Archive for June, 2009

The Quick Orange Fox

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Dennis pivoted the wings on carbon fiber rods, rotated by servos.

Dennis pivoted the wings on carbon fiber rods, rotated by servos.


Many of us fly cheap airplanes, but few fly anything as cheap as the Multiplex Fox.

Looking a bit like a scaled-down Multiplex Easy Star, it’s sold as a $15 glider: no motor, no control surfaces. Throw it hard and high and wait for it to come down.

But it looks so much like a small version of the planes we fly that inevitably people began tinkering with it.

Matt Abrams had the first one I saw. His was blue, a work in progress on the day I saw it at the PCC airfield.
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The Enthusiast

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

A novel about a writer who moves through the world of special interests.

A novel about a writer who moves through the world of special interests.


Acrobats, Beekeepers, Campers, Divers, Fossil Hunters, Glass Blowers, Hikers, Kite Flyers, Lego Builders, Model Railroaders, Numismatists, Orchid Growers, Poker Players, Rollerbladers, Skydivers, Tinsmiths, Videographers, Wind Surfers…

We live in a world of enthusiasts, special interests who flock to their own websites, discussion groups, activities and magazines.

My friend Charlie Haas has written a novel, The Enthusiast, about Henry Bay, a writer who works for magazines of this sort. Bay jumps from specialty to specialty, learning the language and meeting the players.
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A Walk in the Park

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

A ground squirrel pulls a stalk of grass near and starts nibbling.

A ground squirrel pulls a stalk of grass near and starts nibbling.


After flying a bit, as the wind rises in late morning I often take a walk around Baylands Park, giving the chargers time to top up batteries while I enjoy the local sights.

Monday I saw lots of California Ground Squirrels, Spermophilus beecheyi, harvesting and eating seeds from tall stalks of grass.

Spermophilus, their genus name, means “lover of seeds.”

They sat upright, grabbing stalks and pulling them close to nibble the seeds.

They were so intent on feeding that they let me get close with my camera.
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New Birds

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Frank checks out the landing gear, his favorite feature.

Frank checks out the landing gear, his favorite feature.


The other day, Frank D arrived at Baylands carrying a new work in progress, a flying fire engine.

It’s a handsome scratch-built twin-engine OV-10 Bronco, all dressed up as a fire-fighting plane used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Frank admired the plane at a recent airshow, so he bought a small non-flying model and scaled it up into something that will someday fly.

His favorite feature is the retractable landing gear, three rubber wheels which bounce on spring-damped shock absorbers.
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