116 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
Greg Smith explains the fun of Slope Racing and how to get into it
Pat McCleave’s Aris composite racer is suitable for F3F or
Unlimited racing. Photo by Greg Smith at MWSC 2006.
Alex Shipp wrings out a new Tornado ODR sailplane over Wilson
Lake, Kansas, during MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
A Jack Cooper-built, 60-inch-span, EPP-foam Mustang is one of
the new breed of durable foam racers. Smith photo.
Pilot Rob Koch and caller David Day discuss race strategy before
launching in an ODR heat at MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
VENERABLE SLOPE flier, traveler,
discoverer, and photographer Greg Smith
([email protected]) makes a guest
appearance this month. Following is his
overview of Slope Racing, including
emerging classes.
Stick around in the Slope Soaring end of
our wonderful hobby for long, and you are
bound to come upon Slope Racing in some
form or another. Whether it’s an organized
event such as the Midwest Slope Challenge
(MWSC), the International Slope Race, any
number of California weekend contests, or
impromptu horsing around at your local
hill, Slope Racing can be one of the most
fun endeavors going for the avid Slope
Soaring pilot.
With that premise in mind, following is
a primer on RC Slope Racing. On the
organized end of the game there are several
established racing formats and a couple
newcomers that promise a load of fun in
the future.
One Design Racing (ODR): Originally
developed by Paul Naton and Charlie
Richardson of the Torrey Pines Gulls
Soaring club as an entry-level racing class
with low-cost sailplanes built to a specific
set of rules, ODR has taken hold at several
spots across the US including Kansas,
Colorado, Arizona, and California where
the concept was invented.
Usually flown four airplanes at a time,
this man-on-man race class can be as
exciting as anything out there. Pilots line
up at the edge of the slope on one end of
the racecourse to have a good view of the
near turn while a helper, or caller, watches
for a flagger on the far turn to signal when
to turn. With similar models the racing can
be very close.
The fact that ODR-class Slope Soarers
make great all-around airplanes for
intermediate, and even advanced, pilots has
prompted several manufacturers to develop
their own take on the original design.
10sig4.QXD 8/24/06 12:57 PM Page 116Unfortunately the original CR Fun-1 is no
longer manufactured, but EdgeRC’s new
Tornado shows a lot of promise.
Jack Cooper’s Leading Edge Gliders
One D is a super EPP-foam version that is
extra durable. JTModels has two offerings.
The One Fun Design is a chip off the old
CR block, and the new Buccaneer ODR
model sports a slip-on nose cone and a
“shotgun”-style ballast system.
PoleCat Aeroplane Works’
Hammerhead shows what can be
accomplished within the rules and still be
innovative. All these sailplanes are
competitive in the ODR class, but, more
than that, they are just plain fun to fly.
Unlimited: The big dogs of the slope like
the unrestricted competition of Unlimited
man-on-man Slope Racing. As far as
airplane configuration is concerned, only
FAI maximum model weight and/or wingloading
restrictions apply. Anything else
goes.
Flown with two to four pilots, in a manon-
man format as I mentioned, the best
Unlimited races are on long courses with
great lift. Currently competitive F3B and
F3F airplanes are the hot ticket, with those
models capable of ballasting up to FAI
maximums the favored versions. Ballast
your sled up to 11 pounds and let ’er rip!
To get a taste of what these sailplanes
are like, check out Tom Copp’s or Bob
Breaux’s Web site. These guys are
committed to bringing the best the world
has to offer in high-performance racing
airplanes.
The Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR) has become one of the most
prestigious Unlimited contests in the
country. Building on the tradition of the old
RCM Trophy Dash races of the 1970s and
1980s, the ISR is run at one of the most
famous racing slopes in the US, nearDavenport, California. Located north of
Santa Cruz and south of San Francisco, the
oceanside slope features tremendous lift
and a long course to really let the
Unlimited models run.
Sixty-Inch Classes: These are Unlimited
racing’s little brothers, and some are still
developing and not in the official AMA
rule book yet. These classes have
alternated between full-on crunchy
airplanes, made from fiberglass, carbon
fiber, and Kevlar, and the currently
fashionable EPP-foam racers that offer
great performance and excellent durability.
Usually run four sailplanes at a time,
these classes offer pilots, and builders,
more options than the ODR class to get
the most out of their racers. Besides the
60-inch rule, almost anything else goes.
