newsletter 435 – december 2020...owen solonov - shmac, tom tobin – rfc, shane mcmillan - shmac,...

Newsletter 435 – December 2020

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Contents Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Diary Notes ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Contacts ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 General Bi-Monthly Management Committee Meeting Minutes ............................................................... 4 Aeromodellers NSW 2020/21 Calendar ..................................................................................................... 16 Club News & General Interest .................................................................................................................... 18

Buddy Boxing .......................................................................................................................................... 18 Wagga Model Aero Club Military Scale Event Change of Format for 2021 ............................................ 19 New South Wales Aerobatic Championship 2020 .................................................................................. 20 From 'Jofrodis' to ‘Golden Meduza’ Update by JF Jet Studio ................................................................. 22

Event Updates ............................................................................................................................................ 24 41st Sailplane Expo – 23rd-25th Jan 21 ..................................................................................................... 24 ANSW State Field Australia Day Weekend Fly In- 22nd-26th Jan 21 ........................................................ 25 Heli Heatwave 2021 – 4th-7th Mar 21 ...................................................................................................... 26 Casino Airport (Richmond Valley) Fly In – 1st-5th Apr 21........................................................................ 27 WMAC 47th Military Scale Event – 24th-25th Apr 21 ................................................................................ 28

Wanted ....................................................................................................................................................... 29

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Diary Notes Next Aeromodellers NSW Bi-Monthly Management Committee Meeting. Friday 12th February 2021, 7:30pm Internet via ZOOM – instructions will be advised to Club Execs via bulletin.

Following Aeromodellers NSW Bi-Monthly Management Committee Meeting. Friday 9th April 2021, 7:30pm Venue TBA Newsletter #436 (February 2021) deadline for submissions: Friday 29th January 2020. Note: there will be no newsletter published in January.

Contacts President

Tim Nolan [email protected] 0412 173 440

Vice Pres

David Kennedy [email protected]

Secretary

Clive Weatherhead [email protected] c/o Battery Business Unit 14, 3 Vuko Place Warriewood NSW 2102

0404 826 880

Treasurer/ State Field Officer

Steve Norrie [email protected] 0418 874 740

Registrar

David Lewis [email protected] PO Box 7291, SOUTH PENRITH 2750

02 4736 2611 0439 264 220

Newsletter Editor

Rob Masters [email protected]

0418 160 295

Safety Officer

Daryl Woolfe [email protected]

CFI

Brendan Tucker [email protected] 0409 443 495

Join us on Facebook

Please forward any changes of mail or email address together with your AUS Number directly to the Registrar

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.facebook.com/groups/884351638273103/http://www.nsw.aeromodellers.org.auhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/884351638273103/http://www.nsw.aeromodellers.org.au/

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General Bi-Monthly Management Committee Meeting

Minutes Aeromodellers NSW Inc

Venue: Zoom Video Conference

Friday 11th December 2020

Meeting Opened : 7:34 p.m. Chairman: Tim Nolan Attendees in person: None Attendees via Zoom online: Clive Weatherhead – WRCS, Rob Masters – WPMAC, Dave Lewis – Coota,

Tim Nolan – ROW (Chairman), Steve Norrie – NSW Scale, Tim Ingham – WRCS, Jeremy Randle – NSW Pylon, David Kennedy – SSSME, Bruce Thrift – CVRCMAC, Daryl Woolfe – GMAC, Greg Hoy – CMAC, George Atkinson – WRCS, Zak Kiternas – CKS, Brendan Tucker – Coota, John Armarego – TSAANSW, Brett Solonov - SHMAC, Owen Solonov - SHMAC, Tom Tobin – RFC, Shane McMillan - SHMAC, Lance Masters – OMAC

Visitors: None Apologies: None Minutes: Motion: That the minutes of the Bi-Monthly meeting held on Friday 9th October 2020 by

Zoom Meeting as published in Newsletter 433, 1st November 2020, and the financials for August and September distributed in email bulletin 10 2020/21 be accepted as a true and correct record of that meeting.

