wow! That is extremely generous Gary! I like your way of incentivizing early participation. Sounds like the start of an unlimited airframe/ power system speed challenge..70mm style. These don't come around very often! I'll be sure to wait for warm dry weather

Originally Posted by murdnunoc

But my top spot plane is ready to go NOW!
I have to keep it in the air and out of the dirt for 4 MONTHS?!

Fly it now and become the first, and fastet on the board, and stay there until....?
..........................

Problem is the thread is not yet ready for your entry.

Some folks need to start throwin out some rules.........

Oh.......BTW. The ambient temp (that would be in the shadefor a while) needs to visable from a thermometer in the video just before the flight.

There's one from me.

I sure hope that we don't see folks trying to "Fool" the radar, or any such tomfoolery (did I just say that word?).

If this type of behavior is suspected....all bet's (and prizes) are off.... and I'm out.

Was it decided that Doppler only would be used? Radar?
What about this diving thing? We need input from a few folks. Majority rules...how bout that?
What about GPS.... What the worse possible accuracy on those (with the minimum "seen" satallites?

Cell phone doppler apps?...I say they are too inconsistant...No go.

The last race I was involved with was turned into a "Mfgr's contest" by another vendor and thier employee. That was not in the spirit of the thread/contest.

Gary this is total bull dont worry I wont ruin your thread/contest or race in it
seeya
John

I haven't heard any objections to there being a 70mm speed contest. And a whole lot of interest

Thing is, who moderates it? If this is the thread for it, I can change the title and first post to reflect the speed contest.
Or the moderator can start a new thread for the speed contest so they can update it. That would probably be simpler. I won't be able to moderate this thread as the contest thread, since I'll be racing.

This thread could be the discussion thread, separate from the race entries and results, where airframes and power systems are discussed.
Links back and forth between the two threads would keep it easy to send the conversation to the right place so each thread stays on track.

Originally Posted by pdawg

wow! That is extremely generous Gary! I like your way of incentivizing early participation. Sounds like the start of an unlimited airframe/ power system speed challenge..70mm style. These don't come around very often! I'll be sure to weight for warm dry weather

comon now pdawg, Your from So Cal....We often see 90*F days in April. LOL

Get on it!

I'll participate in the contest whether it's sponsored or not.
But I do want to say I'd feel better if the contest didn't have official sponsorship.

I do think it's very good of you to offer, Gary, and it is very much appreciated.
I've just barely scratched the surface of the EDF community, though, and I already see that there is very fierce competition between the vendors, and it turns nasty, dragging in the folks who just want to fly.
I burned myself out a few months back with brand-pitching to the point that I didn't want to do anything RC-related, and I don't want to get to that point again any time soon.

When there's a fight, I often can't keep myself from jumping in. And afterward, no matter who "won," I have a nasty taste in my keyboard. And the whole thread sits around for days, or months, wondering who's going to break the awkward silence.
I don't like that, and it makes the whole thing less fun and more stress.

I don't know who's friends and enemies with whom here.
I just have a feeling that if the thread is vendor-related, there will be more fights between vendor enemies than if there were no official sponsorship.
Maybe it won't be that way. Others may know better.

I'd still like to have the input of vendors posting, as they have a lot of knowledge about the products we use, and can be great help.

That's my 2 pennies I found under the cushion...
I'll go with whatever the contest shapes up to be

My plane is still in gary's mold's..... big delay????

My thoughts on rules:

- Any airframe. Production or scratchbuild or kit-bash.
Any 70mm I.D. fan. One fan only.
Any motor (twin motor, single fan OK? Go for it??)

- Get the whole flight on un-cut video, from takeoff to landing.

- Current temperature report from a published weather source on the flight video.
Could be a weather station or weather website on a cellphone.

- Doppler or radar allowed.
If doppler, use stand-alone software, not smartphone field doppler.
No GPS unless it's also measured by doppler or Radar.

- Diving is allowed.
Keeps every pass a fair pass.

- Opposite direction passes in the same flight.
Average the two groundspeeds to cancel wind and get airspeed.
The fastest pass in each direction for the flight would be used.

- If measured with Doppler, a screenshot of the frequency analysis, with endpoint lines, should be posted.

- If the plane crashes in the flight (outside of a bad landing), the flight can't be used. We'll all offer condolences, though.

That's all I can think of now. I'll edit with anything else that comes up on my "rule wishlist"

Originally Posted by jcdfrd

Gary this is total bull dont worry I wont ruin your thread/contest or race in it
seeya
John

Yeah, it sure was John. That poopoo took all the fun of it.
It's all there in the Habu32 Top Speed Contest thread. (For those who must know.)
My latest Habu demo jet wasn't even entered. Just not worth the hassle.
T and I are friends again, and I like to keep it that way.

