Free Flight Duration - 2006/05

126 MODEL AVIATION
THE TITLE OF this column could just as
easily be “Free Flight Competition.” For most
of us who fly FF, competition is the essence
of the hobby/sport.
From its beginning, before the Wright
brothers first flew at Kitty Hawk, FF
modelers have been striving to design and
build models that would fly farther or stay up
longer. It was this competitive drive that
brought about the improvements in
aerodynamics, materials, construction
techniques, and power plants that all
modelers now enjoy.
Competition can take many forms, from a
local contest to national or international
events. The numbers of people participating
can vary from a handful to several hundred.
However, in the end the contest is with
oneself. In FF Duration the judge is the
stopwatch. If you max every flight, you will
win.
If winning is your only goal, FF, or any
other sport, can be disappointing. Winning is
difficult; it requires careful planning, study,
discipline, attention to detail, and focus. It
also often requires luck.
However, the process of contest
preparation and participation can be its own
reward. For a young person, playing a sport
has long proven to be beneficial from a
The philosophy of FF competition and how you can fit in
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Free Flight Duration Louis Joyner
Also included in this column:
• Thoughts about the 2005
FF Nats
Innovative Florida modeler Thurman Bowls used foam instead of the usual balsa and
tissue for his Mulvihill Rubber model. David Mills photo.
Thin, hard aluminum covers Gil Morris’s F1C Power model’s wings and acts as hinging for
the flaps. A few modelers have gone to flaps or even folding wings to maximize climb.
Mills photo.
physical and a mental standpoint. For adults,
sports provide a way to stay active.
Among sports, FF is one of the few that
people of all ages can enjoy. It truly is a
lifetime activity. It is common to see people in
their 70s or 80s competing and winning in this
discipline—and they are not flying in a special
“seniors” category.
The word “sport” has taken on different
meanings with different groups of modelers.
For some, sport-flying means noncompetitive
activity such as that covered in Gene Smith’s
MA “Free Flight Sport” column.
But the FAI—the worldwide governing
body for sport aviation—refers to competition
fliers as sportsmen and competition FF as a
sport. For the purposes of this column,
competition flying will be referred to as a
sport.
Competition FF offers a diversity of
events—some might say too much diversity.
There are enough choices to fit a variety of
interests, skill levels, and pocketbooks.
Simpler events such as P-30 Rubber,
Catapult Glider, and Hand Launched Glider
provide ways to try FF competition with a
minimum investment in time or money. For
considerably less than $100 you can build a P-
30 kit or a few Gliders and start flying in
competition.
At the other end of the spectrum, the
international FAI classes offer the opportunity
to spend a great deal of money and time on
models and ground-support equipment and
travel across the country or around the world.
Regardless of what events you decide to
fly, the best thing about competition flying is
the opportunity to meet other FF modelers. For
many of us a contest is the only chance we
have to get together, compare notes, and talk
shop.
For a new modeler, or one who is reentering
the sport after a few years’ hiatus, a
Free Flight Society and send it to the NFFS Membership Office, 22
Pine St., Homosassa FL 34446. (Juniors must include proof of age.)
Visit the NFFS Web site at http://freeflight.org for more information.
• Try to find another FF modeler or club in your area. NFFS members
can buy a membership roster for $12. Even if the locals don’t fly the
events you are interested in, they should be able to help with
construction techniques, trimming, and test-flying sites.
• Build a kit. Start with something simple, follow the instructions, and
finish it. Don’t worry if it is not perfect. The important thing is to get
flying as soon as possible. (Building can be enjoyable, but flying on a
regular basis is the best way to sustain interest.)
Once you have that first model flying, build the same kit again. This
time take extra care to build it to the minimum
weight and as accurately as possible.
• Go to contests. Attending an event close to
home is a good way to check everything out,
meet modelers in the area, and do some lowpressure
flying. Then plan on attending a
major contest such as the Nats, held every
summer in Muncie, Indiana. This week-long
contest offers almost every Outdoor FF event,
and entry is open to any AMA member.
Plan to spend the whole week at the Nats if
at all possible; that way you can see a variety
of models up close, fly in a few events, and
get to meet modelers from across the country.
There are usually several vendors on the field
selling specialty FF kits, equipment, and
supplies. In addition, there is an excellent
hobby shop just off the field with a good
selection of FF kits.
• Specialize. After you have constructed a few
models and participated in a few contests,
you’ll have a better idea of which events you
are most interested in. Concentrate on a few
similar classes rather than trying to do too
many different things at once.
