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AMA Cub Squirrel

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Darcy suggested I build a Squirrel from an AMA Cub kit.  Here it is!  I made pictures so you can see how it was done and build one for yourself. We start with the materials in the AMA Cub kit.  I am going to make a simpler and lighter Squirrel.  Some preparation and modification...

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Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion 007

8 April, 2012 The Mountain Lion is a new beginner’s indoor/outdoor rubber band powered flying model airplane.  It has a 14.3” wingspan and weighs a bit over 8 grams,...

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Squirrels and more!

Squirrels and more!

Here’s a short video showing the cutting process for Squirrels. This is the cutting process for the 1/16th” parts. 1/8th” and thicker material can be cut as well. This...

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New model for Science Olympiad and schools

New model for Science Olympiad and schools

I want to make a new design for the model plane competitions in schools. I know a lot of kids use the Squirrel design for Science Olympiad but it...

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The Lavoie Method for Building Stick Fuselages

Marcel has posted videos on YouTube that show his method for making stick fuselages. Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5VeA7sACc&sns=em Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie4b5IC3N7w&feature=channel Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXUzMAI0Ef4&feature=channel

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Report on Kids Class – Science and Mathematics With Simple Gliders

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This reports our first experience with a class done on 13 March, 2012.  The report is assembled from emails to the group of mentors prior to the event, with added...

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Simple Gliders in the Science and Mathematics Curriculum

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My essay “Simple Gliders in the Science and Mathematics Curriculum” is on Bill Kuhl’s Delta Dart page.  I prepared this form on which the kids can record their flight measurements and...

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes – Trimming for Flight

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes Trimming for Flight At this point the planes have been built and first test flights have been attempted.  If the planes were built according to...

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes – Launching the Plane for Its First Test Flights

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes Launching the Plane for Its First Test Flights At this point, the planes have been built and the motor has been wound on one.  One...

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes – Winding the Motor

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AMA Cub Teaching Notes Winding the Motor At this point the students have built the airplanes and made the motors. The motors have been lubricated and put on the...

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Paper airplane record

Something simple can cause a lot of excitement.

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AMA Cub Denny Dart Mk II H

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  Neil Dennis developed the Denny Dart series from the AMA Cub.  The Denny Darts are usually made from stock materials, but they may also be made from the...

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AMA Cub “Pennyplane”

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In our model airplane class, we first taught every kid to build and fly an AMA Cub, a Dandiflyer and an EZ Penny Pennyplane.  We had contests for each type,...

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Seed Dispersal

Seed Dispersal

This video is very interesting and enlightening! Nature is elegant! There are several ways seeds can take flight. The video also covers some other methods of dispersal.

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Foam Zanonia Glider

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The seed of the Zanonia macrocarpa has wings.  It glides away from the pod to sprout some distance from the mother plant.  The seed was the pattern for Igo...

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R.O.G. I

R.O.G. 1

WNYFFS is having a contest using a simple design. I think this is great idea because anybody can participate. Looks like an interesting little plane. Requires a plastic wing...

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Fall edition of the WNYFFS Thermal Journal

Fall edition of the WNYFFS Thermal Journal

Western New York Free Flight Society’s Thermal Journal just came out. It features this awesome color picture from 1942. It’s a great picture of a boy with a model airplane....

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Paper Airplanes

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Many years ago I taught classes in paper airplanes.  Someone made off with my master copies and I was left with a copy that was too poor to hand out. ...

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Other Things to Do With Your AMA Cub

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The AMA Cub may be flown in ways other than with rubber power.   The AMA Cub Glider The simplest way to fly is gliding without motor or propeller.  The...

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AMA Cub Cousins

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There were several predecessors and many variations of the AMA Cub that have been published over the years. The Academy of Model Aeronautics has published a series of History...

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AMA Cub Master Class

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Introduction to the AMA Cub   The AMA Cub was designed by Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) technical director Frank Ehling in 1968 to be a simple, quick, reliable and...

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Sunday morning fun

Sunday morning fun

I brought some kids out flying Squirrels yesterday morning. This is a great way of getting them acquainted with model planes. We didn’t build, we just did flying. I spent around...

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Arne Ellila 1949 and 1950 Wakefield Planes

Ellila 1949 Wakefield

Here are two articles by Martyn Cowley about Arne Ellila’s Wakefield winning planes from 1949 and 1950. The first includes a plan, some pictures and a discussion of flying...

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AMA Cub Links

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  The AMA Cub was developed in 1968 by Frank Ehling, technical director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), as a simple plane to introduce beginners to the...

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A different kind of flying

Here is something very interesting. I think this could be adapted to propel a small indoor plane. What do you think?

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Cloud Tramp Propeller Tests

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The exact dimensions of the propeller block are not given on the plan or in the construction article.  The dimensions of the blocks for other 8″ propellers for similar...

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Cloud Tramp Cousins

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I have found plans for seven similar Grant designs. Edwin T. Hamilton, Complete Model Aircraft Manual (1933) presents Grant’s Minute Man Tractor in Chapter 21, page 219.  This is...

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Cloud Tramp Flight – 4:25.44

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8. October, 2011   I’ve had the Cloud Tramp ready to go for some time, after spending a couple weeks carving and testing five propellers, but the weather has...

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Clothes pins

Clothes pins

I noticed Chuck made a submission including a clothespin clamping-like technique. You take a clothespin and turn it inside out. You disassemble and reassemble it so it looks like...

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A fun way to promote model aviation

Step 1: Make a plane. Step 2: Find a kid. Step 3: Show kid how to fly plane.

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