[NSRCA-discussion] Pattern and Imac practice

[Steven Maxwell]

 Jim glad your having fun with this. I don't have or do I have any desire to have an IMAC plane, but I understand what your talking about even though I should be in the advanced class I haven't flown it sense 2004 Nat's and have flown the FAI sense. I started flying FAI to get one of your points, different roll combinations in opposite directions, I actually started flying FAI with the P-03 schedule and it really helped my flying in fact I liked that pattern better than P-05 or P-07, I almost impressed myself while learning to do the 1 1/2 snap with 4 of 8 opposite. I'll never be that competive in this class and understand that but I sure like it. I also don't have any real desire to learn the F pattern but do play with some of the elements.
 Have fun 
 Steve Maxwell


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jim Woodward 
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Sent: 1/3/2006 7:23:22 PM 
Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Pattern and Imac practice


Hi Guys,
 
Lately I’ve been practicing the IMAC Advanced sequence as there are 4+ contests I can easily get to in SoFla that do not interfere with the pattern contests I can get too.  This has been a lot of fun to do and a very good experience as far as flying aerobatics goes.  I’ve flown through the sequence about 40 times since November.  This sequence has nearly every combination of rolls, snaps, and a 3 roll 270 degree circle.  One observation about the precision aerobatics sequence is that you can nearly fly the all of them rolling only one direction if you like.  Rarely does a maneuver mandate that you roll two directions in the same maneuver, let alone two directions immediately after one another.  In this one IMAC sequence you will snap left and right, inside and out, 1 and 1.5 rotations, most followed by an opposite roll or opposite point roll.  There is also a negative spin and stall turn.  One vertical down line maneuver has opposite point rolls in it.  Nearly every maneuver must be tailored to the direction of flight as to ensure you end up correctly.  Most of the maneuvers offer a chance to zero if you loose concentration or if your caller doesn’t quite get it right.  After only a few times through the sequence my left and right rolls became nearly identical in quality (left side was always the weaker side as my precision aerobatic sequence did not demand alternating rolling direction, I went with the most comfortable direction).
 
http://www.mini-iac.com/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/Adv-2006.pdf
 
My favorite maneuver is the reverse avalanche from the top with a ½ roll, opposite positive snap.  While this maneuver on the pattern forum received quite a bit of backlash in the Masters sequence (simplified as the reverse avalanche with one positive snap), my 42% Extra 260 does it like butter.  One maneuver, the ½ outside loop with 1.5 snap, 8 point roll, is also a fun way to end the sequence.  
 
Without getting into a debate on the value of snaps, or the judging criteria of snaps, or the snap versus flick-roll, flying so many snap rolls over the last two months followed by opposite rolling combinations has been incredibly good practice for all other areas of the flight.  Doing these in different wind direction and speed combinations quickly teaches how to vary the inputs and a lot of other things.  While it was obvious before, it is even more obvious now to see how the “top-conpetitors” of the precision aerobatic pilots are really capable in all the areas of R/C flight (at least prop), IMAC, Pattern, and 3D.  
 
During this time I’ve also flown through the P07 FAI sequence with the Extra (un-timed), and with my Aggressor with OS 140 and 18x10 Mejzlik.  The stand out quality of the Extra is that is has slow downlines built-in!  The one maneuver where this is really nice is the square loop on corner from the top with ½ rolls.  The second leg doesn’t look rushed at all. Also the hourglass with 2/4 down, second ½ looks nicer.  
 
All in all, this has been some of the best practice I’ve ever done in terms or challenging you every flight in concentration & finger-drills.  Whether you want to fly IMAC or not, I highly encourage you to practice some of these sequences.  Some will say in pattern that you should not move up a class until you have mastered the one you are in.  I think that the only way to solidly jump in skill is to challenge yourself with harder sequences (plus it is fun).  
 
Thanks,
Jim W.
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.f3a.us/pipermail/nsrca-discussion/attachments/20060103/d0285a65/attachment-0001.html