Moved: SSSME Seconded: Coota Carried Business Arising:

1. Covid updates – issued by bulletin, on facebook and in newsletter. Outdoor group limit at time of meeting was 50 people subject to social distancing. (Note that this has subsequently been increased to 100)

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Reports Treasurer Steve Norrie The October and November financials were presented for approval. Expenses incurred by committee members were presented for approval. Motion: That the Treasurer’s reports be accepted, that the accounts presented be approved for payment and that we accept the auditor’s quote for next year. Moved: RFC Seconded: CKS Carried President and CASA Liaison Tim Nolan What a year and, as it draws to a close, we hope that you are all well, albeit perhaps a little frustrated with the Covid restrictions that we have all had to cope with. It is great to see modelling starting to return with the easing of restrictions and we should all be able to see much more activity at the flying fields over the upcoming break and into next year. It will be great to get around to some flying events, and the big fly-in at Casino Airport on the 1-5 of April being an MAAA and ANSW major event will be a lot of fun. I hope to see you there. We have a number of North American based modellers who are calling NSW home for the summer. They are employed by Coulson Air and other flying contractors with water bombing aircraft, so if you see them at your field please make them feel welcome. On a different note, we need to have a look at how we can help some of our older members. I am certain that we just want everyone to keep flying for as long and as safe as possible. To that end you will start to see some articles and stories of clubs that are going above and beyond to ensure their members continue to enjoy safe flying. I would encourage club Executives to have the conversations with any members who are having difficulty and encourage them to fly on a buddy box. With wireless technology there is no cable, or even if there is, it helps to ensure you get to take your aircraft home ready for next flying day rather than rebuilding it. The use of this technology will help us to keep as many members flying as possible. It is a great way to let others experience flying different or faster/more complicated aircraft with safety. It is a well-established system for Turbine pilots to become familiar with their aircraft and to minimise the chance of damage. Two weeks ago, I was flying on a buddy box flying Shane McMillan’s new model. It is just a simpler and safer way to try different models without the risks of “passing the parcel”. On the CASA front we are starting to process renewals for Area Approvals, and I would encourage all clubs to start the process sooner rather than leaving it to the last minute. You will need the following documents when you submit your application, and it must go via ANSW as we review and then endorse each application.

• The Current CASA form (fillable PDF)

• Map of your flying area with the boundaries marked by GPS coordinates

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• Current risk assessment

• Landowner permission

• Support of any landowners that you overfly

• For flight above 400’, a letter outlining the reasons for the increased height requested

• If you are on an airport or near one, evidence of engagement with other airspace users We are all going to try to take a little step back for a few weeks over Christmas to enjoy family and friends and we look forward to seeing you at the flying field in January, or at the next meeting in February. Have a merry Christmas with family and friends and I hope that you get the right presents from Santa. Secretary Clive Weatherhead The matters related to the proposed state field in Broke have now been completed. A new grazing and agistment agreement has been drafted and provided to the Cootamundra club to be put in place with the neighbour who grazes livestock on the outfield. See report later in this meeting. It has been a busy couple of months with clubs changing elected officers and other corporate governance issues. On this topic, ANSW has no authority nor desire to be involved in the governance of clubs, as each is a standalone entity, usually incorporated under NSW law, but ANSW’s committee is pleased to assist clubs by answering questions or offering guidance if requested. It is pleasing to note that the outdoor gathering limit has been raised a couple more times. Again, ANSW and MAAA have no authority to regulate on these issues and compliance with NSW regulations is a matter for individual clubs. We are happy however to help with input and sharing of useful information. Almost without fail, clubs have navigated through these difficult times very successfully. A very merry Christmas and happy new year to all our members and their families. Vice President David Kennedy The ANSW website (https://nsw.aeromodellers.org.au/) is being updated and current changes will be completed next couple of weeks.

https://nsw.aeromodellers.org.au/

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Registrar Dave Lewis Currently running at 1992 Members compared to last year total of 2013 = 98.95% Just need another 21! 2021 Season

2020 Season

Reminder that ½ year fee structure only applies to new Members that join from 1st January 2021 onwards, and returning MAAA members who were NOT a member during 2019/2020 Season. Those half year memberships expire on 30/6/2021 along with standard membership.

