Flying RC Aircraft is Serious Fun
The hobby of model aircraft flying has been around since the early part of the 20th century. Indeed, the very concept of powered flight was first tested and proven using models. Flying model aircraft is by no means restricted to radio control and before the advent of this advanced technology, modellers were flying a variety of free flight and fixed control line models.
A free flight model flies under its own power, but there’s no means of controlling its direction of flight. It has to be pre-trimmed and it flies and lands where it wants to! Control line flying is still popular and features two long control wires attached to the model aircraft’s elevator via a handle that resembles a kite control handle.There is no direction control of course as the aircraft is forced to fly the circle around the operator dictated by the length of the control wires.
During the 1950s, miniature diesel and petrol engines were further developed and more importantly electronics began to get less bulky with the introduction of the transistor to replace valve components. Radio control aircraft became a practical reality and more recently electric rc helicopters have bought thousands of people into the hobby. Similarly, small electric rc aircraft can be bought from practically any kind of hobby or toy store and flown with no experience whatsoever. Like any hobby that evolves from toys, model aircraft come in distinct grades of complexity.
The cheap and cheerful plastic/electric toys are great for kids but further up the scale, some model aircraft are genuine scaled down engineering copies of actual aircraft.The attraction of radio control flying must lie in the fact of being in control of something and being able to make it do what you like in all that 3D space.Learning to fly rc aircraft or helicopters is part of the fun too. Crashing is all part of the radio control hobby, and such incidents are almost always laughed and joked about - afterwards!
As in the real aviation world with STD (Synthetic Training Devices) you can even buy rc flight simulator software products that let you learn to fly rc from the comfort of your own armchair. For many, the pleasure of radio control aircraft comes not only from flying them, but also from actually building an rc aircraft, helicopter or any other type of model. Indeed, many modellers see the building of a model more of an attraction than flying it, and it’s true that there’s a huge amount of satisfaction in seeing a model develop from a box of bits into a fully flying plane or helicopter, built with your own hands and skill.
Lionel Trains From Past to Present
In The United States, when thinking of model trains one can’t help but think of Lionel, the company that since it’s founding in 1900, made model trains popular with the masses. Rescued from the brink of bankruptcy and disappearance, today Lionel LLC has brought back quality and innovation in it’s modern line of Lionel model trains. It’s good to see that an American icon that is a part of many of our childhood memories is able to not only survive now but thrive.
Now the corporation has a different structure but that is for the better; the important things like legacy, attention to detail and an original desire to build great model trains for children, adults and collectors remains apart of the modern Lionel corporation. Model trains haven’t enjoyed the main stream interest they once had but they have not disappeared completely, in fact they are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence of interest. In this age of video and computer games, internet social media sites and more, kids today have so many options to play with, a model train set is not going to have the same popularity with the competition in this modern landscape.
As adults, many of us can reminisce about our childhood and the Lionel trains we played with. The largest wrapped big box under the Christmas tree on Christmas day in the morning, or finding a new train set up mysteriously set up triggers some great memories for many. Now that many of us with these memories are adults, the fondness for model trains has not gone away. Being an adult with an adult income enables us to realize many of our model train desires that date all the way back to our childhood.
After experiencing it’s glory days, almost dissolving into insolvency and rising up from the brink stronger than before, Lionel reemerged into the world of model trains only to find that there are now other prominent model train companies that share the market now. New innovations are being introduced by model train companies like MTH Railking. With their high level of realism and detail, MTH is pushing the boundaries of modern model railroading. Lionel has had to seriously respond to the upped ante that the new companies have created, but they have been able to do so while still honoring the traditions and qualities of their most collectible items from the past. Despite what the competition may bring in the future, Lionel model trains will alway have a place in the model train collector’s world.
July 2, 2009
Tips for Organizing Your Desk for Scrapbooking
If you really love scrapbooking and spend a lot of time making pages, a separate desk for scrapbooking can be an excellent idea and a sound investment in your hobby. Since there are so many small items you use for making scrapbooks, and because you need to keep the pages and paper nice and neat and free of damage, it is a good idea to have a separate area for your supplies. To really make the most of your desk for scrapbooking here are a few scrapbooking ideas you should consider.
You should always keep the items on your scrapbooking desk neat and organized. It’s easy to let the small page elements and scrapbooking supplies get mixed up with one another but this can cause frustration when you are ready to actually create some new scrapbook layouts. There are many containers and organizers you can buy that are specially made for scrapbooking organization, but remember that you can use just about anything to keep your items separate and organized.Your house is full of things to organize tiny embellishments, like egg cartons, paper cups or plastics lids to your hairspray can (always wash them first of course)!).
