Club harkens back to · PUB.COM /,/ JAN, 24. 2O1O Club harkens back to By Adam Zewe...
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WWW.COMMUNITY PUB.COM /,/ JAN,24. 2O1O Club harkens back to By Adam Zewe [email protected] The eanary yellow airplane glides in a smooth circle, pickingup speed as it gently dips its nose and begins its de- scent, But lheret no rloray in sight. The plane, a model powered solely by a lone rubber band, is coming in to land on the floor of the grmnasium inside the Hockessin Police Athletic League. It's ar example of indoor freeflight model airplane flying, a pastime made popular in the t93os during the Golden Age ofFlight and resurrected today by a group of Hockessin enthusiasts. They cali it freeflight because the pilot has no control over the plane once it iakes off, erdained Newt Bollinger of Little Falis !1llage. Each airplane, painstakingly built from balsa u'ood and tissue paper. is powered by a propeller that is attached to a tightly coiled rubber band that un- winds to spin the propeller and mor.e the plane, he said. But a pilot must prepare the plane to fly a certain way before it talies offin a process called trimming, elplained Hockessin resident Eric Teden Trimming involves tu'isting, turning or bend.ing the plane]s wings, tail and rudder so that it flies in a circle once it's released in the air. he said. less it smacks into the rlall mid-flight. For an avelage one-minute flight in- side :he gym, the band must be rvound _ "It! realiy all exaer- Z age flane uses less irnentation," Teder 'k ihan a dollar,s *orth said. ltlotofleo- qb i ofmaterials. ::""f"'Jffi:;ffT *|'1 .J"ffx,1","":' bavealotoffun Y \ undeistandingof t4ing to soh'e ^,& ' ,t phl'sics and aTair problems.-. . *Q & imount of parience lnm a plane tlle r to enjol.fieeflight as *rong way and it'll a hobbii Bolling'er crash into the ground said. Hsrvas firsl in- shortly after takeoffor .terested in the hobby as soar too high into the air a child in the lg8os r*-hen so itstalls, he said. he built planes out ofsticks But he said there is anoiher ele- and tissue paper, but uithout much ment to freeilyilg that makes the hobby success, he said, challengr-ng_: the motor. He picked the hobby up again 60 - Instead-of being powered by a pair of years later while livini in:fl;rida. doubleAbatteries, these planes flyby ForTeder, flight haJalways been a.n rubber band,-so maJring sure that band interest * frornlhe time he Luilt piastic is the p-roper iength and width is vital to airplane models as a child to todiy-, an airplaaet flying time, he said. when he is an internationai pilot ior Pilots use a device that resembles a Continental Airlines. -r;-: ':i '"1 HOBBY Indoor Freefl agtrt llemonsHion WIfAT Expert flyers will show and explain freeflight model airplanes WHEN Thursday, Jan. 28 from 1l:3O a.m.to 1p.m. IYHEREHockessinPolice Athletic League. 7259 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin FOR MORE INFORMATION call 3O2-239-8861 ''' 't, ... : a . counts Xhe Dumber of winds, instead of twisting it each time with his fingers. "The gu,vsrvho fly for an hour are real seientists about it," Teder said. Theret also science involved in build- iag the planes, he said. They must be ex- tremely light to fly-, Teder said, aad some ofthe planes they use weigh less than 4 grams (there are 28 graJns in an ounce). To build it light, each piece ofbalsa wood must be cut thin and a builder must use as litlie giue as possible, he *When you're trying to build an air- piane that *'eighs a gram and a hal{, glue is heavy,'he said. Howevel the chalienge of build- ing iight pianes also makes freeflying a cheap hobby, Bollinser said" An aver inger said" An aver- e plane uses less just as rewarding, he said. sL 6 re\r"ar0lng, ne sald. "There's something magical about a 1,5OO to 1,8OO times-, Bollinger said. But rvith no other input, lnere s sometnrng maglcal aboul r-ubber band model flying in a circle rvith no other input," Teder said. "Tl "There's ffi .d&* e.l:; "72':9" t11\ /:a:tt i:i,. Ytt ucf slnps rlto mluler pteces, tecer said. The number of winds determines freeflight plane is starkly diferent from miniature spaghetti malter to grind mb- And though flying a quarter-ounce ber sirips into thinner pieces, Teder freeflieht plane is stlarkliv diferent frc said. The number of winds determines piloting a 646,OOo-pound BoeingZTT, ll::.1',:,q,.ry el*:,win flll h9 :ai+ : yn- seeing the model ciriling. theceiiing is TOP Pl.A-ltlE: A freeflight model plane soars near the rafters of the grn. ABOVE: Newt Bollinger, of Little Falls village, winds a rubber band that win firver his yefiow tre€ flight model. LEFT: For a flight inside the gym, a ptane's motor is bpicallf - '- ' wourd L,sOO to 1900 times" ADAM zFwr pHorcs '!1.i_:4ar:.;:1,:,a.-;t_:rt:3)ar:r.r:,a:zj:ai.ar..l1ra?,r.!_{??ir.; €a.?a:*}ta.l_+ he uses a special tooi with a crank that something old forld about it..
Transcript of Club harkens back to · PUB.COM /,/ JAN, 24. 2O1O Club harkens back to By Adam Zewe...