A relative newcomer to the 60-inch
Slope Racing genre is foamie warbird
racing. Using 60-inch-class, Power Scale
Soaring-style EPP-foam warbirds, these
races can be run on a traditional man-onman
course or, as practiced at the MWSC,
with the added thrill of the “Pole of
Death.” The pilot must make a turn around
a pole at the near turn that is only a few
feet above ground level.
It looks easy. Try it and see!
F3F: Originally developed in Europe, FAI
F3F is Slope Racing’s equivalent of
Formula 1 auto racing. The most advanced
and fastest airplanes compete and, as in
Formula 1, there is no passing!
In F3F that is because it is a time-trial
format with one model on the course at a
time running against the clock. Pilots fly
10 legs of a 100-meter course with an
audible buzzer indicating when their
airplanes have passed the Base A turn or
the Base B turn.
Unlike in other Slope Racing formats,
the pilot is located in the center of the
course. This new perspective takes some
getting used to, but it is extremely
addictive as you try to shave precious
seconds and then tenths of seconds off
your time.
In an effort to equalize the changing
race conditions as the day progresses, each
round is scored individually. The fastest
pilot for the round gets 1,000 points, and
the remaining pilots get a percentage of
the top score in relation to how close they
were to the fast time.
So for 10 rounds there could be 10
different round winners. The overall
winner is the pilot who accumulates the
most points. While the saying has been
around a long time and was not coined
with F3F in mind, it holds true here—
especially at world-class levels—that
speed is just a question of money and how
fast you want to go!
The de facto world championships for
F3F, called the Viking Race, is held every
two years. It pits the best 90 pilots, in
teams of three representing their countries,
from around the world in a multiday event
to determine the best of the best.
The 2006 Viking Race was scheduled
to be run at Bishop Hill in Fife, Scotland,
September 8-15. Because of its
international nature, the Viking Race has
been to some great slopes in Norway,
Wales, England, Denmark, Austria,
Iceland, and Germany, with more nations
to host in the future.
Some may think Slope Racing is all about
organized competitions; fortunately
nothing could be further from the truth.
Impromptu races, at slopes from
Washington to Cape Cod to the hills above
the Missouri River in South Dakota, bring
the thrill of racing while eliminating the
intricacies of making rules.
I first encountered Weasel Racing in
South Dakota where two pine trees just
below the top of the slope made great turn
points. You just join in the fun and try to
stay in front! Recent Weasel races have
had as many as 15 pilots at a time
whooping it up.
A variation on the theme had several
Weasels, all dynamic soaring a small hill,
with teams of two pilots trading off
transmitters like pit stops with the
nonflying teammate responsible for
keeping the errant Weasel airborne. The
only requirement for Weasel Racing is a
Richter Weasel and some imagination!
Similar to Weasel Racing, MWSC
pilots invariably get at least one evening
during which the “magic air,” as Dave
Garwood calls it, provides the perfect
conditions for some relaxed racing with
Two-Meter Dave’s Aircraft Works 1-26s.
Recently reintroduced by SkyKing RC
Products, the 1-26 is a great model when
the lift is light.
The sailplanes, skimming just a foot or
two over the edge of the slope in a barely
perceptible breeze, are a ball to race.
Smooth turns and energy retention makes
for a winner.
If you are not content with the random
nature of wing combat as traditionally
flown, a group of imaginative and contacthappy
pilots have developed Combat
Racing in Colorado.
This event is flown at eye level on the
front side of a slope with combat wing-style
airplanes. The race takes place in a figureeight
pattern, ensuring maximum exposure
to other models, thus maximum contact. As
they say in NASCAR, “Rubbin’ is racin’”!
Since you will likely get into Slope Racing
with all this new knowledge, I have a few
tips to help you on your way.
Foremost is to know your airplane.
Showing up at a race, even an impromptu
one, with an untested model is a no-no.
You should be familiar with your aircraft
in a variety of conditions.
And for classes that allow it, you
should be familiar with how your model
handles ballast. As perennially competitive
racer Jim Porter once told me, “most guys
wait too long to ballast and then don’t
ballast enough.” For racing airfoils,
efficiency goes up with wing loading.
Don’t be afraid to use lead!
