I simply do not understand why it has to be adopted as an AMA event? It
was not an AMA event when flown at the Nats last year so did people have
less fun? If left non AMA the rules can be adjusted easily as needed.
Otherwise stuck on a 2 year rules cycle and AMA style rules
interpretation. Plus it is provisional by request and provisional events
may not be flown officially at the Nats per AMA general rules so by
adopting as an AMA provisional event it has to be flown unofficially at
the Nats.
"The rules specifically identified as supplemental or provisional do not
qualify as “official” model aircraft regulations of the Academy of Model
Aeronautics. They may not, therefore, be included as official events in
AMA’s annual National ModelAeromodeling Championships. AMA national
records shall not be kept for these events. But these rules have been
examined by those AMA Contest Boards concerned and have been approved,
particularly for safety, so that they may be included in all sanctioned
AMA meets, other than the Nationals."
Seems to me that since it is so similar to Limited Pennyplane, why not
just fly LPP with 7.5 gram min weight and plastic prop as the beginner
event? That way it does not have to be a new event. Similar to what some
clubs do with indoor FAC nocal, some clubs fly FAC nocal with a minimum
weight like 6.2 grams but that weight limit is not in the rules for
nocal, it is a local rule. So why not have an introductory version of
LPP that is heavier and limited to plastic props. It makes more sense to
me to have people build planes that are a step to an actual indoor
event. Plus an internet search of Pennyplane produces lots of search
results and building guides which people will find useful.
Having recently built a Double Whammy with a 5.5" one piece prop
assembly and weight of ~5.5 grams, I find the model to be nothing like
an indoor model and I would still need to add weight to get to the
7.5grams weight. The models bangs and clang around the ceiling zipping
around. It is more of an introduction to rubber free flight than
introduction to indoor models. I would suggest allowing larger plastic
props to calm the plane down some. I recall back in the early Science
Olympiad years when I use to sell a kit, SIG had a nice 7" prop assembly
that on a 8 gram SO model would fly around 2 minutes in a cat 1 gym on
3/32 rubber. The model was close to LPP size, tissue covered, prop
unmodified and flew more indoor like. Those small 5.5" props in my
opinion actually make things worse.
The 7" SIG prop:
http://www.sigmfg.com/IndexText/SIGSP003.html
Don Slusarczyk
Received on Sat Feb 13 2016 - 06:10:14 CET