F3A Biplanes have a future!

[patterndude at attbi.com]

Clearly building a pattern bipe under 5kg is pushing the envelope for most 
builders.  Just like the breakthroughs in light laminate construction that are 
giving us larger fuses, we need some technological advance in wing construction 
techniques.  
  There are a lot of wing construction experiments going on with hollow wings, 
sheet glass skins, foam ribs, etc., but the best results seem hard to reproduce 
and difficult for the home modeler to achieve. 
  At first, the early adopters will pay the big bucks and take the bigger 
risks.  Such is the cycle of advancement.

--Lance
> >That makes three (publically known) biplane projects going on right now.
> >Just when you think you've got the best.... ;>  Time to spend more money.
> 
> Two of which crashed on their first flight due to structural failure 
> of the wings.
> 
> More money is right.
> 
> >
> >I'm rather torn on this biplane issue.  Should FAI add a new rule that
> >outlaws them?  On one hand, I'm sure they will improve our flights, but on
> >the other I don't want them to be advantage over the planes we have now.
> >Kind of like changing the 2m size limit to 2.5m.  The guys with the big
> >factories behind them will have an advantage, while the rest of us will be
> >alienated.  Going to biplanes might be no different than going to 2.5m, only
> >it isn't against the rules.  Or, it might be like the switch to 2m planes
> >from the .60 planes.  I would hate to go back to a 0.60 after flying a 2m.
> 
> Pattern will die before we go back to 0.60 sized airplanes. 
> Pandora's box was opened a long time ago.
> 
> >
> >That said, I want a biplane.  I do expect they will fly better, which is
> >certainly a good thing, and someone has to develop them before I get to fly
> >it.
> 
> When someone can properly define what "flying better" is, then we 
> have something that can be debated.  Until then this is just 
> marketing.
> 
> Jerry
> -- 
> ___________
> Jerry Budd
> Budd Engineering
> http://www.buddengineering.com
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