THE MASTHEAD PLANE
The Blackburn B.20 is one of the strangest and most secret ideas to come from the British in World War Two. Flying boats were all the rage in the thirties, but they all suffered from an inherent design requirement; how to keep the propellers out of the water. The standard solution was either to mount the motors high above the fuselage, or to build a deep, slab-sided fuselage with the engines in the high-mounted wing. Both of these solutions created large amounts of drag.
In 1936 the Blackburn Aircraft Company came up with a novel solution to the problem. The entire bottom of the flying boat hull could be extended, making it, in effect, a large central float. Similar floats could be swung down from the wingtips, as in the Catalina, to stabilize the plane in the water.
While the proposed plan was turned down by the Air Ministry, they were intrigued enough by the plan to order two prototypes, of which only one was built before war broke out. The prototype fell victim to aileron flutter during an attempted high speed run on April 7, 1940. The pilot struggled to being the plane under control while the other four occupants were ordered to bail out. The second to exit from the cockpit deployed his chute too early, and it snagged on the radio mast. He had to crawl back and manually untangle it to jump free! Unfortunately, the pilot and two technicians in the body of the plane did not make it back, and were lost at sea.
AMA 1204
PROPWASH
VOL XXIX, No. 12 December, 2006
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
Mike Cuba michael_cuba@juno.com
RAFFLE WINNERS
Vince Blasky won the door prize, a gift certificate from Nankin Hardware and Hobby.
The Blackburn was planned to carry eight machine guns and 2,000 pounds of bombs and/or depth charges, with a range of 1,500 miles. It would have been the fastest flying boat built. If it had been successful, post-war civilian aviation might have been significantly different.
For the modeler, the first challenge is getting an adequate three-view! I found most of my information in a small book by Kenneth Munson called “Flying Boats and Seaplanes since 1910”, and on the web at http://freespace.virgin.net/john.dell/blackburn_b20.htm.
The next challenge is designing a retract system to bring the lower body float back up to the main body, and the retracting wing-tip floats. After solving those, flying a twin-engined plane should be trivial!
SAFETY
It seems that some of our pilots are parking their vehicles on the field while they fly. That is not what our agreement with the city allows. We are allowed to bring our vehicles to the pit area to unload, but they must then be moved back to the street. If we leave our cars and trucks at the pits, it will encourage non-members, and the general public to do the same. I think we can all agree this is not a desired outcome!
INDOOR FLYING
Indoor flying has resumed at Jefferson
Elementary school. It’s open from 5 to 9 p.m. the second and fourth Fridays of
the month.
MEMBERSHIP
It’s time to re-up your membership in DAM! New members are $75, renewing members are $50, family members under age 18 are $12, and life members (ten years minimum in the club, age 65 or more) are $37.50. Please check your current roster to make sure we have the correct address and phone number for you. If you want your email included in the roster, add that to your renewal form. We have 26 members signed up so far for 2007.
FIELD REPORT
Due to the recent warm weather, the moles are acting up again. We need a cold snap to put the little beggars into hibernation for the winter! On another topic, someone stole one of the metal tables from the pit area. I hope they didn’t get a hernia picking it up! Stan Spiewak suggested that we make it a club project to make a couple of wood tables at the field for the pit area.
Stan Spiewak was at a luncheon with Sheila Cockerel, Lauren Jackson and several other Detroit officials recently. It was announced at that meeting that Rouge Park would not be considered for sale during the current mayor’s administration. Good news!
DECEMBER SHOW AND TELL
Vince Blasky talked to us about the new Spektrum DX-7 radio. It uses two receivers, and two frequencies on the 2.4 GHz band. This means it will not need a frequency pin, and according to the manufacturer, is totally immune to radio interference. I’ve seen a review indicating that its effective range is about sixty percent greater than a standard 72 MHz system.
Stan Spiewak brought in a mini helo with a 6 mAh LiPo battery! It’s available for about $30. Stan’s test pilot was Austin Thomas, four years old. Austin did a great job demonstrating the helicopter!
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
FIELD DEDICATION
Sometime this Spring we will, with City Council blessing, rename our flying site the Alexander Jefferson Model Airplane Field, as per their proclamation. Stan Spiewak has contacted Larry Millben, a retired Air Force colonel, to supply us with a color guard for the ceremony, and he has scouted the Thurston High School band for music for the occasion.
BANQUET
The annual DAM banquet will be held at the Old Country Buffet on Wayne Road between Ford and Warren Roads. It is still scheduled for the last Tuesday of January, the 30th, at 6:00 p.m. The meal is $10.80 for adults and $2.50 for children, payable at the door.
ELECTION RESULTS
Nominations for office have opened. The slate so far is as follows:
President Arden McConnell
Vice-president Mike Cuba
Treasurer Terry Kozlowski
Secretary Tim Kirsten
Field Marshall Bobby Harmon
Safety Dennis Gazdecki Sr.
Membership Al Zerber
Member at large Ray Piper
Member at large Kathy Kendzior
Most Improved Pilot Dennis Gazdecki Sr.
Most Valuable Member Tom McNulty
PROPOSED AMA EVENT
Andy Pesonen and Vince Blasky will head the effort to put on an AMA sanctioned Air Show at the field this August. It will be open to all types and sizes of RC planes. A motion was made and passed to put $500 toward the funding needs of the event.
DAM SWAP
Swap chairman Charlie Thomas reports that everything is go for our January 7th swap at the Monaghan Knights of Columbus hall on Farmington road just south of Eight Mile. The swap runs from eight to noon. We need volunteers to help set things up at 7:30. Please support the club by coming to the swap!
HEALING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
Jim Thomas is in need of some good vibes. He has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and is undergoing treatment for it. It can’t hurt, and might help, to say a prayer for him.
CLUB CALENDAR
Club meetings are at the Redford Community Center,
12121 Hemingway, in Redford
1/7 DAM swap 9:00 a.m.
1/12 indoor flying 5:00 p.m.
1/26 indoor flying 5:00 p.m.
1/30 banquet 7:00 p.m.
PROPWASH
31425 Myrna, Livonia, Mi. 48154
