The Intricate Choreography of Flight

5,000 airplanes are in the United States skies alone every hour. 63 such planes were filmed for this time-lapse video showing the intricate and beautiful choreography of take-offs and landings. Watch it. It's worth two minutes

Thought this a really cool video.
Via Gizmodo 
And the GE Aviation site,which is also very interesting. Check it out here.

Attention Electric Fanatics: Don't miss the story about full scale electric flight on the GE site.

Good Turn Out For First Indoor Flying Session Of The Year

We had a good turn out for our first indoor flying session of the year. At times there were half a dozen airplanes and helicopters buzzing around the gym. There were plenty of mid airs and crashes, but no damage to speak of. Get a little electric and join us next Sunday.

Club Indoor Flying Begins This Sunday November 28th Starting at 4 PM

Just a reminder that we begin indoor flying this Sunday, November 28th, starting at 4 PM at Stratton Elementary School gymnasium, 1129 S Fayette St. Beckley. Get out those little electric airplanes and let's have some fun.

Lockheed Martin's Samarai monocopter

Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Laboratories is flight-testing a mono-wing rotorcraft, or monocopter, inspired by the maple seed, or samara, and called the Samarai. The aircraft tested earlier this year is a far cry size-wise from the design developed for DARPA's Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program - that had a wingspan of just 7.5cm, this one is about 30in - but it is being used to develop the flight controls for eventual backpack- or pocket-sized versions that could be launched through a window to fly indoors.

Original post at Aviation Week here.

Who is going to be the first to build their own model?

New Airplane Design Mimics a Seagull

An attempt to redesign the airplane resulted in a surprising craft, one that mimicked a familiar, if much smaller, flyer: a seagull.

In a bid to increase the energy efficiency of the familiar tube-with-wings architecture, Joachim Huyssen, of Northwest University in South Africa, began by thinking about the basic principles of aerodynamics, according to his collaborator, Geoffrey Spedding, of the University of Southern California.

The complete article at LiveScience.com is available  here.

 I wonder about yaw control, don't see a rudder.

Free Indoor R/C Plans and Information

Since we're about to start doing some indoor flying, thought this web site I stumbled across might be of interest. Free full size plans, information and links.

http://www.indoorflyingmodel.com/index.html

The Beast Has Arrived! UPDATE

I stopped by the hobby shop in Teays Valley today just as they were unpacking their shipment and was able to purchase one. Looks like it going to be a wild little airplane. Lots of expo is recommended even on low rates. More to follow after the first flight.

Jeff test flew it today and it flys great. He decreased the controls to about half of that recommended  in the manual. When flying off of grass it must be hand launched because of the tiny wheels, and I think removing the wheel pants might be a good idea because they look very fragile and prone to breakage.

Even though I said I wasn't going to fly anything until after my eye surgery, I lost self control and flew the Beast this afternoon. What a blast! It will slow down and fly below 1/4 throttle , so indoor may be a possibility.

If you get a Beast, you won't be disappointed..

Paper Airplane In Space

Although not a model airplane in the traditional sense, I found this to be pretty cool stuff.

An oversize paper airplane sent up toward the edge of space by a British online tech publication has snapped stunning photos of the final frontier and Earth far below.

More information here and here.

Via msnbc.com, and cnet,com

Micro Indoor R/C Fun

Since we're about to do some indoor flying, thought this might be of interest.
 
Fun video of micro-model airplane builders having a blast inside a gymnasium in Japan somewhere. Rubber band ornithopters! Flying angels! Itty-bitty biplanes! Styrofoam pterodactyls and sea turtles!

Via BoingBoing

Club Meeting

Just a reminder that our first meeting of the season will be this Friday, November 12th,  7 PM  at the airport. Look forward to seeing you there.

BMAC and K&T Karts and Hobbies Special Promotion

Hey Folk's!

Christmas is just around the corner and Greg asked me to inform everyone that from now until Christmas, if you spend $100. at K&B Karts Hobby Shop, your name will go into a drawing that could win you $300. in store merchandise. He also has lots of new RC products in stock. Drop by' hang out and get your name in for the drawing. 

Also a reminder that our next meeting will be Nov. 12, 2010 at the Airport. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM. 

Tony Harris, Secretary BMAC