THE MASTHEAD PLANE

 

               The following information comes directly from the website luft46.com.  It’s a great place to research experimental German designs, most of which never got farther than the drawing board!

               This was the last design of the Blohm und Voss P.188 jet bomber. The fuselage center section was designed as an armored steel shell which was to hold the fuel supply, with the forward and rear sections being bays for the tandem twin main landing gear wheels. The wing had a constant 3 degree dihedral and was of a very novel design, featuring both a 20 degree swept back inner section and then a 20 degree swept forward outer section. This was calculated to give good performance at both low and high speeds. The only drawback was excessive air pressure on the wing tips, which was to be corrected by a variable incidence system which could be adjusted through 12 degrees.

 

               A crew of two sat in the extensively glazed, pressurized cockpit, which was flush with the fuselage. Four Jumo turbojets were mounted in two nacelles, which were located beneath each wing. There were also an auxiliary 'outrigger' type landing gear outboard of the engine nacelles, these being more to steady the aircraft, and did not touch the ground when it was on an even keel. The tail was of a twin fin and rudder design, with a dihedral tailplane and the extreme tail had an airbrake. Armament consisted of two remote-controlled twin 13mm machine guns firing to the rear, and the external bomb load was 2000 kg (4400 lbs.)

PROPWASH

 

VOL XXX, No. 12             December, 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

 

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the editor.

 

DOOR PRIZE AND RAFFLE

 

               Adam Miller won the 15 door prize, and Larry Stein won the $50 gift certificate, in the raffle, both from Nankin Hardware & Hobby.  Be sure to thank the folks at Nankin for their support of the club!

 

                              There are many challenges for the modeler.  The main landing gear consisted of two wheels fore and two aft in a tandem arrangement, with a very narrow track, retractable, of course.  You need at least two fan units, if not four, to power the model.  Then, there’s that wing!  By the way, this model has actually been built, but as a slope soarer (no landing gear, no motors)!

              

 

ELECTIONS

 

               We have several nominations for Most Valuable Member.  They are Ted Allen, Bobby Harmon, Tim Kirsten, and Stan Spiewak.  Nominated for Most Improved Pilot is Mark Blair.  Nominations may be made at the January meeting, and voting will take place then.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

               We are at 29 members and counting.  Please remember to renew your membership!

 

 

FIELD REPORT

 

               Bobby Harmon reported that he finished the year with 69 confirmed mole kills this year.  Way to go, Bobby!

 

 

 

 

ANNUAL AUDIT

 

               The audit committee of Stan Spiewak, Ted Allen, and Ron Wasiliewski reported that the books were fine.  Ron wanted to hold off completion of the audit until eyes had been laid on the equipment held by various members.  At president Arden McConnell’s suggestion, members who were storing property were allowed to sign off that they had the items listed, and that completed the audit.

 

 

NEWS FROM RIDER’S

 

               The Real Flite G3.5 simulator has been replaced with a new G4 version.  Riders now has as a one-time offer the complete package for the G3.5, including all upgrades and expansion packs, as well as all the hardware needed (i.e., the computer!) except for the monitor, for $400.

 

 

MEETING NEWS

 

               Since president Arden McConnell will be in Florida for the next three months, and vice-president Mike Cuba will be directing a play and unavailable, Ray Piper has been appointed to run the meetings until either Arden of Mike get back.

 

 

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 on the day of the swap.

 

 

 

INSURANCE, WITH AN EDITORIAL

 

               There is some uncertainty about whether or not the club needs insurance (AMA or otherwise) to cover our meeting hall.  The debate over this got unnecessarily heated at the December meeting.  This is not good for our public image.  Remember, we often have new members and visitors at those meetings.  While I was not at the meeting, it seems to me that this is not a problem involving opinions.  A simple query to the AMA national headquarters should suffice to clear up the matter.

 

 

ANNUAL DONATION

 

               The club voted to make its annual donation to the Redford Community Center in gratitude for the use of its hall for our meeting place.  The check will be presented in January.

 

 

ROUGE ACTIVITIES

 

               Tom McNulty, our representative at Friends of Rouge Park, reported that there will be a 5 km run fund raiser this Spring in the park.  The sewer system tunnel construction will not impact our flying field.  The Buffalo Soldiers will be using the horse barn north of Joy, and may be involved in some sort of Neighborhood Watch for the park.

 

 

INDOOR FLYING

 

               Indoor electric, CO2, and rubber band flying at Jefferson Elementary every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. will resume on January 11th

 

 

DECEMBER SHOW AND TELL

 

               Bobby Harmon brought in his new Horizon Hobbies B-25 ARF.  He got it at a special introductory price of $400, complete with two Evolution .36 engines.  The plane spans 84 inches, carries ten servoes, not counting ones for the retracts, and will weigh between 13 and 15.5 pounds when completed.  I’ve been flying it on the simulator at Rider’s.  Don’t try any snap rolls, Bobby!

 

 

ANNUAL BANQUET

 

               Tim Kirsten has organized our annual banquet.  It will be January 22th at the Fortune Buffet on Middlebelt at Five Mile.  Unless we get a group discount, it will cost about $12 each.  Tim asks that you pay as you come in.  We will be in the semi-private meeting room at the rear of the restaurant.



Club meeting at the Redford Community Center

 

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.

1/22       annual DAM banquet       6 p.m.

1/25       indoor flying                     5 p.m.

                                                                          

 

 

If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger.  If you pull the stick back, they get smaller.  That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again!

 

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