SEN 2236 - 3 January 2017
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- Category: Archive 2017
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Table of Contents – SEN 2236
- Happy New Year
- Scramble at LH
- With the right option Gmail likes SEN
- Limiting F1A performance
- Control the impulses around holding the line
- Controlled release
- Maybe Holding on is better ?
Happy New Year
First SEN of 2017. Have great 2017.
Scramble at LH
From: Mike Roberts
Fab Feb Flyers
I have had the pleasure of observing the Scramble event in NZ and OZ and it is a hoot to watch. Should the event be scheduled at the Fab Feb week, I suggest you join me in a comfortable chair with adult beverages to cheer on your favorite competitor. Be prepared to hide behind your cooler when the low flying models head your way.
Stay Loose
Mike
With the right option Gmail likes SEN
From: George Hilliard
Roger -
Having not opted in for the Promotional folder on Gmail, the SEN email arrives (PC) in a normal fashion (not spam).
Editor’s comment Hmmm, I didn’t opt in or out the Promotional folder I think it just appeared. But it very handy to under know about that. Thank's for letting us know.
F1A Performance Dept
Limiting F1A performance
I am another one voting for Cenny's 'Flier must hold the line until timing of
the flight has begun.'
That should have models starting at 50 metre altitude and reduce the need for
altimeters.
David Brawn
Control the impulses around holding the line
From: Stuart Darmon
Hi Roger,Cenny's idea of preventing F1A flyers letting go the line was suggested in the infamous 'British proposal' a couple of years back.It was pointed out-by me among others-that this would quickly stimulate the development of a bottom-opening smart hook which would unlatch when an impulse was applied while under a specified tension. Yet more expense and complexity and little if any reduction in altitude. If we seriously want to reduce performance we either have to go with a measuring system like John Carter's (which has some practical problems to overcome and would really require wireless telemetry), or bite the bullet and restrict incidence changes. I can't see the latter happening in the foreseeable future; we in Europe, especially the UK, are facing a crisis which our counterparts in the U.S. are not, at least yet. I can totally understand the hostility over there to performance reduction. You have the fields and the weather, it would be nuts to only fly models designed for a windy day on Salisbury Plain. Then again, they are supposed to be international rules. I've always advocated a parallel fixed-incidence category of FAI legal models co-existing with current ones. This year Gavin Manion and I ran an experimental F1A contest using this principle, which despite very short notice and far from ideal field (retrieval through half a mile of waist-high grass) had eight entries, a couple of whom had all but given up F1A and all pronounced it a total success and worth pursuing. While the ideal is to run an all -in contest with awards for both categories, the possibility always exists to hold a meaningful contest for true FAI models in restricted space or in difficult conditions when needed. We're holding another such contest on June 22 (Saturday) 2017 , and I would urge other contest organisers to try it too- just stick a coloured spot next to the guy's name if his model doesn't bunt and at the end, produce a second classification, with additional prizes. About three minutes extra work, and you might see some old faces, or even new ones with donated models.
Cheers, and Happy new year,
Stuart
Side comment …The USA that Stuart references with respect to flying fields and weather is not necessarily one that a lot of people who live in the USA would recognize. There are plenty of places in the USA where the weather is not suitable, the flying fields are too small or the are located too far from civilization or accommodation.
Controlled release
From: John Carter
Hi I see my original comment re performance and using altimeters to control performance is getting reaction this is all good .
However with regard to Cennys idea .Hold on to the line .
I have tried this technique and note if you hold the line at around 1m to 3m from the end and keep the line slack to the end, holding the actual end of line then you can do a good launch with little height loss you still retain line at end after letting go at the 2/3m point ,works ok on normal hooks but a little harder with M & K inertia hooks (you need a bit more slack to guarantee un latch)
Maxes John Carter
Maybe Holding on is better ?
From: Jim Lueken
Mr. Breeman's idea to limit F1A performance by not allowing the flyer to let go of the towline will only make the event more expensive and may increase the performance. For those of you that have watched F3B and F3J models launch you know what I mean. All that's needed is a strain gauge on the hook to start the timer. When the magic number is met the timer starts and the hook unlatches, the nose is pushed down for about one half second then pitches up to a vertical climb. During the pitch up the towline will easily release without throwing the line and any stretch in the line will help accelerate the model higher than current launch speeds.
What do you think Rene? Might be worth looking into?
Just my thoughts, Jim Lueken
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Roger Morrell