Flying Radio-Controlled (RC) Aircraft

FLYING RADIO CONTROLLED (RC) AIRCRAFT There is something about flying that excites and amazes certain people. Many people often dream of flying, but resist following that dream because it seems too difficult and too expensive. However, the excitement and dreams of flying have become a reality with radio-controlled (RC) aircraft. Actually, some of the RC aircraft today can give you the best flight of your life. If you would talk to a dedicated RC plane hobbyist, they would tell of the excitement of heading to an RC field on a warm, sunny day to fly their planes and to enjoy the camaraderie of other hobbyists and RC club members. It is always amazing to see the many different styles of aircraft and how they maneuver through the air. Radio-controlled planes have a rich history, and provide a suitable hobby for all ages and skill levels. Flying enthusiasts have a large variety of aircraft to choose from, making the hobby more exciting for all hobbyists from the beginner to the expert. You can pick and choose what you want depending upon your taste and the available money you have to spend. Generally, the ideal choice of a particular RC plane depends upon a combination of style and pilot skill level.For beginners, park flyers are a great choice. The term "park flyer" denotes small, primarily electric planes. They are so named because they are small enough to be flown inside public parks. The recommended aircraft for beginners is an A-R-F (Almost Ready To Fly) high-wing trainer. A-R-F planes are already built and don't require a lot of time and building experience to get ready for flight. A-R-F planes also have fairly large wing spans (60-70 inches) which aid in better visibility and flight operation. For intermediate hobbyists, there are glow plug engine planes and electric powered planes. Glow plugs, which are similar to spark plugs, ignite the fuel in the plane operating as a small internal combustion engine. For the expert pilot, jets, helicopters, and competition aircraft are very popular and provide an exciting challenge. Sophisticated electronics and speed controllers have now taken the controlling of an RC airplane to higher levels. These aircraft are no longer considered toys just to play around with. Jets commonly use ducted fans or micro turbines to power them. They are constructed of carbon fibre and fibre glass. Jets can achieve speeds over 200 mph, requiring quick reflexes and many hours of flying experience. Helicopters are trickier to fly than planes and are much less forgiving. If you want to get started flying RC planes the following information may help you:Flying aircraft of any type is not a skill we are born with. Purchasing any radio-controlled aircraft and trying to fly without some basic knowledge may possibly result in the destruction of the model. When this happens right off the bat, most prospective flyers get discouraged and pass on an exciting hobby. Flying RC aircraft is not difficult but does require some practice to become proficient enough to have your plane soar through the skies and return for a safe landing. Teaching yourself to fly is possible; however, if you find a local flying club and seek some help from the experienced flyers is the ultimate way to learn. A flight simulator can aid in learning the fundamental movements and actions of an airplane. It is an easy and convenient way to practice the simplest turns to the most complex maneuvers. It must be remembered that the flight simulator does just what it's name implies, it simulates the actions of an airplane. The simulator is not the real thing and most planes react differently in the air. Whether you are a kid, or just a kid at heart, flying RC aircraft is directed at anyone who wants to relax and have fun. Get involved if you want a hobby that gives you a thrill!Happy Flying!

Wireless Industrial Remote Control Aircraft Refueling System

Aircraft refueling is also known as air refueling or air-to-air refueling and it is a process of transforming fuel from one aircraft or the tanker to another/ the receiver during the flight. It is an important procedure that helps the aircraft to remain stay in the air longer as well as to extend its range or loiter time on station. Aircraft refueling can also be considered as a means to reduce fuel consumption on long distance flights greater than 3000 nautical miles.However, as the process is very difficult or rather complex, it is really hard to maintain this total process manually. So, automated aircraft refueling system or using wireless remote controllers to maintain this whole process is always welcome. Nowadays, by using wireless industrial remote control technology, some unique kinds of automated aircraft refueling systems are being manufactured by the manufacturers.These wireless remote controllers are used widely to refuel aircrafts. These automatic devices are developed specifically for industrial applications that require positive operator-to-machine contact. A wireless trigger-switch is used in these systems in order to send RF command signals to the pump. This Aircraft Refueling Control wireless industrial remote control operating systems unencumbered by cables and wires normally used in 'deadman' fueling operations.One of the chief aspects of these automatic devices is that it allows interference free operation. The system incorporates a secure frequency hopping, spread-spectrum radio link that is virtually immune to outside electrical or RF interference. The spread-spectrum technology, used in these devices, helps the whole system to shutdown during any single loss of signals from the transmitter of the wireless remote controllers.The transmitter, used in these wireless industrial remote control aircraft refueling systems, is highly powerful. Normally the transmitter power is 100mW with a frequency rate of 902-928MHz FHSS and 433.92MHz, 869.7MHz & 2.4GHz radios are also available. However, the transmitter power varies from system to system. The transmitters are rechargeable and they deliver 30hrs of continuous use between charges. Generally 12/24VDC charger is supplied by the manufacturer.Another important feature of this automated refueling device is that it is available with 'Safety Timer' software in order to limit switch closure duration prior to automatic shut-off. This feature also requires periodic trigger pulse by operator to maintain receiver 'on' condition. Many types of Aircraft Automated Refueling Systems are available. The customers can get up to eleven other command functions according to their requirements. It is also available with Modular quick-connect component that allows the system for easy installation and field service. You can also get it with Pre-wired solenoids for your Pneumatic, Hydraulic, or Hose Reel control interface.The wireless remote controllers refueling systems are included with internal 'on card' PCB mounts with normal range up to 500 feet, although, higher power is also available. It is constructed with rugged weatherproof polymer enclosure, ensuring the safety of the systems. Normal rechargeable Lithium Ion battery is used to control the system.