Originally Posted by murdnunoc

I'll participate in the contest whether it's sponsored or not.
But I do want to say I'd feel better if the contest didn't have official sponsorship.

I do think it's very good of you to offer, Gary, and it is very much appreciated.
I've just barely scratched the surface of the EDF community, though, and I already see that there is very fierce competition between the vendors, and it turns nasty, dragging in the folks who just want to fly.
I burned myself out a few months back with brand-pitching to the point that I didn't want to do anything RC-related, and I don't want to get to that point again any time soon.

When there's a fight, I often can't keep myself from jumping in. And afterward, no matter who "won," I have a nasty taste in my keyboard. And the whole thread sits around for days, or months, wondering who's going to break the awkward silence.
I don't like that, and it makes the whole thing less fun and more stress.

I don't know who's friends and enemies with whom here.
I just have a feeling that if the thread is vendor-related, there will be more fights between vendor enemies than if there were no official sponsorship.
Maybe it won't be that way. Others may know better.

I'd still like to have the input of vendors posting, as they have a lot of knowledge about the products we use, and can be great help.

That's my 2 pennies I found under the cushion...
I'll go with whatever the contest shapes up to be

Well, your being a vendor and the first to oppose, is enough for me bow out.
I've been are around these things enough to have experienced more than enough of what I don't enjoy.

...........................

I'll rescind my offer to sponsor this event. Basically, the text related to "Sponsor", " discount" and "prize" in post #177.

No hard feelings. Have fun!

Originally Posted by murdnunoc

My thoughts on rules:

- Any airframe. Production or scratchbuild or kit-bash.
Any 70mm I.D. fan. One fan only.
Any motor (twin motor, single fan OK? Go for it??) Maybe two classes?

- Get the whole flight on un-cut video, from takeoff to landing. Sounds good

- Current temperature report from a published weather source on the flight video.
Could be a weather station or weather website on a cellphone. This may be too much of a PIA to do at the field at the time of flight. Most fields have a thremometer in the the shade. if not you can carry a cheap digital thermometer in your flight box.

- Doppler or radar allowed. Sounds good
If doppler, use stand-alone software, not smartphone field doppler. Sounds good
No GPS unless it's also measured by doppler or Radar. Sounds good

- Diving is allowed. I'm up in the air on this one. LOL
Keeps every pass a fair pass.

- Opposite direction passes in the same flight. Sounds good
Average the two groundspeeds to cancel wind and get airspeed. Sounds good
The fastest pass in each direction for the flight would be used. Sounds good


- If measured with Doppler, a screenshot of the frequency analysis, with endpoint lines, should be posted. Sounds good

- If the plane crashes in the flight (outside of a bad landing), the flight can't be used. We'll all offer condolences, though. Sounds good

The plane must be run up after the flight. (to show that the power system still operates properly....no burned nuthin)

That's all I can think of now. I'll edit with anything else that comes up on my "rule wishlist"

I'll be hangin' on the sidelines.
Have fun....Fly faaast!

Whoa now!
It's just my preference. Many others are involved in this thing.
And my preference isn't strong enough one way or the other to make it a problem for me if it's sponsored.

Your sponsorship, Gary, adds interest to the contest by having prizes. That's a plus.

It may be that it turns into a vendor war whether it's sponsored or not. You know these things better than I do. Maybe the nature of contests is that it's going to get nasty now and then. If that's the case, then the thread being sponsored won't be a negative, and the positive aspects of sponsorship are all that's left.

I'd like to hear others' feelings on it, too.

Pdawg's proposed Unlimited 70mm Rules: KISS

- Any airframe.

- Get the whole flight on un-cut video, from takeoff to landing.

- Current temperature report from established website

- Doppler only (radar = one more debatable topic) strongly suggest this rule

- Diving is allowed.

-The fastest pass in each direction for the flight would be used.

Keep it simple stupid approach

Originally Posted by pdawg

Pdawg's proposed Unlimited 70mm Rules: KISS

- Any airframe.

- Get the whole flight on un-cut video, from takeoff to landing.

- Current temperature report from established website

- Doppler only (radar = one more debatable topic) strongly suggest this rule

- Diving is allowed.

-The fastest pass in each direction for the flight would be used.

Keep it simple stupid approach

+1 here

Only addition, single 70mm fan, just to be clear.

pdawg,
We have micro climates here in So Cal. The temp at the "weather station may be 5* different than where your at.

Also If your at the basin. do you use the Van Nuys weather station or sherman oaks? Theres may more in that vicinity.
What if your flying at Hansen Dam. what weather station do you choose?
Do we now need "approved" weather stations? Still....The temp where your flying at the moment could be different.
Just something to consider.

BTW: there is a thermometer posted on the bulletion board at the basin.

..................................

Murdnonoc,

it's all good.
I see now, that it's better for me to not be officially connected.