Re: Re: A vent about Wright Stuff

From: Bill Gowen <b.gowen_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:51:26 -0500

The Chamblee team had another practice today and it went a little better. There were maybe 100 kids milling around in the gym but the science teacher was able to clear them off the floor for 2 test flights. The 2 flights were both shortened by wind from the A/C but still reached 3:14 and 3:08. The Chamblee LittleSquare flies much better than mine. It was built with the optional 8% airfoil, a triangular trailing edge and a rounded leading edge. It's built to the standard length shown on the plan. The prop is an Ikara SO with the trailing edge cut off behind the spar and set to 12 pitch. In the Cat 1 gym they launched at .21 in-oz and had .1 inch-oz at landing. My LittleSquare usually lands with .2 in-oz left. I'm jealous.

Tomorrow we're supposed to have the gym for a few hours with no students at school and the A/C off. It should be fun for a change!

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: leop12345
  To: Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:28 PM
  Subject: [Indoor_Construction] Re: A vent about Wright Stuff


  Bill,

  As a fellow Wright Stuff coach I can symphasise with you. When
  we
  reserve the school gym, often members of little kids basketball
  groups
  who have the gym reserved over an hour later come in early for
  practice. It is no use asking the kids (or their parents) to use
  just
  one hoop in the corner. The WS team has to quit or risk the planes
  being hit or run over. The regional site for last Saturday's
  competition for the JV team had a ceiling height of just 14' and
  narrow
  width. At least the students knew about this advance and could
  practice for it. And, the Indiana state competition this year, at IU
  Bloomington, will not be able to use the usual sports pavillion (a
  76'
  clear space to the girders) as the football team has it reserved, not
  for use but as a backup in case it rains on their outdoor practice
  field.

  But with all these annoyances, there are good things, too. The
  regional site for last Saturday's competition for the Varsity team
  was
  a new multipurpose room in the new student center at IUPUI in
  Indianapolis. I was worried about a fourth floor room that was said
  to
  have a 21.5' ceilin and a 34' width. However, the room was a great
  flying site. The room separation curtain was opened (into pockets in
  the wall) and the smallest dimension was actually more than 60' and
  the
  ceiling where WS flew was closer to 24'. The best part was that the
  air was very, very good. The team flew much longer flights than they
  ever flew in practice at that height in the school gym. The air, to
  me
  at least, was better than that at the last year's Johnson City USIC.
  It was great seeing the smiles on the team's faces as their plane
  flew
  on and on, bumping the ceiling panel edges, falling several feet, and
  rising back up again and again.

  So, even with all the adverse things that often happen in Wright
  Stuff, the good times make me sad that there probably will be a few
  years without Science Olympiad Wright Stuff competition. I just hope
  that the local
  high school keeps up with the informal flying club. I know I will
  continue to help.

  Leo
  Bloomington IN



   

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Received on Thu Feb 14 2008 - 17:51:30 CET