Free Flight Resource List by Bob Clemens
Favorite Links

 Updated January 2008

Thanks to the dedication and hard work by several hundred dedicated entrepreneurs around the country, an amazing array of free flight necessities are readily available. Sadly, most of their products cannot be found in hobby shops or other retail outlets and can only be obtained via mail order using catalogs or the Internet. The following is a basic list of some of these “hidden” resources (there are many more), and is aimed primarily at newcomers and “returnees” to the hobby of free flight. Those vendors highlighted in yellow  offer many model kits suitable for inexperienced firt-timers.
Please feel free to copy and distribute this list, and understand that merchandise availability, prices, e-mail addresses, and web site URL’s are subject to change without notice.

Bob Clemens, WNYFFS Rochester, NY
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Web Sites

There are many excellent web sites devoted to free flight modeling. The following are just a few. Many of them have links to still other sites.

Academy of Model Aeronautics:     http://modelaircraft.org /     The AMA is the official governing body of all phases of model aviation in the United States. AMA Cub kits (see suggested models list on page 3) can be ordered on this site.

DC Maxecuters club site:   www.his.com/~tschmitt/index.html    The D.C. Maxecuters are one of the best known free flight clubs in the country, particularly where Flying Aces competition is concerned. Lots of great scale information, photos, and links.

Dumas Products, Inc.:     www.dumasproducts.com/     Dumas makes an impressive line of laser-cut rubber scale kits ranging from 17 ½” to 30” in span. You can see them all on this site.

 

Bill Kuhl’s AMA Cub web site:    www.luminet.net/~bkuhl/rubber.htm    This site is a must for anyone just starting out who’s interested in easy-to-build models. Lots of good information, pictures, and many video clips showing these fun aircraft in action. Bill’s site is particularly aimed at youngsters who want to get a model into the air. Highly recommended! 

Gary Hunter’s Plan Page:   www.theplanpage.com/     A great variety of excellent plans for downloading and scratch building, all free.   

Indoor Web Page:   www.indoorfreeflight.com   This very informative site is devoted strictly to indoor flying. Lots of tips, plans, and information.

National Free Flight Society:     http://freeflight.org    NFFS is dedicated to the practice, promotion, and enjoyment of free flight model flying. They publish an excellent bi-monthly illustrated newsletter for members. Lots of good links found here.

Tim Goldstein’s web site:  www.indoorduration.com   Lots of good information, photos, plans, and other items relating to indoor flying, including the Science Olympiad. Tim sells lots of specialized items for indoor flying as well at his second site, www.F1D.biz, including a new brand of rubber strip.

Thayer Syme's free flight site:    www.gryffinaero.com/models/   Thayer’s very active site is full of ever-growing amounts of information, tips, plans, and model photos. His pictures and explanations of tools and fixtures are very informative. Science Olympiad information is included too. It’s a great place to start surfing. This site is highly recommended!

Recommended reading:  Flying Models magazine has two excellent free-flight columns every month, plus periodic FF model construction articles and ads from the vendors listed above, and more. Sometimes hard to find on newsstands, it's worth the search. Better yet, get a subscription. Don Ross (below) writes an interesting column that appears monthly in Flying Models.

Rubber Powered Model Airplanes by Don Ross covers the basics very well. Your local library may have it, or it can be purchased from Don himself for $14.95 post paid:  Don Ross, 38 Churchill Road, Cresskill, NJ 07626.  E-mail:  flywords@comcast.net

 

	Tom Hallman Photo