More about the IRCHA Jamboree
by Mark Fadely ([email protected])
Thanks for checking out the “RC Helicopter” column this month. I have more coverage from the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree held at the AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. So much is going on at this event that it is impossible to squeeze it all into one article.
The record attendance (1,049 registered pilots) is a testament to the health of our little corner of the RC world. RC heli pilots are some of the most active hobbyists, and many of them attend numerous events throughout the year. The enthusiasm level remains high for individuals and helicopter groups. This could be because helicopters are so much fun to fly.
It is not unusual to have seasoned pilots step up and take their particular interests to new levels. One of those special people is Ray Stacy. He has been in the helicopter hobby for a long time and his son, Kyle, is one of the world’s top pilots.
Autorotation contest
Several years ago, Ray decided to put together an organized autorotation contest at the Jamboree. He thought pilots would get a kick out of an engine-off competition.
An autorotation is an unpowered landing. The helicopter blades windmill through the air similar to a maple leaf whirling down from a tree. During an autorotation, the pilot is in complete control—maintaining pitch and roll. The heli still flies the same way as in powered flight, except you must ensure it is always in a descent so the blades continue spinning.
If the pilot lowers the collective pitch to a negative position, the rotor blades will keep spinning. When the helicopter nears the ground, the pilot must gradually feed in positive collective pitch to slow the descent. This must be done carefully because adding pitch also slows the blades; if they slow too much they will stop and the heli will fall. Making a good autorotation requires using all of the spinning blade inertia as the heli touches down. It is not easy to do.
Pilots signed up and the 2012 Autorotation Contest was underway. Spectators enjoyed watching and lined the west end of the flightline as Ray got things started. The helicopters took off and flew up to a few hundred feet, then cut the throttle and free-wheeled down in an attempt to hit a target on the ground. Measurements were taken from the nose of the heli to the target, and the pilot with the least overall distance in three attempts was the winner. SAB Helicopter Division sponsored the event and donated a Goblin 630 for the winner.
Raja Bortcosh won the event for the second year in a row by landing his Miniature Aircraft gas-powered helicopter within an inch of the bull's-eye on all of his flights. His combined distance from the target was less than 3 inches. Congratulations to Raja and all the competitors in this fun event.
The top five finishers were:
- Raja Bortcosh
- Andrew Merlino
- Devin Connors
- Stefan Segerer
- Ronald Thomas
Prizes also included:
- Two sets of 6S 5000 Pulse Ultra batteries donated by HeliDirect
- A Protek Prodigy 620 DUO battery charger from A Main Hobbies
2012 IRCHA SPEED CUP WINNERS
Stock Electric
- Stefan Segerer — Henseleit TDR — 137.4 mph
- Jan Henseleit — Henseleit TDR — 133.3 mph
- Timo Wendtland — Henseleit TDR — 132.4 mph
Stock ICE (Nitro/Gasser)
- Dennis Groves — T-Rex 700N Stock — 90.0 mph
- Raja Bortcosh — Miniature Aircraft Whiplash Gasser — 88.9 mph
- Adam Mancini — Miniature Aircraft Whiplash Gasser — 83.7 mph
Unlimited Class
- Scott Yow — TDR SFR — 143.9 mph
- Oliver (Olli) Jellen — TDR with speed canopy — 141.4 mph
- Danny Melnik — Suzi Laos — 122.2 mph
2012 IRCHA Speed Cup
Santiago Panzardi submitted this report from his IRCHA Speed Cup event.
“Once a year, during the IRCHA Jamboree, the largest gathering of speed enthusiasts gets together to compete in what is becoming the Bonneville Speedway for RC helicopters, better known as the IRCHA Speed Cup. This annual event started last year—drawing almost 30 contestants. This year we opted for several 'stock' helicopter classes in hopes of appealing to the average modeler.
“The IRCHA Speed Cup consists of flying a conventional helicopter in level flight at maximum speed through a 200-meter straight course from opposite directions. The speed is calculated from the time of both passes and averaged to determine the true speed of the machine. Times are measured by two manually operated digital chronometers in a system put together by champion heli drag racer Ken Jennings.
“After a pilots’ meeting to review the rules and safety measures, the event began with an Electric Stock Class and immediately we saw impressive passes from Marco, Jan, and Timo—all in the 130-mph range, shattering last year’s record.
“Oliver Jellen, who looked like the favorite to win Stock after Thursday’s practice, also went early with his Scorpion 4504 LE, Kontronik Kosmik-powered TDR. But as he reached the 100-meter point of the course, the secondary main gear failed, causing the helicopter to enter a retreating blade stall at over 140 mph.
“This was probably the most violent reaction we have ever witnessed of a model in flight. But amazingly, Olli, who was not new to this issue, made an incredible save, preventing the rotor from collapsing from the hard pitch over, and safely autorotating in.
“For those not familiar with helicopter retreating blade stalls: this occurs when a helicopter flies faster than its maximum 'stable' speed and the retreating side of the rotor can no longer create enough lift to maintain level flight due to the speed differential. The result is a fast and brutal pitch-up that can destroy the rotor (and the heli) instantaneously.
“In the Nitro-Gasser class, the newly released Miniature Aircraft Whiplash Gasser was the weapon of choice. Several were flown by last year’s top two winners in the Gasser class: Adam Mancini and Raja Bortcosh.
“Larry Smith flew the third Whiplash. Nob Muraki and Dennis Groves flew T-Rex 700s, while Nathan Rigaud used a Rave ENV and Howard Boucha flew a Freya X-Spec. In the end, it was a speed duel between the two smoothest pilots in the event, Dennis and Raja, with Dennis becoming the first IRCHA Speed Cup repeat class champion. The speed differential between the winning nitro-powered T-Rex and the Whiplash Gasser was a scant 1.1 mph.
“In the premier event, Bruce Thompson brought back his composite T-Rex 700, but with a higher-wattage motor and a bigger propeller on the nose of this engineering wonder. This helicopter is very unique, very fast, and very difficult to fly, as the pilot has to enter at the perfect angle when engaging the front motor.
“When aimed perfectly, this machine resembles a high-speed autogyro being pulled by a NASA rocket; it’s more than a conventional helicopter. Unfortunately, Bruce’s T-Rex smoked the front engine controller before completing two successful passes and retired with a DNF (did not finish). Danny Melnik flew an exotic 800mm Suzi Laos reaching 122 mph, while veteran Chuck Bole flew a 145-powered Synergy E7.
“The big fight in Unlimited was down to Oliver, with a 145 Speed TDR, and Scott Yow’s 165 SFR TDR sporting a homemade speed body. Olli’s Unlimited TDR entry with custom secondary metal main gear suffered no issues of overpowering the gear train as he set a speed of 141 mph, but Scott and his partner Rick would not be denied. The SFR managed an average speed for two passes of almost 144 mph, with the single fastest pass at over 150 mph!
“Huge thanks to the IRCHA staff for supporting the event, and to our sponsors—HeliCommand, Scorpion Power System, Minicopter, ReadyHeli, and Hobbico—for the prizes and cash, and to Ken Jennings, Dan Buzza, Ben Chase, Chris Bates, and the rest of the event workers for making it possible. Congratulations to the winner of the Minicopter Diabolo raffle, Alex Rodriguez.”
Sources
- IRCHA
- www.ircha.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
