AMA Nats: RC Aerobatics
THE HYDES, Merle and Chip, established a record by being the first father-and-son duo to capture the Nats RC Pattern championships. Chip won the FAI Turnaround (F3A) event, while Merle won Advanced. This year's Nats RC Pattern events saw 202 competitors flying in five events: Sportsman-62, Advanced-35, Expert-29, Master-21, and FAI-53. It was a big Nats for RC Pattern! The Nats Pattern events were held at NALF Fentress, near Chesapeake, VA. Contrary to some confused opinions, NALF stands for Navy Auxiliary Landing Field (not others like Narly Alien Life Form, or Nearly Adult Little Fellow, or even Not Always Likely to Fly). Except for a few support buildings, and one small swimming pool, the field is vacant and only has one runway and a taxiway.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
WRITING this column is unusual. Hardly any two are prepared under the same conditions. For example, I am writing the start of this column in a motel room at Dayton, OH after a meeting at Wright-Patterson AFB concerned with the F15E, the USAF's new ground attack fighter. I'll do some work on the column on airplanes between here and my home in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and finish it at home evenings after work. Does it get boring? No. Is it sometimes difficult to come up with ideas to write about? Yes. Where do the ideas come from? Mostly from myself, but a large percentage come from readers. Is there a particular topic you'd like information on? Let me know, and if it's something of general interest that I have experience with, you'll read about it here and get credit for the idea.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
FIRST I want to rectify an error. In my August 1988 column I discussed how to determine the center-of-gravity of a canard (tail-first) airplane. I noted that the sign of the term involving the tail length had to be changed, and it should be multiplied by two when converting the equation from a tail-last equation to a canard equation. Unfortunately, when the canard equation appeared in the August column, the "2" multiplier was missing. It's really necessary to get that canard center-of-gravity equation printed correctly. It appears below as Equation 4.a.
Radio Control: Sport Aerobatics
PICTURE this scene: A Pattern contest has been conducted for four rounds with the Contest Director being sure that contestants were equally exposed to the judges. Then, just before the fifth round starts, it is discovered by a contestant that during the fifth and sixth rounds the judging arrangement will not provide equal exposure to judges. The contestant can demand that either the judging arrangement be changed to guarantee equal exposure, or that the contest be decided based on the four rounds with equal exposure. Right? You must realize that I wouldn't have set it up the way I did if the answer were "Yes." Actually the answer is no; contestants do not have the right to equal exposure to the judges. Before you begin to howl, let's check out the 1988/89 AMA Competition Regulations (the rule book).
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
HERE WE GO AGAIN! I received a letter from James Sanders (Oklahoma City, OK) who is a member of the Baxter Field Club. He says that of the four flying clubs in Oklahoma City, they think theirs is the best. (Don't we all?) Anyway, the main theme of James' letter will strike a familiar chord in the hearts and souls of anyone who has read my column for very long. James wrote: "I am getting into some heated arguments here in Okie land. We here in Oklahoma have our share of wild winds. This leads to the question, `Does an airplane feel the wind (in flight)?' I have a very strong opinion that it does. To prove my point I explain that many an airplane has fallen by shear wind (downdraft). Also, if a small aircraft enters a tornado it will be torn to shreds. Could you please give us your expert view on this subject, `Does an airplane feel the wind?' "
