News Archive
Traffic problems getting to Midland Scale event on Aug 8th
29/07/2010
The scale fly in clashes with Tullamore show on August 8th. Consider taking an alterative route if you are approaching Kilcormack from the Tullamore side.
The show grounds are roughly between Tullamore and Kilcormack. Click here for website giving exact location.
Royal County change date of heli event
28/07/2010
The date of the Helicopter Competition and Fly-In scheduled for August 14th has been postponed to October 2nd.
Venue and time remain the same.
Council Meeting date changed to Sept 28th.
26/07/2010
Note due to unforseen circumstances the meeting of the council has been changed from Sept 21st to September 28th.
Venue and time remain the same.
Don't Miss the Laois Scale Champs - 24/25 July
21/07/2010
Last of the Summer Wine, and please remember to attend the Laois Scale Champs this week-end, your last chance for a competition before the Nationals in September this year.
We have lined up for you some locally sourced great food, endless tea, coffee and biscuits to keep the hunger at bay.
Add to this the magnetic company of the Laois crew who are always glad to see you, huge car parking area, ease of access and hey presto you have the ingredients of a super day for scale flying.
The weather is a bit dodgy, but Met Eireann reckon, so far, the high pressure is nudging up from the South and should clear the rain for Saturday. As before, should the Met services have gotten it wrong and which isn't a rare occurrence, then we will fly on the Sunday, weather permitting !!. Again, if in doubt check with Paul on this Friday after 6pm, his number 087 1331736, and check the MACI website.
The hard bits. Registration on Saturday for 9.00am, pilot briefing 9.20am and get flying for 9.30am.
See you there. Your Scale Secretary.
Laois Scale Fly In on Sunday 11th July
09/07/2010
At Laois MAC, Clondouglas, Portlaoise. Please, please attend and make it a great day for Scale.
Make sure you are familiar with the new road layout, and see our Laois webpage for information or contact Paul.
The Met Eireann forecast, so far, seems OK for this Sunday. Should the forecast change drastically then I will do my best to e-mail, and suggest you keep in touch. Should you have any doubts or queries then please contact Paul 087 1331736 for friendly help and advice !!
Report & photos from Leinster Scale Champs 26 June 2010
04/07/2010
Report and photos now on line from Leinster Scale Championships held June 26, 2010. Click here.
REMINDER TO ALL SCALE PILOTS - SIZZLING SCALE DATES AHEAD
03/07/2010
Sunday 11th July 2010. Scale Fly In at Portlaoise and look forward to seeing you there. Check Laois MAC webpage for map and directions for those coming off the motorway or not familiar with the new entry point.
Saturday 24th July 2010. Laois Scale Champs, Portlaoise. This may well be the last competition before the Nationals in September, and your last chance to hone your flying skills before then. Food, good prizes and great company on day. Make it a date and make Scale your number one.
Alway check for weather updates on the Friday before and or contact Paul 087 1331736
Reminder - Leinster Scale Champs 26 June
21/06/2010
Leinster Scale Champs take place at Portlaoise this week-end the 26th/27th June 2010. Registration for F4C, Clubmans and Novice - 09.00hrs, Pilot Briefing - 09.20hrs and First Flight - 09.30hrs on Saturday the 26th June. Static Judging for F4C is also planned for this day.
NOTE : In the event of a large number of competitors or a bad weather forecast for Saturday the 26th June, then the Champs will transfer over to theSunday. Please check with the contacts below, or the MACI website on Friday the 25th June that the competition and Static Judging is going ahead and or other query. Hope to see you all there.
Paul Fetherstonhaugh: 087-1331736 or Steve Elster: 086-4061822
Links to World Scale Champs and European Aerobatics Champs
16/06/2010
World Scale Champs in Poland website can be accessed here or on the MACI Links page.
European Aerobatics Champs in Austria website can be accessed here on on the MACI Links page.
Leinster R/C Aerobatics champs venue change for 19/20 June
14/06/2010
Please note that the Leinster radio control aerobatic championships scheduled for 19/20 June have been moved to the Model County club site in Wexford instead of the Midlands Club in Offaly.
