SEN 909 - 14 Oct 2004
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SCAT Electronic News 14 October 2004 issue 909
Table of Contents
=================
30 gram F1B's - Bradley
Humming Along - Dukie
30 g of rubber! - Salzer
Timothy James Ryan, DDS
Super Sport/F1B Rubber Allowance Debate - Ball
2004 Patterson Flyer - Parker
In Honor of the Sport - Coussens
30 gram F1B's
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Having only been flying F1B's for a little over 2 years all of my actual flying
experience is with 30 gram motors. Personally I think the models fly fine
with 30 gram motors and see no reason we should change. No doubt the models
flew longer in neutral air with 35 and 40 gram motors but so what, that was
then and this is now. Why do we need 6 to 7 minute models when a well trimmed
F1B with 30 grams motors will do 5 minute, even with TAN Super Sport? Sure you
have to wind the Super Sport right to the edge but isn't that what it's all
about, get every last second out of our models.
My personal feeling is that some people want to go back to 35 or 40 gram
motors so they don't have to work as hard to getting their models trimmed to
make the 5 minute max. If it were easy it wouldn't be fun, at least to me. I
think the present F1B rules are just fine and see no reason to change.
I have some of the last two batches of TAN II, both acknowledged to be very
good rubber, and my test show those batches to be 10% to 15% better that the
TAN Super Sport I have tested (I have tested all of the TAN Super Sport batches
of rubber). When I first got into F1B I also acquired about 6 pounds of TAN
II that were from batches from 1993 and 1997 and none of them were as good as
any of the batches of TAN Super Sport. It is unfair to compare the TAN Super
Sport to only the very good batches of TAN II and what the models would do with
very good TAN II.
Think outside of the box, try motors blended from different batches of rubber
and/or odd number stranding to get the most out of the available rubber. You
have to do more testing but there is a lot more performance to be had with
TAN Super Sport than most people think. Besides, those flyers with plenty of
TAN II will run out someday and if you learn to work with the Super Sport now
then you will be ahead of them when that day comes.
Jim Bradley
Humming Along
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Roger
I am exploring the possibility of getting some more parts made. I have
acquired a small swiss gear hobber, so I can make the planets and pinions, and
I have a few ring gears left, which are rather worthless if I do not make any
more engines. (The ring gears are virtually wear-proof.)
The shortage right now is the hubs and mounts. (Hummers can be bought
without mounts.)
The maximum number of engines to be available is approx. 17 without getting
more ring gears made.
How many I make is dependent upon response.
Also keep in mind that there are 80 of these units out there, and I estimate
fewer than 30 are being used at this time.
If anyone does find a new or used Hummer and buys it, it should be returned
to me for updates relating to balance and longevity.
Stay tuned. I will notify SEN of the progress.
Thx
Dukie
30 g of rubber!
===============
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Why return to 35g or even 40g?
We have been spoiled by the good Tan2 of "years ago"! Why should we expect
our planes to do 5 or 6 minutes when the max still stands at 3?
With even the first batch of SuperSport (the worst one, I have heard) even
my planes (very simple ones, no hi-tech) will easily do 210 to 240 sec, so
what?
The later batches of SuperSport are said to be better ... again, so why
change? Just because some people still have Tan2 left, and seem to fly
better? Is it really only the rubber, or are these people just that bit
ahead again? Or _still_ ahead?
I remenber the change from Tan to Tan2. I had to retrim because of the
higher power after the burst. So Tan might have been very similar to
SuperSport ...
There may be an increased advantage to VP props, as there you can adjust
more easily to different power curves, if you are able to, as a certain
Mr. AA might be :-)
I see no reason to increase rubber weight! Just catch a thermal ...
Still lots of maxes around!
Klaus W. Salzer
Timothy James Ryan, DDS
========================
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Dear Free Flight comunity,
It is with deepest regret that I inform you that my father Timothy James Ryan
passed away Saturday the 9th. of October 2004 at 10:00AM. He died within three
days of suffering a massive stroke brought on by complications of atrial
fibrilation and hypertention. Fortunatly, his immediate family had enought
time to communicate with him before his passing. His public funeral services
will be held at Devine Savior Catholic Church in Orangevale California
(Sacramento Region) at 3:00pm on Sunday 17 October 2004.