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Newsletter editor Rob Masters

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Chief Flying Instructor Brendan Tucker Supporting Tim Nolan’s comments on the potential for use of the buddy box system for more than training new students. It also has value allowing people to try different aircraft and enabling mature and experienced members to continue flying when they may not be comfortable flying solo. The December instructor course has been deferred and it’s noted that people taking the course are, sometimes, only recently qualified to gold wings standard, whereas a degree of experience flying at that level is normally desirable. Forthcoming instructor courses are planned for Cootamundra, northern NSW, and any club wishing to host an instructor course should contact Brendan. [email protected] Given the approaching deadline of 30/6/21 for instructor re-certification, clubs are encouraged to address this issue soon, rather than leave it until the last month or two before the deadline. It’s noted that there may be a need for Deputy Chief Flying Instructors north and south to handle the potential workload.

mailto:[email protected]

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State Flying Field Cootamundra Club The boundary fences have been repaired and all is, currently, quiet in respect of cattle making sorties across ‘the border’. A new grazing and agistment agreement has been provided, for implementation from 1/1/21. Second State Flying Field Broke, NSW Singleton Council advised that it would be unable to support our application for additional use as a model aircraft flying field for the property in Broke, NSW. Reasons given included:

• Not in the public interest

• More than 10 submissions received objecting to the proposal

• Inconsistent with zoning for primary industry, viticulture and tourism

• Potential conflict with surrounding properties

• Potential noise impact We were told that we could wait until a council meeting in February 2021 for a decision, but it was clear that the decision would not be favourable, and we would therefore be faced with lengthy and expensive court action if we wished to continue. As a result, a decision was made to withdraw from the purchase of the property in Broke. It is proposed that active searching be put on hold for a while to allow the people involved to get back to a bit of flying. This does not preclude members sending in details of possible sites for consideration, and any suitable site that comes to our attention will still be pursued. The chairman proposes that the reports are accepted. Moved: WRCS Seconded: RFC Carried Yes Correspondence: Items in purple text are highlighted for discussion

Correspondence In

Source Content Outcome and matters arising

Brendan Tucker – CFI, ANSW

Application for heavy model inspector approval RW25 for rotary wings

With MAAA

Bruce Thrift - CVRCMASC

Request for ANSW to consider insurance requirements in respect of new lease

In review

Water NSW Confirmation of extension of Emergency Drought Relief package for Cootamundra field

Info only

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Correspondence In


Various Correspondence concerning the closure of the attempt to purchase a 2nd state field in Broke, NSW

Info only

IiNet Communication about ANSW web hosting processed

Stephen Wenban – Rathmines Catalina

Welcome to clubs to contact via https://rathmines-catalina.com/ if they would like to visit

Information only

Terry Goddard – Grafton

Enquiry concerning area approval. Sample documents provided

Matt Shevels Enquiry concerning any insurance implications for people flying indoors during a total fire ban

Confirmed that this is not an issue

Tom Tobin – RFC

Details of Committee changes at RFC Database updated

Felix Nieuwenhuizen

NSW Pattern Flyers competition calendar for 2021

To be published in next ANSW newsletter

Trevor Smith Request for details of criteria for future state field search

Provided, and published in this document

Steven Young – and beyond UAV

Enquiry concerning insurance at a MAAA field when operating on a commercial or commercial instruction basis

Answered. For club information, it is a matter for each club to decide if they wish to allow a commercial operation to use their field. It is essential that the commercial operator is fully insured and MAAA insurance ceases whilst a commercial operation is occurring, so there is a need to ground recreational club flyers whilst commercial flights are taking place if a club chooses to proceed with this. Note that landowner permission may be required by certain leases

Robert Simonetto – Blacktown

Enquiry concerning club membership processing Answered

Cootamundra Club Committee

Request for documentation relating to the management of funds allocated for the maintenance of the ANSW state field at Cootamundra

Provided to Darren Case, Secretary, Cootamundra

Bob Pearce Enquiry concerning club compliance with state laws

Answered in relation to Covid only

Norm Barnes – OMAC

Details of 2021 Banjo Patterson Scale Rally – scheduled for 20/21 Feb, 2021

Published

Brian Stevens - LMMAC

Questions in relation to club operations Answered

https://rathmines-catalina.com/

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Correspondence In


Nick Milton – COMSOA

Various correspondence concerning area approval renewal

In process

Chris Halbmeier – SSSFA

Question concerning changing height approval Confirmed that there is a cost to requesting a change, if required, mid-term

Chris Halbmeier – SSSFA

Questions to CASA concerning area approvals and flight operations

Answered by Mark Lewis at CASA

Geoff Jones - SNMAC

Various concerning payment of MAAA club assistance funds for work done

Processed

Brendan Tucker – NSW CFI

Notice of postponement of 5/12/20 instructor course

noted

Terry Goddard – GMAC

Various discussions concerning risk assessment and area approval

processed

Correspondence from - source withheld

Copies of correspondence concerning a complaint against a member of a club in NSW and the club’s investigation of the matter

