Hi Folks!
    It is November, and we are about to have our annual Christmas/Holiday Party. As you know, Mick Fox took on this project last year, and his goal was to raise enough money through raffles and food sales that the party would be free or nearly free for the Mesquite Modelers Inc. members. When I last talked to Mick he was very close to that goal, and beginning to request members and guests information. To the best of my knowledge, guests will cost a fee of some sort.  So please respond to Mick, and let's get this party going! As you have undoubtedly heard from Tom Fenn, Mesquite Modelers is now Mesquite Modelers INC. Our elected club officers will be the governing board of directors, our current attorneys will continue in that role, and the mandatory annual financial audit will occur when the Treasurer/CFO presents it during the January club meeting. Just trying to KIS - Keep It Simple. And now, for some fun:

   An airplane pilot with poor eye sight had managed to pass his periodic vision exams by memorizing the eye charts beforehand. One year, though, his doctor used a new chart that the pilot had never before seen. The pilot proceeded to recite the old chart and the doctor realized that she’d been hoodwinked.
   Well, the pilot proved to be nearly blind as a bat, but the doctor could not contain her curiosity.
   How is it that someone with your eyesight can manage to pilot a plane at all? I mean, how for example, do you taxi the plane out to the runway?
   Well, said the pilot, it’s really not very hard. All you have to do is follow the instructions of the ground controller over the radio. And besides, the landmarks have all become quite familiar to me over the years.
   I can understand that, replied the doctor, but what about the takeoff?
   Again, a simple procedure. I just aim the plane down the runway, go to full throttle, pull back on the stick, and off we go!
   But once you’re aloft?
   Oh, everything’s fully automated these days. The flight computer knows our destination, and all I have to do is hit the auto pilot and the plane pretty much flies itself.
   But I still don’t see how you land!
   Oh, that’s the easiest part of all. All I do is use the airport’s radio beacon to get us on the proper glide path. Then I just throttle down and wait for the copilot to yell ‘AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!,’ pull the nose up, and the plane lands just fine!

   And now, some Hints and Tips from the web:

A Fast Fix for the Field
   For a quick, durable fix on canopy cracks or damage, cut a piece of cloth from an old shirt or pair of pants, and get a tube of shoe goo (used to repair athletic shoes). Apply the shoe goo to the cloth (just as you do resin), and apply to the damaged area. Makes a solid and resilient repair, quick and easy.
Edward
Pearl City, HI
via the EIA Newsletter
Vern Mitchell, Editor

Be Prepared!
   When Andy Kane builds an airplane, he adds one item that may seem a bit unusual to most. Andy tightly wads up a rubber band and a large garbage bag and places them in the tail before he covers the fuselage.      Then, in case of a crash, Andy has a convenient bag ready to pick up the pieces and hauls them back to the car.
   Way to go Andy!
From Team Flyer
Horizon Hobby
via the EIA Newsletter

Tech Tip
   Have you ever tried using clothing dye to color your canopy, then end up blue to your elbows?
   Have you tried painting the inside of the canopy, only to find that the paint falls apart and flakes off the canopy?
   Well, take a tip from the slot and RC car guys, and try painting the inside of your canopy with Faskolor paint.
   Faskolor is designed for painting Lexan car bodies, and is available in some colors (including colors that change with the light) that will really set off that project you’re just finishing up.
From The SpectacleTom Morris, Editor
5131 Delford St., Pittsburgh PA 15207

MonoKote Tip
   To put MonoKote® over MonoKote® without bubbles, try this. After you’re done with the under layer of MonoKote clean it with Windex with Ammonia D. Get all the dust and fingerprints off.
   Spray another light coat of Windex and place your trim pieces down. After the position is correct, use a card to squeegee the Windex out from between the two layers. Soak up the excess with a paper towel.
   Continue to squeegee and soak up the excess until the trim layer is perfectly flat and all the bubbles are gone. Set the part aside for several hours, preferably overnight.
   When the Windex is dry, use your iron set on a low temperature to set the adhesive around the edges of the trim piece. Do not heat the center. Only heat 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch around the edges.
From Smoke Signals
Joe DiPrima, Editor
775 Magnolia Dr.
Franklin Square NY 11010

Keeping Track
   Quick! What size in mAh is the receiver battery in that airplane you built two years ago? How old is it? How many cells? Don’t know?
   What I do is type out this information like this:

     Dragon Lady-Built 1996
     Battery Pack #4
     88 mAh 4 cells
     Charge rate: 125 mAh
     Date Purchased: 7/96

   I reduce it on a copier or print it out real small. Then I cut this information out and glue it inside the airplane where I can see it with the wing off.
   Don’t forget to make one for your transmitters too. The battery pack number is used in a log I keep to track information from the battery analyzer so you can spot a battery going bad.
From Tri-Cities Fliers’ Notam
Bob Smith, Editor
New Braunfels, San Antonio, Seguin TX

Cleaning Tips
   I have been trying out different solutions to clean my models ever since I got trapped in that dust storm at the Lost Hills Free Flight Champs last November. I have mixed up the following concoction which works for me.
   I use one quart of automotive window washing fluid mixed with a tablespoonful of Cascade dishwasher liquid. Mix well and pour into a spray bottle. Spray over the surface of the model at the end of the flying day, and wipe off with a paper towel. It’s better than Windex® and costs less.
   I also saw Mark Sexton using baby wipes for his models. Buy the generic brand in the local store. They are packaged in a handy plastic box and contain both a cleaning agent and lanolin that polishes up the covering afterwards. They smell okay, too.
   Either of these solutions to cleaning up your model should do the trick. I am sure it is better than what I did with my Upstart after it got caught in that dust storm. I took it into the shower at the motel and sluiced it out, then wiped it down with a bath towel!
From WMC Patter
Willamette Modelers Club
Bob Stalick, editor
Albany OR

   The next meeting of the MMRCC is scheduled for November 4, 2004 at 7:00 P.M. The meeting will be held at the Northrop Grumman facility. Personnel are required to sign-in and sign out for security purposes.  Don’t forget, this meeting we will elect our officers for the coming year, 2005.  See you at the meeting.   Will