District I
District Officer
Andy Argenio, District I Vice President [email protected]
Andy Argenio 3 Sheila Ln., Smithfield, RI 02917 Home: (401) 231-6901 Work: (401) 231-5380
States in District I
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Website
For a complete listing of district officers and volunteers, please visit the District 1 website: www.amadistrict1.com
Feature: Middlesex County R/C Fliers Annual Construction Derby (June 8, 2008)
The most popular AMA club activities are non-rulebook fun-fly events that are open to flying all types and categories of aircraft. Some clubs add competitive elements to fun-fly events by including timed tasks or mission-based scoring. Timed tasks might include the maximum number of loops, rolls, touch-and-gos, spins, flying under a limbo ribbon, climb-and-glides, or combinations of these. Mission tasks can include spot landings, table landings, bomb drops, and balloon bursts.
More information on hosting these types of fun-fly events can be found on the AMA website: www.modelaircraft.org/events/rulebooks/specialevents.pdf.
While at the Westchester Radio AeroModelers (WRAM) show, I spoke with Ray Capobianco, an AMA event coordinator and club instructor. Ray showed pictures of the Middlesex County R/C Fliers Annual Construction Derby—an event he developed and which I attended on June 8, 2008.
#### Event overview I arrived at the club flying site at 8 a.m. while members were setting up. Construction tables were under shade structures, and each table had packages of building materials for constructing RC airplanes. Contestants registered at about 9 a.m., and teams were formed by randomly selecting members from the registration slips.
#### Materials provided (per table)
- Foam board
- Control horns
- Two 36-inch rulers
- Metal coat hanger
- Screws and pins
- Pencil
- Packing tape
- Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue and activator
- Rubber bands
- 2-56 threaded rods
- Assorted balsa and spruce
- 2 x 43-inch mailing tube
#### What teams supplied
- Radio
- Four servos
- Battery
- .15–.30 two-stroke glow engine
- Propeller and spinner
- Fuel tank with tubing
- Basic tools
#### Building and flight procedures
- Teams were given 15 minutes to inspect the building materials and plan their aircraft design.
- Teams were then given 90 minutes to complete construction.
- Teams were penalized 1 point per minute of build time.
- After the construction period, a barbecue and drinks were provided.
- Airplanes were inspected, then each team demonstrated which of 12 maneuvers their aircraft could successfully perform.
- Judges awarded flying points; those points were subtracted from the teams’ construction scores. The team with the lowest total points won.
#### Scoring and prizes
- 1st place: $100
- 2nd place: $75
- 3rd place: $50
This was a fun event—each team’s airplane was unique and the aircraft flew well. Consider doing something different for your club’s next fun-fly, or try a proven event such as this Construction Derby.
Contact for Construction Derby details
Ray Capobianco can provide full details for hosting a Construction Derby event. Contact him at (781) 944-6056.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