No return address provided so correspondence noted and archived

Chris Sheraton – LMMAC

Notification of change of office bearers at LMMAC

Processed

James Prouty Temporary MAAA membership for AMA member seconded to Australia to manage the Citation fleet of water bombers for bushfires

Processed with MAAA

LMMAC Various discussions regarding registration of new members

To be processed


Notification of request for a special general meeting in relation to a complaint against a member of a club

Recorded and acknowledged


Correspondence concerning a potential 2nd state field opportunity – wishing to remain confidential

Awaiting additional information

Late Correspondence Not Yet Dealt With


Correspondence out


Tim Nolan – ANSW

To PRCAC – Area approval from CASA, and invoice for CASA fees

completed

Tim Nolan – ANSW

To WRCS. Invoice for CASA fees completed

Email bulletin 13 20/21

Increase in outdoor gathering limit to 50 Sent to all club contacts

Tim Nolan – ANSW

To Warren Jessup confirming that clubs normally hold stock of bronze and silver wings. If not, Dave Lewis can provide

completed

Tim Nolan – ANSW

Area approval completed for Appin Club sent

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Correspondence out


Tim Nolan – ANSW

Area approval completed for WRCS sent

Tim Nolan - ANSW

To CASA. Two applications for Paul Bennett Airshows to conduct a model display at a full-size aircraft display

sent

Motion: That the inward and outward correspondence be accepted as a true record. Moved: RFC Seconded: SSSME Carried Awards:

Awards

MAAA power fixed wing

Name Club MAAA number Class

Andrew Coulis Appin 81717 Gold

Wayne Tonks LMMAC 87112 Gold

Brett Sulman HPACRCA 86908 Silver

Larry Ryan CCMAC 86406 Silver

Victor Gerber FFMAC 86383 Silver

Ross Kendrick PMA 69535 Gold

Geoffrey Jones SNMAC 32181 Gold

Rob Windell SNMAC 54561 Gold

Alex Pardey NSWSAS 86919 Silver

Dallan Pardey RAAFRIC 84437 Silver

Note that the two above are corrections of previous records.

Cyrele Jocson CMAC 86741 Silver

Jin Fan CMAC 54059 Silver

Cameron Brasch CMAC 87157 Silver

MAAA glider


Gavin Docherty HSL 87647 Bronze

Christhian Molendowski HSL 87810 Bronze

MAAA helicopter


Vahe Shahinian WRCS 87693 Silver

MAAA multirotor


Bruce Borchardt SMFC 87694 Silver

MAAA Instructor certification or recertification

Name Club

Motion: That the nominations for Gold Wings be ratified Moved: NSW Pylon Seconded: WPMAC Carried

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General and New Business:

1. Standing item – upcoming events:

a. Casino MAAA/ANSW event – now scheduled for Easter 2021 – 1st to 5th April. Camping

will be available, and it is intended that temporary toilet and shower facilities will be available

b. 41st Armidale Sailplane Expo to be held (in Armidale) from January 23-25, 2021. Events

will be F5J and E-Res. Contact person Hutton Oddy 0425285758 or [email protected]

c. Heli Heatwave will be held at Cootamundra 4th to 7th March 2021

2. Standing item – any incident reports or safety issues reported during the last 2 months:

a. Propeller strike on finger – ROW Club – 11/10/20

3. Outline criteria for new state field:

1) No more than 2.5 hours from Parramatta (and, given that we have Cootamundra in the south, the next field would likely preferably be north or north-west of Sydney, rather than south, to be accessible to the many clubs located north)

2) Preferably in an area where it will not compete with established clubs, and consider potential to act as an alternative site for clubs where their field is under pressure

3) Under $1.1 million


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4) At least 80 acres and, preferably, 100 or more. Subject to isolation and neighbouring land (consider ability for overflying e.g. national park, and consider where overflying/straying would be prohibited e.g. next to major road)

5) Sufficient cleared area to run 2 x 200m runways. Flat enough to suit purpose. 6) Relatively isolated from houses. Minimum distance from a house 800m to 1km. Note

potential of neighbours to object, especially if their property is used for purposes that are not sound-tolerant or, for example, have horses on the land

7) Reasonable road access. Up to 4km of dirt road is OK must be 2-wheel drive with trailer accessible. The shorter the unmetalled run, the better

8) South facing and on south side of road is better but not mandatory 9) Already has, or will be able to get, approval for use as a model aircraft airfield 10) Infrastructure not required. Consider costs to clear, and consider potential to use any

existing infrastructure to reduce setup cost 11) Other issues such as proximity to flight paths and airports, as well as any potential height

limitations 3. The signage at Cootamundra field will be updated to show, more clearly, that it is an ANSW

state model flying facility

4. The current plan is that next general meeting will be held on Friday 12th February 2021 at 7:30pm. It is expected that the location will be by Zoom meeting and log-in information will be provided prior to the meeting. Any change to this plan will be advised to club representatives.

