SCAT Electronic News December 16 1999

SCAT Electronic News December 16 1999

      "SCAT - 40 Years of FAI Free Flight Competition"



Table of Contents
==================

Millennium - Broken spar
B.O.M. Easy Fix - Achterberg
Latest Americas Cup Results ? - Bradley
Glueing Rubber Andresen
A builder that does not whine - O'Reilly
A younger BOM Perspective - Buxton


Millennium
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Roger...

Nobody working on the Millennium thing ?
How about we start with the alphabet in reverse: Zaic, (then each
letter)......V Verbitsky.......R....Richmond...........K...Korda.........H
Hacklinger........C....Conover
........A...Archer. Anyone care to fill in the blanks ?

Brokenspar



B.O.M. Easy Fix
================
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Hello;
Well, today I read some more BOM info and it is entertaining as always!
Democracy, freedom of speech, isn't it great!! I can fix this problem
and it is an easy fix.
I will propose to the Sierra Eagles that we have two events in each
class. If you build everything on your model you and the other "1 or 2"
flyers will enter the BOM class and the other 20, 30 , 40, or 50 flyers
will fly in the Non-BOM class and or event. This should make all the
Pro- BOM flyers content and besides the Non-BOM flyers will be able to
get rid of Victor, Alex, and Evgueney! Is this a Great Idea!! Just
kidding V.,A.,& E., as most of us enjoy competing with you at our
events!
This way everybody is happy!! We will not be forcing anyone to complete
against flyers who choose to buy some or all of there parts. There
should only be one stipulation though, you can't fly in both events BOM
and Non-BOM!! That really would not be fair to the flyer who has to buy
his parts!!!!
Hopefully, Scat. and the other aero clubs that host contests will follow
this idea and everybody will be happy!! It is all about having some fun,
Right!!!!!!
Thermals,
Michael Achterberg

Latest Americas Cup Results
=============================
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Roger,

Does the SCAT web page have an up to date listing of the 1999 Americas Cup
standings, if so where? All I see is the 1998 results.

Jim Bradley

[ We do not have the very latest status]


Gluing Rubber
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Subject : Re: SCAT Electronic News 11 December 1999 - SCAT Christmas Party Day


This BOM touches as many nerves as RDT. Is funny to see all Little Am Cup
events being led by BOM flyers while Buyer of the Models all shoot
themselves in foot.

Anyhow I really am writing re gluing rubber.

Jim Richmond, 7x F1D WC glues and thread ties his loops, Think he uses a
partial drop of CA. He only uses 1 O-ring to save more weight, which may
have cost him even more WC when he had trouble hooking up in the cold dark
saltmine.

3x WC Steve Brown uses a couple of knots and 2 O-rings which have performed
almost flawlessly. One slipped out as he was hooking up for a 60min
attempt, totally destroying the model.

It should be pointed out that with indoor the 1 loop of rubber puts more
demands on the knot (joint)stress wise, and weight is at an absolute
premium, with knot being much higher percentage of total.

Eastman used to demonstrate the original CA (910) by cutting a rubber O-ring
then gluing the butt joint with the 910 and passing it around for audience
to try to break. Technicians who failed at DIY were impressed. Then demo
person would disclose trick. The cutting razor was super cleaned to remove
silicon preservative. Without this step is total failure.

Woops, times's up for now,
H


A builder that does not whine
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Hey guys,

Do I understand the position clearly? The guys who like the BOM (builder)
are "whining Willies," while the guys who like the BOM (buyer) are not?

If you like, I'll show you the four models in my box: Two are rocking wing,
one is a timer-operated VIW and one is a timer-operated VIT. Three have AR,
one flies R-L. Four have VP and IPR. (Domestic.) All four have graphite
members in the wing. One has a vacuum-formed "D"-box. (Homemade.) So what
is this about being anti- T & A? (That's technology and advancement!)

Jim O'Reilly


A younger BOM Perspective
==========================
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After reading the BOM rule discussions, I would like to add my view, for
what it's worth.

I have competed in F1A and F1B, but took the years since about 1993 off due
to college and what not. I looked at getting back into F1A, and must say it
is a little intimidating!!! Electronic multi-function timers that you
program with a laptop computer, bunt, wings with no balsa...oh my. I could
not easily sit down in my free time and come up with a model that is
technically capable of competing at this level. Keep in mind I am I am in
the 'under 35' class, a mechanical engineer, and a licensed aircraft
mechanic.

My initial reaction was, "the events have gotten out of hand, they need to
be less sophisticated", but then I thought about it more. The World
Championships are about the best, and the best should be able to compete
with as few limitations as possible. Were it not for their great minds, and
the ones before them, F1B would be a delta-dart mass launch. That is why
they compete to be world champions, there are plenty of less sophisticated
events if this is not your thing. The great innovators need a playing field
too.

The only way I could get up to speed in this lifetime is to purchase the
'intimidating' components, assemble them and start flying. Simple fact is
that this is a way for me to accelerate the learning curve and compete, and
if I cannot legally do it, I will never return to FAI events. Last I
heard, there was no SURPLUS of competitors in Free-Flight...especially FAI
events.

The lack of the BOM will allow some people to compete that otherwise would
not. So some people will simply buy an airplane and go fly, and be happy.
Some people will do this whether or not the rule exists anyway. The best
part is, Some people will use 'store-bought' components to get involved in
a sport they may have been intimidated away from in the first place.

I think the greatest challenge of all is to learn from the guys building and
selling the hardware (even if it means buying some), improving it, and
beating all the store-bought fliers with something that I created and built
completely on my own. Now wouldn't that be the greatest victory of all?

Let everyone fly, and try to beat them...
~jim

............
Roger Morrell