SCAT Electronic News 14 Oct 1999

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Category: Archive 1999

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SCAT Electronic News 14 Oct 1999

      "SCAT - 40 Year's of FAI Free Flight Competition"


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

Re: What is Free Flight? for me  - Terzian
What is the RCDT doing ?  -  salzer
In the Willows ?
Hermann uncovered - Andressen
Tactics vs Performance - Blackam
Getting started with F1G  - Murphy

Re: What is Free Flight? for me
===============================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bill,

You have put this "controversy" into perfect context! I wish I could have
said it as well.

It will be quite some time before I have the opportunity to build an
airplane (F1A) with all the bells and whistles that are being dreamed up.
I'm still trying to figure out how to get my bunt transition consistent with
a mechanical timer!

Yes, I would like to avoid long chases, especially if it involved boundary
limitations such as freeways, rivers, canyons, marshes or
residential/business developments. Obstructions such as trees, power lines,
buildings and others would be nice to avoid if you could get the airplane
down before (or after) overflying such obstacles.

I don't have the time (or money) to replace my fleet if lost or broken and
would prefer to put in more quality flying time than spending all day
looking for an airplane.

Another goal I wish freeflighters would consider is a small strobe module
that could be placed on our models for longer distance visibility. I've torn
apart some of these cheap throw away cameras that Kodak (tm) and others
market. For those that haven't looked into this cheap source for a strobe
with circuit board, don't give the film developers back the whole camera
because they will repackage it and resell it. Take the film out (exposed or
unexposed) and have it developed by itself or throw it into your 35mm or APS
system, then take the electronic guts out of the camera and give the body to
a kid to play cameraman with. They are usually powered with a AA battery and
the cycle time could be shortened for our potential use using some type of
counter module.

Radio "assisted" DT is something that should be considered in this day and
age.	Fred T.


 
What is the RCDT doing ?
========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The RCDT-Discussion is quite interesting - especially as most
people do not state the real problem:
- How do you avoid the RCDT-user controlling functions
     besides DT?
- How can you check that he does not?
RCDT by itself is not bad (in my opinion). The possibilities of
adding "non reversible" trim changes (3 pos rudder, aborting bunt,
etc) will lead to a non-free-flight model in my opinion. And no
contest director will have a chance to check your electronic
timer for hidden control functions like these!
Anybody got a solution? (not just an opinion!)
regards
Klaus

[Klaus - I too asked this question and a while back Ian
Kaynes suggested that the organizer or jury would
examine a model that performed suspiciously.

I have heard of instances where the jury at major contests has
caught people not following the rules and assume they
would be able to do it here.

But I notice that Andriukov's F1B flys 'too well' and sometimes
exhibits strange behavour wandering out of bad air into good.
Alex has explained his trim system, but he certainly gets
it to go better than most people. Does this mean that the organizer
would always examine his model because it flys too well ? ..
and he does not even have an electronic timer !:-) ]

 
In the Willows ?
================

At the recent Livotto Contest Al Brush's airplane did not
come down on the fieldin the last run when the strong
wind came up D/T failure or just too high ? 

So they stayed and went looking for Al's plane the next
day. Willard Smitz  and Don Leath had climbed into the car and
followed it until they heard a signal ....near Buttonwillow...!!! Al and
Tina found it 32 miles away from the field in a cotton patch (near
Buttonwillow) the next morning.


Hermann uncovered
=================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Roger,
Two things happened since you published the uncovering notes from Dick 
Strang & I.

First, Terry Thorkildsen questioned the bagging technique on old models 
using Ambroid.  I thought the advantages offered with acetone & bagging were 
compelling enough to cut slits and add fillets of white glue, polyurethane 
or epoxy prior to the uncovering process, though a test of a rudder or stab 
could show if it really was a problem since the surface/cross section areas 
favor loosening the covering much faster than the glue joints.  Also with 
the clear plastic approach, some fixturing (like a flat surface can keep 
things together.

Second thing was a PMAC meeting which featured Al Lidberg of Model Plan 
Service fame, giving a covering demo.  Naturally, uncovering came up.  Frank 
Roberge indicated that one way to reduce joint loosening was to soak a few 
paper towels in acetone, toss them in the bottom of a large garbage bag, 
stick in the candidate component and twist tie the opening.  After 15 to 30 
min, open bag & quickly peel off tissue which often comes off in one piece 
panels.  Since only vapors contact the component there is less working time 
than with the more invasive liquid bagging technique.

So there is another way to avoid the methylene chloride and chisels.

Never thought anyone read my ramblings, so forgot to include a disclaimer, 
which I would like to do now to limit liability.

Thanks for your efforts (tho am starting to OD on RDT).
                                                       H

[Herm you are probably not the only one who has ODed on that.  ]


Tactics vs Performance
======================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Re: Bill Bogart's 'tactical advantage' comments. Bill seems to have 
confused the term 'tactical advantage' with 'performance advantage' in 
several of his historical examples. It seems to me that the arguments in 
this forum for and against the use of RC DT are very different than those 
for and against the geared F1C engines. The former can give a tactical 
advantage; the latter gives a performance advantage (which may, of 
course, affect the tactics a flier uses in competition but which does 
not, in itself, give a tactical advantage).

Sorry about the semantics, but let's talk rationally, accurately and 
logically about these issues if we will. That way we may find an outcome 
of benefit to all.

Richard Blackam

 
Getting started with F1G 
========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
     
     Just a short note to George Ulicny  who was asking about additional 
     building projects.  I recently completed the Winter Hawk II F1G kit 
     from MAL of Irving Texas.  They have a web URL at 
     http://www.flash.net/~malhobby/
     
     The Winter Hawk II is John O'Dwyer's national's winning design.  The 
     kit comes complete with a rolled body tube and very nice folding prop.
     MAL provides good service.  The wood quality of the kit was A+, but 
     there were some monor quality problems that were easily corrected with 
     a phone call to MAL.  
     
     I have only a few trim flights on my model but it looks like it will 
     be a good model for competition flying.
     
     Jerry Murphy
     AMA 917
     This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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