December is always a busy time of the year and for LMAC it was no different. Continual work on the strip upgrade, a working bee and our Christmas lunch.
Working Bee, Saturday December 2
In preparation for the Christmas Lunch, it was decided it was time for a tidy up of the clubhouse, machinery shed and the grounds themselves. Volunteers were called for and a tremendous response was received. There were 17 volunteers and everyone pitched in to make the job easier. The clubhouse was thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed. The machinery shed was emptied so we could establish the equipment the club had and a record maintained. Often out of site and out of mind, the solar panels and the weather station were cleaned. The pressure washer was used to clean the underside of the mower decks (a task that revealed quite a level of grass caked on). The barbecue concrete area was pressure washed also. We also found quite a bit of useless junk in the machinery shed that was taken to the tip (Thanks Mike H). Kerry brought along the sausages etc. for the complimentary sausage sizzle as a little reward for the efforts of the volunteers. Peter D volunteered to be the BBQ chef. Thank you Peter!
Such was the success, the club will hold a working bee at least once a year, giving the opportunity for members to share the load in the upkeep of their club.
Here are the weary workers after the completion of the day.
Donation for Auction
Jacques Wakae has donated a couple of LiPo batteries and suggested we auction them off to get some money for the club. They are both 3s 2200mAh Lipo, with a very high C rating of 65 -130. I have the batteries, so if you are interested, send me a text or email with your bid. Jacques has provided the following information –
New Member
The club is very pleased to welcome another new member. Vincent (Vince) Garratt. Vince has relocated to Longford from Warwick in Queensland and has chosen LMAC as his new club. Vince was a member of Warwick Aero Modellers and his main interest are “Old Timers” (we have quite a few of those) and gliders. Some of you would have seen Vince at the working bee, where he paid us a brief visit to locate the club. Unfortunately family commitments prevented him from attending the Christmas Lunch. Watch out for Vince at the field and give him a warm welcome.
PS: I have uploaded the latest member list here
Christmas Lunch – Saturday, December 9
The weather looked ominous, with forecasts of rain. The skies looked bleak and black, threatening clouds started to roll in from the south-west. Many fingers crossed that it did not eventuate and as luck would have it, a couple of drops was all that was felt.
Despite the threatening weather, we had a great turnout, our biggest in a long time, with 30 people in attendance. Those attending were, Alan J, Chris J, Daniel H, Danny N, Fred & Gloria W, George & Kerry C, Greg R, Jacques W, Jo, Ray & Micah G and Micah’s friend Kip, Kevin H, Liam & Phillip E, Malcolm W, Mark H, Max W, MeiLin H, Mick G and his father Brian, Mike H, Nara T, Peter D, Peter S, Richard C, Rodney K and last but not least, Vince B.
Kerry again pulled together the usual Christmas fare of ham, chicken, potato bakes, coleslaw, salads, devilled eggs, chicken wings and for dessert, pavlovas and (kindly donated by Fred & Gloria), Christmas pudding and custard. There was no shortage of food and I observed many going for seconds and possibly thirds of everything! Many comments were made about the offerings and a constant theme was the value for money – “You wouldn’t get a meal like this anywhere for $20”. Thank you to Kerry for again preparing the feast and to the ladies who assisted on the day, Gloria, Jo and MeiLin. A great result for the club too, with a nice little profit to assist with our 2024 projects.
Despite the threatening weather, many pilots took their models to the sky. For the warbird theme, Rodney & Vince flew their Corsairs and Rodney added his P47-D “Razorback” to the fray.
Nara T brought along a model of a Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”. This was a tiny foam model he had purchased from Ebay. Nara said the model cost $52 and weighed just 62g. Nara flies Mode 1 but it only came in Mode 2. No problem for Nara, although he found the landing a bit challenging. You would be excused for thinking this was the real thing and not a foam model! (Especially after I edited out the wire wheel undercarriage)
Here are some more pictures from the day.
Micah’s School Project
One of our new junior members, Micah Green has broadened his aero modelling to include designing and building a model. This was a perfect solution to a school project he participated in. Jo (Micah’s mother), provided the following insight into what was involved.