Weather forecast makes Midland Scale event a Sunday only one
28/05/2010
Because of the bad weather promised for Saturday 29th May the Competition will only be held on Sunday 30th May at 9.00 am.
Reminder - Static scale judging for F4C
26/05/2010
Should you have missed the judgng session for F4C held at Portlaoise on the 8th May last, THEN please note another slot is available to have your scale model judged at Laois MAC, Portlaoise on Saturday the 26th June 2010, which date combines with the Leinster Scale Champs.
2010 Scale Events - First reports and photos of the season now available
26/05/2010
Report and photos from Scale Judges Course April 10, 2010. Click here.
Report and photos from Laois Scale Fly-In April 25, 2010. Click here.
Report and photos from Midland Scale Competition May 30, 2010. Click here.
3DX Tractor !
12/05/2010
Two young lads from Letterkenny Model Flying Club Christopher Kilpatrick & Shane McGirr are heading from Donegal to Waterford by Tractor to compete in the 3DX heli competition.
Both are excellent model pilots and Shane won the competition last year in Craigavon and Christopher is hoping to do the same this year.
Not having a lift to Waterford was not going to stop them going, so as Christopher only presently has an agricultural vehicle licence, they decided they would make the trip themselves no matter how long it takes !
A friend has give them the use of a 05 John Deere which can do a breath taking 42 KmPH so they recon they will do it in 10hrs, burning about 100gallon of diesel for the return trip ! !
They are Thursday (May 13) morning around 6am and taking the route of Ballybofey, Donegal town, Sligo, Boyle, Roscommon, Athlone, Ballinahown, Ferbane, Cloghan, Birr, Roscrea, Templemore, Thurles, Fethard, Kilsheelan, hoping to be at the 3DX venue around 6 or 7pm. So if you are near the route keep an eye out for a Galway registered Green John Deere tractor towing a Horse box (accommodation and model storage).
You can see the route on google maps on the link below, you need to click the box at top of screen to show the map rather than the txt. I will try to keep an update on where they are throughout the day on the news page on our website www.letterkennymodelflyingclub.com.
Static Scale Judging date change
15/04/2010
Note that date for Static Scale judging has been moved from April 25th to May 8th. Venue Clondouglas, Portlaoise and starting time 11am
Scale Reminders
15/04/2010
Remider for Scale Association AGM in Weston on Saturday April 24th.
Laois Scale Fly-in - Portlaoise Sunday April 25th
Upcoming Scale Judges Course Sat 10th April
30/03/2010
REMINDER. Scale Judges course will take place on Saturday the 10th April 2010 at the Maldron Hotel, Portlaoise. Start time is 9.30am sharp with break for coffee/tea and biscuits at 11.15 am. After lunch, we head off to the Portlaoise flying field (weather permitting) for flight demonstrations and judging criteria. A good line up of speakers who are very familiar with their subject will attend. The course is a must for clubs participating in competition this year. See you there.
Paul Fetherstonhaugh, on behalf of the Scale Association and MACI (087 1331736).
Affiliation fees for 2010/11 are now due -- Reduced by €5 per member
02/03/2010
To help with the recession, all membership fes for 2010/11 have been reduced by €5 per person. Click here for a full list of fees.
These should be paid to your club treasurer as soon as possible to allow him to reaffiliate the club by the middle of March, ensuring you receive your new membership card before the expiry of your current one.
If you are affiliated as a non-club member, then you should complete an affiliation form and return it directly to MACI treasurer.
Contest Director and Examiner Courses
01/03/2010
Courses for A/B cert examiners and contest directors are being held in March.
Both are in the Kelleshin Hotel Portlaoise on Saturday 27th March. The examiner course at 11 am and the contest director course at 2 pm.
Please be sure to attend these if you are a prospective examiner or contest director or if you are currently qualified and your qualification is near expiring.
Remember if you are a club official and are planning on holding a contest during 2010, you need a qualified contest director to get MACI sanction and funding.
Similarly any club wishing to hold A/B cert exams during 2010 need at least two quialified examiners to do so.
Note for all clubs running scale events this year
01/03/2010
The Scale Association in conjunction with MACI are happy to note several competitions and Fly In’s for all scale pilots this year, and let’s hope we have good weather and a great turnout.
