Most of you will be aware of my flight table at the field. It is often used by other members in my absence. I only ask that if the “oilers” use it, they clean the table when they are finished. I was recently asked by Fred Willis for a copy of the plan used. The original design was by Charlie Meyer of the Meroke Club, Long Island NY. I have reproduced my article below from Prop Torque.
- A work height that would be suitable for me (given I’m in a wheelchair)
- The ability to restrain the model on the table.
- Space to put tools etc.
- Robust and heavy enough not to get airborne in some of the strong wind gusts we can experience and also to allow a motor to be started and run up without the need for another pair of hands.
After a bit of research I found a magazine article in the UK magazine RCM&E (February 2003). It met all of the criteria, was robust and looked within my building skills. It was then off to Gunns to buy the timber. The plan recommended rough sawn treated pine but the price for fineline was not much dearer and it would be easier to work with. This meant adjusting the timber measurements to allow for dressed timber. No problems. With Kerry ably helping when things were out of my reach we cut all the timber to size and assembled the unit. It wasn’t completely without drama. When the legs were on we realized it wouldn’t go through the workshop door (unless it was manhandled like a table on its side). Luckily everything was screwed (in the correct sense) and a little disassembly got it out the door and rebuilt in the carport. Here is a picture of the finished table. To assist when mowing we also added some wheels so it can easily be moved by one person. We’ll be taking it down to the field on our return from WA. Timber cost was $90+/- plus screws would probably take it to a little over $100. Maybe when we’re thinking of a club project, how about something like this? In the original article, the Meroke R/C Club in Long Island NY, built 6 of them. These were well received by members as the club investment benefited all members, increased safety and made life a bit more comfortable when working on their models. So what do you think? Build 1 or 2 a year and before long wet knees and crouching over a model will be a thing of the past. Download the building instructions here. The original article from RCM&E can be found here. In closing, if you build this table, please email the designer, Charlie Myer at [email protected] to let him know.