WWW.COMMUNITY PUB.COM /,/ JAN, 24. 2O1O
C lub harkens back to
By Adam [email protected]
The eanary yellow airplane glides in asmooth circle, pickingup speed as itgently dips its nose and begins its de-scent,
But lheret no rloray in sight.The plane, a model powered solely by
a lone rubber band, is coming in to landon the floor of the grmnasium inside theHockessin Police Athletic League.
It's ar example of indoor freeflightmodel airplane flying, a pastime madepopular in the t93os during the GoldenAge ofFlight and resurrected today by agroup of Hockessin enthusiasts.
They cali it freeflight because the pilothas no control over the plane once itiakes off, erdained Newt Bollinger ofLittle Falis !1llage.
Each airplane, painstakingly builtfrom balsa u'ood and tissue paper. ispowered by a propeller that is attachedto a tightly coiled rubber band that un-winds to spin the propeller and mor.ethe plane, he said.
But a pilot must prepare the plane tofly a certain way before it talies offin aprocess called trimming, elplainedHockessin resident Eric Teden
Trimming involves tu'isting, turningor bend.ing the plane]s wings, tailand rudder so that it flies in acircle once it's released inthe air. he said.
less it smacks into the rlall mid-flight.For an avelage one-minute flight in-
side :he gym, the band must be rvound
_ "It! realiy all exaer- Z age flane uses lessirnentation," Teder 'k ihan a dollar,s *orthsaid. ltlotofleo- qb i
ofmaterials.
::""f"'Jffi:;ffT *|'1 .J"ffx,1","":'bavealotof fun Y \ undeistandingoft4ing to soh'e ^,& ' ,t phl'sics and aTairproblems.-. . *Q & imount of parience
lnm a plane tlle r to enjol.fieeflight as*rong way and it'll a hobbii Bolling'ercrash into the ground said. Hsrvas firsl in-shortly after takeoffor .terested in the hobby assoar too high into the air a child in the lg8os r*-henso itstalls, he said. he built planes out ofsticks
But he said there is anoiher ele- and tissue paper, but uithout muchment to freeilyilg that makes the hobby success, he said,challengr-ng_: the motor. He picked the hobby up again 60-
Instead-of being powered by a pair of years later while livini in:fl;rida.doubleAbatteries, these planes flyby ForTeder, flight haJalways been a.nrubber band,-so maJring sure that band interest * frornlhe time he Luilt piasticis the p-roper iength and width is vital to airplane models as a child to todiy-,an airplaaet flying time, he said. when he is an internationai pilot ior
Pilots use a device that resembles a Continental Airlines.
-r;-:':i '"1
HOBBY
Indoor Freefl agtrt llemonsHionWIfAT Expert flyers will show andexplain freeflight model airplanesWHEN Thursday, Jan. 28 from1l:3O a.m. to 1p.m.IYHERE Hockessin Police AthleticLeague. 7259 Lancaster Pike,HockessinFOR MORE INFORMATIONcall 3O2-239-8861
'' ' ' t , . . . : a .
counts Xhe Dumber of winds, instead oftwisting it each time with his fingers.
"The gu,vs rvho fly for an hour are realseientists about it," Teder said.
Theret also science involved in build-iag the planes, he said. They must be ex-tremely light to fly-, Teder said, aad someofthe planes they use weigh less than 4grams (there are 28 graJns in an ounce).
To build it light, each piece ofbalsawood must be cut thin and a buildermust use as litlie giue as possible, he
*When you're trying to build an air-piane that *'eighs a gram and a hal{,glue is heavy,'he said.
Howevel the chalienge of build-ing iight pianes also makes
freeflying a cheap hobby,Bollinser said" An averinger said" An aver-
e plane uses less
just as rewarding, he said.sL 6 re\r"ar0lng, ne sald."There's something magical about a
1,5OO to 1,8OO times-, Bollinger said. But rvith no other input,
lnere s sometnrng maglcal aboulr-ubber band model flying in a circlervith no other input," Teder said. "Tl"There's
ffi.d&*
e.l:; "72':9"t11\ /:a:tt
i:i,. Ytt
ucf slnps rlto mluler pteces, tecersaid. The number of winds determines
freeflight plane is starkly diferent fromminiature spaghetti malter to grind mb- And though flying a quarter-ounceber sirips into thinner pieces, Teder freeflieht plane is stlarkliv diferent frcsaid. The number of winds determines piloting a 646,OOo-pound BoeingZTT,ll::.1',:,q,.ry el*:,win flll h9 :ai+ : yn- seeing the model ciriling. the ceiiing is
TOP Pl.A-ltlE: A freeflight model plane soars near the rafters of the grn. ABOVE:Newt Bollinger, of Little Falls village, winds a rubber band that win firver his yefiowtre€flight model. LEFT: For a flight inside the gym, a ptane's motor is bpicallf
- '- 'wourd L,sOO to 1900 times" ADAM zFwr pHorcs
'!1. i_:4ar: . ; :1, : ,a.- ; t_:r t :3)ar:r .r : ,a:zj :ai .ar. . l1ra?,r. !_{??ir . ;€a.?a:*}ta. l_+
he uses a special tooi with a crank that something old forld about it..
