Radio Control: Electrics

RADIO CONTROL ELECTRICS u ANOTHER RECORD TURNOUT Tougher competition Advancing technology Smooth management 1997 Electric Nats AMA events Limited Motor Run 7-cell Class Sailplane Old-Timer 30-cell max Class B Sailplane Old-Timer followed AMA rule book using option include motor run times flight times 40-foot landing circle included Eight minutes precision flight target making landing circle worth 20 points perfect flight time landing registered 500 points Three rounds Class Sailplane Class B Old-Timer flown Saturday 8/2 three rounds Class B Sailplane Class OldTimer flown Sunday 8/3 Three provisional National Electric Aircraft Council NEAC Speed 400 events flown Monday 8/4 LMR sailplane old-timer pylon events limited Speed 400-type motors sailplane task eight-minute precision flight 20-point landing 90-second motor run seven-cell limit batteries Three rounds flown old-timer task Texaco event calling 15-minute flight no motor run time restrictions spot landing battery max 7 600 mAh cells Two rounds flown Speed 400 pylon seven cells max requires 10 laps triangular course 300-foot legs 60-foot base heats doubleelimination man-on-man Seven-cell LMR Sailplane drew 39 entrants across land Alex Larionov Georgian ex-USSR way Canada attended first E-Nats Flying delayed short time series light showers moved through Mostly cloudy skies 10-15 mph wind prevailed rest day end first three rounds evident perfect close-to-perfect scores would required win place well nine pilots including eventual winner David Elias within 99% perfect score Landings given wind little challenging top pilots made Texas Chris Vanderbilt prepares Bare Bones Speed 400 Glen Poole prepares launch Jack Hiners Downers Grove IL Pylon Racing heat Flew very well first-ever race Lanzo Racer Class Old-Timer winner December 1997 59 Elaine Ward did great job logging scores posting results maintaining happy demeanorno mean feat Tom Hunt launches Modelair-Tech Defiant Bob Aberle times Tom Bob CDd four LMR events David Elias just edged Paul Pent take first Both scored 99% three rounds George Joy would have tied Paul Perret missed landing Tom Hunt short missed landing would have scored 1491 points Paul Perret trophied last years Nats pilot repeat year Bill Jenkins last years winner placed ninth top eight finishers used geared Aveox F7LMR brushless motors Last year geared Astro FAT five-turn motors predominated Graupner Cam 14-inch 7 95 pitch prop replaced Freudenthaler 14 x 7 prop choice Astro Sermos/Andeon power pole connectors popular Deans banana connectors also used few top pilots Sanyo 10005CR popular battery cell winner David Elias used new Sanyo 2000 Most airplanes have wingspans two-meter 100-inch range Paul Perrets Lasoar 1200 sports 139-inch wing Weights varied about 40 110 ounces Last year built-up rudder/elevator model took first place year multifunction composite construction models nabbed top spots David Elias Searcher 100E modified Mark Kummerow sailplane uses ruddervators flaps ailerons Paul Perrets airplane uses ailerons crow does third-place finisher George Joys F-Storm What see similar what has happened RC sailplane competition Properly set up flown multifunction composite construction model has edgeespecially windy conditions spot landing required example Bill Jenkins Astro Challenger would have tied first missed three landings Bill fine pilot rudder/elevator Challenger difficult land precisely wind Thirty-cell max Sailplane LMR drew 35 participants virtually flew scven-cell models as-is few extra motor battery cells added oomph Conditions near perfect light winds clear skies good lift airplanes out sight end 30-second motor runs flight Bill Jenkins shut down motor before 30 seconds elapsed Challenger specked out Once again Aveox motors controllers swept field taking first seven spots Five top seven 7-cell finishers also placed top seven spots event George Joy Ron Scharck buddies southern California tied first three points shy perfect three-round scores flyoff took place after short break normal eight-minute task upped 10 minutes 30-second motor run reduced 20 seconds Both pilots launched monster lift Joys 10-cell model topping out ionosphere Scharcks seven-cell model merely 60 Model Aviation channel Tetra receiver FMA George Joy L edged buddy Ron Scharck win flyoff Glass B Sailplane LMR Bothweighs 1/2 ounce available AM composite construction Georges model has ailerons Rons adds flapsFM Just thing Speed 400 George Joy talks transmitter holding Switchblade Speed 400 pylon racer won event superb flying fastest