Re: Carrying F1D on Board Airliners
Below is a post I made on the Hip Pocket site yesterday. For the past two years I have thought that we needed to rethink F1D dimensions. I had hoped that we might do this instead of the changes made in 2014 but, perhaps, the ones behind the 2014 changes were not sufficiently forward thinking at that time. Also, even with my success at putting F1D's in checked baggage, I do not think that is a good solution in general given the current and future passive inspection techniques and our use of nitrate based adhesives. I can say from experience that Ambroid glue joints sometimes do not pass the checked luggage sniff scanners at the Indy and Spokane airports (and I have failed when I forgot to completely clean the dried Ambroid from my fingers)
Hip Pocket post:
I have been using checked luggage for all of planes when traveling by commercial airlines since 2008. The only damage has been the result of TSA opening the crates and the model boxes inside. However, I now am careful to ask to be present if the luggage is opened which causes other problems.
The new IATA guidelines are actually metric based at 55cm x 35cm x 20cm. Although diagonal placement will help with the wing span, the more problematic dimension is the 20cm depth (F1D's have 20cm wing chord). Yes, one can complicate matters by using a 3D diagonal but this leaves little space for 19" props and 18" stabs. Fewer planes in the box most likely will result.
I think this is the time to think of new dimensions for the F1D class. I would like to see less wing area (span and chord, say 50cm x 15cm, but 52cm by 17cm will work with similar changes to the stab span and area) in exchange for a return to the 1.2g minimum weight and .6g motors. I think of the F1D class now as just like fixed pitch SO planes in high sites. The game now is only to reach the ceiling rather than have a beautifully flying plane.
LeoP
Received on Thu Jun 11 2015 - 09:58:05 CEST
This archive was generated by Yannick on Sat Dec 14 2019 - 19:13:48 CET