RC Aerobatics
Rick Allison discusses the evolution of judging in radio control aerobatics, highlighting both improvements and persistent issues in competitor-judged events. While judges are now more knowledgeable, biases and subjective grading remain challenges that need addressing for fairer evaluations.
Alpine Xtreme Adventure 2003 - 2004/03
ONE OF THE THINGS I like best about this hobby/sport of ours is
that there is always something exciting and new around the bend,
under the sun, or over the next hill—and all three of these clichés
apply to the Alpine Xtreme Adventure 2003, held July 16-21 in
Oregon’s Wallowa Valley country.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
POP CULTURE IS loaded with sayings that illustrate the cyclical nature of change: "There is nothing new under the sun"; "The more things change, the more they stay the same"; and "There is nothing as new as an old idea" are just a few of these aphorisms. The regular resurrection of bygone clothing styles foisted on us by the fashion industry stands as a more-concrete example. Pattern is far from immune to this circle game, regardless of the fact that the "modern" era (dating from the advent of proportional radio equipment) of RC Aerobatics spans only a few decades. Old Pattern ideas are constantly being recycled and re-combined with the occasional new insight in an attempt to make the new sum add up to more than its familiar parts.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
WE PICK UP where we left off on our discussion of basic flight maneuvers. Having previously chewed our way through Stall Turns and Loops, this month's discussion will consider Immelmanns, Cuban Eights, and the rolling maneuvers. At the start of the last column, I mentioned that as one progressed up the Pattern skill ladder, these basic maneuvers would constantly reappear as the elements that compose the more-complex maneuvers found in the higher-skill classes. Pondering that for more than just a few seconds leads straight to the conclusion that it is a good idea to spend the time and effort necessary to master the simple fundamentals, because the simple fundamentals are not going to go away. If you can't do a decent Stall Turn, a Figure M with 1/4 rolls is going to be a struggle to learn, don't you think?
Radio Control: Aerobatics
EVERY SO OFTEN I get the urge to fire up my dusty crystal ball and gaze into the future of Pattern aerobatics. Time continues to march on; the wheel always turns; and sometimes, what comes up is capable of causing a few dominos to fall. I believe we may be on the verge of another change in the Great American Pattern game, and this one could be bigger than any since the move to turnaround flying began, back in the mid-'80s. Rumblings about the proposed new F3A maneuver schedules have been percolating through the Net and the old-fashioned grapevine. I've seen nothing "official" as yet, and the natural history of this sort of thing says that what is finally settled on will not be as radical as the initial rumors. That's as close as I can come to a really comforting thought. Here's a brief recap of what I've seen and heard mentioned: • Humpty-Bumps with knife-edge turns at the top • Tail Slides • Rolling Circles • Multiple vertical down line snaps • Rolling Loops
