john_kagan wrote:
> But, whatever, angled Angler sticks...I agree with Don's assessment that
> allowing competitors to use a pole to steer the tailboom has made it
> easier to use steering to save a stalling model. I've seen wallowing
> models get dragged by the prop, too. It's just harder to do. Similarly,
> I think I could de-stall a model with a vertical pole. Just not as
> easily as pushing up on the tail.
>
> Ethics are difficult to enforce. Which leaves us with trying to get the
> rules to produce the desired results.
I agree with John, in that 1) you can steer to avoid stalls also from
the prop, and 2) that ethics are hard to enforce in rules. Further, I'm
not sure if setting the pole angle is the right solution. Consider, for
instance, that you have set your pole to steer at 10 meters (30'), but
all of a sudden you realize that you need to steer before your model has
climbed that high. So what you do, but steer with longer pole, possibly
at angle? Quite "ethical", but against the proposed rules.
Let's see what the (FAI) rules say:
"Steering must only be used to avert collision with the structure of the
building, its contents or other models. Movements of the model must be
primarily in a horizontal plane."
So there it is! The rules quite clearly say that you can _only_ steer to
avoid collision. In other words, steering to cure trim problems _is_
prohibited.
The question remains, how to enforce this. Here, let me remind you that
the quote from the rules, as above, goes on:
"Note: If, in a timekeeper's opinion, a model's altitude change is
approaching one half metre, or one metre for each 25 m of altitude
(whichever is larger) he will warn the competitor. Continued disregard
of the timekeeper's warning will result in a terminated flight."
The timekeeper is already given the power, even encouraged, to make sure
that the flier does not change the altitude of the model while steering.
Wouldn't it be simplest to interpret the rules, or change the wording to
be more spesific, that it is also the _timekeeper_ that shall make sure
that the model is not steered with illegal aims, and then give warnings
or disqualify the flight if the fliers insists on doing it the wrong
way? I think all these suggestions of rod angles, time limits when not
to steer, etc., are too complicated and arbitrary solutions to the
actual problem.
-Tapio-
Received on Tue Jan 19 2010 - 21:30:39 CET
This archive was generated by Yannick on Sat Dec 14 2019 - 19:13:45 CET