He was an avid Free Flight fan and was a long time member on the NFFS, AMA, and
supported the Sierra Eagles and the Sierra Cup contest since 1978. He also
dedicated much effort to my life in the form of encouraging my F1B attempts
and currently engineering my fly fishing endevour:
WWW.RyanRodCo.com
His passing was very unexpected. I encourage everyone who may have been been
touched by his loving enthusiasm to say a prayer for his soul so that he might
find a great thermal to soar up to heaven.
Sincerely yours,
Eric Thomas Ryan F1B
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ps. In lieu of flowers, our family requests that all who read this notice and
are interested in making a charitable contribution, to make their donation
to NFFS in his name.
Super Sport/F1B Rubber Allowance Debate
========================================
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Roger
Although the F1B debate now seems to have drifted from the performance of
Super Sport relative to Tan 2 to the rubber allowance I still think the
quality of SS the main problem.
I hear stories that certain flyers have mountains of Tan 2 whilst others are
restricted to using their merge Tan 2 resources for extended maxes and fly
offs.
The above situation is hardly good for the class and will certainly not
encourage any newcomers, if all flyers used the same quality of rubber the
amount allowed would be of less importance.
I have a solution which I have discussed with several top F1B contestants
and although they are a small sample all agreed enthusiastically.
I suggest all rubber production should be tinted a different colour each
year, then all contests for that particular year would require the
contestants to use the current coloured rubber, all contestants would start
on an equal footing and the rule would be easy to police.
The advantages of this would be:-
* All contestants would have rubber of the same quality.
* Rubber manufactures (FAI) would be able to produce a regular
quantity of rubber each year as the year to year demand should be reasonably
steady with contestants purchasing enough to last the year but with no need
to panic buy if a good batch is produced.
* It may even be possible for the price of rubber to be reduced as the
demand would be constant and probably higher.
* Rubber could even be supplied to competitors at Championships in a
similar way that fuel is supplied in F1C.
I don't know how the logistics of rubber production works but I would
imagine if 2005s production was made with say a pink tint it could be legal
for comps in 2006 whilst 2006s production could be produced with say a blue
tint for 2007.
I know this all sounds a little barmy but I think it would work, any
comments.
Phil Ball
Principal Manufacturing Engineer
PCF
Turbine Systems
tel 01332 246039
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2004 Patterson Electronic Flyer
===============================
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PATTERSON FAI INVITATIONAL 2004
America Cup Contest. Sanction #2047
Lost Hills, CA
November 13& 14, 2004
F1A, B, C, G, H, J, & P
Trophies for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place (F1P, 1st only)
All classes are combined; Junior / Senior / Open
SCHEDULE:
5 ROUNDS FOR F1G, H, J, P
SATURDAY 5 - 45 minute rounds. Start at 7:30 AM. All regular rounds are =
2=20
minute Max except 3 minute Max for F1P
Flyoff to start approximately 15 minutes after the last round in F1 ABC=20
(~4:15). Start time and Max times will be posted
10 ROUNDS FOR F1 ABC
SATURDAY 5-1 hour rounds. Start at 11:00 AM
SUNDAY 5-1 hour rounds. Start at 7:30 AM
All rounds are 3 minute Max except:
5th round on Saturday is 5 minutes for F1 ABC
6th round on Sunday is 4 minutes for F1A and 5 minutes for F1B&C (NOT a=20
supermax)
Flyoff to start approximately 60 minutes after last round in F1 ABC =
(~1:30). =20
Start time and Max times will be posted
This contest will be governed by current FAI and AMA regulations and as=20
noted.
Time one, Fly one. Find your own timer- Pair up the usual way.
FEES:
Open: $20 for first event, $10 for any added events
Jr and Seniors ages: 10$ for first event, $5 for any added events
SPONSERED BY: Southern California Aero Team
CD: Don Leath, ph. (661) 273-8668
Jim Parker < This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. >
In Honor of the Sport
=====================
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Tom Coussens
The 2004 California FAI for F1A was concluded on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM with
a flyoff to the ground between Martyn Cowley, UK's John Cooper and myself. As
I rode back with my ship, I met Martyn on his bike going out to retrieve his.
His greeting: "There was something I neglected to tell you before the round
started: save something for the Finals!" That was how I found out I had won.
So the Turbine Blade went home to grace my entertainment center along with the
Max Men and SCAT first place trophies.