Lest you think Slope Racing is only for
the pros, any slope pilot with intermediate
skills has what it takes to enter the fray. At
any given event there are experienced
pilots who are happy to show you the
ropes.
Try to get one of the hot shoes to work
with you as a caller. The tips you get can
help you become the next champion.
Greg’s “super-secret” secret is to watch
for your model’s shadow on the ground at
the far turn. Slope Racing is won, or lost,
in the turns. Anything you can do to gain
an advantage, especially at the far end of
the course, will help you emerge as slope
king for the day.
For more information about Slope
Racing in the US, check out the American
Slope Racing Organization. MA
Sources:
EdgeRC
www.edgerc.com
Leading Edge Gliders
www.leadingedgegliders.com
PoleCat Aeroplane Works
www.polecataero.com
JTModels
www.jtmodels.com
Michael Richter Design
www.dream-flight.com
Tom Copp’s F3X.com
www.f3x.com
SoaringUSA.com
www.soaringusa.com
American Slope Racing Organization
www.sloperacing.com
SkyKing RC Products
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Paul Naton’s ODR article and
specifications
www.radiocarbonart.com/Pages/zodracing
article.html
AMA RC Soaring rule book
www.modelaircraft.org/comp/0506Rulebo
ok/RCsoaring.pdf
Events:
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslope.com
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Viking Race 2006
www.vikingrace2006.co.uk
118 MODEL AVIATION
10sig4.QXD 8/24/06 1:00 PM Page 118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
Greg Smith explains the fun of Slope Racing and how to get into it
Pat McCleave’s Aris composite racer is suitable for F3F or
Unlimited racing. Photo by Greg Smith at MWSC 2006.
Alex Shipp wrings out a new Tornado ODR sailplane over Wilson
Lake, Kansas, during MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
A Jack Cooper-built, 60-inch-span, EPP-foam Mustang is one of
the new breed of durable foam racers. Smith photo.
Pilot Rob Koch and caller David Day discuss race strategy before
launching in an ODR heat at MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
VENERABLE SLOPE flier, traveler,
discoverer, and photographer Greg Smith
([email protected]) makes a guest
appearance this month. Following is his
overview of Slope Racing, including
emerging classes.
Stick around in the Slope Soaring end of
our wonderful hobby for long, and you are
bound to come upon Slope Racing in some
form or another. Whether it’s an organized
event such as the Midwest Slope Challenge
(MWSC), the International Slope Race, any
number of California weekend contests, or
impromptu horsing around at your local
hill, Slope Racing can be one of the most
fun endeavors going for the avid Slope
Soaring pilot.
With that premise in mind, following is
a primer on RC Slope Racing. On the
organized end of the game there are several
established racing formats and a couple
newcomers that promise a load of fun in
the future.
One Design Racing (ODR): Originally
developed by Paul Naton and Charlie
Richardson of the Torrey Pines Gulls
Soaring club as an entry-level racing class
with low-cost sailplanes built to a specific
set of rules, ODR has taken hold at several
spots across the US including Kansas,
Colorado, Arizona, and California where
the concept was invented.
Usually flown four airplanes at a time,
this man-on-man race class can be as
exciting as anything out there. Pilots line
up at the edge of the slope on one end of
the racecourse to have a good view of the
near turn while a helper, or caller, watches
for a flagger on the far turn to signal when
to turn. With similar models the racing can
be very close.
The fact that ODR-class Slope Soarers
make great all-around airplanes for
intermediate, and even advanced, pilots has
prompted several manufacturers to develop
their own take on the original design.
10sig4.QXD 8/24/06 12:57 PM Page 116Unfortunately the original CR Fun-1 is no
longer manufactured, but EdgeRC’s new
Tornado shows a lot of promise.
Jack Cooper’s Leading Edge Gliders
One D is a super EPP-foam version that is
extra durable. JTModels has two offerings.
The One Fun Design is a chip off the old
CR block, and the new Buccaneer ODR
model sports a slip-on nose cone and a
“shotgun”-style ballast system.
PoleCat Aeroplane Works’
Hammerhead shows what can be
accomplished within the rules and still be
innovative. All these sailplanes are
competitive in the ODR class, but, more
than that, they are just plain fun to fly.
