Free Flight: Indoor
BE PREPARED! Now that the Indoor season is winding down, you may only have the Nats and the U.S. Indoor Championships to look forward to. If you have new or freshly-repaired models, you need to get them trimmed for the big meets to come. Flight test profiles. If you are really serious about getting the most out of your Indoor models, you need to check several things. The simplest in-flight data you can take is average propeller rpm; but, a much more meaningful measurement is a plot of rpm vs. time. Once you know the normal cruise rpm, you have a quick check on the model's condition. I once lost a contest because I failed to check the trim of a model after noting an increase in cruise rpm. I failed to recognize the importance of what I saw.
Free Flight: Indoor
EXPLANATIONS! I used a concept-"push the prop"-in the last column. That comment may require an explanation. Before a rubber motor reaches "critical torque" during the cruise, the model is in a delicate balance, trimmed for minimum sink (minimum power expended). When the torque drops too low, the model slows up slightly, reducing the lift from the wing. Lower lift makes the nose drop, and the model picks up speed. Since the torque is too low to maintain an rpm to match the speed, the prop slows down. The energy to speed up the prop comes from the model's shallow dive, as it pushes the prop to keep the rpm up.
Free Flight: Indoor
A GOOF! In the previous column (September 1985), there were four flight profile graphs. The two on the right should be swapped top-to-bottom to match the captions. Sorry 'bout that! New model class. By the time you read this, the 1986-87 AMA rule book should be ready for distribution. The major change you will see is that Paper Stick is changing to Intermediate Stick. The basic model is essentially the same; that is, no other changes in model specifications were made. However, the covering can now be commercial plastic in place of the formerly-required paper covering. Existing Paper Stick models will still qualify, but will fly against an approximately .007 oz. weight penalty (the difference between light condenser paper and the latest plastic films).
Free Flight: Indoor
SAD NEWS. The many friends of Pete and Georgia Andrews were saddened when Georgia lost her long battle with cancer in October. Georgia was a familiar sight at many Indoor contests and was very supportive of Pete's flying activity. More on Nats Indoor. Shortly after the previous column (December 1985 MA) was mailed, AMA circulated information about a Nats Planning Meeting on September 18, 1985 in Lake Charles, La. The announcement caused a massive amount of correspondence to be exchanged about Nats planning. The bottom line of the meeting's balance sheet is that changes are being made. Although it is far too early to be sure, the outcome may be highly positive.
Free Flight: Indoor
A BIG SUMMER! My last two columns have commented on the early and thorough planning already done for the 1986 Nats, especially with regard to scheduling Indoor events. The other big Indoor meet of the summer is the U.S. Indoor Championships, sponsored by the National Free Flight Society. Tony Italiano, NFFS' Indoor ramrod, has announced that the USIC will be held at the same site as last year-the convention center in Niagara Falls, NY. This was an excellent site and last year's meet a well-managed contest. The announced date for the next USIC is June 17-19, 1986, and it should be a good warmup for the Nats.
