Re: Re: Beginner events and why they're hard for beginners

From: Nick Ray <lasray_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 14:13:10 -0400

I am wondering if this is an instance of the chicken coming before the egg.
When I first started flying the idea of using the bracing wire to some
adjust the launch did not come naturally. To me bracing was something that
you made as stiff as you can so the stick was stiff. This is not what the
motor stick bracing wire on most indoor models is used for. The bracing
functions as an adjustment stop to limit the deflection of the motor stick.

Now what separates the experts from the beginners with regard to bracing
motor tubes is the ability to select a motor stick that has the right
spring constant to allow the motor stick to come back to its unloaded shape
at the right moment in the flight. What many F1D flyers are trying to do is
to get the right amount of down thrust and wing wash to control the launch
and then have the motor stick spring back as soon as the down thrust and
wing wash are no longer required so that the model can fly as efficiently
as possible.

Changing the rules may help beginners get their launches right, with the
stipulation that they can figure out how much slack to use in the bracing.
However, they are still going to have to be able to select wood that is
light enough and stiff enough not to spend half the flight with an extra 3
degrees of down thrust.

I have definitely wanted to brace a Ministick motor stick or two that were
giving me trouble. Generally, the motor sticks were too weak to have been
competitive with properly built models even if they had been braced. I
think experienced flyers who understand bracing wire are seeking to add a
feature that will help the enlighten fix a motor stick that is just barely
off, far more than a way to make an event more appealing to a newcomer.

I tend to agree that an LPP without any composite technology or a Ministick
is the way to go.

Nick

On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 1:51 PM, Yuan Kang Lee <ykleetx_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> **
>
>
> I think we need to move beyond the notion that "experts will always beat
> beginners, therefore any rule change to level the playing field is futile."
> That notion is dogma at its worst and doesn't contribute in any positive
> way.
>
> I welcome specific criticism and suggestions for improvement.
>
>
> --- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, "Yuan Kang Lee" <ykleetx_at_...>
> wrote:
> >
> >
> > The first thing I discovered when I started flying F1D is that a F1D is
> a lot easier to launch than the "beginner" models I fly. I have spent a lot
> of time on EZB, F1L, and Limited Pennyplane (LPP). Raise your hand if you
> have had your EZB or F1L dive on launch because the motor stick was too
> flexible? (Both mine are raised.)
> >
> > In an ironic way, we have made our beginner models harder to fly than
> F1D. Of course, we know one reason -- a solid wood motor stick is easy to
> build but it generally does not work well under high torque and tension of
> the rubber motor.
> >
> > Bracing a solid motor stick is relatively easy to do, whether using wood
> bracing or thread. Bracing substantially increases the performance of the
> motor stick. Not only will this help to make these beginner models launch
> better, allowing bracing means the quality of the solid motor stick does
> not have to be as good. Hobby shop balsa can be used. A lighter MS can be
> used, and the weight budget can be used elsewhere. These all greatly lower
> the barrier of entry for the beginner -- YET, these effects increases the
> performance of the model for the beginner. You don't usually find these
> "win-win" scenarios.
> >
> > -Kang
> >
> > --- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, "olbill61" <wdgowen_at_> wrote:
> > >
> > > I may be stepping on Kang's toes a little here but he and I had almost
> the exact same thought about a way to make beginner events easier. Since I
> thought of it yesterday I'm adopting it as my idea.
> > >
> > > The rules for LPP, F1L, EZB and A6 say the MS has to be solid wood and
> in different ways and to different extents pretty much rule out any sort of
> bracing. Making a MS work correctly and not weigh too much is one of the
> hardest parts of building any of these models. It's a part of building that
> requires the most care in wood selection and building experience. It's
> probably one of the main reasons why experienced flyers have such an edge
> in these events.
> > >
> > > So this may be blasphemy but why not pick one or two of these events
> and say that the MS still has to be solid wood but you can brace it. The
> bracing could be limited to thread or wood or you could just leave it open
> for people to experiment with.
> > >
> > > The people who have successfully conquered the MS problem wouldn't
> have to change anything and would probably still win but the beginning
> flyers would have a much better chance of building a flyable model to the
> minimum weight.
> > >
> > > I've seen a few beginning indoor flyers who have spent a lot of time
> building a model but just get really demoralized when they couldn't make it
> fly. Having this type of experience is not good for keeping people
> interested.
> > >
> >
>
>
>
Received on Fri Sep 07 2012 - 11:13:12 CEST