Bob,
Following the rules is a must for everyone. That sentence would have been better left out or said more clearly.
If the rules were wrote to allow more experimentation. Like almost all other S.O. events. We wouldn't hear so many horror stories in the spring because event directors that know little didn't get the understanding of rules. Would you agree there is much less confusion when less words are used? At least compared to number Wright Stuff has grown too. At present time there is so much rule or is it actually a guideline to build the model? It's hard to tell the difference between advice in the rules and actual rules. Of the other of 20 plus events non spells out every way to build plus what to use. The ego (building advise in rules) should have been canned a long time a go.
Following rules is for more than just the students! As an event director myself at few contests each year, a boy once employed a advanced technique. Several of the other people helping brought it immediately to my attention including a few parents/Coaches in crowd. At first I dis allowed it. After discussion with young boy I had to say he was right. There wasn't a thing prohibiting his action in the rules. I know most people there still didn't like it but fair is fair. After the contest I spoke with most the flyers and coaches as a group. What your custom to seeing is not what can occur at this contest. The purpose is to excel in anyways that is legal rather it is different is irrelevant. The goal her is to exercise young people in science. So, that one day in future, one of them creates or events something that betters all man kind. Last, I told them be careful at your State contests because they will likely not follow the rules if they see this. In fact, I clearly told them not to do it although it was le
gal. Sort of made me sick to give those young kids a dose of our society and tell them to think outside the box at same time.
I believe there is room for beginners and not enough for the advanced Wright Stuff student. The same will win and place in order in a given year under whatever rules are set. Those new flyers even at dis advantage because of lack of a mentor will advance with time. Brett, Doug, Matt De Leon, Max and dozen others I can think of did so. Further, in my opinion those without a local mentor that have tried advanced to greater heights ON AVERAGE than those with. If internet connected computer weren't so available my observations surely would have been opposite!
When Ikara prop was first allowed it was a struggle by Ray Harlan and myself. That year him and I were able to convince the rules allow a tube on spar so the pitch could be changed at will by simply dissolving glue and re pitching. All we did was take the word "Single" out before rest of statement in sentence "two-bladed commercially made plastic propeller". A few years a go is was added back in. A new word added is suppose to in bold letters it wasn't so stated. Mess up or copied wrong dated rule sheet? This stuff happens way to often in this event.
The one area in Wright stuff that most kids really don't understand is the prop techno mainly because it has been limited under the rules. At least the high school should have been opened up with middle school being limited to same old plastic commercial prop. With all the legitimate complaints S.O. leaders (teachers) leveled on WS National Event Director about being same each year this CHANGE would have been fun. Even something crazy like only props blades made out of metal pop cans, then plastic liter bottle blades, wooden blades and then built up props etc.. Don't laugh to hard once a pond a time prop blades were allowed out of pop bottles in S.O.! One year taking the lead of a few powerful State Directors present at meeting we had the ribbon drop added for no reason other than being SOMETHING NEW. Much to WS leaders worries that was a fun year till it was drove into the ground year after year. At that meeting it was suppose to be gone after first year and something NEW added as a challenge. To make a l
ong story short. The teachers got something new despite the National Event Director and other controller. It's called Bottle Rockets without Wright Stuff or BLG in a soon to come year. Those teachers were always patient and understanding as I remember. Know they are patiently enforcing a program where WS or is it WS Leadership is gone?
Mark Schaefer
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Clemens<mailto:robert.clemens_at_att.net>
To: Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com<mailto:Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Indoor_Construction] can prop
Jim Fackert asserted that "they (the Wright Stuff rules) also clearly state
that
the two bladed commercial prop can be cut down or modified to change the
pitch. That, in my book, includes twisting or breaking and re-gluing the
blade spars, and heating and reforming the blades themselves."
Jim, that's a real stretch. Here is a verbatim quote of the WS prop rule:
"The propeller must be a single two-bladed commercially available plastic
propeller with a maximum diameter of 18.5 cm. Longer propellers may be
trimmed to meet this specification. Trimming/shaving/twisting is also
permitted to balance and/or reduce the mass of propeller or to change
pitch."
Where in that wording do you see an approval for breaking and re-gluing the
prop spar? Are props with broken and re-glued spars "commercially
available"? As co-event director for the Rochester, NY, Wright Stuff
regional contest (which I have been for the past ten years or so), I would
DQ any model with cracked and re-glued spars in a heartbeat. I believe it's
been made clear in earlier messages that Ikara prop spars can be twisted
using heat to change the blade pitch, with no breakage being needed. I've
changed pitch simply by grasping the plastic spar with two pairs of needle
nose pliers and carefully twisting in whatever change was needed.
Mark Schaefer says, "My guess is 98% of all the S.O. judges won't even know
what VP was or notice anything different, a few would though." Mark, are you
implying that it's OK to break the rules so long as the official in charge
doesn't notice? I'd certainly notice and would DQ the model. And let's be
real about such an "innovation." 98% of students competing in the Wright
Stuff event under the current rules wouldn't know anything about a VP
either, since none of them are fortunate enough to have an experienced
indoor flier as a mentor such as some members of this forum are fortunate to
have.
Bob Clemens
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Received on Mon Dec 04 2006 - 20:25:48 CET
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