Re: A6 analysis, for Marty Alderman
A point of clarification concerning the construction of my A6, quoted below. The motor stick needed to be much more ridged for this appication, the USIC held in the Johnson City,TN Mini Dome with a 100' high ceiling. The motor was 18" long & therefore the prop hook needed to be spaced farther away from the bottom of the motor stick to avoid bunching. In addition, it was wound up as tightly as possible. Lots of tension. Therefore, I was trying to emphasize that an effort was needed to save weight where possible, without sacrificing stiffness in areas such as the tail boom.
I don't want newcomers on the list to think all of this effort is necessary in a lower ceiling site like a typical gym.
Gary Hodson
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark F1diddler <f1diddler_at_yahoo.com>
To: Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, Feb 7, 2010 3:46 pm
Subject: [Indoor_Construction] A6 analysis, for Marty Alderman
--- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, Marty Alderman <mda35_at_...> wrote:
I've seen pages of discussion about the details of the A-6 rules,
admittedly not an easy thing on which to get consensus. If people agree
that A-6 is a class which is supposed to get beginners hooked on indoor
FF competition, then why has there been only one comment about my post
on having ONE two-division class where only beginners are allowed to
compete for the trophy in the beginners division? It means an extra set
of trophies, but c'mon guys! Focus! How can we bring newbies into
trying indoor FF competition AND get them hooked????? I suggested we
put out some candy (trophies!)
I find the rules discussion interesting, but it has become a separate
issue from getting and keeping newbies, and our hobby NEEDS to get and
keep newbies if it is to survive. There has been some discussion of how
to bring newbies into the hobby in the past, but IMHO we need a more
robust 'Survival of the Hobby' thread separate from the A-6 rules
thread. Or is this hobby actually another 'creative anachronism' like
using Morse code on Ham Radio?
Marty Alderman,
You touch on several of the complexities of what's going on, but the scene is even more complex (some would say more hopeless) than that.
<<If people agree
that A-6 is a class which is supposed to get beginners hooked on indoor>>
Nope, people don't really agree about that, either. IN THE CONTEXT OF existing competition, I fail to see how A6 is supposed to appeal to those who do not already have access to 4 lb balsa and light C-paper, which is reportedly no longer available. Of course, the reputation of A6 does attract many to try it, but they quickly thereafter discover the reality.
Quote from Clarence Mather, "I decided to to create a model that used materials familiar to everyone and would be small, simple to build, and sturdy enough to survive most of the banging around that would occur. NO SPECIAL INDOOR MATERIALS WERE ALLOWED.""
(Caps mine. MB)
Contrast the above with Gary Hodson's text about his ever-winning A6 "Wart."
Quote: "I find the stiffness rating of Tim Goldstein's Tru-Weight Indoor Balsa to be particularly helpful in selecting wood for specific applications. Light, stiff wood for the 1/16th" wing & stab keeps the surfaces warp free & allows more weight to be built in to the motor stick where it is required for stiffness. Also, a stiff, light tail boom is essential. Light weight prop blades are important, but their stiffness can be lower. In order to build down to the 1.2 gram minimum weight, it is important to have a reliable source of excellent wood.....The large stand-off results in a lot of bending force so the motor stick needs to be very stiff. I test my motor sticks for bending as described by Larry Coslick in his EZB articles in INAV......Best time: 10 miniutes 19 sec. was made on an 18" loop of March 2002 Tan II rubber....."
So there, Marty, is how state-of-the-art knowledge and materials are applied to a so-called newcomers-attracting event.
<<It means an extra set
of trophies, but c'mon guys! Focus! How can we bring newbies into
trying indoor FF competition AND get them hooked????? I suggested we
put out some candy (trophies!)>>
Indoor contests are no longer trophy-centric, if they ever were. I can't remember the last indoor contest where I saw a real trophy handed out to anyone. Maybe at USIC, I forget. Rather, we compete for one thing--a TIME designation sitting right after our name. We know whether that time is a respectable time or not, and we know that other indoorists know whether it's a respectable time or not. And that's about it!
Nevertheless, an easier "sanctioned" class should have merit, if only to see if it helps the scene. If trophies are expected, then fine--there's another chore for the CD to worry about.
<< How can we bring newbies into
trying indoor FF competition AND get them hooked????? I>>
The inherent fallacy in the above sentiment is that WE don't hook anyone. Only the FLYING MODEL can hook someone. If that flying model is not itself motivation to try to get better and better, then no trophy candy, no tooth fairy is going to hook anyone. At least not in the context of COMPETITION.
Please recall how in message 7072 Mr. Downer reminds us about the joy of the "DAMN IT FLIES" stage. This joy ought to be promoted by local clubs. But the existing infrastructue of national competition was forged by those who wanted more than sport flying, so contest culture need not be changed to accomodate sport/fun flying. We can accomodate it already!
Nevertheless, I am in favor of TRYING to create a newcomer event that functions for newcomers. So as to not spoil the "experts'" fun, I will wait until this whole rules thing blows over, then campaign my 1.8 gram , any heavy-enough covering A6, called "A6 Limited" or maybe "A6 Spirit."
"AMA A6," if it passes in present form, will have little to do with the spirit that created it.
Mark Bennett
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Received on Sun Feb 07 2010 - 16:00:58 CET
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