[NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ..(story time)

Fri Jan 5 05:08:59 AKST 2007

World class pilots of their time (eg: Jim Kirkland, Rhett Miller III)
won against larger aircraft in Nats competition. I've seen Bill
Cunningham fly a 1/4 scale J3 cub in such a way that he could beat some
competitors with purpose built airplanes...but that's super talent and
years of practice and an eye for the "picture".  I've had really good 40
sized airplanes when 60 size were being used, flown 90 sized and
compared them to 2meter birds.  Every larger bird has flown better in
wind than its smaller brethren...nothing but nothing! Flies like a 2m
bird in pattern competition.  (And in Masters...you'd better be flying
something that weighs close to 10lbs and can slow on those
downlines....and you'd better have the time to practice a lot if you
want to win!:) 

Everyone has to question their motives...intentions (especially newbies)
Are you flying to win?....do your personal best?....to improve your
flying?....or just to participate?  (Any of these reasons are okay!)
But if you're really flying to win... Number one,  you're going to
practice a lot, practice right, and fly a competitive airplane.  (Which
means you are going to invest wisely.)

Recruiting?
I've tried to get aerobatics started at the fun-fly level by having a
mini-imac sort of class....only so many people want to fly
aerobatics....and compete.   However as a result of that effort, we have
one more pattern flyer added to the ranks who has made serious
commitment and investments and made about 7-8 contests per season for
the last 2-3 years.  Recruiting is what I think its all about when
adding to the ranks...sell your old stuff cheap to newbies..pass it all
forward.

My 2 cents...
Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Del K.
Rykert
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 7:42 AM
To: NSRCA Mailing List
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ..(story time)

Size matters allot.  I will quit before playing that game again. When I
went 
to the nats with a 60 sized Super Nova and winds were calm I earned a
7th in 
one round. When it blew I was in 26th place. Many told me I could still 
compete and be competitive with a 60 sized plane. Wish I had kept a
record 
of all the people who claimed that. More than the people selling their
old 
60 size stuff for sure. Unless the playing field is kept even their will

always be a dis-advantage.
     Del

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hester" <kerlock at comcast.net>
To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Small Models ..(story time)

> Good stuff guys!
>
> Well here's a little story for ya.
>
> I was in such a hurry when I went to the Huntsville contest last year,
I
> forgot my wings. How the heck does that happen? I guess I have to
chalk it
> up to brain overload. Anyway, there I stood, hundreds of miles from
home
> with a fuselage and no wings. Some of those manuevers can be a little
> difficult without wings....
>
> Well you know how it goes, everyone and thier brother offered to let
me 
> fly
> thier planes (2 meter planes). I learned the hard way not to fly other
> people's planes, but when Don Peck offered to let me fly his
Excelleron, 
> it
> was an interesting proposition that peaked my interest. I wasn't going
to
> win, so why not? It would be fun, and if anything hapened to that
plane, I
> knew I could replace it on the spot. I told Don if anything happened
I'd 
> buy
> and build him one fast. But the thought of competing in a strong
advanced
> class with the Excelleron really sounded like fun to me.
>
> I put in one practice flight, and said "good enough". It had a ton of
expo
> in it, and that was fine with me. Bryan Kennedy set it up and he did
an
> excellent job. Nothing felt wierd or strange until I got way over on
the
> sticks, then it jumped. No problem though.
>
> It was relatively calm, so off we went.....I did about like I figured
the
> first round. But then to my suprise, I won the second round! And this
was
> against Erik "Dragonslayer" Newsolme, the D3 champ! That was so cool.
I 
> was
> having a lot of fun, and it was challenging, but then I managed to win
> another round! I admit I was well practiced at that time of year, and 
> there
> really wasn't much wind, but to my own credit I was making it look
like a 
> 2
> meter. Smooth, clean and precise. It's some of the most fun I've had 
> flying
> pattern!
>
> Well, the wind came and that was the end of that. Trying to keep the
plane
> on heading was taking too much throw, and then it got over into the 
> "banzai"
> expo curve. So, I couldn't make a contest of it. But the cool thing
was,
> Erik was flying better than anyone had ever seen him fly, and I was
able 
> to
> keep up with him in the calm air. I did get second though =) But make
no
> mistake, SIZE MATTERS!!!!!
>
> So just to restate the obvious, you CAN do ok with a smaller plane,
but 
> you
> have to work at it harder and when the wind comes, the laws of physics
and
> aerdynamics are against you. Who knows, maybe if I had a plane of that

> size
> that was set up by me and for me, and knew what it would do, I could
have
> done even better. But honestly, I just don't think you can win in a
game 
> of
> 1/2 points at that level of competition against 2 meter planes.
>
> Sportsman guys who are serious are going to get the best they can,
that's
> human nature. You can't change that, and probably shouldn't. You know
as
> well as I do that in sportsman it's possible....you just have to work
at 
> it
> harder. It might make you a better pilot though!
>
> -Mike
>
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> 

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