I was talking to Paul Willenborg this week about trying to get a bit bigger group of EDF flyers together at the Small Steps event In Little Rock, AR in early June, 2001. (I don't have the real date yet)

This event is very EDF friendly and is my personal favorite model event of all time.
Typically, there are 6-8 EDF flyers there, in any case. This event is becoming more and more electric overall and all types of models mix well there.

Put this on you calender for next year and bring all your nice new winter projects for everyone to drool over.

We will plug this more and post in the events forum next year, as well.

Think about it!

Thomas,

I looked into going to one of these and I was told that all electric had some Watt limit. I don't recall what it was but it pretty much meant that my EDF stuff was to powerful to fly there!

Check into this if you think about.

Thanks

Kevin,

Don't worry about the watt limit. The only rule for SMALL fly-ins is that you can use no motor larger than a .26 glow or "equivalent". A few years ago Joe Wagner (one of the original SMALL instigators) came up with 180 watts as an equivalent. Joe is a great guy, but not real well informed about electrics. I pointed out that the rule would allow an OS .25 VF-DF which is somewhere in the 700+ watt vicinity. We agreed that as long as it is a "small" model it is elegible.

There are no SMALL police. These are the most laid back events you can imagine.

I think it is hard to rigorously define a small electric model in the "SMALL" mindset. An Astro 25 direct drive on 16 cells in an appropriate model would probably qualify, the same motor, geared, on 16 cells, in a 7' span Cub would not. At least that's how I see it.

Any EDF with 16 or fewer cells is probably going to be such a small airframe that no one would question it. Actually that's not true- you will be bombarded with questions, but no one will be questioning your right to be there.

So be there. I'll get the exact date and post it soon. Generally the first or second weekend in June.

There are more bizarre models at this event than any other I know of. You are almost guaranteed to see glow, diesel, electric, CO2, and rocket powered planes. Lots and lots of ambitious (but small) scale models too.

Paul

Kevin, we fully expect you to empty your shop and demo all your great models there....

Paul said it all. I think anything up to the 700-800 watt range would never be questioned and if you brought your F-15, we would just make you do a demo flight, anyway...

And, multi engine aircraft are allowed with multiple .26s or smaller glow power. The sky would be the limit for multiengine EDF.

[This message has been edited by Thomas B (edited 12-03-2000).]

Amen to Paul!
The SMALL is definitely the most model-friendly and rule free meet you're going to find.

SMALL (Small Model Airplane Lovers League) is the US paragraph of the UK's Small Model Association. Formed in the late '80s by Peter Miller (RCMW columnist), in an April issue friendly dig at the pompous attitudes of those who strut around RC lightplanes, wear badges on flight suits and generally act slightly superior to others.

The idea of the SMA was to promote the flying of small models - I can proudly say that the 25 engine limit is mine, 'cos back then, most of my models flew on OS 25FPs. We also let the OS 26 fourbanger in, as it is way cool sounding.

Though the SMA piece ended with a note that it was complete fiction, and didn't exist, within a year, it had a logo, T shirts, stickers and several meetings. Another columnist even managed to talk Argus Specialist Publications into dumping its large model meeting for a SMA meet!

The big difference between the SMA and the other minor interest groups is that the SMA and other Paragraphs (smaller than chpaters ) such as SMALL have no dues, officers, or any official status.

Two nonmembers (the syntax of a non-existent MIG gets complex !) of the SMALL set about a large US RC mag who were trying to make the SMALL legit, elect Grand Poobars, and charge dues. This was stomped out and the question of a dues collecting version of SMALL has never arisen since.

All you need to "join" the SMA / SMALL / Insert your Paragraph name here is to enjoy small models. RC is optional, size is variable, fun is mandatory. No-one will ever ask you for dues, or to serve on a committee. Service to the SMA is voluntary, pay is in warm fuzzy feelings.

Last time the non-committee for trivia checked, there are SMA Paragraphs in the US, Canada, Germany, France and Australia.

SMALL, as in the Maumelle meet, is more likely to welcome models than not. Most SMA nonmembers just don't bring models they think are inappropriate, its that simple (there is a sort of challenge for a 4 x .25 glow powered ship). It has been tacitly agreed that would be 'legal', but it wouldn't be that small in wingspan.)

I'm hoping to go in 2001 - drove there from DC in '96, 1,000 miles each way was deemed 'not fun' by my Sue, who has offered to drive me to the airport this time! Models will be determined by airline travel, but I hope to pack an electric FF in there as well. Be kinda fun to fly RC, FF and CL electric in the same weekend too.

Would go along with Kevin being made to demo his DF ships, though I sure wouldn't bring my idea of a 16 cell model along. As the lawyer said when he read the will - "It's all relative"

SMALL - gotta do it!

Regards

Dereck
(SMA Nonmember # 00002)

Hope to see you there in 2001, Dereck. I have long admired your work in the modelling press.

I was at the original small aircraft fly-in in Dallas, and IIRC, the year was 1986 or 1987. The motor size was nicely in place at a .26, even then. It was all Randy Randolph's fault, anyway... Little Rock followed suit soon after with the early events at the Pumpkin Patch Airstrip. I made all the Dallas and Little Rock events untill 1994, when I took a hiatus untill 1998. (Was seduced into high power rocketry for a few years)
The Small events are simply the best.

Getting back to the DF issue, I do think any model equipped with a Minifan, Kyosho fan, a Midi Fan or equivalent certainly meets the spirit of the Small Steps rules, reguardless of cell counts or total watts. The dozen or so EDF models that have been showing up are pretty much the hit of the event there, in any case.

Is the date for this 2-3 of June? If so I won't make it as I hope to be at the Land of Lincoln fun-fly.

Yes, it is June 1-3. I was disappointed to see that it was the same weekend as Land of Lincoln.