So my blogging is a bit behind. I posted the photo in Flicker of the new Model Railroad Benchwork in October, but I am just writing about it now. I guess I have bloggers guilt and needed something to post. The benchwork was built more out of a need for storage than for the immediate need to start a new layout. They say neccesitiy is the mother of invention, while in this case it was the mother of the model railroad.

I know many people like to plan the track out first and then the benchwork, but I have laways had more fun building the benchwork to suit the room and then coming up with a design of a layout to fit. Perhaps it is not the most scientific, but it is a bit more organic like real railroads tend to be. Railroads may be planned, but the earth was here first – so thats my story and I am sticking to it. Besides I really needed the sorage.

The benchwork is twenty four inches deep in most parts, with some bump outs, and is L-shaped.  It extends 16 feet along one wall, right under the basement staris and 12 feet in the other direction. Although not in this picture, the top of the benchwork is one and a half inch thick Blu-Cor foam. I have done too many plywood layouts in the past. This time I plan to keep it easy and use foam as the base.  Also, I want to make some interesting scenes and I think I can make easier elevation changes by carving out the foam. We will see.

Of course spring is on the way and hobbies are turning back to outdoor RC flying and I do not expect much to happen on the layout over the warm months.  The goal for is to finalize the track layout and purchase the track needed for construction to begin in the fall.  This layout will be n-scale and I should have plenty of room for a nice yard under the steps and some nice mainlines. I have been debating about adding a shelf layout above for my HO stuff, but that will be a future endeavor.

Besides having Super RC powers, Dave Powers of RCPOWERS.com has a great interview of Dick Kline. Dave has spent a lot of time trying the KF airfoil on different platforms, most of them originally unstable without the KF. Dave has come up with some interesting results and as always, Dave’s videos are entertaining and informative.

If you are looking for a discussion and some plans, then head over to RCGroups for the Kline Fogleman Airfoiled Flying Wing thread. Perhaps one of the best reads on the KF is by Rich Thompson of Tennessee, or Leadfeather as he is known.  Besides a great thread, Rich has put together a PDF of his research and findings: KF Airfoil Comparison by Rich Thompson.

The stability of the KF Airfoil has led a lot of pilots to use it as a platofrm for aerial photography, such as Aerophilia down in Melbourne, Australia. Using Tony’s BluBaby with a KFm2 airfoil the platform is very steady.  With the KFm2 airfoil the platform is very steady and the video is clear.

One of the first friends I made after starting this site was Dick Kline, inventor of the Kline-Folgelman airfoil. Over the past few years as our friendship has grown I have noticed something else grow, use of the Kline-Folgelman design. The design has taken root in the RC Airplane community and has become the most influential design principal for all modern RC aircraft. Designers are applying the principals to countless numerations and variations of wings and aircraft.  The KF Airfoil or simply KF as it is called, was not an invention of a team of NASA engineers, but rather a man who had an open mind to look outside the box. Thank you Dick! With so many KF designs in the works or in the air I have created an entire new video section dedicated to Kline-Folgeman designs.

With everyone gearing up for the largest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, I figured I would do my part save those of us sane enough to not participate. I decided to launch my line of Control Freek Apparel this week. The best part – no getting up at 3 am to shop for it. LOL! Seriously though, I was inspired to create these designs because I could not find anything fun to wear to the RC track or flying field. It always seemed that the only RC shirts around had either a company logo on them or a club logo. I have plenty of “geek” shirts with cool sayings but no cool RC shirts. It is cool to be a geek, and I would say I am one, but I think those of us into RC are more Freek then Geek. With that thought, Control Freek RC was born. I am adding new designs every day and right now we have stuff for him, her, the kids, the wife, the husband, the boyfriend, the girlfriend, even the dog.  I hope you like them, they make great gifts and now is the perfect time to order before the holidays.