The Piper Cubs are a common sight at the RC field. They are also a part of the model inventory of most RC modelers. Here is a picture of a well built Cub at the field this morning. The owner of this model also flies real-world Cubs and flew this model real scale.
CPJ
There were many warbirds at the RC field this morning. Some of them are featured in the picture below. Spitfires, Mustangs, P-51… and more. The level of detail in some of these scale aircraft is striking. The pilot figures, gauges… even the rivets are detailed out. Its a joy just looking at these models. The effort put into building them shows on them. Not to mention the gasoline engines that power these war era favorites.
CP Jois
Last week, I had the opportunity to fly the Diamond DA-40 airplane. The plane was similar and different from the airplane I fly regularly – the Piper Archer II. Most different was the move from steam gauges to a glass cockpit. This is more of a mindset shift. The Garmin 1000, G1000 as it is typically called, is a fabulous innovation. I have used it before on simulators but this was the first time I had used it in real-world aviation.
Being a technologist, I am throughly impressed by what it offers. I also think that in a typical flight, one perhaps uses a tenth of what the G1000 can do. The increase in situational awareness is tenfold. Between cohesive situational awareness, traffic warnings, NexRad radar, NAV overlays…and a lot more, the AHRS is a superior form of addressing safety in the 3 dimensional space of aviation.
All this said, G1000 is also not for someone to simply get into one day and go out flying while learning it on the fly. The G1000 is not another set of gauges. Its a mindset shift. You read and absorb information differently. You assimilate and act differently. It is NOT merely a set of traditional gauges put on a glass interface. It can be cause overwhelm if not treated with respect. Its easy to get caught up in using the knobs and trying to skim through the various pages on the G1000 while in flight. Training for using it is important. The instrumentation is very different. It is easy to see the impact such technology bears on human factors.
All that said, one does goes through a set of mixed feelings when making this shift to glass interfaces. Flying the Diamond, I somewhat missed the old fashioned 6-pack gauges that essentially inspired my love for airplanes. I worry that some day all airplanes will be fitted with these glass displays and the old gauges will be gone forever. Those gauges speak a story – the story describing the historic evolution of aviation. Would never want to lose them….
CPJ
The Curtiss Jenny served as a trainer for over 95% of the WWI pilots. It was first put into production in 1915. They also were the early choice for mail delivery. Many of these were sold in the post war market for very little.
I came across a very nice story of one of these planes that went through a restoration recently. Dorian Walker, a filmmaker by profession, got associated with the restoration of a Curtiss Jenny by virtue of being in the right place at the right time. Of course, his decision turned out to be more valuable than he would have ever thought at that moment in time. The story in EAA’s Sport Aviation magazine is an inspiration to aviators. Historic aircraft have a special place. The Jenny, as it was called in the US, is a forerunner in its league. With a 6500 foot ceiling, a 90hp motor and a top speed of 75 mph, the aircraft did wonders. Read the story in EAA’s June 2015 edition. More on this project found at ‘Friends of Jenny’ website
An interesting piece of trivia – the Jenny had no brakes nor a tailskid. It had tip skids that helped minimize the impact on touchdown.
CPJ
flying over Utah… the sun breaks through a squall line that had just gone through the area.
Or so I would like to believe… once too often, I have started to think this way early in March because of a single warm week and then found the cold to return and linger on until June!
My optimistic side tells me that its time to shift gears and move from being indoors on the flight simulator to model airplanes and some real flying. That means it time to get the planes out of storage, ready them up for flight. The models need to be inspected for any damage from storage or handling. I would also give the engines a start and run them up to ensure that they run as well as they did the last season. A thorough check across the entire plane is also a good practice to follow.
Expect to see posts and pix on RC models for the next few months…
CPJ
