[NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ... good for thefutureofthePattern Event?

[jonlowe at aol.com]

I tend to agree with you in principle.  The new sequence does require a 
good power to weight for the vertical upline to make it look good.  
However, the old sequence was too short.  If you only did one sequence 
per round, they got very little time in the air.  Don't want to 
overload them, but give them enough air time to make them think it was 
worth the effort.  I think the new sequence is about the right length, 
but after judging the new sequence at Ocala, I wished they'd come up 
with another manuever besides doing the reverse cuban 8 twice in the 
sequence.

One of the purposes of the sportsman sequence is to let the novice 
learn how to maintain a straight line.  A lot of that is learning how 
to use the rudder, which most sport flyers think is only for takeoff 
and landing rolls.  Unfortunately, many sport airplanes have a large 
amount of roll coupling with rudder, to include the Ugly stick.  This 
can make it frustrating for the novice competitor, and even a more 
experienced coach if he doesn't realize what is going on, and may 
actually discourage a new sportsman pilot.  Given a proper amount of 
time before a contest, and experienced flyer can help the novice 
compensate for the coupling with mixing.  However, if the novice 
appears to be at all serious about trying pattern, letting him fly your 
backup airplane on a buddy box will show him how easy a pattern plane 
is to fly.  I've done that with a Venus II I've got, and the 
pattern-flyers-to-be are astounded at how well it flies.  It has led to 
them getting a plane more appropriate for pattern, and they don't spend 
an arm and a leg.

I somewhat disagree on letting the sportsmen design the pattern.  
Graduated intermediate pilots need to be involved, to be sure.  But the 
whole point of sportsman is to teach basic patten flying skills that 
can be built on in the following classes.  A sportsman pilot won't 
fully comprehend that at his first few contests.

Just my $.02.

Jon Lowe
-----Original Message-----
From: fhhuber at clearwire.net
To: nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
Sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ... good for 
thefutureofthePattern Event?

<snip>
**************

I still think the Sportsman sequence needs to be CAREFULLY kept such 
that a
.60 size "Ugly stick" or equivilent with a .60 2-stroke in the nose can 
do
all maneuvers easilly.  That vertical up-line in the new sequence 
pushes the
edge of what should be in Sportsman...  (the .60 size Ugly Stick needs 
a .91
4-stroke in the nose with that maneuver in the sequence...  The .61 
2-stroke
runs out of steam on the way up.)

You want a good Sportsman sequence... have a Sportsman draw it up... 
not a
Masters or FAI competitor.

<snip>


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