You should also consider keeping a trash bin near your desk for scrapbooking so that you can easily get rid of scrap paper, tape, and other discarded items so they don’t get mixed in with necessary supplies. A separate cup or drawer for basic scrapbooking tools like scissors and paper cutters can keep things organized and neat as well; nothing is more frustrating than hunting around for the scissors or die cutter when your desk is covered in cardstock and other page elements.
Scrapbook paper storage is very inexpensive and can really help keep your desk for scrapbooking organized as well.These cardstock sorters stack with slots for organizing colored paper and will keep your papers from becoming bent or damaged. They will also help you sort your cardstock by pattern, color or theme.
Remember that you don’t have to keep everything on top of your desk for scrapbooking. Put a corkboard up on the wall in front of the desk; you can pin binder clips to it and use the clips to hold papers so that you don’t need to use a pushpin with them. You can also pin envelopes to the corkboard and use these envelopes to keep small embellishments and stickers neat and organized. Clear plastic sandwich bags also work well allowing you to see exactly what is inside. The space under your desk for scrapbooking is another place to use for storage; a small rolling cart with drawers is inexpensive and is easily accessible under your scrapbooking desk.
Creating page layouts is easier and quicker when you have a scrapbooking desk that is neat and organized.You won’t waste your time cleaning a space to work on your scrapbooking project, and it allows you to get started right away. The time you spend to maintain your scrapbooking organization will be well worth it when you are able to get more scrapbooking layouts finished.
June 30, 2009
How to Choose the Best Knitting Needles
You have many options when buying knitting needles. Not only do you have to decide on what type you need, but you also have to choose what type of material the needles are made from. Both decisions are influenced by what you will be knitting and by personal preference. To help you choose the best knitting needles for your project, here is a brief description of these two factors.
Materials Used For Needles:
Knitting needles are made from a variety of materials. The type of material used provides friction that will influence how easy the stitches come off the needle. Sometimes a needle that is rougher is preferred so that the stitches don’t slip off the needle accidentally; while other times speed is important and a smoother needle is required.
Wood: These needles have a rough surface. They are light weight and considered environmentally friendly because it comes from a renewable resource. Bamboo is a popular choice when buying wood needles. Bamboo is particularly environmentally friendly because it can grow as fast as 3-4 feet in a single day.
Metal: Metal needles are very smooth. This allows the stitches to easily slip from one needle and onto another needle. Experienced knitters who want to complete their project very quickly prefer this type of needle. Metal needles are very durable and hard to break. Aluminium is the most common type of metal used for metal needles.
Plastic or Acrylic: These needles are light weight, flexible and inexpensive. They usually have a different colour for each size the needle comes in, especially when they are sold as sets.
Types of Needles:
There are three main types of needles: circular, double pointed and straight. Each type of needle, often referred to as circular or flat, is used to produce different results. Flat knitting creates flat pieces, such as scarves, while circular knitting creates circular pieces or tubes without seams. Some needles can only produce one type of result, while others can create several different types of results.
Circular: Circular needles have two needles at both ends with a flexible cable in the middle. The cable is long, anywhere from 24 to 60 inches. The needles at the end are short, inflexible and have tapered ends. They make it easy to add new stitches, while the cable holds the stitches after they have been added. When knitting with circular needles, hold one end in each hand. The advantage of circular needles is that they can hold hundreds of stitches, the stitches won’t fall off the needles and the flexible cord in the middle can rest on the knitter’s lap so that the weight of the stitches is not felt. Circular needles can be used for flat or circular knitting.
Double Pointed (Dpns): These needles are short and straight, but both ends of the needle are tapered. Stitches can be added from either end of the needle. Double pointed needles are used for knitting tubes, such as sleeves and socks. Four to five needles are used at the same time when knitting with dpns. One needle adds the stitches while the other holds the stitches in place. One specialized type of dpns are cable needles, which look like dpns, but they are shorter and have a dimple in the middle of the needle.
Straight Needle: The needle is long and straight. There is a knob or cap at one end, which prevents the stitches from falling off the needle. At the other end, the needle is tapered, similar to a sewing needle but it is blunt instead of being sharp. When knitting with straight needles, two needles are used. Straight needles are used for flat knitting, for example scarves or shawls.
Please visit Beautiful Creations to see the different types and sizes of knitting needles that are available. Are you still not sure of which ones to buy? Or are you looking for an easy project to do? Check out these Knitting Kits that come complete with all the supplies you need, including yarn, needles and pattern instructions.