Pilot and Airplane of the Month  

Aerosmith’s

Pilot and Airplane of the month- February .07

Mr. Joe Yap Wai Chong with his scratch built

Duo Discus

Profile of a successful  AeroMaster..

 Glider season is in full swing in Singapore. Even though the wind this year has been a little less than favorable, it did not stop die hard glider pilot like Mr. Joe Yap from trying very early on in the season. We have chosen Joe for pilot of the month simply due to his dedication towards the hobby, particularly in the field of scale gliders. The plane featured this month is scratch built and designed by Joe himself. It is approximately 1/10^th in scale of the famous Duo Discus.

Joe’s day job is an LAE (License Aircraft Engineer) working for the famous and respected local flag carrier. He is 34 years old and happily married. Besides flying and building model planes, scuba diving and fishing take up most of his time. For the last 17 years Joe has spent relentless amount of time and effort in RC flying and more specifically scale gliders.   

Difficulties faced by this enthusiastic aeromodeller includes space constraint, considering there is , effectively, only one place to fly gliders and it can only be done for 3 months out of a year. Discipline of fellow flyers sometimes is a major concern as Joe has lost precious planes before due to reckless and irresponsible flyers that fail to check frequency before flying. Availability of quality planes can also be frustrating. It is not uncommon to wait for 6 months for a kit to arrive. However when it comes to pricing of aeromodelling products in Singapore, Joe actually think they are reasonable and quite competitive…good for fellow flyers at least.

In the local scene, Joe actually would like to see more serious scratch built project of good quality both in terms of flying and scale. He would also hope to see more fly-ins and fun fly. These events would definitely raise awareness and provide exposure to would-be flyers.

Without being too obvious, Joe favorite aeroplanes are the Duo Discus, Nimbus and ASH-25..all of which are beautiful, sleek, sexy gliders.

To the question why he aeromodels?  Joe answered, well, simply enjoy the challenge of defying gravity and conquering the skies.  A very simple but intriguing answer. As for new comers, he has the following advice, get the Right Plane wait for the Right Condition at the Right place and also get a dedicated and committed buddy instructor. This would save time and money and greatly reduce the initial frustrations.

Of course, to do things that Joe does, info sources are very important and he is more than happy to share them. The popular RC magazines, in particular, Quiet Flyers and RCM&E are good sources. The internet also offers various forums and interesting web-sites. As far as books are concerned, there are a number of books which are dedicated to aeromodelling however the book titled Aerodynamics for Model Aeroplane is one of his all time favorites.

I have known Joe for quite a while now. I find Joe to be very technically inclined and has great enthusiasm for flight; in general.. the Art of  defying gravity. Being an Aircraft engineer, he has in depth practical knowledge on how aircraft needs to be for flight. As all glider pilots know, to fly without a power plant, the high level of accuracy and attention to detail is a necessity and not just favorable option. To be able to sustain flight without power plant is already a feat by itself but to have the ability to design and built a machine to do just that is nothing short of spectacular. We, at Aerosmith-hobby, are indeed honored to grant Joe the title of Aeromaster for the month of Feb. Keep up the good job and may we see more of your functional works of art that, I am sure, would capture the imagination of all.

            With that, we would like to grant Mr. Joe Yap the honorary title of Aerosmith Aeromaster for the month of Febuary. Congratulations! With this honour, Joe would enjoy additional 10% discount* on all his purchases made during the applicable month.

*discount is applicable to items that are not on special promotion.

The plane…..scratch built 1/10^th Duo Discus

            For this glider season, it is only appropriate to feature a glider, and as far as gliders are concerned, there is nothing more beautiful than a scale modern glider. With high aspect ratio wings and long slender fuselage, a modern glider is a technical marvel by its own right. There is nothing in the sky that is more attractive or sexier than a modern glider.

            This month, we are featuring Joe yap’s scratch built Duo Discus of his own design.

            This lady measures 2m span and approx 1m in length. Flying weight about 23 oz, wing loading 12.1 oz/sqft. Airfoil is a modified SELIG 3010. The longtitudinal dihedral is 2 degree nose up. Principally, it is made of glass covered blue foam for the fuselage, balsa sheeted foam core for the wings, vac-form canopy, steel wire wing joiner and finished with automotive paint.

            For controls, Tamazo ts 49 for ailerons, hs-81 for elevator and rudder.

            Various sections were hot wire cut before assembly.

            In flight, this Duo Discus can hold its own. The trick is, according to its designer, to fly it fast. It has a very flat glide and great penetration, a quality that is very important when hunting for thermals.

            Flight control programming, Aileron to rudder 100% mixing is recommended due to adverse yaw. Joe would like to recommend this project for experience builder and pilot. Hot wire cutting thin wings can be challenging and flying a small bird at high speed without a motor can get very exciting very fast, to say the least.

            Again congratulations to Joe for his excellent example of what we are capable of, if we put our heart and soul into it. There is nothing more convincing than to see it with our own eyes, even more exciting is to see it soaring above.

            Keep up the excellent work!

 **Aerosmith-hobby does not carry this plane in our stock however we do carry applicable accessories**

All enquires contact  +65 6534 2003/ +65 94314525 or email aerosmithhobby@gmail.com
Overseas enquires  pls email aerosmith_hobby@yahoo.com.sg 

@ Copyright 11 Nov 2006  Aerosmith Hobby