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- Category: Archive 2011
- Hits: 1213
- F1A towline Technology Update
- F1C for sales
- SWR FAR Report and results
- F1E World Cup Events at Lost Hills in Feb
Andrew hello!
I thank you again for the favor, I will need some info about the tow
line used today any regulations that have changed in the past 30 years, but
i'm on the road to getting out of retirement! ... thanks again yuda.
Yuda,
Thanks for asking. There are three sensible choices for towline (Spectra, Kevlar, and certain monofilaments). My preference is Spectra, a product from Dupont (I think a related product is called Dinema in Europe). Spectra is available from kite companies and from fishing companies. There are various on-line sources (it seems to vary from year to year). Sometimes a local sports store (like Sports Authority) will carry it. 80# test is what is best for calm conditions. 150# test is best for windy conditions. Spectra is thinner than other choices. That makes the launches faster (less drag) and hence higher. Also the lighter pound test (80) is a lot thinner than 150, with dramatic differences in height gain. From my measurements with spring scales while launching, the force of the pull of typical launches in the calm are in the 20# to 30# range for ordinary sportsman like me, perhaps higher, up to 40#, for the really strong atheletes (e.g. Austin Gunder). Even an athelete who is deluded into thinking they reach 50# of pull in the dead calm could benefit from the thinner line if they learn how to properly make the knots. The point is don't use over 80# test when it is calm, or you will unnecessarily give up a lot of height gain.
If you do find you are breaking lines, the key is to learn to make knots that will have breaking strength that is a sufficient fraction of the nominal strength. This is critical because spectra has a moderate melting temperature. A single inadvertent overhand knot in the line and it will break at forces between 10 and 20 pounds. So one has to have two lines at the ready and feel the line while you are walking it out. Knots at the ring should be made with sleeving. One version I like involves a careful spiral wrap of the remnant of the line back over a centimeter or two of the sleeving.
Approximately, the top 40 meters of the line should be thin for speed, while the bottom 10 meters of the line should be thick for handling. That lower part does not travel as far (or as fast) during a high speed launch so its drag does not matter as much. Most sportsmen find use a leader not thicker than 1/8 th of an inch. That makes circle towing easier. Those of us who have trained kids in the 8 to 12 age range have learned that thicker is better, even up to 1/4 th of an inch. For them it is needed to prevent breaking of the skin if the tension builds while they are holding the leader. For the adults who try it, we discover it is better for us too in some cases. The reason is that, at the greater thickness, you can reach up and pull in additional tension when a bush or other impediment gets in your way and you can't complete tension build up from your running speed alone.
The remaining trick is how to connect the thin spectra to the thick leader. In my family, we use what we saw in a knot book, called a needle knot. One uses a needle to push the thin line right up the center of the thicker line about 3/4 th of an inch. Then spiral wrap the thin line back over the thicker line.
One needs to pull test and practice with a newly made line a few times before using it in an important competition. Pull in stages. First moderately to tighten-up the shape of the knots, and then after it cools, pull more strongly to confirm it has sufficient strength. Sometimes the manner in which the fibers lie when pulled leads to a breakage, despite (perhaps `in spite' of) the good intentions. That will happen to a fraction of the lines when making them up. Don't abandon the 80# line just because that breakage happens to some of them on the second or third pull. Just make more! Actually the way to do it is initially have the leader a foot longer than need be, so if a break happens at a ring or at the leader junction, then you can simply redo that knot. Then after it tests out at sufficient strength in several pulls, shorten the leader down at your end so that the line is not more than 50 meters. The lines that work keep working as long as you avoid sharply pulling it out of weeds and avoid getting the inadvertent knots mentioned above.
Well that is plenty of info. At our first gatherings at the field once the snow melts I can show you our lines and you can borrow one. You might want to come to the Skyscrapers meeting February 11. I can show you some lines there.
Best wishes,
Andrew
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...
Folding F1C For Sale
Strukov/Babenko, Straight drive, 4 panel folder. Very little use, no crashes, suits V.E. or Fora engines. Red transparent Ora covered $1200.
The model uses Leonid Fuzeyev style wing systems with twin rubbers. It has a V.E. engine fitted at present and this can be sold with the model if required. With motor and prop $1500
I can deliver at Max Men in February.
More information and photos - email Roy Summersby This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The weather in Eloy for the 61st SWR on Jan. 15 and 16 was about perfect. A bit cool at 40°F in the morning. It warmed up to well above 70°F on both days with clear blue skies. The wind was no problem either with a max. velocity of 8mph in the earlier and later rounds. A major portion of the flying was done in very calm winds which made thermal picking difficult.
An especial honor was the attendance of Larry Tougas, our newly elected AMA District 10 Vice President, who addressed the FAI flyers at the early morning briefing and spent most of Saturday mingling with contestants on the field.
We had a total of 42 sportsmen signed up for the 8 FAI classes. The contestants were from AZ, CA, CO, MI, NV, OR, PA, TX, VAplus our perennial snow-birds from Great Britain (Dave Oldfield F1A and Mike Woodhouse F1B). We also had 4 ladies flying FAI events: JasminkaPecenkovic (F1A), Julie Parker (F1Q), andTiffaney O’Dell and Caley Hand (both F1G).
