Archive for September, 2008

Fair Warning

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

Keep Your Distance. You don’t want to come near Mike Nadler’s charging station.

You don’t want to come near Mike Nadler’s charging station.

It’s neater than it used to be, but Mike Nadler’s battery charging setup does not invite casual exploration.

At his request, I made a warning sign to repel curious passers-by. I borrowed language from a recent post on Gizmodo, because it sounds like something Mike would say.

If you have difficulty reading the small print in the picture, here’s the big version:

DANGER
DO NOT TOUCH
Not only will this kill you, it will hurt the whole time you’re dying.

Scary, isn’t it?

Scary, isn’t it?

Dublin Mêlée: The Movie

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Eight wings roughhouse in the air over Dublin.

Eight wings roughhouse in the air over Dublin.

I could’ve sworn that Larry Smith was flying the whole time we were in Dublin, but somehow he grabbed enough time to shoot a movie of the fracas.

To see his work, grab a box of popcorn and go here. (Eat fast, though: it’s only one minute long.)

Donnybrook in Dublin

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Boomer Butch, right foreground, flanked by Baylands flyers.

Doing Battle. Boomer Butch, right foreground, flanked by Baylands flyers.

Seven Baylands flyers traveled to Dublin, CA, Saturday morning to mix it up with four local Boomer pilots.

The Boomer is the creation of Boomer Butch, who cut down a Wild Wing, added a nose and tail with elevator and produced a highly acrobatic combat vehicle.

Led by Dave North’s analysis, we’ve simplified Butch’s design by eliminating the tail and elevator and added very efficient motors swinging 5-inch props.

Kevin Chin coordinated the event. Other participating local pilots were Butch, Paul Viscovich and Darren Sorce.

Baylands flyers were Dave North, Akkana Peck, Bruce Crawford, Larry Smith, Frank D, Mike Nadler and me. Chris Crawford came to watch and took most of the pictures you see here.

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Happy “Talk Like a Pirate Day”!

Friday, September 19th, 2008

I’m looking forward to visiting Baylands today and hearing everyone celebrate this special holiday, popularized by Dave Barry.

As for me, I can manage an “Arrr” or two, but that’s the extent of my pirate vocabulary.

For next year, I’ll try to find a stuffed parrot to mount on the shoulder of my flying vest.

Here’s my one attempt at writing like a pirate: Killer Yuke: A Halloween Story.

Taming Servo Leads

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Nasty little wires terminated in nasty little pins

Nasty little wires terminated in nasty little pins

Servo wires are small — 24 gauge is typical — and the pins that crimp to their ends are fragile.

So when I’m confronted with a servo lead that’s too long — this happens often — I usually ignore the problem and wad the extra wire at one end or the other.

If the lead is too short, I use a servo extension: convenient, but it adds weight and it’s never exactly the right length.

I’ve tried shortening the wires and crimping on new connectors, and I’ve botched the job badly.

How many ways can you waste a servo pin?

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