Motion: That the items of general and new business, above, be recorded as discussed

Moved: Coota Seconded: CVRCMAC Carried

There being no further business before the meeting, the meeting was declared closed at 8:45 p.m.

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Aeromodellers NSW 2020/21 Calendar (Compiled 23 December 2020)

Unless otherwise advised Aeromodellers NSW Meetings are held the 2nd Friday of every other Month. December 2020

27 Gosford City Float Planes Kariong Nic Lucas 0424 350366

January 2021

17 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by CVRCMAS Camden Valley Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 17 Central Coast Indoor Flying Niagara Park Hank van de Scheur 0417 685 403 22-26 ANSW Australia Day State Field Fly In Cootamundra Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 23-25 41st Sailplane Expo Armidale Hutton Oddy 0425 285 758

February 2021

12 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 13-14 SAM Texaco Cup Orange Dave Brown 0402 868 568 20-21 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by SMFC Shoalhaven Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 20-21 OMAC Annual Banjo Patterson Scale Rally Borenore Steve Smedley 0418 577 834 21 Central Coast Indoor Flying Niagara Park Hank van de Scheur 0417 685 403

March 2021

4-7 Heli Heatwave 2021 ANSW State Field Cootamundra Brendan Tucker 0409 443 495

[email protected] 20 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by RAAFMAC Richmond Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 21 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by CKSMAC Pitt Town Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 21 Central Coast Indoor Flying Niagara Park Hank van de Scheur 0417 685 403 31 to 39th SAM Championships TBA Peter van de 0412 632 470 5 Apr Waterbeemd

April 2021

1-5 MAAA/ANSW Casino Airport Fly In Casino Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 9 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 17-18 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by QMAC Queanbeyan Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 24-25 WMAC WWII & Military Scale event Wagga Wagga Tony McAtamney 0417 294 748

May 2021

15-16 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by SRCS Gunderman Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

June 2021

11 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 12-13 New England SAM Championships Tamworth Garry Whitten 0428 620 358 19-20 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by RFC Hexham Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

July 2021

17-18 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by CVRCMAS Camden Valley Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

August 2021

13 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 14 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by CKSMAC Pitt Town Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793 14-15 TARMAC Scale Rally Tamworth Richard Exler 0438 314882 15 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by RAAFMAC Richmond Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793


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Newsletter 434 – November 2020

September 2021

3-5 SAM Coota Cup Cootamundra Peter Scott 02 9624 1262 18-19 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by GDAA Gunnedah Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

October 2021

8 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440 16-17 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by QMAC Queanbeyan Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

November 2021

6-7 SAM Golden West Old Timer Parkes Peter Smith 0423 452 879 20-21 Precision Aerobatics – hosted by SMFC Shoalhaven Alastair Bennetts 0439 480 793

December 2021

10 Aeromodellers NSW General Mtg TBA Tim Nolan 0412 173 440

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Club News & General Interest Buddy Boxing

While buddy boxing is seen to be a useful tool when instructing new pilots, it can also be a valuable means for pilots of any standard. Buddy boxes provide an excellent safety factor where pilots maybe attempting or perfecting manoeuvres, or simply testing out a new aircraft they aren’t familiar with ie first low wing trainer or warbird. Unfortunately, though Buddy boxes are met with a certain stigma within the modelling fraternity and quite often the use of such systems by experienced pilots is frowned upon by peers. If we change our perceptions around the use of a buddy box and use terminology like Mentor and Mentee, buddy boxing may be seen in a different light. For our aging members who find their reflexes or eyesight to be not quite what they used to be, a mentor and a buddy box may allow them to avoid feeling judged by their peers and allow them to enjoy the hobby longer. It may also mean that model they have will live another day. Instructor Courses Instructor ratings are scheduled to expire as of 30/06/21. Currently 58 out of 273 Instructors have completed their refresher course to date. Those