Most of the support equipment and
trimming techniques for P-30 carry over to
contest is the best way to learn. Most FF modelers are willing to show
you their models, explain construction techniques, or even offer
trimming suggestions for your aircraft. Just make sure you don’t
interrupt a flier while he or she is getting a model ready or waiting for
a thermal to come through.
If you are interested in getting started in competition FF, following
are some suggestions.
• Join the National Free Flight Society (NFFS). This is the AMA SIG
for all aspects of FF. The NFFS Digest, published 10 times a year,
offers information, tips, and plans.
For US residents who are 19 or older, a one-year membership is
$25 (two years is $48). A two-year Junior membership—for those who
are younger than 19—is $18. Make your check out to the National
May 2006 127
Competition FF can be fun. Unofficial events such as one-design contest for the Dakota
biplane offer a low-pressure alternative to the usual high-performance events. Mills photo.
Even a simple Hand Launched Glider can go high-tech. Ken Bauer’s
model has a digital timer and servo to operate autosurfaces and DT.
Mills photo.
Paul Crowley (L) and George Batiuk with typical FF groundsupport
equipment: model box, cooler for rubber motors, winding
stooge to hold model while winding. Mills photo.
oldtime
Rubber, and F1H Coupe. You would
need a whole different set of support
equipment for Gas.
Do some research on what designs other
people are flying and what equipment
(engines, timers, rubber, etc.) they are using.
Flying popular, proven designs will make it
easier to get information on construction and
trimming.
• Fly as much as you can. There is a tendency
to put away a model after initial trimming to
“save” it for the contest. Practice-flying in all
weather conditions is the best way to prepare
yourself for participating in a contest.
Learn how to handle, launch, and retrieve
your models in the wind. What support
equipment and clothing do you need to fly in
rain or in cold weather? How should you
adjust your airplane for calm air? How should
you adjust your airplane for the hot, thermal
conditions? Practice and familiarity with your
models will help minimize contest jitters.
• Put in all your flights. Even if the weather
conditions are bad and you’ve already
dropped a flight or two, keep flying. If
nothing else, it’s good practice for your next
contest. As the sports cliché goes, put in your
flights one flight at a time.
• Learn from your mistakes. FF models can
be complicated, and many things can go
wrong. When something does go awry, figure
out what happened and how you can keep it
from happening again. Attention to detail,
focus, and practice will go a long way toward
reducing mistakes.
• Learn from other people’s mistakes. Most
modelers are surprisingly willing to share
what went wrong. Listen and learn.
• Think. One of the two best pieces of advice
about modeling was the word “think” from
the late Ed Turner. (The other words of
wisdom, given to me from my father when I
was 5 or 6 years old, was “The difference
between a beginner and an expert is
sandpaper.”)
• Have fun!
2005 FF Nats: Because of my move from
South Carolina up to Virginia I missed the
Nats last year, but the daily online coverage
by David Mills captured the feel of the
week-long contest. You can still find it
archived on the AMA Web site (www.model
aircraft.org). Under “Competitions” go to
“AMA Flying Site/Nationals” then click
on “NatsNews.” Check the entries for
August 1-5.
I was delighted to see that Ed Wiley won
F1B Wakefield. When we first met at the
1996 Nats, Ed was flying Rubber and
Glider. He soon began to specialize in
Rubber, steadily improving his models and
his flying.
Ed was always asking questions,
practicing, and learning. I can remember
early on when Ed would get excited if he
made one max out of the seven flights in
F1B. This year he made seven straight. In
fact, he was the only one to max out.
Connie Perry is one of the relatively few
women who participate in FF. (There are no
separate events for women.) This year she
became the first woman to win the Mulvihill
Trophy—one of oldest in modeling.
This award, which is on permanent
display at the AMA museum, is a bronze
statue of Icarus strapping on one of his
wings. It’s a wonderful piece of art, and the
winners’ names engraved around the base
read like a who’s who of modeling.
Mulvihill is not a difficult event. The
specifications are simple: the rubberpowered
model must have a wing area of
less than 300 square inches. The event is
flown in a series of increasing maxes,
starting with two minutes, then three, then
four, then five, and on until you miss a
max.
The first few flights are well within the
model’s dead-air capabilities and normally
stay on the field. As the maxes get longer,
they get harder to make and harder still to
retrieve.
Connie has come close to winning in the
past, but this year she kept maxing, finally
losing her model on the seventh flight but
still making the required eight minutes. Her
total time was 2,100 seconds (35 minutes)—
almost two minutes ahead of Paul Andrade,
who placed second. MA