Unlimited: The big dogs of the slope like
the unrestricted competition of Unlimited
man-on-man Slope Racing. As far as
airplane configuration is concerned, only
FAI maximum model weight and/or wingloading
restrictions apply. Anything else
goes.
Flown with two to four pilots, in a manon-
man format as I mentioned, the best
Unlimited races are on long courses with
great lift. Currently competitive F3B and
F3F airplanes are the hot ticket, with those
models capable of ballasting up to FAI
maximums the favored versions. Ballast
your sled up to 11 pounds and let ’er rip!
To get a taste of what these sailplanes
are like, check out Tom Copp’s or Bob
Breaux’s Web site. These guys are
committed to bringing the best the world
has to offer in high-performance racing
airplanes.
The Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR) has become one of the most
prestigious Unlimited contests in the
country. Building on the tradition of the old
RCM Trophy Dash races of the 1970s and
1980s, the ISR is run at one of the most
famous racing slopes in the US, nearDavenport, California. Located north of
Santa Cruz and south of San Francisco, the
oceanside slope features tremendous lift
and a long course to really let the
Unlimited models run.
Sixty-Inch Classes: These are Unlimited
racing’s little brothers, and some are still
developing and not in the official AMA
rule book yet. These classes have
alternated between full-on crunchy
airplanes, made from fiberglass, carbon
fiber, and Kevlar, and the currently
fashionable EPP-foam racers that offer
great performance and excellent durability.
Usually run four sailplanes at a time,
these classes offer pilots, and builders,
more options than the ODR class to get
the most out of their racers. Besides the
60-inch rule, almost anything else goes.
A relative newcomer to the 60-inch
Slope Racing genre is foamie warbird
racing. Using 60-inch-class, Power Scale
Soaring-style EPP-foam warbirds, these
races can be run on a traditional man-onman
course or, as practiced at the MWSC,
with the added thrill of the “Pole of
Death.” The pilot must make a turn around
a pole at the near turn that is only a few
feet above ground level.
It looks easy. Try it and see!
F3F: Originally developed in Europe, FAI
F3F is Slope Racing’s equivalent of
Formula 1 auto racing. The most advanced
and fastest airplanes compete and, as in
Formula 1, there is no passing!
In F3F that is because it is a time-trial
format with one model on the course at a
time running against the clock. Pilots fly
10 legs of a 100-meter course with an
audible buzzer indicating when their
airplanes have passed the Base A turn or
the Base B turn.
Unlike in other Slope Racing formats,
the pilot is located in the center of the
course. This new perspective takes some
getting used to, but it is extremely
addictive as you try to shave precious
seconds and then tenths of seconds off
your time.
In an effort to equalize the changing
race conditions as the day progresses, each
round is scored individually. The fastest
pilot for the round gets 1,000 points, and
the remaining pilots get a percentage of
the top score in relation to how close they
were to the fast time.
So for 10 rounds there could be 10
different round winners. The overall
winner is the pilot who accumulates the
most points. While the saying has been
around a long time and was not coined
with F3F in mind, it holds true here—
especially at world-class levels—that
speed is just a question of money and how
fast you want to go!
The de facto world championships for
F3F, called the Viking Race, is held every
two years. It pits the best 90 pilots, in
teams of three representing their countries,
from around the world in a multiday event
to determine the best of the best.
The 2006 Viking Race was scheduled
to be run at Bishop Hill in Fife, Scotland,
September 8-15. Because of its
international nature, the Viking Race has
been to some great slopes in Norway,
Wales, England, Denmark, Austria,
Iceland, and Germany, with more nations
to host in the future.
Some may think Slope Racing is all about
organized competitions; fortunately
nothing could be further from the truth.
Impromptu races, at slopes from
Washington to Cape Cod to the hills above
the Missouri River in South Dakota, bring
the thrill of racing while eliminating the
intricacies of making rules.
I first encountered Weasel Racing in
South Dakota where two pine trees just
below the top of the slope made great turn
points. You just join in the fun and try to
stay in front! Recent Weasel races have
had as many as 15 pilots at a time
whooping it up.
A variation on the theme had several
Weasels, all dynamic soaring a small hill,
with teams of two pilots trading off
transmitters like pit stops with the
nonflying teammate responsible for
keeping the errant Weasel airborne. The
only requirement for Weasel Racing is a
Richter Weasel and some imagination!
