THE MASTHEAD PLANE

 

               Here’s another seaplane for you!  The J2F Duck, by Grumman served in the Coast Guard, Navy and Marines as an observation plane, spotter, rescue plane, target tow, VIP Admiral’s Barge, and the occasional supply ship.  When Curtiss-Wright took over Loening Aeronautical, Grover Loening and Leroy Grumman left the company and formed Grumman Aircraft Engineering.

 

               Loening had the patent on the retractable landing gear embedded in a central float, and the XJF-1 was the result, first flying in 1932 from which the J2F Duck was evolved.  The two (or three in some cases) seater spanned thirty-nine feet, and could cruise at 190 mph with a range of 780 miles.  It was armed with a 30 caliber fixed forward machine gun, and another one on a flex mount for the observer.  It could also carry up to 850 pounds of bombs or depth charges on the wings.

 

               This one will challenge not only the builder, but also the flier of the plane!  How do you get Grumman retracts in that narrow float?  Then you’ve got to figure out how to land it with maybe a scale foot of clearance between the ground and that massive float sticking way out in front!  Of course, you could make the wheels permanently retracted, and restrict your flying to a lake, but where’s the challenge in that?

 

 

PROPWASH

 

VOL XXX, No. 11             November, 2007

 

Arden McConnell                  president                       313-274-3185

Mike Cuba                               vice-president               734-522-7638

Tim Kirsten                             secretary                        313-565-6093

Terry Kozlowski                     treasurer                        734-354-1928

Dennis Gazdecki                     safety                             734-442-3402

Bobby Harmon                       field                                313-541-4204

Al Zerber                                 membership                   734-427-4872

Kathy Kendzior                      at-large                           313-274-1402

Ray Piper                                 at-large                           313-532-7286

Mike Cuba                               editor                              734-522-7638

Charlie Thomas                      swap shop                     313-565-2973

Bob Mayhew                        archivist                         313-291-6855

Stephanie Thomas              webmaster                   313-565-2973

 

website      http://detroitaeromodelers.org

 

 

DOOR PRIZE AND RAFFLE

 

               Ted Allen’s grand-son Ian Faulker drew the ticket for our door prize at the November meeting.  The winner was Dan Walsh, who then proceeded to draw Mark Blair’s name for the Nankin Hardware & Hobby $50 gift certificate.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

               Our newest member is Adam Miller.  He’s flying a Tower Trainer.  Welcome, Adam!  We have two member upgrades.  Mitch Golem and Mark Blair have both been signed off as Pilots.  Congratulations, gentlemen!

 

               Now is the time to renew your membership for the 2008 season.  So far, we have 16 members for 2008!

 

ELECTIONS

 

               This is a by year for officer elections, but we still have to choose our Most Improved Pilot and our Most Valuable Member.  Nominations will be taken at the December meeting, with voting done at the January meeting.

 

 

FIELD REPORT

 

               We finished the field maintenance season in the black, and Field Marshal Bobby Harmon announced he has “harvested” 69 moles!  With the weather we’ve been having, how does one determine the end of the maintenance cycle?

 

ANNUAL AUDIT

 

               Ted Allen, Stan Spiewak and Ron Wasiliewski will do the annual club audit, and report at the December meeting on their findings.  Presumably, this time it will include an inventory of our physical assets, as well as looking over the books.  Thank you, gentlemen!

 

               On the same topic, if anyone is storing club property (fences, fence poles, field stripers, club trainers, etc.) and hasn’t been contacted by Stan, please give him a call, so the material can be included in the inventory.

 

 

NEWS FROM RIDER’S

 

               Do you own a Kyosho Kaliber helicopter?  Want spare parts?  Rider’s in Livonia is closing out their Kyosho Kaliber parts, 20% off.  If you want to buy the whole kit’n’caboodle, it’s 40% off.  Such a deal!

 

               Rider’s will be open the day after Thanksgiving at nine in the morning.  Everything not already marked down will get a 20% discount, while previously discounted items will get an additional 10% off.

