This month’s column spotlights a youth event that the Newton Area Radio Control Club (NARCC) in Newton, Kansas, designed. Club President Terry Wiggers reports:
In August, the Newton Area Radio Control Club hosted three evening sessions to assist Boy Scout Troop 494 of Valley Center, Kansas, in fulfilling the requirements to obtain the Scouting Aviation Merit Badge. Seven of our members created three nights of training, tailoring their presentations to cover the requirements of the merit badge.
On evening one, Scouts rotated through eight different sessions. At each station, our club’s team members shared information by using tools such as RC airplanes, helicopters, transmitters, mock-up models, different kinds of motors, computer- generated slides, pictures, posters, and other media concerning aviation in general.
The second evening continued with more information about AMA and the model aviation hobby. Several RC models were on display. Each Scout then participated in building a Delta Dart rubber band aircraft. While the glue was drying on the Darts, each Scout made their own FPG-9 glider. In the flyoff session that followed, we taught flight controls. They explored ailerons and rudder adjustments to change flight characteristics.
Evening three was at the Newton City/County Airport. There, they met with two of our club members who own a beautiful 1946 Ercoupe. They were able to sit in the cockpit, and our guys explained the instrumentation and controls.
The Scouts were then a part of the preflight inspection, including an explanation of control- surface functions. With the engine cowling removed, they learned about the repair and maintenance that is required on the engine. This included inspections and the logbook records that are required for owning a full-scale aircraft.After that part of the session, the Scouts then toured the airport, runways, and terminal
The seven club members who tutored the Scouts all remarked that it was a rewarding experience and how the youthful enthusiasm of the kids rubbed off on them. We received many compliments from the Scouts, troop leaders, and the Scouts’ parents.
NARCC offered the Scouts, leaders, and parents the opportunity in the future to have an introductory flight experience using the club’s instructor pilots. Several have voiced interest in trying an RC introductory flight.
I’ve shown Tom Pekarna’s intricate work on small models before. Here are his latest two Peanut Scale models that have been converted into three-axis RC models using components from ultralightweight ARFs. In the first photo, Tom is holding a Mr. Mulligan, and the second photo is of a de Havilland Beaver on floats. Getting rudder, elevator, and ailerons in a model of that size is beyond my skill level. Tom is a part of the Propbusters RC Club in Rapid City, South Dakota.