SEN issue 1126 - 24 Aug 2007

Table of Contents - SEN 1126 - 24 Aug 2007

  1. Northwest FAI Challenge
  2. Looking for Ike F1A Plan
  3. When a part of the model ..
  4. 2007 Nats DVD


NORTHWEST FAI CHALLENGE Report

Following up the fine report from Mike Roberts and the results of the Tangent Classic, here is additional information of the Northwest FAI Challenge (NWFAI).

Saturday the 18th of August found all of us in Tangent at the Parkers field ready for a fine day of flying. Because of the combined contest of the Mini’s we were flying 2 flights in 1.5 hours. It worked out very well. So by 3:30 pm we were ready to fly-off, the conditions were not good so we decided to postpone until Sunday morning at 6:45 & 7:00am concurrent. The NWFAI we had two F1 G and 2 F1H and no F1 J. Ed Carroll flew against Tiffany Odell who was flying a brand new beautiful coupe d’hiver . She placed first. In F1 H Mike Mckeever vs. Lee Hines, and again the champ performed beautifully and won the class. 

Sunday found all of us on the field with a very light mist and no drift. I decided to allow 2 hours for the first two rounds. The flyers were then able to choose when to fly. By 9:30 the weather cleared and remained beautiful until about 2:30 when the breeze picked up to about 10+ mph. We postponed the fly-off until 6:45 when it was decided to cancel any Sunday fly-off. Uncertain about Monday morning weather (rain in forecast) and discussed with flyers involved, it was decided to have the fly-off in October at the Sierra Cup. So for the people who missed this weekend contest, it was a fine contest in a beautiful environment. Maybe next year some of you who haven’t flavored the smell of fresh cut grass, the freshness of raindrops on your face and the deep inhaling of fresh air, might come to visit us in Oregon and sample it yourself.

Yours truly,
Pierre Brun
CD NW FAI CHALLENGE
CAT #   NAME              RND 1RND 2RND 3RND 4RND 5RND 6RND 7FLYOFTOTAL
F1 G1   TIFFANY ODELL       120  120  120  120  120            124  724
    2   ED CARROLL          120  120  120  120  120             82  682
    3   MARK BELFIELD       120  120  120  120   69                 549
    4   PETER BROCKS        120   78  120  120    0                 438
    5   MIKE DAVIS          120  120 DNF  DNF  DNF                  240
    6   RICH ROHRKE         120  120 DNF  DNF  DNF                  240
    7   DICK WOOD           120  120 DNF  DNF  DNF                  240
    8   RALPH COONEY        120  120 DNF  DNF  DNF                  240
F1 H1   MIKE MCKEEVER       120  120  120  120  120            193  793
    2   LEE HINES           120  120  120  120  120             77  677
    3   NORM SMITH          120  120  120   24  120                 504
    4   MICHEAL THOMPSON    106  120   67   80  120                 493
F1 J1   MIKE ROBERTS        120  120  120   32    7                 399
    2   CHINMAY JAJO        108   95    0    0 DNF                  203
    3   ED CARROLL        DNF  DNF   DNF  DNF  DNF                    0
F1 Q1   FRANK POLLARD       113  120   89  116   70                 508
F1 A1   MIKE MCKEEVER                                    1260
    2   RENE LIMBERGER                                   1260
    3   LEE HINES                                        1260
    4   MICHAEL THOMPSON    180  158  180  180  150  180  180      1208
    5   PETER BROCKS        180  180  180  180  180  124  180      1204
    6   NORM SMITH          180  180  180  180  180  180  124      1204
    7   DANIEL PORTHEROE    180  180  180    0  180   76  180       976
    8   PIERRE BRUN         180  180  137  180  180    0 DNF        857
F1 B1   BLAKE JENSEN                                     1260
    2   ALEX ANDRUKOV                                    1260
    3   VLAD ANDRUKOV                                    1260
    4   DICK WOOD                                        1260
    5   MIKE DAVIS          180  180  180  169  180  180  180      1249
    6   MARK BELFIELD        79  176  180  120  180  138  120       993
    7   EUGENE JANSEN       180  160 DNF  DNF  DNF  DNF  DNF        340
    8   DEREK MCGUCKIN      166   15 DNF  DNF  DNF  DNF  DNF        181
F1 C1   ED CARROLL                                       1260
    2   MIKE ROBERTS                                     1260
    3   RON MCBURNETT       180  180  180  179  180  180  180      1259
    4   JEFF ELLINGTON      180  102  173  158  180  135  180      1108
 

Isaacson F1A Plans


Can anyone direct me to a source of plans for Bob Isaacson's #14 F1A, which I think is one of the Wishbone series? Any help will be appreciated.

Karl Hube

 

“When part of the model…”

From :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The FAI code covering attempts always has a paragraph about

detached parts:

“When part of the model becomes detached during the launch

or during the flight time”. (FAI porting Code part 4a: paragraphs

3.1.5 (c), 3.2.5(a), 3.3.5(b) for F1A,B and C respectively).

No one I have contacted knows the rule’s historic reasoning.

The core justification for an attempt seems to be events a flier

can’t control - such as splitting wooden propellers or a front

end falling off when the front portion of a rubber motor suddenly

blows up. One can argue that the phenomena of a detached

engines, which might have been caused by vibrations and the

impact of stopping the engine, might also fall under this category.

All these are failures of a model’s propulsion system.

Since the attempt rule does not qualify the detached part,

the rule has been used for incidentals such as the famous

Wakefield’s back peg o-ring, falling rudder tabs and timer’s

hatch doors. It’s not clear why these events should justify an

attempt, since they fall into maintenance and properly setting

up the model before flight.

The rule has been applied to cases where major structural

failures caused parts to fall off. But neglecting to rubber band

a wing properly - resulting with a complete wing separation -

would also qualify as an attempt. On the other hand, dangling

major parts such as dihedrals, fins or portions of a stab don’t

justify an attempt under the attempt rule.

Should we qualify the parts that fall off?

If we decide that detachments of incidentals don’t justify an

attempt, then the model’s time will be counted, provided it was

still legal. For example, suppose a timer hatch door detaches.

The flight time would be counted if the rest of the model

remains above the minimal weight.  And if we decide to include

the failure of major structural components, then dangling parts

should also justify an attempt.

The difficulty of throwing out the incidentals while including

major structural failures lies in defining what they are exactly.

This is not easy! Should a major structural failure include the

main spar, the D-box, the trailing edge or a combination of two

or more components? It would be very difficult to reach a

consensus definition.

Personally I think most of the propulsion system detachments

are beyond the control of the flier and should justify an attempt.  

That the incidentals and major structural failures should be

simply be left out.

And yes, timers should be explicitly required to observe the

part(s) falling off the model in the first place.

Aram Schlosberg




2007 Nats DVD


From :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.




Fellow Free Flighters,

The 2007 Free Flight Nationals DVD is ready and available for sale. For ordering information and secure credit card ordering click on or copy and paste the following link....

http://www.homegrowntv.com/catalog.html

Thanks for letting me get this plug in.

Alan


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