2003 NEAT FAIR
by Bob Kopski
Overview
I attended the fourth annual Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology (NEAT) Fair the weekend of September 11–14, 2003, in Downsville, New York, as did modelers from most of the nation (39 states) and some other countries. As in the past—but more so than ever—it was awesome. The NEAT Fair is billed as the largest electrics meet in the U.S. and is sponsored by the Silent Electric Flyers of Long Island (SEFLI) club. SEFLI graciously stepped in to continue this East Coast tradition after the Keystone Radio Control club (KRC) discontinued sponsorship of its well-known KRC Electric Fly, an event held for 18 consecutive years.
Organization and Attendance
As with any club undertaking, management and member support are requirements for success. Of course attendance and participation are necessary ingredients as well. SEFLI member Tom Hunt, closely assisted by Bob Aberle, provided the meet's senior management, and other SEFLI members supplied the hands-on support. Nearly 300 registered participants rounded out the package. The result was a wonderful, well-run meet with lots of participant fun and overall contribution. My thanks to Tom, Bob, all of SEFLI, and everyone who came to show and share their stuff for making this one terrific electric showing.
Many in attendance have been long-term regulars at the earlier KRC affairs and previous NEAT Fairs. The KRC began in 1980 as the first club-sponsored electrics meet in the U.S. with an attendance of three. Thus this East Coast tradition has grown approximately 100-fold in less than a quarter century. Based on gate passes, the 2003 NEAT Fair had roughly 1,300 spectators.
Weather
Fliers enjoyed flyable weather during the three-day meet. There were scattered showers, periods of low-lying mist and fog, and short gusty periods, but nothing enough to stop flying. Weekend temperatures were comfortable; overall, the weather was our friend.
The Meaning of "NEAT"
I have occasionally wondered about the name "NEAT"—the "Technology Fair" part was curious. However, in the long history of these meets (I've been to all 22), I don't think a year has gone by without some demonstrated improvement in the technology of electric-powered flight. Closely associated with this is the steady growth in electric interest and accomplishment, culminating in the 2003 NEAT Fair.
Highlight: Jason Shulman's Rhapsody Conversion
My vote for "most impressive"—if not "most important"—this year was Jason Shulman's dazzling performance and demonstration with his Rhapsody glow-kit conversion.
Jason was a member of the U.S. team that won the 2003 F3A (radio control aerobatics, or Pattern) World Championships in Deblin, Poland. As I understand it, Jason was the only competitor with an electric-powered model in that gas-dominated affair. His performance at the World Championships placed him seventh individually and effectively put electric power in a top position at the highest level of competition. Jason is a gracious showman, and he happily shared his talent—and technology—to the thrill and amazement of everyone at the NEAT Fair.
Consider what all of this means: for all practical purposes, there is no longer a gap between flying with electric power and flying any other way. This accomplishment is owed to Jason's piloting prowess combined with recent advancements in electric technology. The key advances are twofold: brushless motors and Lithium-Polymer (Li-Poly) batteries.
Jason's 10.75-pound Rhapsody was powered by a Hacker brushless C50 FAI 14XL motor with 6.7:1 gears to an APC 22 x 12 propeller, and was driven by a Thunder Power 10S3P 6100 mAh pack. That's a nominal 42-volt battery supplying roughly 2,400 watts when needed throughout the 10–11 minute flight, with world-class Pattern performance. Step aside, glow power, and allow a quiet equal on the aeromodeling stage.
If there is a downside, it's only that there is less left to prove: electric power can do it all. From here on it's a matter of continuing technical refinement—some with motors and controllers, and much more with batteries. I forecast that electric power will eventually pull ahead as the favored aeromodeling propulsion. I don't see this as anyone losing but rather everyone gaining—quiet is an advantage, not a loss.
Brushless Motors
Brushless motors were the dominant motor type at NEAT this year; most fliers favored brushless regardless of model. There were still many quality brushed motors for sale—cheap—but with better performance and rapidly declining prices, brushless will likely replace most classic brushed motors in E-flying.
Between the high-power Hacker FAI motor and small motors like the Firefly, there exists a wide and sometimes confusing assortment of brushless motors. The result is that you can fly almost anything with brushless, but you have to figure out which manufacturer and product to choose. The industry has done a magnificent job producing motors and a less satisfactory job describing them. A standardized, concise, meaningful motor label would go a long way.
Bob Boucher of AstroFlight showed his newly designed Firefly coreless motor hop-up kit, based on the existing AstroFlight motor and designed to replace GWS brushed motors in some popular GWS gear drives and fans. The Firefly kit is said to offer excellent performance with a dramatic increase in motor life and flight duration for park-flyer applications. AstroFlight also supplies a tiny proprietary speed controller to go with the Firefly motor.
Lithium-Polymer (Li-Poly) Batteries
Li-Poly battery technology permeated the flightline—from 2,400-watt systems down to a few hundred milliwatts for tiny indoor guided models. Li-Poly packs offered longer flights and generally enhanced performance. However, Li-Poly brings serious safety issues.
