Participation

[MKMSG at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/9/05 12:57:21 PM Central Standard Time,  
Norm500 at comcast.net writes:

Just  some thoughts from an electric flyer that hasn't started in 
Pattern  yet.  I have flown electric power in IMAC, but am 
interested in  Pattern because of the 2-meter size limit.  My IMAC 
plane, a 2-meter  Staudacher which weighs just over 13 lbs. RTF, 
and is as large as I want  to go.  In larger electrics the price 
starts going up exponentially,  but 2-meters start looking rather 
small alongside of the now typical IMAC  planes.

BTW, my battery pack weighs just under 3 lbs. so if the rules  were 
ever changed to allow electrics to be weighed without the pack,  
I'd only be at about 10 lbs.  Not too bad for a plane that was  
originally built and flown with a Quadra gas engine.

Anyway, the  point of all this is that you might be able to start 
attracting some  electric powered flyers that want to compete 
simply because of the 2-meter  limit on size.  I know it's not 
something that's going to happen  overnight, but changing the rule 
about weighing with the battery installed  would surely help.  I 
also know that some of the top rung people are  already flying 
electric pattern, but with state of the art planes that's  hard for 
entry level builders to achieve.

I've been trying to  decide on a pattern plane to build for some 
weeks now.  I'd like it  to be a 2-meter if for no other reason 
than my eyesight isn't very good  and the larger planes are easier 
to see.  Thinking of building a  Typhoon 2K with Mike Hester's 
modifications, but the project looks  daunting to someone who's 
never built a wing with tubes, adjustable wing  and stabs, etc. 
Also have been considering the Focus II, but figure it  will be 
overweight with the batteries.

Oh well, that's my input for  today.

Norm



Norm: Because most pattern enthusiasts fly glow powered models, there  really 
hasn't been much discussion or concern regarding how glow/gas/electric  
pattern aircraft are weighed.  Competition rules should be as fair as  possible 
when applied across the board to all the different types of models  authorized to 
compete in a given category.  Rather than weigh electric  pattern ships 
without batteries, it's my personal view that either 1) the weight  limit for 
pattern should be eliminated, or 2) weigh all aircraft types  --  gas, glow, or 
electric -- ready to fly....with fuel or batteries as the case may  be.  I'm not 
pro or con any particular type of power plant.  I've used  glow engines for 
nearly 55 years and currently have two electric pattern ships  on the workbench. 
 Our AMA competition rules are guided and  influenced by international FAI 
rules and it will be interesting to see how this  issue is handled as more and 
more modelers move to forms of power other than  glow fuel.
 
Mike Moritko  
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