instructors who have attended a course in 2018, 2019 or 2020 held by George Atkinson are not affected, those who are affected will receive an email shortly. Anyone who is planning not to renew their rating is encouraged to advise me via email. Prior to attending a course, your club must nominate you and forward an email to [email protected] as outlined in the Instructors MOP – 6.4.2 “Instructor trainees shall have some previous instructional experience and be nominated by their club to attend the appropriate training course except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the State SFI”. Courses will be run in locations where a suitable number of Instructors can attend. Ie – 8-12 at Grafton. Due to location and the timeframe left, I will be hoping to complete two courses in the following locations: Northern – Grafton – Date to advised Southern – ANSW State Flying – Muttama Rd Cootamundra – Mid February / March Finally, if any club is willing to host an Instructors course, please contact me.

Brendan Tucker – CFI-ANSW

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Wagga Model Aero Club Military Scale Event Change of Format for 2021

The Wagga Model Aero Club wishes to advise that there will be significant changes to the format for the conduct of the 2021 Military Scale event. Club President Tony McAtamney has advised that the 2021 event, which is to be held over the Anzac Day weekend of Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th April 2021, will not be the same type of competition event as in the past. Next year’s event will not include formal judging for ‘Static Display’. Flight judging will be based on general flying style, not just the usual scale flight manoeuvres. This new format is a major departure from the traditional ‘Scale Judging’ style for this event over the last 46 (continuous) years. Tony said that in the past, the conduct of the event has been very labour-intensive, requiring a lot of manpower to organise and judge the scale components. In recent years, the Club has been really stretched to recruit enough members/manpower to run every aspect of this event which is usually held over a three (3) day period. Club secretary Ian Dolby said that these minor changes will not detract from the high standard of military scale aircraft which have long been the mainstay of this event. Rather, there will now be extra opportunity for the pilots to do more flying in a low-stress competition environment and to show their flying skills without the need to fly specific FAI scale manoeuvres. Ian notes that there will still be plenty of opportunities for pilots to obtain both ‘Static’ and ‘Flying’ judging points during the course of the event. The competitive element will be retained by having judges roving the pit and flying areas, assessing models both on the ground and in the air, for scale appearance, build quality, and flight performance. There will be the usual presentation of Certificates at the end of the meeting for the various classes (scratch/kit and ARF). Model of the Meet award will also be retained and will be judged by all participating pilots. Tony said that the relaxed atmosphere and camaraderie that has traditionally been a feature of this event would be continued. All military scale modellers are invited to attend and enjoy the Wagga Clubs’ hospitality. This event will go ahead as planned, but it will be dependent on Covid-19 restrictions applied by NSW government regulations at the time.

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New South Wales Aerobatic Championship 2020

Hello everyone. The original scheduled weekend for this event was severely affected by local flooding at the Shoalhaven Model Flying Club so a hurried reorganisation was arranged. The Committee and Members at SMFC are sincerely thanked for their generosity in helping us to reschedule to December 4-5. Even then we were faced with a nasty weather forecast for rain, storms and strong winds. Time in the year was running out for holding a Championship so the NSW Pattern Flyers decided to run the event despite the forecast adversity. Guess what, Saturday was a great day, the rain, storms and strong winds did not eventuate! Unfortunately, the forecast had frightened some of the pilots and the entry level was a mere ten. Ten is usually a perfect score in our game but in this case it was pretty disappointing from an organiser and host club point of view. Anyway, those that participated had a great day especially with a little Christmas mood thrown into the mix. Australian Precision Aerobatic classes were represented by pilots in Advanced, Expert and F3A. We flew that order for the whole day and everyone quickly settled into a simple routine of flying calling and judging, gets a little challenging when there are only ten involved but there were no moaners.

The weather naysayers kept talking about the prospect of strong winds, so we continued steadily throughout the day to get as many flights completed as possible. Fortunately, due to everyone’s efforts we achieved four rounds for each class. ADVANCED Sole pilot was Alastair Bennetts from Sydney RCS flying an Abalest from the Dave McFarlane stable of designs and he had the competition won after completing his first manoeuvre! He didn’t stop there though, as he went on to win each of the four Advanced rounds flown. Alastair has become one of the stalwarts of our group and is involved at a committee level, set up level and flying level, so thanks Alastair! Congratulations.