 

 

ANNUAL SWAP

 

               The swap is on schedule for January 13th at the Monaghan Knights of Columbus Hall.  Swapmeister Charlie Thomas is asking for volunteers to help at the door, to help moving dealers in, to help clean up afterwards… you get the picture. 

 

SPREAD SPCTRUM FREQUENCY PINS

 

               The AMA has recommended that clubs practice frequency control on spread-spectrum radios in the same way they do for the72 mHz radios.  The thought is that if you permit pilots to skip the frequency control for the 2.4 Ghz radios, they may forget to grab a pin when they use their older 72 mHz radios.

 

               Stan Spiewak is making a set of 10 pins to be used for the spread spectrum radios.  For our purposes, taking one of those pins also allows us to make sure that anyone flying at our field is a club member, guest of a club member, or at a minimum a member of the AMA.  Think insurance, and our contract with the city!  Thanks, Stan!

 

 

CLASSIFIEDS

 

Tom Pounds is selling a U-Can-Do 60, comlete with OS Surpass .91 and a HiTech radio on channel 31, for $300.  He also has the wing from a CAP 231, 60-sized, and the wing from a Super Sportster 60, as well as other miscellaneous stuff.  Make him an offer at 313-532-3616

 

 

INDOOR FLYING

 

               Indoor electric, CO2, and rubber band flying has recommenced at Jefferson Elementary every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m.  Attendance has been low, since the days have been so wonderful lately, but it’s getting dark around five, so see you there.  It’s lighted!

 

 

 

DONATED MATERIALS

 

               Recently a gentleman who had wanted to get into radio control in the eighties, but never got around to it, donated several vintage items to the club.  Mike Cuba will have them at the DAM swap, with proceeds going to the club.  If you are interested in a 6 channel, non-narrow banded Airtronics AM radio, or an Astro Cobalt o5 motor, or a Torpedo control line engine, or an Astro Challenger electric glider kit, contact Mike.

 

 

INTER-CLUB PILOT RECOGNITION

 

 

               Due to some recent events at the field, there was a discussion of how to handle new members who are recognized as pilots by other clubs.  After some discussion, it was decided that at a minimum, they would need a check-flight from our club. 

 

               A committee consisting of Al Zerber, Mike Cuba, Charlie Thomas, and Dennis Gazdecki met after the meeting and decided that the new members should be considered Novices requiring that they fly only with an Instructor until they pass the same criteria as a regular new member.  They must satisfy the PI or TPI that they are competent to fly before they get their Pilot rating.

 

 

ANNUAL BANQUET

 

               Tim Kirsten has organized our annual banquet.  It will be January 29th at the Fortune Buffet on Middlebelt at Five Mile.  Unless we get a group discount, it will cost about $12 each.



Club meeting at the Redford Community Center

 

11/23     indoor flying                     5 p.m.

11/30     indoor flying                     5 p.m.

12/7       indoor flying                     5 p.m.

12/11     business meeting                             7 p.m.

12/14     indoor flying                     5 p.m.

1/8         business meeting                             7 p.m.

1/11       indoor flying                     5 p.m.

1/13       DAM swap                         9 a.m.

1/18       indoor flying                     5 p.m.

1/25       indoor flying                     5 p.m.

1/29       annual DAM banquet       6 p.m.?

                                                                          

 

 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL

HOBBY SHOPS!

 

NANKIN HARDWARE & HOBBY

35101 Ford Rd.   734-722-5700

 

RIDER'S HOBBY SHOP OF LIVONIA

30991 Five Mile Rd.          734-425-9720

 

RIDER’S HOBBY SHOP OF TAYLOR

22789 Northline                734-287-7405

 

ELECTRODYNAMICS

31091 Schoolcraft             734-422-5420

 

PROP SHOP

23326 Van Dyke 810-757-7160

 

JOE'S HOBBY CENTER

Grand River & Drake Rd   248-477-6266

PROPWASH

31425 Myrna, Livonia, Mi. 48154