Just a few things to bear in mind, and they are important :
For any competition you will need two home grown judges and a CD. A course for CD training will take place at the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on Saturday 27th March. The Scale Association has arranged for a Judges course to take place in Portlaoise on Saturday the 10th April. Venue will be announced in Maci webpage.
Should you have an entry for F4C in mind, then please note static judging will take place at the Scale Fly In, Portlaoise on Sunday the 8th May (note date change).
The Scale Rules Handbook will be made available at all competitions, but should you require an advance copy then please contact the Scale Secretary.
Hangar 45 club open for membership. AGM and Heli Fly-In dates set
28/02/2010
The Hangar 45 club are having their AGM in the Poitin Still, Rathcoole on Monday 8th March at 9pm. Membership is open for new members. Contact John Kelly at j.a.k@iol.ie
They are holding a helicopter fly-in at their site at Downings Cross, Prosperous on 20th March starting at 9pm until dark.
3dx Ireland Entries open
27/02/2010
Entry forms for the 3dx Ireland contest to be held at the Waterford club site on 14-16 May are now available together with full details, rules, etc. on their website www.3dxireland.com
Radio Control Gliding in Ireland
09/02/2010
The majority of model gliding in the Rep of Ireland is slope soaring, with active groups around the east coast, Shannon and Cork/Kerry area. Ireland's numerous hills, mountains and cliffs make it ideal for this kind of flying. Slope soaring makes use of the lift created when the wind blows against any kind of slope and is forced upward. This "lift" allows us to stay afloat and gain altitude. When the conditions are right slope soaring makes for a wonderful flying experience. Flight times can be as long as you like or, as long as your batteries last!. Models can be flown very close in and with a capable model, screaming fast passes and a full complement of aerobats make it exciting flying. With racing, combat, aerobatics, scale, dynamic soaring, and thermal, slope gliding has a very broad range of models and flying techniques, not to mention the various types of flying sites from small sea walls to mountain tops. One could spend years exploring the various aspect of flying from the slope.
2009 was a good year for gliding in Ireland. Annual glide-ins were held on Clara in Cork, Tountinna in Clare and two meetings on Mt Leinster on the Wexford/Carlow border. Remarkably, almost all were held in beautiful sunny weather, making for fantastic days of flying. Laying on the side of a mountain on a warm summer day while your models tears up the sky is hard to beat!
July last year also saw Retroplane come to Ireland. Held outside of France for the first time, Europe's biggest vintage scale glider meeting is reserved for scale sailplanes designed prior to 1960 and the arrival of composite gliders. Flying these machines on the slope allows them to be appreciated in flight and at close quarters. Pilots from all over Europe arrived with a host of magnificent models. Even with one of the wettest July's on record we managed to have a few days flying and a successful meeting. A big thank you to all who helped out including members of the ISR model gliding club and the Model County Flying Club.
For more info about RC gliding in Ireland and the ISR gliding club contact me at josephdoyle@mac.com
Glider chat and more at www.gliderireland.net/forum
Retroplane info: www.retroplane.net/
Report from Scale Symposium 23 January
31/01/2010
As with life in general, you never know it all, and certainly in matters scale this holds true, but all things considered a good old dent was made in this adage by Steve Quigley, Tony Greene, Liam Jackson, John McFarland and Eamonn Keenan, experts in scale who made it plain that while they might not boast to know it all, certainly speak on subjects as if they do and leave their audience in no doubt they know not it all but the best part of it all.
Large scale is not for the faint hearted, but should you venture down this road, then please at the very least have a word with Tony Greene of the renowned Roundwood Club, who spoke of gas engines, glow engines, fuel types, twin battery packs, on board battery management, carbon props, glue types and a host of potential “red flags“, which the novice should familiarise himself with before venturing into this class.
The challenge in landing a large scale war bird is worthy of mention, line her up for final approach, maintain speed, deploy flaps (if you have them), keep her level and then ease back on the throttle but only when you are over the landing strip - enough to bring a tear to your eye.
Tony also gave practical advice on the art of using spray guns, airbrushing and techniques, compressor source, and the availability of a huge range of paints at your disposal.