How Does The Possibility Of The Aircraft Financing And The Helicopter Reduces Your Corporate Travel Expenses

In the business environment, there are many expenditures that a company must address while trying to save a lot of money, when even maximizing company efficiency. For a large corporation, it is common to have multiple sites all across a wide variety of different locations, which your upper management is constantly needed to visit. While seeking to help cut down on the costs which is associated with transportation, one of the greatest options that a small business could take advantage of is found with the investments made into a corporate helicopter or else aircraft, with the low cost utilization of helicopter or aircraft financing.Usage of air transportation offers an incredible number of advantages to any business which is looking to expedite management travel and even limit the expense associated with time and also money. When one of your corporate managers is required to travel to another city or even across country in order to visit some other location, a company is required to pay for travel, lodging, dining, gas, and also many more expenses that quickly pile up. By taking a good advantage of helicopter or aircraft travel, you can have an individual visit various locations, in a very short period of time as well as bring them back to their home office on that same day.All of the best possibilities to take benefit of this unique traveling possibility are found with investing into helicopter finance. The purchase of a corporate helicopter can be an incredible cost for an organization to manage, when they are seeking to cut down on overall expenses in transportation. By utilizing this finance opportunity, you would be able to limit the instant demands placed on your company as well as manage the monthly expenses, such that your organization saves money in the long term of transportation objectives. Combine this with the utilization of a professional helicopter pilot, and this opportunity of helicopter finance could significantly impact a large company, in relation to saving money on travel and related expenses.While the resources of a helicopter may be highly convenient while you’re traveling to several other locations that are in relatively close proximity to your home office, helicopter flight is not always possible for long distances. Whether you’re traveling from one coast of Australia to the other coast or from Australia to Europe, the utilization of helicopters are unfeasible. Taking very good advantage of aircraft financing can prove highly valuable with organizations seeking to minimize their expenses and not having to depend on the unpredictability that exists with public air transportation. Having the opportunity to take your corporate professionals or business associates anywhere your company is demanded, will help in accelerating sales potential and improving your business opportunities. Utilizing opportunities that are created through helicopter and aircraft financing, will help in reducing your immediate expenses and save money for your businesses travel expenses.

Find out the possibilities Which Are Available With The Aircraft Finance

A large number of people have a great fascination, when it comes to the opportunities of flying aircraft, if they are small personal planes or else better corporate jets. One of the downsides those are related with such type of hobby, is found with the incredible expense that is involved with buying and owning your very own aircraft. Taking very good advantage of an opportunity like aircraft finance, would enable you to discover an inexpensive solution to purchasing your own aircraft and taking a good benefit of all the possibilities that are created from this ownership.Possibility One: Corporate OwnershipIt has become a regular practice for corporate entities to take a good benefit of the opportunities which exist with owning your own form of aircraft. It assists in reducing travel expenses and safely transports management or business associates, to several other locations, where new sales potential might exist. By taking a good benefit of aircraft finance, your firm would be capable of minimizing the initial expense those are related with owning their own aircraft and also slowly pay this expense over time, while instantly taking advantage of the resources of a corporate plane.Possibility Two: Business TransportationFor a person who is seeking to acquire their own aircraft, the corporate environment still serves as a unique opportunity for them to take advantage of. While some businesses may not make an investment into their own aircraft, they will utilize the services of a professional flyer, such they could be shifted from one location to the another. This unique business opportunity is possible when you come up with the possibilities of aircraft finance and purchase your own plane, in order to meet the corporate demands of your area.Possibility Three: Training Business PursuitThe third possibility is found with making use of aircraft finance, to purchase a plane which you can then train other individuals how to fly. The hobby of flying is something which is enjoyed by a huge number of people and also most people can’t afford to purchase their own plane, even with the benefits of financing. By providing an opportunity for other individuals to use your aircraft and your flying expertise, you can make money while allowing others to enjoy the unique experiences associated with flight.Possibility Four: Benefiting From Personal UtilizationThe last opportunity that is created for people, who invest in aircraft finance, can be found with the benefit of personal usage. While there are several business opportunities from where an individual could make money with the help of the utilization of an aircraft, many pursue this opportunity strictly as a resource of personal enjoyment as well as private utilization.Each of all these opportunities offers reasonable chances for an individual to invest into their own form of aircraft.

