Free Flight: Indoor

Free Flight: Indoor

By Bud Tenny

LET'S FLY! By the time you read this, the winter flying season will already be well under way. Whenever the Contest Directors make it possible, I try to publish winter activity schedules. So, if you happen to live near any of these folks, drop in on them; if you are planning any trips, see if you can make one of your trips come out so you can get acquainted with some more fliers. As you know, there are many really nice folks out there!

So, here is what I have; some of these dates should still be good when you read this:

Glastonbury, CT

• Flying sessions: Feb. 8 and April 12, 1981, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.
• Contest: Mar. 8, 1981, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Contest events: WW I Peanut Scale, WW I Fighter Scale, Peanut Scale, Scale, OT Gas Scale, Easy B/Pennyplane, Tissue Endurance and HLG.
• Contact: George Armstead, Jr., 89 Harvest Lane, Glastonbury, CT 06033 for more details and rules.

Miami, FL

• Fly-ins at the 28-ft ceiling Miami Dade South College, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Additional contests at the Goodyear Hangar at Opa Locka Airport in Miami (hangar activity made available through the efforts of Mr. Glenn Key of Goodyear).
• Fly-in dates: Feb. 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19 and May 17, 1981, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Hangar dates: Feb. 1, Mar. 1, Apr. 5 and May 3, 1981.
• Confirm each fly-in the day before by calling 858-6363.

St. Louis, MO

• The McDonnell Douglas FF Club and the Thermaleers sponsor contests at the Market St. Armory, 3600 Market St., St. Louis, on Feb. 15, Mar. 15 and Apr. 5, 1981.
• These contests alternately use regular AMA age classes and the skill-level system proposed by Stan Stoy. AMA-style meets have trophies for age classes and events; skill-level meets use a records-ratio type scoring, with one trophy for each event.
• Contact: Bob Klipp at 867-6106 for more details.

Special events

Much of the fun associated with indoor modeling comes from special events dreamed up by local CDs, who seek to add spice to their contests. Indoor Scale events often have some unusual rules, but the Scale fliers are not the only ones with esoteric tastes. Here are some examples of special events flown by the Willamette Modelers Club (Willamette, OR).

Indoor Old-Timer Scale

1. Models will be built to conform to the same categories as established by SAM for Old-Timer and Antique events.
2. The model must be scaled down from the original, maintaining similar structural type, airfoils, moment arms, dihedral, etc.
3. The model must be rubber-powered.
4. The model must have a wingspan which does not exceed 24 in., projected.
5. The model must be tissue-covered (no condenser paper or similar covering allowed).
6. No folding propellers will be allowed.
7. The model must ROG (the landing gear may be modified or lengthened to allow for increase in prop diameter).
8. The model will be judged on fidelity to the original plan. Proof of scale rests with the contestant. All areas except landing gear length and engine compartment area will be considered in judging.
9. Any sizes of material used may not be of lesser size than scale, but may be larger.
10. All flights will be judged on duration, with six attempts allowed to make one official flight.
11. An official flight is one which is airborne for five or more seconds.
12. Any type of pre-1943 gas model design will qualify. (All of the above except 12 are as per original specs.)

WW I Peanut Scale Scramble

1. Model must have been flown during the 1914–1918 time period; proof of qualification rests with the builder/flier (the airplane did not have to participate in hostilities).
2. Covering and markings of the model must conform to the original, but color of model is optional.
3. 13-in. wingspan rule only—no 9-in. fuselage models.
4. Flight rules: mass launch of all entries; first down is out; last remaining model wins. There will be a 5-minute preparation time between each heat. The model must use the same rubber motor for all flights. Season score is based upon one point for each contestant beaten. Official flight minimum is one point.

P-24

1. Model must use an unmodified, commercially available plastic propeller.
2. No dimension of the model may exceed 24 in.
3. Model must be covered with tissue only (no condenser paper, microfilm or plastic-based covering will be allowed).
4. No external wire or thread bracing, but wood bracing is allowed.
5. A one-piece solid motor stick is required.
6. No gears are permitted.
7. Model must be hand-launched.
8. Model is rubber-powered—best single flight of six attempts wins. An official flight is timed from launch to touch of an obstacle or ground.

The Bostonian Event

One other unusual event, not quite related to Scale, is the Bostonian event. It was invented some time ago by Ed Whitten, and is apparently supposed to take the Manhattan Cabin one step closer to Scale. The current Bostonian rules are:

1. Maximum projected wingspan(s): 16 in.
2. Maximum wing chord(s): 3 in.
3. Maximum propeller diameter: 5 in.
4. Power limited to one or more rubber motors.
5. Minimum weight without rubber motor(s): 7 grams.
6. Maximum overall length: 14 in., measured from the front propeller bearing.
7. Fuselage must contain a theoretical "box" measuring 1-1/2 in. by 2-1/2 in. by 3 in. or larger; the longerons of which must both support the motor(s) and form, or exceed, the box requirement—no motor stick allowed. Fuselage must have a forward windshield and a window on each side, each of which must equal or exceed 1 in. square area.
8. Landing gear must be fixed, with two or more 3/8-in. minimum-diameter wheels, and be rigid enough to support the model to a hand-glided landing.
9. ROG takeoffs are allowed on all flights.
10. Charisma Factor: The judge rates each model depending upon how much the model appeals to him, based on construction neatness, scale-like details, uniqueness of design, etc.—a 1.0 to 10 rating is used. Two or more models may be given the same rating. The models are not rated against each other, but against the 1.0 to 10 scale.
11. An unlimited number of official flights are allowed, with the total in full seconds of the best three flights multiplied by the Charisma Factor.

Bud Tenny, PO Box 545, Richardson, TX 75080.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.