The latest mess, was Re: Testing props

From: John Kagan <john_kagan_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 15:53:41 -0000

Hi Gary,

Against my better judgement, let me offer some explaination (personal
opinion).

You apparently have a science background and have spent a lot of time
thinking about various aspects of Indoor FF, as you know it. The
ideas you describe sound like they might have merit for optimizing
one area or another.

The problem is that if you aren't familiar with types of planes we
fly, you run the risk of optimizing an area that might not produce
much overall benefit. Not that that's a problem by itself - we all
do it an learn from it. But if you present your theories as though
you already know what works and doesn't - or even know what the real
question is - it can confuse those trying to learn, and it rubs
people the wrong way.

Your statement that you didn't know an AMA Cub and a Dandiflyer
weren't indoor planes is telling. They certainly are planes that can
be flown indoors, but their challenges just as certainly aren't much
like the "real" (for lack of a better term)indoor planes we fly.

I'm pretty sure that's what Mark B is trying to goad you into
realizing. Once you start flying a Limited Pennyplane, EZB, F1L,
F1D, etc., you will begin seeing the real variables waiting to be
tweaked. You'll also likely find that 99.999% of them are already
known quite well and have pretty decent solutions.

Of course, there is always the .001% that may actually make a
difference, and that's why I don't just simply dismiss your efforts.
There could be valuable needle in that haystack. But without much
understanding of the problem domain, you are severely handicaping
your chances of matching a solution with a significant problem.

So, consider helping yourself and helping us by getting to know the
kinds of planes we are talking about. Forget about all the ways you
are going to improve them initially, and just build and fly one.
You'll make your Bill-Nye-the-Science-Guy vibe more credible and,
best of all, it is a heck of a lot of fun.

P.S. It is practically cliche for a newcomer to think they are going
to figure out one big thing and suddenly fly better than everyone
else. One person I showed my planes to decided that eliminating the
knot in the rubber motor was the silver bullet. He never actually
built a plane, but if he had I would have bet the kids college fund
that his "no-knot" motor wouldn't produce much benefit - nevermind
compensate for all the other things he didn't know.
Received on Wed May 02 2007 - 08:58:53 CEST