Jeff Micko was kind enough to fill in as secretary this month for David Andersen.  The meeting opened with Cal mentioning the fact that Dave would not be in attendance again ... and opined that perhaps "David should win the Joe Grice Award for attendance"

The first model presented was that of a C.O. Models AT-6 built by Dan Stahn for fellow club member Don Aasen.  The 82-inch span model weighs in at 11 pounds and uses an RCD 20 for power.  Dan mentioned that he "probably over thought" his build techniques but that's what all of us infected with this R/C aircraft disease seem to be plagued by!

The plane has Electric Retracts from Horizon Hobby are VERY loud, and Dan mentioned that with the heavy wheels/struts, it puts the motor under a lot of stress.  The paint scheme to be that of a Reno racer.

Just a few general meeting photos...

Randy Etkin was next up describing his love of pylon racing.  "Race planes are scale too!" Randy exclaimed.  He described the Formula One racing scene and the uptake in the latest in pylon racing - electrics!  He told us of four upcoming races to be held at the Grassfield flying field for the next year.

Lots of racing kits to choose from, mostly from our friends in the China.  Our race planes are capable of over 120 mph so these racers are nothing to sneeze at!  A good way to get started is with a model priced is in the $80 range.  They come pre-built and weigh in at a whopping 325 GRAMS! But you'd better beef them up a bit, they're a tad flimsy.

Jeff Micko gave his attempt at describing his method of fiberglass mold making. He droned on about said procedure and brought along the latest mold/part he produced for a customer's, a Do-26 flying boat.

Still in the dark ages, Jeff claims to use polyester resin in lieu of epoxy...it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, 'eh Jeff?   If you're a member at R/C Scale Builders, you can follow this build thread: RCScale Builder Link

Jeff Quesenberry, presented his 1/5 scale Ziroli P-47.  This model started its life in Opie's shop forever only about half completed.  With help from Darren Blitzer the P-47 now stands ready for paint.  Jeff mentioned that his paint scheme of choice for his bird will be that of 'Little Demon" and Callie Graphics will be used for markings.

A Quadra 75 will handle the muscle end of things.  When queried on the weight of his project, "heavy" was Jeff's retort.  Jeff used mock-Fowler flap hinges to actuate his flaps. Very nice, very scale but unfortunately not being made any longer. Robart gear will handle the ground duties.

Please note the following Annual WBAC Events: Warbirds and Classics Over the Midwest held in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Warbirds & Classics Over Michigan held in Grand Ledge, MI, Warbirds & Classics Over Chatham held in Chatham, Ontario, The Northern Alliance Military Fly In held in Owatonna, Minnesota, and the Indiana Warbird Campaign held in Muncie, Indiana in addition to the Air Supremacy Over Elkhart held in Elkhart, IN.  These are all members of the Warbird & Classic Alliance.

Phil Zuedma like Randy presented his electric racer named Pogo.  Unfortunately this model has been discontinued and is no longer available.  Phil described these aircrafts' scale-like, good flying characteristics.  Thanks to Randy and Phil for all the information on the pylon racing scene here in Minn.

David Andersen has submitted a new article to HighFlight for publication.  I think anyone, regardless of model construction knowledge will glean something valuable from this one!  The article will open with:

"Metal panels on full-sized aircraft are attached in a variety of ways.  Some panels butt against each other with no space between.  Others, like the Mustang, have noticeable gaps exposing chromate primer below.  Racing planes and sailplanes tend to have putty between the panels and over flush rivets, making them nearly invisible. Major stress junctions require overlapping panels.  Panels are usually outlined with flush rivets or round-head rivets but some modern airplanes have panels glued in place...

Keep your eye on your mailbox!  Just a few tease photos from the Article below.

BIG Thanks to Scott Anderson for photos this month!