This chemistry has exploded onto the Electrics scene in roughly a year, and Li-Poly packs can fail catastrophically—melt down or burn—if improperly charged or stored. It is necessary to use chargers designed specifically for Li-Poly cells; you cannot safely charge these batteries with a conventional NiCd/NiMH charger.
Several chargers on the market have Li-Poly capability, and NEAT Fair vendors did brisk business. AstroFlight introduced a new, high-capability Lithium-specific charger at the meet. In my long association with electrics (more than three decades), I haven't seen a single product or technology with so much promise and so much safety concern at the same time as Li-Poly. I have no reservations that the technology will mature and become safe and commonplace, but in the meantime—be careful.
Other New Technology
- Sombra Labs (Oshkosh) described a forthcoming small, double-conversion, crystalless six-channel receiver designed to cover all 50, 72, and 75 MHz U.S. RC frequencies and accept several foreign band assignments with no parts changes. Tuning (channel selection) is set with a removable, low-cost plug-on accessory module. Imagine combining this with an existing Hitec/Spektrum-equipped transmitter—I'm eager to see a compact receiver for six meters, since existing receivers are old and bulky. This receiver is applicable across RC, not only electrics.
- West Mountain Radio described its forthcoming Computerized Battery Analyzer (CBA). The compact, 4-inch cube-shaped CBA comes with a USB interface to test, record, store, and compare battery performance for any battery type. It requires no separate external power source or internal battery to function.
Aircraft, Flying, and Pilots
My impression was that favored aircraft at the 2003 NEAT Fair were generally "smaller"—spans around 50 inches and less. Many were park-flyer types; at times there seemed to be a near-ground cloud of these in the air. Several had hopped up with beyond-normal motors and batteries for 3-D performance.
Speaking of 3-D, several pilots put on fine shows with large and small 3-D models. Accomplished crowd-pleaser Gary Wright flew his E3D-XL, and the presentation was exhilarating. I was also impressed by 13-year-old Jonathan Ziering with his Razor-brushless-equipped prototype Miss June 3-D. Jonathan flew like he’d been doing it for many more years than he is old.
For more senior fliers—those with slower fingers, diminished eyesight, and scaled-down reaction time—3-D is often out of reach, and watching it is as close as one can get. Some wondered if this was really "flying"; others tried to quantify at what age one should stop attempting it. Everyone seemed to enjoy, if not envy, the 3-D performances.
Many attendees flew conversions. One that caught my eye was Horizon Hobby’s popular Ultra Stick 60 wet-power airplane converted to electric power. I saw three conversions: one with a Hacker motor, one with a MaxCim system, and one with an AXI outrunner—two had Li-Poly and one had Ni-Cd energy storage. I witnessed a Hacker/Li-Poly Stick going sustained vertical—further evidence that the performance gap is closed.
Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) models, both electric ARFs and conversions, were well represented. Model building is still present but far less than before. In earlier days, when electric power levels were lower and power systems heavier, lightweight construction was mandatory. Years of technology growth have made that less necessary—though, overall, lighter still flies better.
One unique spectacle was a spontaneously organized ornithopter mass launch. The flapping was everywhere; it was memorable. How about a scheduled E-birdie All-Up/Last-Down or a "birdfight" next year? Or a scale-bird challenge?
There were eye-catching airplanes and performances by high-profile E-fliers, but many participants were happy to show and fly their more ordinary electrics. This explains the busy flight stations all day, every day.
Many I spoke to were not only first-timers at NEAT but first-timers in electrics. Some had recently started in the hobby—reminiscent of the humble beginnings 31 years ago.
Events and Activities
The meet offered continuous flying at a dozen flight stations, many conversations and photo opportunities, noon shows with a dozen captivating individual performances, and many scheduled seminars each day dedicated to small RC models and presented by standout speakers. Add the Friday-night kickoff dinner after a full day on the field, and the simultaneous Saturday-night off-site indoor fly and on-site outdoor fly, plus an all-day vendor line—nearly as long as the flightline—and you begin to understand why I called the event "awesome."
Looking Ahead: NEAT 2004
The 2004 NEAT Fair is scheduled for September 17–19. Some people wanted a longer event, but the date is set. You can get more info about the NEAT Fair at www.neatfair.org. Later you will be able to preregister for the 2004 NEAT Fair at the same site. I also encourage you to check other modeling magazines and web sites such as www.ezonmag.com for additional NEAT coverage. I'm told that by the time you read this, much of the 2003 NEAT Fair should be available on video from SKS Video Productions (www.sksvideo.com).
See you at the 2004 NEAT Fair. If it will be a first for you, go prepared to be awed. If you’re a NEAT Fair regular, be prepared to be awed—again.
Bob Kopski 25 West End Dr Lansdale, PA 19446
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