EXPERT Four Pilots participated. Richard Knox (Shoalhaven MFC) flying an electric powered Myra biplane from Europe. Chris Tindall (Sydney RCS) flying an electric powered Tempest from Queensland designer and kit producer John Payne. Brian McFarlane (Shoalhaven MFC) flying the latest Scorpio design by his son David and Gavin Fitz-Henry (Camden Valley RCMAS) flying an Arbalista, also from David Macca.

Tom Collinge – NSWPF

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Flying standard in this group varied considerably. Covid 19 has limited competition exposure for two of this group, namely Richard and Brian but that didn’t affect the results too much as Brian clearly won the class (3068 points) and Richard came second (2953 points) one possible advantage here was that both were flying at their home field. Third was Chris Tindall (2922) and Gavin Fitz-Henry (2813). The total spread of points across the class was 255 which is very close when you consider the number of manoeuvres flown over four rounds and their K Factors. Congratulations Brian! Chris and Gavin spent all their non-flying time in the judges’ chairs so they had a very loooong day! Thanks to them for their huge efforts! F3A Five pilots in this group and it was nice to see Richard Hirst participating especially because we could have a look at his new Angelit Pro aircraft from the Wolfgang Matt design studio. Jason Arnold was also present and flying a newly completed Alchemy Pro from USA designer Brian Hebert. Both models were powered by electric belt reduction drives swinging a single propellor rather than twin prop contra drives, in fact all the F3A models at this competition were using single props! David McFarlane and Bill Garrod were both using Scorpio models designed by David and manufactured by Bill. Both of these models were fitted with upper and lower canalisers which had servo adjusted incidence to create braking in the down lines, Bill’s was very noticeable whereas David’s was more subtle, a very interesting method to achieve consistent up and downline speeds, something normally attributed to contra drive prop systems. Joe Costa flew his own design/kitted Andreas but a huge effort in preparing the field on the previous day probably took the edge off his concentration levels and his scores were not as high as usual. Richard suffered a few “failsafe” interruptions in the morning flight so asked for leave to hurry home and return with a backup model, namely his trusted and very familiar Sensation biplane so his scores were affected by a bad round.

The top four guys were separated by 333 points, David McFarlane 3199, Jason Arnold 2922, Richard Hirst 2910, Bill Garrod 2866 and Joe Costa 2697 Congratulations David!

WRAP UP Wrap up after one day? Yes, that is right! The strong winds did arrive during Saturday night after we had a group dinner at the bowling club. We all gathered at the field Sunday morning with strong winds forcing us to shelter between cars so that we could discuss whether to continue or not (ha ha). Common sense prevailed and it was decided to conclude the event and calculate the results based on the four rounds we had achieved on Saturday. A quick calculation by the laptop showed the results, followed closely by a short presentation to the winners of each class. What a year, all sorts of challenges from January to December, not any different from any other sporting group but ours was made easier by all the great guys and girls who make up our group. Thank you to everyone not only for your participation but for all your help in making the best possible outcome especially over the last six months.

2021 is calling .

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From 'Jofrodis' to ‘Golden Meduza’ Update by JF Jet Studio

After many enjoyable flights with the model, curiosity got hold on and I couldn’t stop myself experimenting further, testing and comparing the

8 to 10S/90 mm power options, alloy modified 8 -10S, Wemotec, current

carbon Jet Fan on 10S and original 8S Metal Mercury

flying performance by installing higher voltage EDF power units. Only minor modifications were required to fit a "JetFan 90", to start, with a powerful HET 40mm, long can 1400kv inrunner, slightly heavier at 85 grams but a shorter shrouded unit, so a new thrust tube had to be rolled out.

New Jet Fan thrust tube roll out

With a 10S voltage upgrade, the 120A, ESC was re-programmed to the new cell count. Selecting the highest C rated packs I had on hand (65+) I hooked up as 6S+4S at 4Ah. Power leads were upgraded to next gauge (up to 12G from 13) with new longer 4mm gold bullet connectors soldered on, due to the rather long wiring from the batteries to the motor. Additional capacitors were placed along

their length, which is my normal practice with very long power leads in order to minimize the voltage spikes created.

New power unit ESC reprogramming

Thanks to the heavier motor at the rear, the 10S packs were moved only slightly forward to establish the correct balance based on the earlier flights. All up weight was up by only 300 grams to 4300. The truth came next, all hooked up for its first test static run with the model attached to the digital pull scale.