Similar to Weasel Racing, MWSC
pilots invariably get at least one evening
during which the “magic air,” as Dave
Garwood calls it, provides the perfect
conditions for some relaxed racing with
Two-Meter Dave’s Aircraft Works 1-26s.
Recently reintroduced by SkyKing RC
Products, the 1-26 is a great model when
the lift is light.
The sailplanes, skimming just a foot or
two over the edge of the slope in a barely
perceptible breeze, are a ball to race.
Smooth turns and energy retention makes
for a winner.
If you are not content with the random
nature of wing combat as traditionally
flown, a group of imaginative and contacthappy
pilots have developed Combat
Racing in Colorado.
This event is flown at eye level on the
front side of a slope with combat wing-style
airplanes. The race takes place in a figureeight
pattern, ensuring maximum exposure
to other models, thus maximum contact. As
they say in NASCAR, “Rubbin’ is racin’”!
Since you will likely get into Slope Racing
with all this new knowledge, I have a few
tips to help you on your way.
Foremost is to know your airplane.
Showing up at a race, even an impromptu
one, with an untested model is a no-no.
You should be familiar with your aircraft
in a variety of conditions.
And for classes that allow it, you
should be familiar with how your model
handles ballast. As perennially competitive
racer Jim Porter once told me, “most guys
wait too long to ballast and then don’t
ballast enough.” For racing airfoils,
efficiency goes up with wing loading.
Don’t be afraid to use lead!
Lest you think Slope Racing is only for
the pros, any slope pilot with intermediate
skills has what it takes to enter the fray. At
any given event there are experienced
pilots who are happy to show you the
ropes.
Try to get one of the hot shoes to work
with you as a caller. The tips you get can
help you become the next champion.
Greg’s “super-secret” secret is to watch
for your model’s shadow on the ground at
the far turn. Slope Racing is won, or lost,
in the turns. Anything you can do to gain
an advantage, especially at the far end of
the course, will help you emerge as slope
king for the day.
For more information about Slope
Racing in the US, check out the American
Slope Racing Organization. MA
Sources:
EdgeRC
www.edgerc.com
Leading Edge Gliders
www.leadingedgegliders.com
PoleCat Aeroplane Works
www.polecataero.com
JTModels
www.jtmodels.com
Michael Richter Design
www.dream-flight.com
Tom Copp’s F3X.com
www.f3x.com
SoaringUSA.com
www.soaringusa.com
American Slope Racing Organization
www.sloperacing.com
SkyKing RC Products
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Paul Naton’s ODR article and
specifications
www.radiocarbonart.com/Pages/zodracing
article.html
AMA RC Soaring rule book
www.modelaircraft.org/comp/0506Rulebo
ok/RCsoaring.pdf
Events:
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslope.com
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Viking Race 2006
www.vikingrace2006.co.uk
118 MODEL AVIATION
10sig4.QXD 8/24/06 1:00 PM Page 118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
Greg Smith explains the fun of Slope Racing and how to get into it
Pat McCleave’s Aris composite racer is suitable for F3F or
Unlimited racing. Photo by Greg Smith at MWSC 2006.
Alex Shipp wrings out a new Tornado ODR sailplane over Wilson
Lake, Kansas, during MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
A Jack Cooper-built, 60-inch-span, EPP-foam Mustang is one of
the new breed of durable foam racers. Smith photo.
Pilot Rob Koch and caller David Day discuss race strategy before
launching in an ODR heat at MWSC 2006. Smith photo.
VENERABLE SLOPE flier, traveler,
discoverer, and photographer Greg Smith
([email protected]) makes a guest
appearance this month. Following is his
overview of Slope Racing, including
emerging classes.
Stick around in the Slope Soaring end of
our wonderful hobby for long, and you are
bound to come upon Slope Racing in some
form or another. Whether it’s an organized
event such as the Midwest Slope Challenge
(MWSC), the International Slope Race, any
number of California weekend contests, or
impromptu horsing around at your local
hill, Slope Racing can be one of the most
fun endeavors going for the avid Slope
Soaring pilot.
With that premise in mind, following is
a primer on RC Slope Racing. On the
organized end of the game there are several
established racing formats and a couple
newcomers that promise a load of fun in
the future.
