SCAT Electronic News 6 May 1998
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- Category: Archive 1998
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SCAT Electronic News 6 May 1998
More Correspondence on Avionics
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From Ken Bauer
At 03:01 PM 4/30/98 PDT, you wrote:
>
>Secondly it is a significant technical and financial challenge to develop ..
> .. etc
Roger,
I agree with your editorial. There is no point in changing the rules
against electronics because the fully automatic airplane that always makes
perfect flights will never happen. It takes a large amount of work just to
make simple electronics to replace mechanical timers. It would take a
team of full time engineers on a NASA budget to make an airplane so
smart that it would always fly in the right conditions regardless of launch,
and do it reliably over and over again. So even though one can argue that
all the sensors and microelectronics exist for such an airplane, it is
extremely unlikely to happen.
From my own experience, it is very hard to gain any contest advantage by
investing all your time in new technology. If my only goal was to win
contests, I know my time would be better spent obtaining conventional
airplanes and practicing with them. However, I like developing new ideas
and technology just for the fun of it. It is very satisfying to dream up
new, potentially better ways of doing things, and then to make it happen. I
hope that one day maybe my electronics will give me an advantage, but
right now it is mostly lots of work...
Ken Bauer
Airtek Engineering
RF Circuit & System Design
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PHONE: 909-393-9889
Comment from Roger Morrell
------------------------
My experience is similar to Ken's, except that I try do well in contests and
develope the new technology. Probably somewhat foolish on my part. I
have 2 sets of F1B airplanes, those I use in contests and try to do well
with, and those used for developing the electronic timers. My best
electronic airplane has moved up from being my worst over all to being
my second best calm weather performer. I do not fly it in serious contests
yet because my contest operating procedures for the electronic airplanes
are fully drummed into my head. I was tempted to fly it in the 10 minute
fly-off last weekend at Sacramento because the D/T will go that long and it
does well in those conditions, but could not because I had damaged the
rudder in carrying it to the line. After returning to the my car I noted that
eventhough I had set the d/t to 10 minutes the alternate d/t switch was on,
giving a short d/t for testing. Had I flown the airplane, I'm not certain if I
would have checked that because it's not in my standard flight check
procedure [yet] to check the alternate d/t switch. I am confident that the
timers work reliably enough so I'm now making regular contest electronic
airplanes.
Then from Bob Waterman
----------------------
Check out the development of onboard thermal sniffing and directing
devices in RC Sailplanes and why they were banned. You can buy these
units at collectos occasionally. They aren't banned for F1 events. They
worked well. Oh well!
Waterman
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So I checked it out
------------------
with Matt Gewain who is also involved with R/C Sailplanes
From Matt Gewain
At 12:34 PM 5/1/98 PDT, you wrote:
>
>Matt
>
>see note from Waterman .. is this true ? always ? in what classes ?
>
>Roger
>
Roger;
They are used universally in R/C cross country where the models fly very
high and are almost out of sight at many times. They have a radio link
back to the pilot that gives him rate of climb/sink information based upon
a change of tone in an ear phone.
They are banned in AMA thermal competition because of the radio link
from the model to the pilot. The CD has enough trouble controlling the
frequency conflicts on the radio control equipment without having to
control the thermal sniffer frequencies as well. Also they are not needed
because the pilot can see the model well enough to see if it is going up or
down and change course.
These reasons would never apply to a F1 model.
Matt
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Nor Cal FAI Results
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From Fred Terzian
Roger!
Here are the final results for the FAI events held at Waegell Field on the
2nd and 3rd of May:
F1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Total
1 Brian Van Nest 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 1560
2 Hector Diez 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 255 1515
3 Martyn Cowley 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 1440
4 Tom Coussens 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 164 1424
5 Lee Hines 175 180 176 180 175 180 180 1246
6 Fred Terzian 168 180 173 180 180 146 180 1207
7 Pierre Brun 180 180 180 180 142 173 157 1192
8 Ernesto Busnelli 180 180 180 180 180 74 180 1154
9 Risto Puhakka 180 180 180 180 170 180 - 1070
10 Kate Joyce 26 180 168 180 180 180 39 953
11 Ken Kowal 180 137 180 99 75 101 100 872
12 Dimitru Kozyluk 62 76 180 91 59 180 165 813
13 Norm Smith 77 98 75 180 81 165 90 766
14 Steve Coussens 180 -0- 180 86 180 - - 626
F1B
1 Vladi Andriukov 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 370 1930
2 Alex Andriukov 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 346 1906
3 Roger Morrell 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 325 1885
4 Walt Ghio 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 317 1877
5 Mark Bennett 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 59 1619
6 Rich Rohrke 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 - 1560
7 Mike Mulligan 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 257 1517
8 Jerry Fitch 177 180 180 180 180 180 180 1257
9 Al Brush 180 180 180 154 180 180 180 1234
10 Chuck Dorsett 180 146 180 180 155 180 - 1021
11 John Pratt 180 180 100 180 180 180 - 1000
12 George Batiuk 180 180 180 179 - - 719
13 Larry Norvall 159 180 Burn & Crash 399
14 Bob Tymchek 180 150 - - - - - 330
15 John Oian 168 - - - 168
F1C
1 Roger Simpson 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 421 1981
2 Doug Joyce 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 242 1802
3 Ed Carroll 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 131 1691
F1G
1 John Kamla 120 120 120 120 100 580
2 Bob White 120 120 120 120 99 579
3 Mike Davis 103 99 120 120 120 562
4 John Pratt 120 59 110 120 86 495
5 Larry Norvall 120 71 56 120 120 487
6 George Batiuk 120 120 109 349
7 Len Sherman 33 96 120 249
8 Jerry Fitch 120 69 189
F1H
1 Martyn Cowley 120 120 120 120 120 600
2 Norm Smith 89 95 120 116 120 540
3 Brian Van Nest 120 120 120 58 106 524
4 Fred Terzian 87 120 82 102 107 498
5 Walt Ghio 120 120 -0- 103 118 461
6 Bob Norton 120 120 58 69 59 426
7 Ben Tarcher 68 120 80 86 -0- 354
F1J
1 Bill Vanderbeek 120 120 120 120 120 300 900
2 Bill Lynch 120 120 120 120 120 296 896
3 Jim Haught 120 120 120 101 70 531
4 Dave Parsons 120 120 Lost his model 360
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Applogies Dept
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I put up some photos from Richard Blackam, that I was able view with the
tools I have on my computer, but not may other people were. This is now
fixed and the secret hand shake is not longer required !
...........................................................
Roger Morrell
