1. |
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