One Design Racing (ODR): Originally
developed by Paul Naton and Charlie
Richardson of the Torrey Pines Gulls
Soaring club as an entry-level racing class
with low-cost sailplanes built to a specific
set of rules, ODR has taken hold at several
spots across the US including Kansas,
Colorado, Arizona, and California where
the concept was invented.
Usually flown four airplanes at a time,
this man-on-man race class can be as
exciting as anything out there. Pilots line
up at the edge of the slope on one end of
the racecourse to have a good view of the
near turn while a helper, or caller, watches
for a flagger on the far turn to signal when
to turn. With similar models the racing can
be very close.
The fact that ODR-class Slope Soarers
make great all-around airplanes for
intermediate, and even advanced, pilots has
prompted several manufacturers to develop
their own take on the original design.
10sig4.QXD 8/24/06 12:57 PM Page 116Unfortunately the original CR Fun-1 is no
longer manufactured, but EdgeRC’s new
Tornado shows a lot of promise.
Jack Cooper’s Leading Edge Gliders
One D is a super EPP-foam version that is
extra durable. JTModels has two offerings.
The One Fun Design is a chip off the old
CR block, and the new Buccaneer ODR
model sports a slip-on nose cone and a
“shotgun”-style ballast system.
PoleCat Aeroplane Works’
Hammerhead shows what can be
accomplished within the rules and still be
innovative. All these sailplanes are
competitive in the ODR class, but, more
than that, they are just plain fun to fly.
Unlimited: The big dogs of the slope like
the unrestricted competition of Unlimited
man-on-man Slope Racing. As far as
airplane configuration is concerned, only
FAI maximum model weight and/or wingloading
restrictions apply. Anything else
goes.
Flown with two to four pilots, in a manon-
man format as I mentioned, the best
Unlimited races are on long courses with
great lift. Currently competitive F3B and
F3F airplanes are the hot ticket, with those
models capable of ballasting up to FAI
maximums the favored versions. Ballast
your sled up to 11 pounds and let ’er rip!
To get a taste of what these sailplanes
are like, check out Tom Copp’s or Bob
Breaux’s Web site. These guys are
committed to bringing the best the world
has to offer in high-performance racing
airplanes.
The Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR) has become one of the most
prestigious Unlimited contests in the
country. Building on the tradition of the old
RCM Trophy Dash races of the 1970s and
1980s, the ISR is run at one of the most
famous racing slopes in the US, nearDavenport, California. Located north of
Santa Cruz and south of San Francisco, the
oceanside slope features tremendous lift
and a long course to really let the
Unlimited models run.
Sixty-Inch Classes: These are Unlimited
racing’s little brothers, and some are still
developing and not in the official AMA
rule book yet. These classes have
alternated between full-on crunchy
airplanes, made from fiberglass, carbon
fiber, and Kevlar, and the currently
fashionable EPP-foam racers that offer
great performance and excellent durability.
Usually run four sailplanes at a time,
these classes offer pilots, and builders,
more options than the ODR class to get
the most out of their racers. Besides the
60-inch rule, almost anything else goes.
A relative newcomer to the 60-inch
Slope Racing genre is foamie warbird
racing. Using 60-inch-class, Power Scale
Soaring-style EPP-foam warbirds, these
races can be run on a traditional man-onman
course or, as practiced at the MWSC,
with the added thrill of the “Pole of
Death.” The pilot must make a turn around
a pole at the near turn that is only a few
feet above ground level.
It looks easy. Try it and see!
F3F: Originally developed in Europe, FAI
F3F is Slope Racing’s equivalent of
Formula 1 auto racing. The most advanced
and fastest airplanes compete and, as in
Formula 1, there is no passing!
In F3F that is because it is a time-trial
format with one model on the course at a
time running against the clock. Pilots fly
10 legs of a 100-meter course with an
audible buzzer indicating when their
airplanes have passed the Base A turn or
the Base B turn.
Unlike in other Slope Racing formats,
the pilot is located in the center of the
course. This new perspective takes some
getting used to, but it is extremely
addictive as you try to shave precious
seconds and then tenths of seconds off
your time.
In an effort to equalize the changing
race conditions as the day progresses, each
round is scored individually. The fastest
pilot for the round gets 1,000 points, and
the remaining pilots get a percentage of
the top score in relation to how close they
were to the fast time.
