Re: Stopwatch Accuracy for FAI Free Flight World Records

From: <flyingbluegill_at_sbcglobal.net>
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2018 22:34:17 -0400

I find this subject amusing.
I think the saying "using a micrometer on a dough ball" applies.
Over the course of timing a flight, there is the possibility of much human error to interject itself into the equation.
For example, the initial moment of launch and then the final moment of touchdown. Both of these have the potential for relatively large errors. Combine this with a flight that involves prop stop time during steering, or for that matter flights with multiple steerings and the subject of stop watch accuracy to the nth degree becomes a mute point.
Having said this, I do appreciate the need for accuracy, but only to a point, which seems to be the issue here.
Joe M


On Jun 3, 2018, at 10:07 PM, Mike Kirda mkirda_at_sbcglobal.net [Indoor_Construction] <Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Examples includes the AX-602, correct?


Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 3, 2018, at 9:00 PM, leop_at_lyradev.com [Indoor_Construction] <Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com> wrote:
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> The 2018 FAI rules for records required that the stopwatches used be calibrated to an accuracy of better than one part per million (10^6) or about one second in 300 hours. This is a standard which is very difficult to obtain with affordable and commercially available stopwatches. The FAI CIAM Plenary voted in April to amend this section to allow for a one part in one hundred thousand (10^5) or about one second per day. There are many stopwatches commercially available at reasonable prices that meet this standard.
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> Last Tuesday, May 29, 2018, the FAI CIAM published a Technical Notice that the new one part in 10^5 accuracy standard would take effect on June 1, 2018 (last Friday).
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> LeoP
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Received on Mon Jun 04 2018 - 02:34:24 CEST