FF contest Finally!

[Shawn Palmer]

OK Guys, here is what I'm thinking:

Ideally, one open class (due to the expected "limited turnout" - if you dissagree with that, prove me wrong!)

Scale aircraft

24" or less wingspan

Kit or scratch built

Rubber power


Optional "Masters class" (and yes I have blatantly stolen this idea)

13" or less wingspan

scratch build of a popular NON-scale R/C design (E3D, Zagi, Pico Jet, Twinjet, Aquastar, X-250, 4*40, etc, etc.)

rubber power



I'm going to play favorites and tell you the "Masters class" will get the better prizes, and I'd prefer all entries be in that catagory.

I need an e-mail featuring costruction/flight pictures, static pictures and a write-up on the overall project no later than the 1st of February. Should be plenty of time for everyone. The entries are to be published on The E Zone, and voted for here in the FF forum.


Shawn Palmer
RC Groups Sales/Marketing Mgr.
spalmer@rcgroups.com

[peteypete]

I'm in- I've never competed in a fun contest (or any contest) before so I'm interested in joining in. I just joined a local club that has a h.s. gym 6 times during the winter, most for only 4 hours per. so I want to make the most of the time. I just finished my first mini-stick yesterday and test glides in the house look promising. I hav'nt posted here in a while due to a busy summer, but when i did Terry L. was a huge help in getting my peck/cougar go from a torque roll crash to 1 min. flights(thanks again Terry). my clubs contest this year is an Abe Bergman zephyr which i hav'nt built yet. i don't know what an eboneezer is but it sounds like an easy,fun plane. the north winds have started to blow here in CT. so outside flying is pretty much over with for a while. prizes- how 'bout a trophy next to the winners name, see who can get the most. well Shawn, i guess i better get busy, keep us posted.

[steve lewin]

Well since I think it was my idea you stole I guess I'd better enter the scale model of a non-scale model class. From what I remember moderators aren't allowed to win prizes but I don't think there's any danger of that anyway (unless no-one else enters at all ;)). I'd rather use CO2 or electric power but I don't mind playing with rubber bands if I have to !

Steve

[KnifeEdge51]

I'll do my best with what I've got, but I think I'll be hard pressed to get anything flyable built soon enough for the contest! :D I'll see what I can do.

Nick

[Shawn Palmer]

Note slight rule change and entry e-mail deadline.

I'll be entering as well, and along w/Steve our only prize will be the satisfaction of the building and flying itself.... :-)

Prizes will be posted in time - post your progress here, the more entries, the better the winnings!

Shawn

[KnifeEdge51]

I just got started tonight. It's going to be very hard for me to get pictures (my dad runs the Digital camera), but I'll see what I can do. It's not a copy of anything, and may not even fly. :D But I've had fun so far. Got one side of the fuse done. Built completely out of 1/16" square so far (rubber mount in the rear will be out of balsa stock). Will keep you all posted.

Nick R.

[Rifleman]

Can I play too ?.....I have a Sig Kobra which I can scale down but I need to be able to increase the dihedral in order to get some reasonable lateral (roll) stability....is that allowed or do I have to resort to a Sig Kadet with a high wing config.....
...........and yes, the Zero is mine too.

[steve lewin]

I'm assuming that we can make them as non-scale as we like to get them to fly. Like all such things you presumably lose points in the (peer) judging if you go too far from the real thing. So an E3D with lots of dihedral probably wouldn't do too well ;).

Just to make sure I end up with something that will actually fly I've almost cheated by making a scale model of a popular high wing, lots of dihedral R/E model (Junior 60). I'll try something a bit more ambitious too but who knows if that will work.

No limit on materials that I can see so I'm playing with foam for at least one model.

Steve

[Shawn Palmer]

Rifleman - Go for it! The Kobra would be a great subject!

Steve - FOAM? are you shirking your stick-and-tissue roots?
Not against the rules, but I'm very dissapointed in you....

Shawn "balsa for breakfast" Palmer

[KnifeEdge51]

What gains the most points here, good looks, or something that can defy gravity:D? Just curious. Mine isn't scale at all, as far as I know, but I'll be putting a few more together as I get the hang of things. But I'm aiming more for flight furation, rather than good looks. Thanks!

Nick

[Rifleman]

One more question,..........does it have to be a new build ?....I have a real old model which is kit-plan built, EasyBuilt Cub 22". In its heyday, it was ok but now its old and tired.......was for a Postal Contest back in around 1990-91-92, will have to check to see really, but I do have documented time on it from then....I did an honest minute-thirty plus under a 20 ' ceiling....ROG and back with a plastic prop....our rules at the time were that we had to follow all construction and wood sizes specified on the plan( change to our own wood was ok) and we had to use the commercial plastic prop that came in the kit..........

...........incidentally no one else did a minute thirty anywhere, so I guess you could say I won. (got the Certs from EasyBuilt to prove it too)
Here it is, still flying, two weeks ago on Vancouver Island.

[Rifleman]

both shots are composite to show four images with smaller space and file size............

[mescal1]

anybody flown anything yet?? i'll be testing my peanut
this weekend. (yes, i admit to falling for the "masters"
category ruse, it would just sound so cool winning the
"masters")! i'd put up a picture but i take pictures the
old fashioned way. once i'm done the roll i'll scan and
convert and whatever else it takes to get a picture to
everyone.
mike

[Shawn Palmer]

The deadline is looming, and I have no entries yet....
Shawn

[mescal1]

Hi Shawn,
I'm trying to get my an old scanner working right now!
I've got a Sportwin peanut built and flying. well, sort of,
i've had straight and level flights with real light motors but
the wind picked up. i've got bigger motors in it now and
have been waiting for some nice weather. if i don't get any
by tomorrow night i'll just throw it up on saturday. i haven't
painted it yet but after i get married (feb 15th) i'm sure i'll have plenty of free time!!!