So for 10 rounds there could be 10
different round winners. The overall
winner is the pilot who accumulates the
most points. While the saying has been
around a long time and was not coined
with F3F in mind, it holds true here—
especially at world-class levels—that
speed is just a question of money and how
fast you want to go!
The de facto world championships for
F3F, called the Viking Race, is held every
two years. It pits the best 90 pilots, in
teams of three representing their countries,
from around the world in a multiday event
to determine the best of the best.
The 2006 Viking Race was scheduled
to be run at Bishop Hill in Fife, Scotland,
September 8-15. Because of its
international nature, the Viking Race has
been to some great slopes in Norway,
Wales, England, Denmark, Austria,
Iceland, and Germany, with more nations
to host in the future.
Some may think Slope Racing is all about
organized competitions; fortunately
nothing could be further from the truth.
Impromptu races, at slopes from
Washington to Cape Cod to the hills above
the Missouri River in South Dakota, bring
the thrill of racing while eliminating the
intricacies of making rules.
I first encountered Weasel Racing in
South Dakota where two pine trees just
below the top of the slope made great turn
points. You just join in the fun and try to
stay in front! Recent Weasel races have
had as many as 15 pilots at a time
whooping it up.
A variation on the theme had several
Weasels, all dynamic soaring a small hill,
with teams of two pilots trading off
transmitters like pit stops with the
nonflying teammate responsible for
keeping the errant Weasel airborne. The
only requirement for Weasel Racing is a
Richter Weasel and some imagination!
Similar to Weasel Racing, MWSC
pilots invariably get at least one evening
during which the “magic air,” as Dave
Garwood calls it, provides the perfect
conditions for some relaxed racing with
Two-Meter Dave’s Aircraft Works 1-26s.
Recently reintroduced by SkyKing RC
Products, the 1-26 is a great model when
the lift is light.
The sailplanes, skimming just a foot or
two over the edge of the slope in a barely
perceptible breeze, are a ball to race.
Smooth turns and energy retention makes
for a winner.
If you are not content with the random
nature of wing combat as traditionally
flown, a group of imaginative and contacthappy
pilots have developed Combat
Racing in Colorado.
This event is flown at eye level on the
front side of a slope with combat wing-style
airplanes. The race takes place in a figureeight
pattern, ensuring maximum exposure
to other models, thus maximum contact. As
they say in NASCAR, “Rubbin’ is racin’”!
Since you will likely get into Slope Racing
with all this new knowledge, I have a few
tips to help you on your way.
Foremost is to know your airplane.
Showing up at a race, even an impromptu
one, with an untested model is a no-no.
You should be familiar with your aircraft
in a variety of conditions.
And for classes that allow it, you
should be familiar with how your model
handles ballast. As perennially competitive
racer Jim Porter once told me, “most guys
wait too long to ballast and then don’t
ballast enough.” For racing airfoils,
efficiency goes up with wing loading.
Don’t be afraid to use lead!
Lest you think Slope Racing is only for
the pros, any slope pilot with intermediate
skills has what it takes to enter the fray. At
any given event there are experienced
pilots who are happy to show you the
ropes.
Try to get one of the hot shoes to work
with you as a caller. The tips you get can
help you become the next champion.
Greg’s “super-secret” secret is to watch
for your model’s shadow on the ground at
the far turn. Slope Racing is won, or lost,
in the turns. Anything you can do to gain
an advantage, especially at the far end of
the course, will help you emerge as slope
king for the day.
For more information about Slope
Racing in the US, check out the American
Slope Racing Organization. MA
Sources:
EdgeRC
www.edgerc.com
Leading Edge Gliders
www.leadingedgegliders.com
PoleCat Aeroplane Works
www.polecataero.com
JTModels
www.jtmodels.com
Michael Richter Design
www.dream-flight.com
Tom Copp’s F3X.com
www.f3x.com
SoaringUSA.com
www.soaringusa.com
American Slope Racing Organization
www.sloperacing.com
SkyKing RC Products
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Paul Naton’s ODR article and
specifications
www.radiocarbonart.com/Pages/zodracing
article.html
AMA RC Soaring rule book
www.modelaircraft.org/comp/0506Rulebo
ok/RCsoaring.pdf
Events:
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslope.com
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Viking Race 2006
www.vikingrace2006.co.uk
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