Model Airplanes

If you’ve ever wanted to create scale plastic models, a good place to start would be the “Welcome to Scale Modeling” presentation  tonight at the Edwardsville Public Library. 

It starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

For the 90 minutes or so that follow, Richard Keasey and two members of the Gateway Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers’ Society will introduce the basics of scale modeling and help visitors get started on building an F4U-1 Corsair. 

The fighter bomber aircraft flew extensively in World War II and the Korean War. It was later popularized in the 1970s TV series “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” which was based loosely on U.S. Marine Corps aviator Greg “Pappy” Boyington and a band of talented misfit pilots who became the terrors of the South Pacific.

Keasey, who lives in Edwardsville, is a retired Air Force veteran who created his first scale plastic model – a car – around the age of 7. It was given to him for his birthday, and his recollection of that first attempt was that it involved “glue everywhere” and resulted in “a disaster when I was done.”

Keasey was raised in Ohio. His early forays into scale modeling included “just about anything,” he says. Then he discovered World War II armor, particularly those of the Germans who  “had cool stuff

Article source: http://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Library-to-host-program-on-scale-plastic-modeling-11283291.php

The recent announcement from JetBlue Technology Ventures and Boeing that they’re funding Zunum, a startup developing an electric regional plane, has garnered excited reactions from the public and media alike. Everyone is searching for whoever will make the “Tesla of the skies,” a fully electric plane to traverse the world.

But this may not arrive as soon as we’d like and the challenges along the way vary from manufacturers to basic aircraft design.

More Electric Versus Full Electric

So far in the aviation world, the manufacturing focus has been on making airplanes more electric, transferring as many supporting functions to electric power as possible rather than making the entire aircraft fueled by electricity.

Thus in newer aircraft systems like air conditioning, cabin pressure, and de-icing, which typically uses the heated air from the engines, are all powered by electricity. However, more systems can be switched to electric powered to optimize on fuel consumption. One of these options is adding an electric motor for the purpose of taxing.

Currently, airplanes utilize their main engines to drive around and airports runway system, from gate to lift off and back again. For short-haul planes that make frequent flights, up to 10  in a single day, and can spend an average 2.3 hours taxiing, this practice squanders fuel resources. With an electric motor powering the wheels during ground operations, airlines could save around 4% in fuel use.

Another set of functions where electricity could be

Article source: http://trendintech.com/2017/07/11/when-your-next-flight-will-be-on-an-electric-airplane/

GOSHEN — The Fifth Annual Air Supremacy radio-controlled air show has moved to the Goshen Municipal Airport this year and will take place Thursday through Saturday.

Elkhart’s municipal airport hosted the event for the first four years.

Air Supremacy co-founder RJ Monroe said the Goshen airport is a “neat place” for radio-controlled aircraft pilots to fly and for spectators to watch.

“It’s a major change for us,” Monroe said Tuesday. “The flying site and Goshen airport ended up being so much better for our event.”

The air show will feature replicas from both World War eras, along with Piper Cub scale planes and military-style turbine jets. More than 250 aircraft will also be on display. Monroe said more than 100 R/C pilots have registered for the event from all across the Midwest.

Monroe expects as many as 125 pilots to be registered by the time of the event. He is estimating attendance will be between 1,500 and 2,000 people, which he would consider a successful air show.

Airport manager Randy Sharkey said the grass runway will be closed for the event, but the main runway will remain open. Otherwise, he expects it to be business as usual at the airport for the three days during the air show.

“We’re just excited to be able to host it,” Sharkey said. “We have a great layout for the R/C show.”

Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said in a statement he was excited to hear Air Supremacy was coming to the local airport this year.

“Our city has so much to offer and

Article source: http://www.goshennews.com/news/r-c-air-show-coming-to-goshen/article_334e4a6c-1e01-5345-969a-f2bf76d343e2.html

Nothing stays the same. Things change. Things evolve. Then again, sometimes things simply explode into new dimensions and new challenges to survival. Identifying emerging disruptive trends well in advance – boldly and regardless of accepted wisdom – is what separates long term successful companies from history-book has-beens.

Let’s Consider The Example of The Dinosaurs. Yes, they ultimately went 86, but the fact is that they were highly successful creatures in their time.

For millions of years they flourished, adapting to change, until at some point, an episodic event or series of events – supposedly hits from giant meteors that poisoned the atmosphere or blocked out the sun – changed their environment so rapidly that they had no time to evolve and adjust.

Poof! Gone.

Now, Let’s Consider U.S. Airlines. They may want to consider the dynamics that these big lizards faced.

US airlines overall are now successful businesses with strong management. They are now in a relatively stable competitive environment. Traditional industry analysts see no major upheavals on the horizon, save the usual hand-wringing about shifts in revenue-per-mile, and occasional heartburn over labor agreements.  Oil prices are not a real threat. Capacity control is rational. “Turf” issues between airlines – give or take an occasional regional squabble – are pretty much settled.

All seems well in the airline industry. Nothing disruptive, right?

Apparently, nobody has yet noticed the economic meteors hurtling in, fixing to fundamentally change the airline business environment.

Even if the fallout isn’t yet obvious, several industry-changing meteors have already impacted. Unnoticed on Wall Street and

Article source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeboyd/2017/07/10/the-airline-industry-a-new-disruptive-economic-model-is-emerging/

By Guido Terzo

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 | 2 a.m.

These days, drones are everywhere — in the news, on television and in the skies above Nevada. Many people are flying recreational unmanned aircraft, often referred to as “drones,” for the first time. And as Congress considers reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration, it’s important that it takes a close look at the educational programs that community-based organizations like the Academy of Model Aeronautics provide.

I’m one of 1,785 AMA members in Nevada and almost 200,000 members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the largest organization of model aircraft enthusiasts in the world. Flying model aircraft has been a part of my life since I was 24 years old, when I learned to fly model airplanes while serving in the U.S. Air Force. I joined my first AMA club in 1974 and have enjoyed flying ever since.

Since its founding in 1936, the AMA has been committed to educating members and those new to the hobby on how to fly model aircraft and drones safely and in the right places, through a community-based set of safety guidelines. AMA’s decades of experience have shown that the best way to promote safety isn’t to impose new regulations on recreational users; it’s to educate them about best practices and safe operation.

Safe flying includes following the safety guidelines developed by community-based organizations like the AMA. The community-based set of safety guidelines that AMA provides helps all enthusiasts ensure that they’re flying where and how they should

Article source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/jul/11/be-safe-drone-pilots/

Meet Captain Jack Lewis.

The 72-year-old pilot is the chairman of Dreams and Wings, a local nonprofit organization that works with special needs children and their families to give them a flight experience they will always remember.

The organization held one if its popular flight day events on Saturday, July 8, at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, where about 30 kids and family members were treated to free flights over Oakland County.

For some of the day’s participants, it was their first time flying.