How many times have you left the field with that old banger of a plane you have flown to the tedium of your fellow flyers, in truth you know it’s reliable, but you also know it’s a century old with peeling solarfilm film and a worn look. Bin it ? DON’T - scale conversion to the rescue. Steve Quigley with a projected displayed, illustrated clearly how a modest trainer can be transformed, whether to a piper cub or pawnee, and all this without breaking the Bank. Is your Tiger Moth a bit jaded looking, then try a new colour scheme. Your ARTF not quite up to scale replication, then compare it with some archived pictures, make the modifications and have a top class piece of kit for your next day out.
Liam Jackson can tell you a thing or two about retracts, surface preparation and a really good system for creating panel lines, the perfect finish you need before hitting the spray gun button. As Liam said, the spray of paint may look the part and replicate your chosen colour, but be warned, it won’t hide the botch job you did before walking the dog.
Colour everywhere, but not what it seems, my carpet is green, but on reflection it seems turquoise but definitely green, yes green with a hint of grey, just a hint you see, green that is and not grey, but definitely a bit of grey. Confusing.
Let John McFarland sort it for you, and lingering doubts will vanish, it is either the correct colour or if you like an illusion, which you create to copy the colour of the chosen prototype, and you the scale builder then become an illusionist or conjurer. A brilliant projected display of aircraft, their transfer to scale modelling, and how it’s done. Of intrigue was the re-spray job on some full size aircraft out of kilter with the prototype, which the scale pilot can source and replicate, an interesting twist to confound the critics.
A fine wine came last, a vintage brand, no conjurer of cheap tricks, but a master of scale building techniques and replication, the wizard Eamonn Keenan who demonstrated his skills in reproducing panel lines, rivets and a host of other scale features to bring your scale model to professional standards. A gas burner was produced to show in workshop like conditions the stages of replicating rivets by heat to a metal tip. Luckily the smoke alarm didn’t trigger thus avoiding the inevitable embarrassment of dealing with smouldering furniture and a health and safety check.
This short report does no justice to the sheer volume of material presented in a thought provoking manner by all the speakers mentioned, and those who attended were very impressed and left the symposium a great deal the wiser.
On a personal note I take this opportunity to thank again, Steve, Tony, Liam, John and Eamonn for their research on their chosen subject, their excellent presentation and time given on a foggy and cold Saturday. The organisation of this event was for my part a breeze, the scale association rowed in with help and assistance from day one, and a phone call to check this or that a pleasure, each member contacted giving it his own from the heart. The way to go, and hopefully I will be able to reciprocate their time given by organising a similar event some time soon.
Scale Symposium - update
19/01/2010
See you at the Scale Symposium in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on Saturday the 23rd January 2010 from 12.30 to 5.30 pm.
Great line up of expert speakers who will tell us their secrets and tips in the science of scale construction and flying. They are giving us their valued time, and make it your priority to give yours to this promising day event.
In addition to the already advertised topics (see next web news item below), speakers will discuss and demonstrate how to replicate the prototype, aircraft colour schemes and markings, Scale makeovers, weathering techniques, battery back up, dual interface, scale replication methods, and of interest to many - a short talk by a well known and celebrated scale enthusiast on his experience as a competition scale pilot.
Plenty of opportunity wil be given to ask questions, get your point of view across, ventilate, criticise, contribute and participate as much or as little or nought as you please.
Scale Symposium 23 January - Paul Fetherstonhaugh
07/01/2010
The date for the Scale Symposium is Saturday the 23rd January 2010 at the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, with a start time of 12.30 to 5.30 pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served, and travellers can use the hotel facilities to get a snack or light lunch before the symposium. A good line up of speakers will give us their time to discuss and demonstrate matters of interst to every scale pilot from, gas and glow engines, the right servo for the job, airbrushing, spray techniques, archived materials for the chosen prototype, rib stiching, panels, instrument replication, ARTF's and their conversion to true scale, building from plans, silver soldering and other related topics. This meeting is a must for the scale pilot, and I sincerely hope and know all scale pilots will attend. More information as to topics for this symposium will appear in the MACI webpage. See you soon. Paul Fetherstonhaugh.