[KnifeEdge51]

Mescal, where do you fly in Mesa?

Nick

[mescal1]

Hi Nick,
I actually live in Casa Grande but fly with the Cactus Squadron
from Phoenix. They fly south/west of the Chandler Blvd(Williams field Rd)/GreenField intersection. I'll actually be out there in the
morning (feb 1st). I haven't been out there much but am trying
to start going again. they fly on the first saturday and the
third sunday of every month. they have a small newletter,
if you're interested i can get you the information.
Mike Escalante

[billystiltner]

i used to live in scottsdale. on the way to work i seen a lot of dust devils on pima and about thomas. i wasnt into freeflight then but. i bet you would loose a model in 1 of those. i nevwer payed attention to the wind just in dust storms there i bet its a wonderful place to fly planes.

[billystiltner]

is there any way to move the deadline up?

[mescal1]

Hi Billy,
yeah, there are some pretty good thermals out here. i've
lost a few planes in them. i've even seen pieces of cardboard
catch thermals while driving the highways here and it's fairly
common to see plastic grocery bags 50 feet in the air.
You're pretty close to the D.C. Maxecuters. They used to
fly about a mile from my house in Maryland but have since
lost that field. i'm not sure where they fly now but a bunch
of them live in Virginia. i don't have their web site in front of
me but do a search on Yahoo for "Maxecuter" and you'll find
them. Pat Daily is in the scale section of ezone occasionally,
do a search on his name and you can see some of his planes.
the maxecuters are probably the premier free flight scale club
in the country.
mike

[Rifleman]

I wish I had a way to post some vids on here, but the file sizes are too large and I don't have any server space that I know of where I can leave them for download.....I got two good videos last night (Fri) of the SE-5 in flight.....doing a good honest minute. I know its not much, but its my first bi-plane and I feel ok with it. It was only to be a sport model anyway, so time is not of the utmost, although I'm sure there is more duration in a new prop.

[mescal1]

Hi again,
not much luck with my Sportwin, almost 10 whole seconds
out of it! it was a little over powered for testing. i'll work on
posting a picture of it anyway.

Nick,
the cactus squadron flies on the first and third sunday
of every month. (no more saturdays) they are having a mini
contest tomorrow (feb 2nd) at the field. i believe it's old timers,
embryo's and a third event that i don't remember right now.

Billy,
here's a link to the Maxecuters site
http://www.his.com/~tschmitt/0005HOMEPAGE/MAXECUTER.HTML
go there, meet them, you'll be amazed!
mike

[Rifleman]

I have a friend who used to winter in Arizona and I think he flew with the Cactus Squadron when he was there........Richard Miller is a good friend who normally resides in the small town of Angola NY on the south shore of Lake Erie, just west of Buffalo.....he is also an adopted Canadian, due to flying with the Markham Indoor Group on many occaisions........he is an excellent, rubber powered aircraft builder, and flier !

[mescal1]

Hi Rifleman,
Richard is great!!! send him back. he hasn't
been here in a while and we miss him. i usually
get see him at the nats but i missed it last year so
it's been almost three years since i've seen him!
anyway's, here's a picture of my entry, maybe
the only one?

[billystiltner]

nice plane mescal1 i'm quite a ways away from dc about 8 hours i used to live near there too. one of these days i want to take my girlfriend to the smithsonian. i'll have to meet with one of the maxecuters or something then. i am closer to johnson city about 1.5 hours. when is the national contest?

[mescal1]

Hi Billy,
I looked up the location of Appalachia on yahoo. You couldn't
get much further away from D.C. and still stay in VA than Appalachia!
The FAC Nats are held every even year. they used to move the
location around (always east of the Mississippi) but for the last
20 or so years it's been held in Geneseo, NY. They usually hold
it in late June, early July. If you're into freeflight scale and
especially rubber power then you have got to make the trip.
Build a WWII fighter and compete in the WWII mass launch.
That event will have 60 planes competing, broken down into
two groups. 30 WWII planes launched at the same time!!!
Whew, let me tell you, Nascar has got nothing on this!!!
(on the odd years there is still a large contest held I think
called the inter-Nats, but I've never been to it.)
mike

[billystiltner]

i was talking about the national contest in johnson city.
i dont know if its fac or what.
yep appalachia is pretty far away from dc you can get even further away i think the farthest spot is cumberland gap its on the border of va,tn ,and ky.
anyone build pistachios?
i had been to the maxecuters website they have some nice planes.

[Rifleman]

Although I have never been to the USIC since it was taken from the Niagara Falls Convention Center and moved to Johnson City, I have been to the FAC Nats in Geneseo many times and even gone to the interim year contest.....would it be worth my while to dig out some of my old images of the airfield where flying dreams are made to occur ?......we camped (tent) on the field and were able to be up with the sun and dew, to fly in our underwear.....each evening it was spectacular, as the electric R/C stuff came out and caught the interest of the "pure" FF boys......what a time.....

[billystiltner]

@rifleman
i like looking at pictures of planes on this forum. its a nice passtime.