FREE FLIGHT DURATION
Louis Joyner, 4221 Old Leeds Road, Birmingham AL 35213
WHERE TO BEGIN?
As a writer, that's often the hardest part of putting an article on paper. And for someone interested in Free Flight, exactly how to get started can often be the toughest question.
Just as there is no one right way to start a story, there often isn't one correct approach to Free Flight. Choosing the type of model to begin with will depend on a lot of different factors. Consider the following:
- How much experience do you have in modeling or related activities? Someone who has been building RC gliders, or even plastic display models, could attempt a more-difficult first project than someone who has never held an X-Acto knife.
- How far away is the nearest flying site? If you live within easy driving distance of Lost Hills or one of the other mega-sites, then build a D Gas model or other high-performance type. But if the only available sites are small, then look at some of the lower-performance categories, such as Rubber Scale, P-30, Coupe, and Hand-Launched Glider. To keep up your enthusiasm, and climb quickly up the learning curve, you need to be flying as often as possible.
- What do other people in your area fly? You're going to need some help getting started. It's a lot easier if you build the same type of model as the folks around you. It's even a good idea to pick the same design that a nearby, more-experienced modeler flies.
- What are your physical limitations? Some events, such as Towline and Hand-Launched Glider, require at least some minimum level of fitness. Chasing also requires either reasonable fitness or a motorbike.
- How much money do you have to spend? Free Flight, like most other hobbies and sports, can be as inexpensive or expensive as you want to make it. If you are on a tight budget, consider Rubber Scale, P-30, Hand-Launched Glider, or Catapult Glider. The FAI events (Nordic, Wakefield, and Power) are probably the most expensive to build and fly. If you are interested in competition, you also need to factor in the cost of traveling to contests.
- How much time do you have to spend? Often this is as big a deciding factor as the cost in dollars. Scale models can be very time-consuming, as can building and maintaining a fleet of Power models. Since the Builder of the Model Rule was eliminated for the FAI events, you can trade off building time for the money to buy finished components, or even a ready-to-fly model.
- How much space do you have? If you can appropriate the whole basement for your shop, then you can build just about anything. But if space is limited, then you may need to restrict the size of the models you build as well.
- Are you interested in competition? To make it easy on yourself, and your travel budget, check around to see what events are flown at local contests. More than likely, the local schedule will include at least a few events for simple models.
- What types of models are you most interested in? Some people love the sound of a high-revving engine and the smell of burning castor oil; other people like the quiet grace of a glider circling overhead. Pick something you like. The extra enthusiasm will help get you over the inevitable hurdles.
Are you interested in the latest technology? Certain events (notably the FAI events) almost demand the use of so-called high-tech materials such as carbon fiber and Kevlar. In many other events you can be competitive using traditional materials such as balsa and tissue. In fact, some events, such as Old Timer and Nostalgia, require the use of these materials.
Do you like variety? To be competitive in certain events requires almost total devotion to that event. Often that means building essentially the same model over and over, making slight improvements each time.
I hope this list will help narrow down the choices. One note of caution, based on personal experience: select one event, one model, build it, and fly it. It is very easy to have half a dozen projects going at once and never finish any of them.
Sources:
Unfortunately, Free Flight kits and supplies are usually not available at the local hobby shop. Here are a few sources of kits and supplies to help get you started:
- Campbell's Custom Kits, 7233 Signature Lane, San Antonio, TX 78263 ($3 for catalog).
- FAI Model Supply, Box 366, Sayre, PA 18840-0366 ($2 for catalog).
- Hobby Supply South, 5060 Glade Road, Acworth, GA 30101 ($4 for catalog).
Junior Program:
As a follow-up to last month's column about the Junior World Championships, here's what is involved in being selected for the United States team. Unlike the Open team selection program, which uses a centralized finals to select the three team members in each event, the Junior program looks at a variety of factors. "It's quite subjective," says program administrator Blaine Miller. The selection committee evaluates each Junior's contest performance, his or her modeling resume, and letters of recommendation from active modelers in the Open FAI program. The idea is to identify those young modelers who are serious about modeling and who would best represent the United States in world competition.
Contest performance will be based on scores in at least two America's Cup contests flown between May 3, 1997 and January 4, 1998. The team will be selected in late January or early February to allow time to make travel plans to attend the Junior World Championships, to be held in the summer of 1998.
Remember that the FAI definition of a Junior is different from the AMA definition. For international competition, a Junior is someone who will not turn 19 anytime during the year. In the case of the next Junior World Champs, that means the contestants must be 18 or under for all of 1998.
For the World Championships, Juniors fly F1A (Nordic towline glider), F1B (Wakefield rubber power), and F1J (power). Although the rules are slightly different, most AMA V2A gas models could also qualify for F1J. Remember that the Builder of the Model Rule does not apply for the international events.
If you or someone you know is interested in the Junior FAI team selection program, write to Blaine Miller for more information at 300 S. Eola, Orlando FL 32801. Please include a stamped, self-addressed, legal-size envelope.
The Junior program offers a tremendous opportunity for young modelers to meet like-minded youth from around the world. I just wish there had been something like this when I was a kid.
Jays' Bird Plans:
After about five years and a lot of plans, Frank Parmeter has decided to retire from the Jays' Bird plans business. Frank has donated the vellums for all the different size Jays' Birds to the National Free Flight Society. Now Bob Klipp will be the one spending all his waking hours running off prints of the 1996 Nostalgia Model of the Year. Write to Bob at NFFS Plans, 10115 Newbold Drive, St. Louis MO 63137 for a price list of all NFFS plans. (Enclose a stamped, self-addressed, legal-size envelope.) There are a lot of good plans available for all types of models.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