During 2023 Micah Green (aged 15) has been completing a Genius Hour Project focusing on Remote Controlled Aeroplanes at Newstead Christian School. During their Genius Hour exploration, students had the freedom to choose a topic that aligned with and captivated their interest.
The various aspects of Micah’s exploration have included:
- Designing and building a foam board plane
- Constructing a Boomerang 11
- Flying with the aid of a simulator (Real Flight Evolution) focusing on the Apprentice
- Flying an Apprentice on flying day at the Launceston Model Aero Club
Over the process of the project Micah has demonstrated learning in the following areas:
- Repairing planes 🙂
- Vocabulary and terms associated with model aeroplanes
- The application of various glues for materials
- Wiring techniques
- Transferring learning from building the Boomerang 11 to the construction of his own design
- Reflection on his own plane design and construction, and the various materials that can be used
- Battery use and safety
- Utilising pre-loved planes and parts keeping the hobby viable for his parents. 😉
On the completion of the project Micah presented to high school staff and students. His Boomerang 11 was featured in a whole school assembly and at the High School Expo (refer to photos). His display at the High School Expo featured:
- simulator demonstrations, which students and parents could engage with;
- video footage of his plane design moving and of flying day;
- brochures for the Launceston Model Aero Club; and a
- display board of his project.
Note the white model on the table is Micah’s own design “board” aircraft. Micah also had a number of the LMAC club brochure’s on hand to promote the hobby and his club. What a great effort Micah. We will have to make you head of marketing!
Maintenance works
The team are gradually getting the grass on the strip lower and lower. However, Seona advises it will likely be Spring next year before we will see the gaps in the seed lines filled in. In Autumn we will do some oversowing of the more obvious bare patches and at the northern and southern extremities of the strip. In the meantime there is some improvement, as Mark mowed on Wednesday, December 13 and cut the grass on the second lowest setting of the Ferris. He then flew his Trojan that has very small wheels and had no trouble.
Whilst on the subject of maintenance and improvements, the committee continues to review what projects can be added to improve facilities for members. It is the committee’s view that we do not retain any significant funds just sitting in the bank, rather we reinvest the members money into projects that improve the amenity of our site. Some projects under consideration (in no particular order) for 2024 are –
- Fill the hollows in the pit area to reduce the water logging.
- Provide shading for pilots and their models.
- Weatherproofing the barbecue area.
- Improve the toilet facilities.
If you have any ideas or requests, take it up with a committee member and they will bring it to the committee’s attention.
As an example, here is how members funds have been used since we were required to relocate in 2012.
Beginner’s Tips
TameYourTailDraggerFrom the WWW
Graphene Batteries
There has been some discussion around the introduction of Graphene batteries in comparison to the current lithium batteries, so I thought I would extract some of that information from the web to share with you. F4om my understanding, the current offerings of “Graphene” batteries are actually a hybrid graphene/lithium battery, that reduce the downsides associated with LiPo batteries. Here is an article from Hobbyking discussing the Turnigy Graphene batteries with the caveat that this is also marketing material.
WHAT-EXACTLY-ARE-GRAPHENE-BATTERIESAnother source, that seems to validate Hobbykings article is this table I found here.
Remember, do your own research as their is plenty of subject material available on the net.
Some of you may remember when Gavin Hallam from HMAC visited LMAC with his jet powered aircraft. Boy did that scream as it tore up the skies. Entry level for a jet engine starts in the $2300+++, then I saw this article on an IC ducted fan model. I do remember seeing them many years ago but they seemed to disappear when electric ducted fans appeared. To show that IC wasn’t dead in ducted fans, here is a video of an F15 fitted with an IC engine.
Well that’s it for another month. Remember, I am still looking for material to fill the blog each month, so send me any anecdotes, pictures of your latest build etc. Leave your suggestions or feedback in the Comment section below.
To all of our members, have a very Merry Christmas where Santa brings you lots of aeromodelling gifts and a Happy New Year. Let’s hope 2024 sees you all safe, healthy and deliver everything you wish for.
Don’t Forget – Put a Spark in your life and fly electric!
George
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