The Great F1B Experiment - Rev1
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- Category: Fab Feb 2026
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The Great F1B Experiment - REV 1
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Time: 9.00 am
Location: Lost Hills
CD: Walt Ghio This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Entry fee: $5
Prizes: 50% of the entry for 1st, 30% of the entry for 2nd and 20% of the entry for 3rd
The idea for this contest is to test the new F1B idea put forward by Mike Woodhouse to change the format of how we run an F1B contest. We have read many comments on SEN and Facebook about how to reduce the performance of our F1B models. Hopefully this contest will give us some data to show if Mike’s idea is a good way forward.
No thermal equipment will be allowed. This means no heat/ wind/ pressure sensors, no poles with streamers, no bubble machines, no cat tails or any other item to figure out when a thermal is present. Only you and your model will be allowed to make a flight. Yes, piggybacking is allowed. If you are caught using any item to detect a thermal you will be disqualified from the Great Experiment.
I will provide several poles with a half meter streamer that will be positioned on the flight line for wind direction. You will have a window of ten minutes to wind your motor and make your flight. You can declare the window and if you do not fly, it will be an attempt. Two attempts allowed. If you break a motor in the motor tube you will have to replace it within the time window. Your timer will record the start of the window on the time card.
As most contest these days allow the flyers to time each other, I will use this format for this contest. Please select another flyer to make a flyer/ timer team. Also, I would like to have each of you rotate your flying order each round. One fly first in the first round and the other fly first in the second round. This will even out the piggybacking as the first group will have more models in the air to observe if in lift or not in lift. Please do not wait till the morning of the contest to ask another flyer to join you in the experiment.
We will fly from a flight line with pole position. After winding your motor and you are ready to fly you will pick a pole position that does not have a flyer on it. Mark this pole position on the time card for this round. You cannot use this pole again. No reserving a pole position.
No winding equipment is allowed on the flight line. Please keep a gap of five meters between the flight line and the winding equipment. You may set up on each side of the flight line. This will all the flyer to see the poles for selection. Please, no motorcycles on the flight line.
After the contest I would like the contestant to write a review and post it on SEN: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This way the other F1B flyers in the World can see your review to see how this Great Experiment worked out or did not work out.
REV 1: The odd rounds, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th will use the ten-minute window to launch your model. The even rounds, 2nd, 4th and 6th will not have a window to launch your model. You and your timing team mate will have the complete round to make your flight as we now use for our contest.
Round 1- 9.00 to 10.00 180 sec 10 Minute Window
Round 2- 10:00 to 11:00 180 sec No Window
Round 3- 11.00 to 12.00 180 sec 10 Minute Window
Round 4- 12:00 to 1:00 180 sec No Window
Round 5- 1:00 to 2:00 180 sec 10 Minute Window
Round 6- 2.00 to 3.00 180 sec No Window
Round 7- 3:00 to 4:00 180 sec 10 Minute Window
Flyoff 1: 4:30 to 4:37 360 sec
Flyoff 2: 5:15 to 5:22 480 sec
Flyoff 3: 6:00 to 6:07 600 sec