============================== December 2003 =================================

The December club meeting will be at the Jack-in-the Box in Moscow at 7pm on Tuesday, December 2 (contact club president Dave Walker for information or to add items to the agenda (208) 882-9180).

• Election of club officers for 2004
• Selection of the new model club name
• Bring any new or interesting planes, engines or radio components, or tip/techniques that you’d like to share.

• President: Dave Walker
• Vice President: Bruce Bumgarner and Wally Bigelow
• Secretary/Treasurer: Colleen Bumgarner
• Newsletter Editor: Don Hart
• Safety Officers: Joe Bolden and Bob Boettcher

While the Palouse Ridge Runners is a name with lots of history dating back to the 1960s, the name causes confusion. Many people think we are a running club! Maybe it’s time for a new name that better describes what we are. This could improve our recruiting of new members.

The suggested names were put up on the wall and everyone present voted for their five favorites. The six names receiving the most votes will go through another round for selection of the new name for the club. The finalists are:

• Palouse Region R/C Flyers
• Palouse Model Aviators
• Palouse R/C Flying Aces
• Palouse R/C Pilots
• Model Aviators of the Palouse
• Palouse Aero Squadron

At the last meeting, Dave Walker showed us how to repair a crashed plane. He brought the top wing of an ACE 4-40 biplane that was damaged in a landing accident. Six inches of one tip of the top wing was shattered. The wing is now rebuilt and has been test flown. Dave said he'll be making adjustments to the landing gear alignment to help prevent ground loops.

Joe Bolden brought his RCM fuselage jig and Great Planes wing jig. The fuselage jig can be used to assemble and align a fuselage prior to gluing. Once everything is straight and true, apply CA to balsa to balsa joints. The firewall should be attached with epoxy. The nearly finished fuselage can then be removed from the jig to complete construction.

The wing jig requires drillling holes in wing ribs to accept the 1/4 inch wires. Holes should be on the rib centerline to ensure a straight wing. Joe suggests using a template to get the holes properly aligned. The spars, leading edge, trailing edge and sheeting can be installed on one side, then the wing is fllipped over and reinstalled in the jig. Apply the sheeting to the other side. Remove the wing from the jig to install wing tips.

Wally Bigelow offered a special price on a Sig Astro Hog to be built at the mall show if we decide to accept.

The mall show is the second weekend in March at the Palouse Mall.

Upcoming Flying Events:

Go to the PRR web site and click on the "events" link for more information.