Jet Fan 90 static thrust check on 10S.

Result was rather promising after recording about 4.85kg thrust at peak, compared to "Mercury's on

Joseph Frost

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8S" giving 3.75kg. This additional kilogram improvement came at the expected cost of higher current draw 105+A./4000+ Watts, compared to some 80A with the previous set up. At half stick the draw is only 35A so with the smart throttle control the current draw can be managed to make the most of it. So next, off to the strip. A perfect sunny day, light head wind, couldn't ask for better. Loaded and hooked up, with a slight increase in heart rate, off it went following application of full stick. I couldn't believe it, taking only a 10 metre run after a minor bounce from the grassy bump and it was airborne - at safe rotation speed. Certainly a different beast. After climbing to around 50mtrs I settled in for a half dozen or so circuits, playing with the throttle for some impressive low, full speed runs along the strip. Still with its very impressive multi blade (9) turbine sound like, though, lot quieter.

Under the 10S spell

Keeping the flight time very short at 2.5 minutes with a slightly faster landing speed, the first thing was to check the temperature of all power leads, speedy and a lot warmer motor, but still well within the limits. With the 4Ah. set of batteries a 3 min. flight time will be the limit, but with the ample space inside the fuse the larger 5+Ah. packs won't be any issue to fit and fly, even at the heavier wing loading and with the feel of a real model jet. The next few flights, testing heavier Graphene 5Ah. twin 4+6 lipo packs hooked in series the AUW went up a further 245 grams resulting in a slightly longer run to rotate but it didn't seem to affect the performance with nice 3 minute flights coming back at the storage voltage level.

A different beast on 10S in action

Still didn't get a chance to take it to the beach due to the unfavourable conditions but the grass strip I fly off seems to suit the custom built landing gear well, even at the increased model weight, now at just over 4.5 kilograms. A few months of extreme dry conditions makes the well-manicured grass strip nice and firm but taking I took quick advantage of a recent heavy rain forecast and spread 100 kilos of fertilizer over the strip just hours before the deluge, hoping for even nicer surface to fly off in the coming up summer months. PS. After the Wanted listing in "MAS's" last issue, (seem like a great space to advertise) I got my hands on another "Yak-130" 90mm EDF jet. I did some build reviews on these over 3 years ago. I currently fly with an upgrade from the stock 6, to Stumax 8S sound, so it is back on the work bench with regular modification upgrades. But this time I’ll stay with the 6S power set up to compare the two. Stay tuned for the next article on the build and flying experience.

Next to the new copper gilded "Yak-130" project in making

Happy as could be, safe flying and Merry Christmas - PF '21" to all, Joseph Frost

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Event Updates 41st Sailplane Expo – 23rd-25th Jan 21

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ANSW State Field Australia Day Weekend Fly In- 22nd-26th Jan 21

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Heli Heatwave 2021 – 4th-7th Mar 21

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Casino Airport (Richmond Valley) Fly In – 1st-5th Apr 21

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WMAC 47th Military Scale Event – 24th-25th Apr 21

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Wanted

Rossi 65 Helicopter crank shaft, part #16 in Rossi cat. Same size to fit Rossi 60 engine. (Pic.) Old engine in fair condition, an option. Urgent, please contact Frosty, on 0403 116 491 or email [email protected] No text messagesplease!


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Deadline for submissions to Newsletter #436 (February 2021) is

Friday 29th January 2021. Note: there will be no newsletter published in January.

Please forward any changes of mail or email address together with your

AUS Number directly to the Registrar. [email protected]


ContentsDiary NotesContactsGeneral Bi-Monthly Management Committee Meeting MinutesAeromodellers NSW 2020/21 CalendarClub News & General InterestBuddy BoxingWagga Model Aero Club Military Scale Event Change of Format for 2021New South Wales Aerobatic Championship 2020From 'Jofrodis' to ‘Golden Meduza’ Update by JF Jet Studio

Event Updates41st Sailplane Expo – 23rd-25th Jan 21ANSW State Field Australia Day Weekend Fly In- 22nd-26th Jan 21Heli Heatwave 2021 – 4th-7th Mar 21Casino Airport (Richmond Valley) Fly In – 1st-5th Apr 21WMAC 47th Military Scale Event – 24th-25th Apr 21

Wanted

newsletter 435 – december 2020...owen solonov - shmac, tom tobin – rfc, shane mcmillan - shmac,...

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