On Saturday F1C/P was won by Faust Parker with Lynn Pulley 1 second behind. Glenn Schneider was 3rd flying F1P. John Oldenkamp was the only one to max out in F1Q Electric. Second place in F1Q required a fly-off between Bernie Crowe and Julie Parker, which Bernie won. F1A had 3 flyers clean. The F1A fly-off was won by former World Champion Mike McKeever, with Ken Bauer in 2nd place and our localmember, EnesPecenkovic, in 3rd. In F1B 9 contestants had maxed all 7 rounds. Only 3 maxed out in the first fly-off. The 2nd fly-off was was won by George Batiuk with Roger Morrell in 2nd place and Blake Jensen in 3rd.
On Sunday we flew F1G, F1H and F1J. Faust Parker was the only one flying and maxing out in F1J and therefore winning one of the 3 “Bears”. F1H required 3 fly-off rounds which finally put Jim Parker into 1st place, Lee Hines into 2nd and Brian Van Nest into 3rd. F1G or Coupe d’Hiver had 5 flyers clean after 5 rounds. The fly-off ended in a big surprise when Caley Hand launched first into the only thermal in the fly-off round and won by achieving the only max. Tiffaney O’Dell was then 2nd in F1G and Blake Jensen 3rd. It was Caley’s first F1G contest!
A big thank you to all participants and to Elmer Nelson, Tom Gaylor, Hermann Andresen and my wife Brigitte who all made this FAI SWR again a memorable event.
RESULTS 2011 FAI SWR Peter Brocks, CD
F1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F/O F/O Total
1 Mike McKeever 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 420 1980
2 Ken Bauer 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 257 1817
3 Enes Pecenkovic 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 238 1798
4 Lee Hines 180 180 178 180 180 180 180 1258
5 Jim Parker 180 180 177 180 180 180 180 1257
6 Jim Farmer 180 180 142 180 180 180 180 1222
7 Brian Van Nest 180 180 180 173 180 180 148 1221
8 Don Zink 180 180 180 122 180 180 180 1202
9 Peter Brocks 180 180 145 164 168 180 180 1197
10 Joey Farmer DNF 180 180 174 180 180 104 998
11 Jasminka Pecenkovi 180 79 158 63 70 155 58 763
12 Dave Oldfield 89 147 177 8 DNF DNF DNF 421
F1B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F/O F/O Total
1 George Batiuk 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 320 1880
2 Roger Morrell 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 280 1840
3 Blake Jensen 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 300 258 1818
4 Bob Piserchio 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 241 1501
5 Alex Andriukov 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 211 1471
6 Bob Biedron 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 206 1466
7 Elmer Nelson 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 199 1459
8 Thomas Ioerger 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 8 1268
9 Rich Rohrke 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 0 1260
10 Jack Emery 180 180 180 180 160 180 180 1240
11 Paul Crowley 180 180 180 158 180 180 180 1238
12 John Clapp 164 180 180 180 180 180 131 1195
13 Dick Wood 180 176 180 151 180 113 180 1160
14 Al Ulm 180 180 180 74 180 180 180 1154
15 Mike Woodhouse GBR 180 180 165 180 180 79 157 1121
F1C/P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total
1 Faust Parker 180 133 180 180 164 178 180 1195
2 Lynn Pulley 180 180 180 180 180 180 114 1194
3 Glenn Schneider 180 180 180 158 124 180 180 1182
4 Bob Hanford 45 180 180 180 180 180 DNF 945
F1Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F/O F/O Total
1 John Oldenkamp 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 1260
2 Bernie Crowe 180 180 180 180 180 180 174 -180-131 1254
3 Julie Parker 180 180 180 180 180 174 180 -180 -51 1254
4 Mike Roseberry 180 180 180 180 180 167 175 1242
5 Frank Pollard 180 180 180 180 180 136 180 1216
6 Mike Pykelny 180 180 180 146 135 180 180 1181
7 Ralph Hotz 15 15
F1G 1 2 3 4 5 F/O Total
1 Caley Hand 120 120 120 120 120 180 780
2 Tiffaney O'Dell 120 120 120 120 120 139 739
3 Blake Jensen 120 120 120 120 120 116 716
4 Jack Emery 120 120 120 120 120 101 701
5 Peter Brocks 120 120 120 120 120 99 699
6 John Clapp 120 120 120 120 115 595
7 Mike Pykelny 120 120 120 120 110 590
8 Thomas Ioerger 120 120 117 114 104 575
9 Paul Crowley 120 120 120 120 88 568
10 Ralph Hotz 110 89 120 120 120 559
11 Dick Wood 120 45 112 120 120 517
12 Don DeLoach 101 DNF DNF DNF DNF 101
F1H 1 2 3 4 5 F/O F/O F/O Total
1 Jim Parker 120 120 120 120 120 180 240 169 1189
2 Lee Hines 120 120 120 120 120 180 240 147 1167
3 Brian Van Nest 120 117 120 120 120 180 127 907
4 Mike McKeever 120 120 120 120 107 587
F1J 1 2 3 4 5 Total
1 Faust Parker 120 120 120 120 120 600
F1E Contests at Lost Hills
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Roger Morrell