airplane Alex Larionov slides motor battery Seledkin designed built former Soviet Union Beautiful workmanship stratospheric No doubt pilot ten-minute-plus air finished well previous weeks hotly contested RC Sailplane events came down matter judgment respecting descent timing final approach Joy prevailed tight finish applauded both pilots superb show As befits class seven-cell Old-Timer LMR featured traditional similar last year aircraft 19 entrants flew variety airplanes Lanzo Bombers Racers Playboys evidence Tom Hunts Stardust Special just beauty its sculptured pylon shapely front end high-aspect-ratio wing has just approved Old-Timer events strong third-place showing attests its perfonnance Glen Pooles twin-ruddered Twin Cyclone Frank Zaics 1938 Year Book has spacious fuselage admirable flying qualitiesmost notably rock-steady climb Ric Vaughn piloted very clean Hying Goose climb rivaled hottest sailplanes Geared Asim FM five-turn motors used six seven top finishers Freudenthaler Sonic-Tronics props 12-14-inch diameters pitches six nine inches almost umversal Wing areas ranged 530-6W square inches weights 34-45 ounces Sanyo lOCOs Astro Sermos/Anderson Power Pole connectors variety speed controls used Scores generally lower Old-Timers compared sailplanes landings harder hit Lanzo Racers Jack Hiner Mike McIntyre placed first second Jack said likes climb Racer compared Lanzo Bomber Bombers glide superior Thirty-cell max Old-Timer LMR attracted 15 entrants sailplanes flew seven-cell Old-Timers as-is few 8-10 total cells Geared Astro motors took top seven spots Bill Jenkins came out top Westerner after flyoff against Jon McVays Lanzo Bomber Third place went Wayne Fredettes Bomber Glen Pooles Twin Cyclone snared fourth place Landings difficult windy conditions Tom Hunt oaly perfect eight-minute flight although number 759s Speed 400 Sailpanes rudder/elevator polyhedral models ranging 346-440 square inches weighing 175-24 ounces Graupner 41 gear drives Cam 11 x 8 props predominated did 60-volt motor Sanyo 600AE cells few V-tail configurations seen Battery eliminator speed controls also popular Winds grew quite gusty cool front moved through pilots work hani find stay lift landings tricky Alex Larionov placed first followed Les Garber Don Belfort Garbers airplane homebrew Belforts stick-and-tissue Red Rooster Speed 400 Old-Timers ranged wing area weight Phil Smiths Micro Playboy 144 square inches nine ounces Jack Hiners Vildng 500 squares 35 ounces Phil Jack tied first place Bill Jenkins flew downsized Foote Westerner Phil opted out flyoff because wind Jack bested Bill airplane blown off-field landing Once again gear drives predominated Graupner Cam 11 x 8 prop mated 72-volt motor setup choice However Phils Micro Playboy used twin Mini-6 Hi-Line propulsion 4751 gearbox cut down eight-inch Graupner folder Speed 400 pylon racers flown eight contestants six-volt motor some advanced timing Graupner Cam 5 x 5 prop Sanyo 500AR batteries almost universal Composite construction thin airfoils characterize fastest racers Battery eliminator circuits used contestants Weights ranged 135 16 ounces wing areas going 110 180 square inches two experienced pilots Tom Hunt George Joy ended up final round double-elimination man-on-man competition George bested Tom previous heat repeated final take gold Doug Ward ably assisted wife Elaine host knowledgeable event dimctors ran tight-but-friendly ship traditional LMR events still popular Speed 400 events including pylon catching Saturday night feed bylaws NEAC approved Doug agreed stay president another year help smooth transition elections new officers Questions raised about number rounds flown next years Nats seems some consensus current three rounds should expanded Scheduling E-Nats immediately before after RC sailplane events favored increases participation electric soaring events Suggestions made about changing landing task make like used RC sailplane contests keeping mind desire discourage destructive dorkings obvious current technology has run past LMR tasks set up years ago may want modify next round AMA rules changes Doug Wani will surveying participants will use feedback planning 1998 E-Nats RD 1 Box 189 Irwin PA 15642 E-mail dward79207@aolcom e Nats model specifications available author Send large self-addressed stamped envelope 62 Model Aviation vid Elias won Class Sailplane Searcher 100E modified Electric sailplane design Mark Kummerow See Results FOCUS ON COMPETITION Demon Tom Hunt Speed 400 pylon racer Glass fuselage solid balsa wing Clean fast stable seasoned pilot