Aircraft Emergency Engine Failure

When things go wrong in a real aircraft emergency you have to be able to make quick and calculated decisions to ensure the best chance of your safety and survival. This article describes such an incident and the steps you need to take to help ensure your safety.We were flying in a twin engine Islander aircraft hoping to skydive from 12,000ft, at about 4,500ft we noticed that we were no longer climbing although we were still heading away from the drop zone; I looked back in the direction of the drop zone and could see some huge black clouds rapidly building. It was not looking that good and we thought we might get a call for a low climb out. I checked my altimeter and the aircraft was now down to 4,000 ft I spoke to my friend Dave and said I can't see what the problem is, almost immediately the left hand engine shut down and the pilot shouted get out. This was a real aircraft emergency so you don't hang around you just get out of the aircraft as quickly as possible.The door was opened in a couple of seconds followed by people leaving the aircraft in a real hurry as Dave and I went for the door one of the jumpers was blocking the isle calling to the pilot "what's wrong" the pilot did not answer he just glared angrily and shook his finger pointing to the lame engine.We almost had to push this guy out of the aircraft; I just could not believe that someone would question an experienced pilots command to leave the aircraft.Dave and I exited last we took a 2 way straight out of the door, with all the excitement of a real aircraft emergency we had no time to look where we were in relation to the drop zone.When we deployed our parachutes we could see that we had no chance of making it back to the drop zone. I had a quick look around and could see one of the jumpers flying in the opposite direction, I began to question myself as there are two airfields and they both look very similar. I soon realised that he was flying in the wrong direction.I still could not see any wind socks because of the distance we were away from the drop zone. Suddenly my mind seemed to be playing tricks with me and I began to question the direction for landing, I had checked it earlier in the day but with no wind sock I began to doubt myself. I tried spitting but it did not give me a clue so I looked around for any signs of smoke, no fires no chimney smoke.I was pretty sure I was heading into wind and I had time and enough altitude to make one final check I went into fairly deep brakes and made some gentle turns, the ground speed went up straight away which confirmed that my original heading was correct.We all made a safe landing in some fields, and the pilot managed to fly the aircraft safely back to the drop zone. One of the other jumpers came up to me and said I was following you because I could not see which direction to land in, I laughed and told him that I doubted my own judgement as well.With the use of GPS we have become used to getting a good spot over the drop zone, sometimes we perhaps become a bit complacent in expecting to be over the right spot every time.There are always lessons to be learned to ensure the best chances of reducing injury or worse, so what could we have done to have made this incident safer? We could not predict this engine failure however we could have made thing safer by just following some simple rules.On this occasion we should have paid more attention to the weather conditions in particular to the wind direction. When you can see a wind sock it is easy to judge the direction for landing however with no reference to wind direction things can become more difficult.Also when a pilot gives you an order you need to take immediate action, however you should still try to be aware of your surroundings and the buildings and hazards that exist around the drop zone. If you are not familiar with the drop zone always ask for a briefing and look at the photograph of the drop zone so that you are familiar with the area and hazards.I have a little check that I make on sunny days, I check the position of the sun against the wind direction and providing the sun is not directly overhead you can use it in most situations to get an into wind landing even with a bad spot.

