Free Flight Duration — 2006/08
Louis Joyner <[email protected]>
Highlights of the NFFS Symposium Report
Each year the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) produces a Symposium Report (the Sympo). The Sympo promotes the technical and theoretical aspects of free flight and has long been a treasure trove of information about all aspects of the sport. It is a must-read for serious modelers.
The 2006 Symposium Report, edited by Harry Grogan, is dedicated to the late Bob White and includes tributes from many of Bob’s longtime friends.
Notable papers in the 2006 Sympo
- F1C flier Gil Morris details testing of his “turboprop” concept for direct-drive and geared engines. In a separate article he shows a vibration-reducing bearing for F1C folding propellers.
- Bob Thoren examines the physics of the climb portion of a catapult-glider launch and the energy storage of the catapult’s rubber strip.
- Dan Tracy, who represents the U.S. at the CIAM (Commission Internationale d’Aéro-modélisme) annual meeting, provides an insider’s perspective on this rule-making body.
- Stan Hinds (Australia) recommends an improved orientation for the wood grain in spar webs as an alternative to vertical or horizontal grain.
- Art Lonergan (Australia) recounts starting a modeling club for people with disabilities in a paper titled “The Leper Squadron.”
- Sean O’Connor (Australia) shares test results for his pop-up wing DT for small models.
- Bill McCombs explains the three most important parameters to ensure a model’s stability in climb and glide.
- Daniel Petcu (Romania) explains how to make the magnet steering mechanism for slope-soaring gliders.
- David Mills offers a provocative list in “Twelve Free Flight Heresies,” challenging a dozen cherished beliefs.
- The Sympo also includes the cartoons of Will Nakashima, as in past issues.
Models of the Year
An annual Sympo feature is the Models of the Year selection. For 2006 Bill Booth and his committee named six models:
- Alex Andriukov’s 180 cm F1B
- Tim Batiuk’s “Maxine” hand-launched glider
- Don DeLoach’s Polecat Mk.10 P-30
- Ronnie Thompson’s Sunbird RT — a much-modified version of Charlie Caton’s gas design
- Don Mace’s P-24 Condor — an indoor beginner’s stick design
- The Torontonian — a 1950s Wakefield design by S. Ranta of Canada
Bob White used the Torontonian with great success to help promote Nostalgia Wakefield events.
Special awards and Hall of Fame
- Roger Morrell received recognition for his Black Magic series of electronic timers.
- The outside-the-model rubber-winding tube system developed by Bob Piserchio and Stepan Stefanchuk (based on the original concept of the late Jack North) was honored.
- Named to the NFFS Hall of Fame were glider flier Lee Hines and Wakefield flier (and 2004 Sympo editor) Walt Ghio.
Ordering the 2006 Sympo
You can order the Sympo from NFFS Publication Services, Box 1775, Albany, OR 97321.
- Price: $25 for NFFS members; $30 for nonmembers.
- Postage: $4.50.
- Domestic orders: check or money order only.
- For more information contact NFFS publications coordinator Bob Stalick at Box 1775, Albany, OR 97321, or via email at [email protected].
- NFFS website: http://freeflight.org
2006 Free Flight Forum
The Free Flight Forum Report, like the Sympo, is a compilation of papers covering many topics from indoor flying to scale modeling. The 2006 Forum was edited by Martin Dilly and Mike Evatt and includes articles spanning a wide range of interests. Highlights include:
Technical and aerodynamic studies
- Peter King uses Xfoil software to compare the theoretical performance of five wing airfoils for F1B Wakefield models. Using the popular AA 29 airfoil as a baseline, his simulations showed duration differences ranging from -3.1% to +6.7%.
- Ian Kaynes, longtime editor of Free Flight News, used his own software to explore performance and flight dynamics for a variety of model types.
Construction and materials
- Mike Francis details molding wings using a sandwich of lightweight unidirectional carbon fiber and Rohacell foam. The molds are CNC-machined from aluminum block.
- Ken Oliver (California) describes his technique for making tubular aluminum–carbon-fiber tailbooms.
Electric F1Q and practical gear
- Trevor Grey offers a simpler approach to the new F1Q electric event using brush-type motors and Ni-Cd batteries, arguing this less complex and less expensive route is best for getting started.
- Chris Edge, Mike Fantham, and Alan Jack review three commercially available recording altimeters, which range in weight from 2.5 g to 9.0 g.
Indoor and other topics
- Nick Aikman visits extraordinary indoor flying sites around the world, including a 400-foot atrium in Tokyo; the CargoLifter airship hangar in Germany; and the salt mine in Slănic, Romania.
- Bob Bailey details the design and construction of propellers for indoor-duration models.
- Bill Dennis recounts his experiences with gas-powered free-flight scale models.
- Mark Benns discusses gadget-free discus-launched gliders that use aerodynamic design rather than timers and auto surfaces to control flight patterns.
Promotion and outreach
- In “Promoting a Technical Sport,” Nick Bosdet documents how concerted promotion and training revived interest in the Finn-class racing dinghy. His lessons offer actionable ideas that could be applied to promoting free flight.
Ordering the 2006 Forum
The 2006 Forum is available from Martin Dilly:
- Address: 20 Links Rd., West Wickham, Kent BR4 0QW, UK.
- Price: £14.00 (includes airmail postage to the U.S.; exchange rates fluctuate).
- Make checks payable to “BMFA F/F Team Support Fund.” Checks must be in pounds sterling and drawn on a bank with a UK branch, so credit-card payment is often easier.
- Contact Martin by fax at +44 (0)20-8777-5533 or by email at [email protected].
- Back issues of Forums are available.
The 2006 edition is also available from NFFS Publications (Bob Stalick) at the U.S. address above. NFFS prices: $25 + $4.50 postage for members; $30 + $4.50 for nonmembers. Domestic U.S. orders: checks or money orders only; international orders can pay by credit card (a service fee may be charged).
Junior Free Flight World Championships — 2006
The 2006 Junior Free Flight World Championships take place August 21–26 in Borne, Germany. The U.S. team members are:
- F1A Towline Glider: Brian Bauer, Kyle Jones, Tyler Secor
- F1B Wakefield: Taylor Gunder, Paul Shailor, Evan Simon
- F1P Power: Anthony Ferrario, Brian Pacelli, Cody Secor
Team manager: George Batiuk.
Notes:
- Brian Bauer and the Secor brothers attend Ayala High School in Chino Hills, California.
- Brian Bauer, Tyler Secor, Taylor Gunder, and Cody Secor were on the U.S. team that flew at the 2004 Junior World Champs in Moncoutour, France.
- For information about trying out for the 2008 Junior FF team, contact the Competition Department at the AMA or visit the NFFS website: click “Competitions,” then “Juniors.” Note that, under FAI rules, a Junior is 18 or younger (different from AMA rules, where the cutoff is younger than 16).
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
