Re: Bostonians and No-Cals

From: Don Slusarczyk <don_at_slusarczyk.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:44:13 -0400

> You summarized my thesis as "the validity of ones hobby is based
> purely on paid memberships". I did not say that.

Not directly but here is how I inferred it. You originally posted:
*
*
*"With due respect if you and Don can't see the absurdity of a 12" prop
on a 16" span scale model then I don't know what to say. *
*FAC ain't for everyone, and it's not perfect either. But around 1800
paid members seem to agree it's a pretty good thing. *
*How many of those 1800 are inspired by watching 2 gram no cals flop
around the gym at one-tenth scale speed?"*

It is then implied that the 1800 paid members in FAC outweigh the two of
us, so you have 1800 on your side, we are only two. Then you comment on
how a 2 gram nocal is essentially unimpressive in the last sentence. So
therefore what were are doing is "wrong" as it is not what the 1800
others are doing. So I then concluded that you placed paid memberships
of 1800 people in higher regard than what we are doing. They are right
we are wrong. I then took that to the next step which was to compare
"free flight" as a whole to RC as whole.

By the way I find the 1/10 scale speed comment interesting, and yes I
know it was tongue in cheek, but for a quick exercise, a Fike or Lacey
built to 3 grams will need about 2 grams of rubber to fly so 5 gram in
weight, that calcs out to about 3.42 mph flying speed and the models
would be about ~1/20th scale at 16" span so 20*3.42mph ~75 mph which is
a reasonable cruise speed for a homebuilt. My 2 gram Cessna Cardinal
with its smaller wing flies faster at 5.08mph and is 1:26.6 scale so it
is flying at 135mph scale speed and the full size one cruises at 143
mph. So not as far off as one would think :-)


> Obviously there are other factors involved. But membership numbers do
> tell an interesting story, don't you think?

All it tells me is how many people participate in the activity. It says
nothing about the validity of the activity. Lots of people play golf but
that does not mean it is a better activity than say a guy with a metal
detector walking a beach. *
*
> But let's not make this a contrast between FAC and indoor duration,
> because that's a horrible mismatch.

But that is the whole debate isn't it? You treat FAC events flown
indoors as if they are still outdoor events. They are not, when flown
inside they are now indoor duration events. You say a 12" prop on an
indoor Nocal is absurd but at an indoor contest 7" span ministicks have
7" props, OPP has 18" span and 17" props and that is the norm for
indoor. So to an indoor guy that is normal, we have no thermals to
speak of. So when an FAC event that is scored purely on duration is
flown indoors the indoor duration modelers who fly this event will apply
indoor techniques and practices to the event. If you want nocal to have
plastic props and solid motorsticks then get the FAC to change the rules
so the indoor guys will have to fly the same style models as the outdoor
guys do. I have been waiting for that change for years actually and have
been surprised that it has not happened yet as was recently done to
Phantom Flash. (the one piece plastic prop rule reduced indoor flight
times from 4 minutes to about 3 minutes) and if that happens to nocal,
expect contest grade motorsticks and scraped down plastic props and then
he complains will start up all over again :-)

Don S.
Received on Mon Jun 11 2012 - 20:44:25 CEST