What is Limited Pennyplane?
LIMITED PENNYPLANE (LPP) is one of the best classes for newcomers to fly to get their feet wet in Indoor FF, and it is a great low-stress event for more experienced fliers. Its popularity speaks for itself; LPP regularly attracts a large number of entrants at meets such as the recent US Indoor Championships (USIC).
The events that are the simplest to fly have the most rules, such as LPP. Almost every dimension of the model is defined, from the airplane and motorstick length to the span and chord of the stabilizer. However, there is just enough leeway to allow for a significant visual variety of aircraft.
A result of the restrictive rules is a much smaller set of things to learn and master to reach the top times, providing those who are new to Indoor FF with a satisfying way to showcase their efforts. You still need to build a strong airplane, but you get a great deal of weight with which to do it; no rolled tubes or bracing is required.
There are no flying complications, such as variable-geometry propellers to adjust; you just need to develop good winding and flying techniques. The most complicated thing about flying top times with an LPP is working out the propeller-and-rubber combination.
That doesn't mean it is easy to win an LPP contest. The best fliers still come out on top. But since there are fewer variables to play with, a newcomer can quickly work his or her way toward being one of those best fliers.
Scott Fultz finished third in LPP at this year's Nats, despite having started flying Indoor FF only five months earlier. He certainly wouldn't have had enough time to master the many intricacies of something such as F1D, but he flew frequently, received support from World Champ Larry Cailliau and Indoor FF master Larry Coslick, and clearly got a handle on LPP.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
