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The Fish Plane

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

Fish Plane

I’ve started building a plane for rainy-day flying. Instead of a balsa skeleton, I’m using fish bones. Covering is yellow oilcloth.

Battery and all electronics are potted in epoxy, finished with four coats of spar varnish.

Flying Fish
Not sure what to do about wings. Need a good photo of a flying fish.

Instead of an airplane prop, I’m using a three-bladed boat prop on a very long shaft, with the motor buried in a waterproof compartment in the gizzard of the fish.

It’ll probably be heavy, but it might keep me flying in these nasty rainstorms.

Posted in Baylands | 5 Comments »

Keeping Your Hands Warm

Sunday, December 23rd, 2007

Hand Dryer

Credit Dave North with this Baylands Cold Weather Survival Technique: Between flights, treat your hands to a quick warming session under the hand dryer in the public restroom.

Gloves blunt the chill, but they blur the feel of your transmitter sticks. And handwarmers, such as those used by Crazy Ted, require forethought and a small investment.

But the blower is free, always waiting for another pair of cold mitts.

Posted in Baylands | 5 Comments »

Seduced by Boats: How We Lost Bob

Sunday, December 9th, 2007

Bob Unloading

Bob Schleimer is telling me how he got involved in boats. “I moved to Fremont in 1980,” he says. “I had a garage full of planes because I’d been flying since I was 12 years old.

“A neighbor comes by one day, sees the planes and says, ‘Hey, man. You’ve got to get a boat so we can race!’

“He was building a boat at the time. I say, ‘No—I’m just interested in planes.’ But he persists, and he drags me to the hobby store where he bought his boat.

“Next thing I know, I’ve spent about a thousand dollars and I own all the stuff you need to race boats, including a monohull boat with a .21 engine.

(more…)

Posted in Elsewhere | 6 Comments »

The Nature of Our Addiction

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Michael Stewart

Some guys like speed. Their idea of a good time is a flash in the sky, a roar between the ears, a rush of adrenalin, a high number.

When they crash, they come down hard.

Their flights are short but they don’t care. They’re in love with the hurry.

Others like it slow. Their flights are quiet. They last a while.

Some weave patterns in the sky, getting off on precision. Their lines don’t rise, droop or sag. Their squares and circles are pure Plato.

(more…)

Posted in Baylands | 5 Comments »

Free-Range Professors

Sunday, November 4th, 2007

Diploma

As I’m pulling a battery out of a plane, getting ready to charge it, Dwight is telling me about his diffraction grating project.

“My plan is to use a computer to drive an ultra-high-resolution plotter,” says Dwight, “then I’ll photo etch that image onto a sheet of reflective Mylar.”

Usually I manage my role in exchanges of this sort with cyclical sounds of agreement and understanding. “Uh huh.” Wait 30 seconds. “That’s interesting.” Another interval. “Wow.” Iterate.

(more…)

Posted in Baylands | 4 Comments »

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