How average is average?
I suppose it could be said that 'W3MH' is aimed at the average modeller (emails to the editor if you disagree). In defence of this, I could allege that anyone who has progressed beyond the realms of 'average' will almost certainly be too busy to read magazines, anyway. Or, let's turn that around and say he is more likely to be writing than reading. It might be an idea to pause here a moment and consider some of the things that the average (whatever that really means) modeller will do:
Drive 120 miles to get a 5% discount on a �15 item.
Order something from his local shop and THEN drive 120 miles because he wants it today.
Curse the weather because he is still waiting to use the item that he drove 120 miles to get.
Expect the local shop to change it when it goes wrong.
Dismantle a perfectly flyable model to rob it of a part that he needs NOW for something else.
Curse the weather because he's still waiting to use the item that he stole from the other model.
Drive 120 miles to get the part that he needs to fix the model that he robbed.
Curse the weather because he is still waiting to use all three of the above.
Pay a rediculous price for an item because it's the only one that works for him, ignoring much cheaper items which are just as good/better.
Complain about the high cost of the item that he paid the rediculous price for.
Refuse to buy the best magazine around because he doesn't like the editor.
It's all in the mind
One good way to stir up your average modeller (here we go again) is start a discussion on which is the best mode to fly. This will start a whole series of apparently joking, but quite hurtful, remarks about 'cack-handed', flying 'the wrong way', etc.
There is little doubt that the vast majority of helicopter flyers in the UK fly Mode 2 (throttle left). There is also little doubt that a lot of very well-known flyers fly Mode 1 (throttle right). Now, who is to say who is wrong here?
A very common complaint among Mode 2 flyers is that the positions of the 'hold' and 'idle up' switches on their transmitters are less than ideal. There is a very simple reason for this - they are flying equipment of Japanese origin.
Until recently, our Japanese friends didn't even know that Mode 2 existed! They ALL fly Mode 1 and their equipment is designed for Mode 1 use. This means that any set of Japanese origin was, in reality, a modified Mode 1 set. This, in turn, meant that the switch locations were intended for Mode 1 use. This situation has only been corrected within the last two years or so and you can now buy a Mode 2 set with the switches swapped over to match the stick layout.
Most Futaba sets now allow you to program switches, sticks, etc. to your own preference, but the other manufacturers still haven't caught on yet.
So far, we haven't really justified the heading to this item, but what about the subject of trays, neckstraps, etc. This is not nearly so contentious a subject to the 'average' flyer, but it really should be brought to the attention of psychologists all over the world. Let me explain:
When I switched from fixed wing flying to helis, I gave serious consideration to changing modes as many flyers did at that time. After convincing myself that this was not a good idea, I started using a neckstrap to allow me to adopt a different method of holding the sticks (I simply held the Tx in my hands before then). This worked quite well, but I always had difficulty in keeping the Tx where I wanted it.
One day I was persuaded to try a transmitter tray and was immediately convinced that this was the way to go, because I had so much better support of the transmitter. I flew this way for years and never doubted that it was the right way for me.
A couple of years ago, I became increasingly aware that there were some arrangements of pilot, tray and model that were giving me great problems in controlling the heli. What was happening here was partly a product of years of fixed wing flying where I had subconsiously moved the Tx to follow the model. With a tray I simply couldn't do this and was only aware of the fact that I was avoiding certain situations - because I didn't like them.
Purely by accident (or stupidity - the two are interchangeable in some circumstances), I left my tray at home one day and was faced with the prospect of flying without it or not flying at all. It really wasn't that bad, but the real revelation was that I could now do things that I preciously avoided doing.
Encouraged by this, I tried going back to a neckstrap. At this point I had another piece of luck, because the Tx that I tried for this happened to hang very well from a neckstrap - most of them DON'T (are you well hung?). The general tendency is for the transmitter to slip down until the aerial is pointing over your shoulder because the neckstrap attachment is too high. Having become aware of the solution, all you need is a large weight on the end of the aerial!
The moral of the story, I suppose, is "Don't be afraid to try something new - or retry something old".
Thought for today
I can't afford cheap glowplugs.