Aircraft Fuel Leak Detection & Repair

Aircraft fuel leaks are serious problems. Beside the issue of wasting expensive fuel, a fuel leak can cause fuel starvation to your aircraft's engines while in flight. It is worth the time and effort to perform fuel leak detection and repair appropriately, rather than rushing through to get an aircraft in flight quickly.The causes of fuel leaks range from stress and structural defects to degrading sealants. Additionally, the increase of cycle times in keeping aircraft in service longer coupled with the fuel systems inspection practices of some airline and corporate aircraft operators can make the issue worse. Therefore, a solid fuel maintenance process is critical to ensure safety of flight.In order to ascertain the severity and cause of a leak, the aircraft mechanic must perform a thorough fuel systems inspection. To do so requires a high level of expertise and some serious detective work. The aircraft mechanic must have a set of baseline criteria to make a decision on how to best repair the fuel leak. This information includes:Confirming the fuel tank system - there are three types :• Integral or "wet wing" - the fuel tank is part of the wing and includes the top and bottom wing skins. A large percentage of passenger and cargo aircraft have "wet wing" fuel tanks.• Fuel cell - a rubber bladder is inside the aircraft wing.• Tank - a fiberglass or built-up metal tank inside the wing.Finding the fuel leak source - you must play detective to find out the best repair method to stop a leak. Plus, you must know that each type of tank has its own set of potential leak sources. For example, the "wet wing" tank has rivets through the top and bottom aircraft skin and each could be a source of a leak. Another challenge with the "wet wing" tank is the stress loads absorbed by the wings that can lead to loosening of bolts and fasteners as well as cracks, which can cause leaks. Aircraft fuel tank sealants are often a source of leaks. Sealants are affected by bad weather and hard landings causing the sealant to lose its bond to the aircraft. In determining the fuel tank leak source, the aircraft mechanic should also note:• Where does the leak appear?• Does the leak occur only when the tank is full?• Does the leak stop when the tanks are half full or does it continuously occur?Perform an fuel systems inspection - a leak can travel a long way before you see a drip, so it is important to inspect panels and areas of the aircraft fuel tank that are not particularly close to the leak. Once the aircraft mechanic has completed the aircraft fuel leak detection, repairing the cause of the leak is the next step. The aircraft fuel tank repair can occur either by having the aircraft mechanic on staff perform the leak repair, or by sending the fuel tank to a FAA-approved aircraft fuel tank repair facility. If sealant is the source of the leak, it is a best practice to have a fully-trained mechanic replace the sealant. This is a very specialized skill. Sealants must be applied according to rigorous standards provided by the manufacturers. In order to be approved, a vendor must send all aircraft mechanics to specialized training thereby ensuring they have the best information and appropriate training to repair aircraft fuel tank sealant.Once the aircraft fuel tank leak repair is completed, the fuel tank must be reinstalled by carefully following the aircraft maintenance manual procedures. It is important to look for leaks while installing the aircraft fuel tank. Because small leaks may not show up for 24 hours, the fairings should be left off until the aircraft mechanic can verify that there are no leaks.Aircraft fuel leak detection and repair takes skill, a thorough understanding of aircraft fuel tanks, and often specialized training in order to perform the repairs correctly. It is important not to rush the process of detecting or repairing aircraft fuel leaks, particularly since it can be difficult to find the actual source of the leak. The repair and installation also takes time to ensure the leak was correctly repaired, and that no new leaks have occurred during the installation process. Taking the appropriate amount of time to perform aircraft fuel maintenance will keep aircraft in flight longer, rather than grounded for numerous repairs.

Remote Control Aircraft For Spring Weather Flying

If you're anything like me your thoughts wonder toward remote control flying fun when the weather shifts from winter cold toward spring warming.But you can't just launch any RC aircraft into the sky. The changing weather conditions don't yet suit some of those models we love to send into the blue, though here in Indiana the forecast for some coming days steer my thoughts to flying fun.The weather person this morning predicted record setting temperatures in the next few days. But does that mean I can take to the runways and launching pads with any air traveling craft I like flying?Maybe, although I won't know that until I lick a finger each time I head outside.Spring weather changes so quickly that you must test the air before you light that radio control engine up. And even then the weather might make a sudden change after your bird is in the air.When the air is calm any model flies with no problem. But if the wind decides to blow you might lose your toy.Blimps certainly require extremely calm days, and even then most are suited more for indoor operation than outdoor. Doesn't take much to knock one of those helium balloons off course, or cause them to defy your flight control attempts.The bigger remote control airplanes and jets work okay in winds up to moderate speeds, and offer some great opportunities for getting an early spring start at heading into the clouds.The more powerful flyers promise you the most fun if you're headed outside to fly before June or July in the Midwest.If you fly the small, slower airplanes the outdoors isn't your best destination unless the day is super calm. The same goes for the helicopters. The helos operate better inside than in the wind too, and many RC helicopter designs demand indoor flying. They just don't act right in open-air environments.You can't fly most models if it's raining of course. The electrics don't care much for water unless you seal them to protect the working components from moisture. So even if the temperature is up watch the sky for cloudy conditions. You don't want a sudden downpour ruining not only your day, but also future playtime until you fix or replace a drowned aircraft.Your biggest threat in spring is sunny days. They're deceptive because sudden breezes and wind gusts hit you with no warning, and they bring doom for your radio control aircraft.The slightest breeze pushes a helicopter around so easily that you lose flight control, and your helo takes off on its own course. You have no idea where it's flying. The same thing happens to the smaller airplanes, though they handle stronger breezes than the helicopters.Sudden gusts are your worst enemies. Doesn't matter if you're flying an RC airplane or helicopter. A sudden gust pushes it off course quickly, and if any obstacle is present (a building, a light pole, or a tree, etc.) your model might slam into it. Then all you have is a handful of kindling.I know you're impatient to get your remote control aircraft back into the air, and I wish you all the RC flying fun you can handle.But watch that sky for threatening conditions, and make sure the spring weather conditions suit your flying activities. Otherwise that weather might turn your fun into gloom.