It all seems so simple: Coussens is on a streak. Except that a lot went on
behind the scenes. Quite a few people know that I have been dealing with
conflicting feelings about Free Flight, as I have once again started to fly
full-size aircraft, towing gliders and occasionally flying them as well. I
am smitten by flying.
But Free Flight is a sport to be respected and honored for the ways that it
pushes all envelopes and boundaries: technological, geo-political, and personal
to name just a few. Anyone who has picked up a model and flown it has been
touched in some way. Those of us who have poured our resources of time,
money, thought, creativity, and passion into this sport are of all the most
gratified and the most indebted.
So for these, and because of the wondrous times I continually have with my son
flying F1A's, I made the decision to honor the sport by flying with excellence
in the finals. This started in earnest just before the Labor Day weekend, when
I determined that if I was going to compete, the excellence would start with
my ships. My Stamov in its then-condition was a roll of the dice; because of a
too-short tail boom, it was unstable in turbulence, a fact born out by my
dropping the 7-min flyoff flight at Norcal in May, stalling out of light lift.
That occurrence bothered me all summer, to the point that I tried the cheap
fix of simply moving the CG forward. The ship flew better in turbulence, but
bored along too fast, definitely un-Stamov-like. It was time for a new
fuselage.
Thus began the "crash" program of starting from scratch, with parts coming from
everywhere, and some done in my typical fashion, with hacksaw and file. Five
hours a night on weekdays and weekends into the wee hours. Didn't have it
ready for the USFFC, but got it ready for California FAI, with three flights
before sunset on Friday and three more before the first round. It was pretty
easy to trim, as the Stamov wings and stab were already battle-tested and
ready to go.
And the first round was the payoff. I strung out, towed up to "flyoff ridge"
and just launched for an easy max. I even flew it in the second round,
something I would not have dared to do with its previous fuselage. But the
real affirmation of that decision on Labor Day was Sunday morning, riding a
firm patch in the dawn air to a winning 5:39 flight.
So, on to the Finals. The equipment was ready, and I'd pretty much gotten on
my game and worked out the kinks pretty well in the previous two weekends. My
main doctrine was to fly with the sportsmen and check the air before I hammered
down. My goal was to be able to say at the end of each round, that no matter
what the results, I would have done it the same way. That was all. I shed my
normal neuroses and superstitions (you all know what I'm talking about) and had
come to realize just one simple statement: It's only about me, the airplane and
the air.
And thus it was that with only those items in mind that I maxed out the first
day, the Stamov flying beautifully the first two rounds and my trusty Buntbone
doing yeoman service the rest of the day. Every Finals I had flown since 1988 I
had been on the leader board at the end of day one, and the feeling has always
been the same, that of accomplishment and anticipation. The second day was
pretty much the same, although the Stamov got me through a pretty marginal bit
of air in round 9. We watched as flyers succumbed to pressure, bad decisions,
and wrong set-ups, and the Twelve were whittled to Seven at the end of the
second day.
All too soon the 5 minute flyoff round started. It was a thermal round, and
Ben was at the line holding my Buntbone. Phil Scheiman was holding my backup
ship. With about two minutes to the start, I pointed past the line and said,
"Look! Are those gauchos I see riding in the distance?" Ben and Phil both
turned a round and looked, and I stood there laughing hysterically.
Then the hooter sounded and I ran downwind and waited for the sportsmen. Mike
McKeever launched, then Dallas Parker, and Ken Bauer. Randy and I dithered a
bit trying to get set up, then he launched, and then I did, but I violated the
second part of my doctrine: I didn't check the air. Even though I was directly
below the other gliders, the thermal was downwind, and I launched in sink. No
amount of valiant flapping by Ben and Phil could save it, and my contest was
over.
Would I have done it again? Well no. But would I have come to Lost Hills if I
knew I would place 7th? In a heartbeat. First and foremost is getting to fly
and hang out with my son. Then there's the game. The Finals is at once a
crucible and a serious gut check. You get to see who you are under pressure,
and no matter what the outcome, you usually come away feeling pretty good
about who you are and what you did. You want affirmation? You get it in
spades there if you are true to yourself and arrive with no illusions or
delusions. Yeah, I' d do it again, and I will do it again as long as I am able.
................................
Roger Morrell
