Mini thermics category

[Alexandre Cruz]

Mini thermics is a category created in Argentina and now very popular in Brazil. Probably there are more than 30 active competitors in Brazil and 60 in Argentina.

The success is based on simple rulues and easy to build, high performance sailplanes, however in this category, like in F3P, the best airplane can cost almost as much as the a regular model and the pilot is the major difference. We even got a couple o photons and other poly DLGs competing but not with decisive results.

The basic rules are:
Max wingspan: 1.5m
Max of 2 channels
All models must be hi-started (there is a standard size of hi-start)
10 min working time where 5min flight is the goal, not necessary to land at the end of the time. Max of two launches are allowed, last flight is the one that counts.

My post is intended to show you this kind of planes and maybe even see an American's competition soon.

Here are some models that fly in this category. In Brazil we usually fly AG airfoils but in Argentina S4083 is much more popular, both producing great models.

Any information needed please feel free to reply or contact me.

Some more: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2271946060086274785PLcxFu

Alexandre

[Kai@UCSB]

Alexandre,

Thanks for sharing this with us. It looks fun. I like the idea of simple design and Man-on-Man flying. Looks like a lot of scratch building planes too. :D
Our local handlaunch glider (DLG) contest also tried to encourage pilots to fly 1.5m with high-start. Unfortunately, we didn't get much pilots do that...

-Kai

[Ed Franz]

That is cool! Tried to get something like this going around here, there was no interest.

Ed

[gustabmo]

Some history about it:

On 2005 we started this class here in Brazil, I followed the "Minitemicos" rules as used in Argentina because it was already working successfully there and using the same rules we could eventually gather to for a larger competition.

And that was exactly what happened on 2007-09-30 when 10 pilots from Brazil came down to Argentina for a weekend of flying in CAC Ciudadela de Palomar in Buenos Aires. We had a total of 45 pilots competing and it was a great meeting that gathered several new friends and also some old friends from late 70s and early 80s when we still had F3B South American Championships.

That meeting was hopefully the start of a new era in South American r/c sailplanes and I hope we succeed in organizing competitions with Minitermicos, F3J and F3K (which is still starting in Argentina) at least yearly.

Right now the group only includes pilots of BRA and ARG but it would be great to have people from other countries join us: Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and maybe other countries from South and Central America (and whoever else wants to join).

Some more pictures of the 2007-09-30 meeting Panamericano de Minitermicos y F3K: http://picasaweb.google.com/guexel/ArgentinaPanamericanoMinitermicosF3K20070930

[Ricardo RW]

Hey Gustavo,

This class is very cool. I will try to move some guys here in Chile to see if there is some interest. Hope yes.

Take care.