Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
I just received an important phone call from Bob Brown about his work on the FAI Pylon Racing Committee. It seems that, through his hard work, there have been some great developments.
The article I was working on can wait until the next issue, because I feel this information will excite a lot of fliers. Bob has been working on the FAI committee very hard to get things going on an international level. The committee, chaired by then-chairman Hal deBolt, met in Paris, France recently. Here are some of the developments from that meeting and from the committee. I hope most of you get as excited about this as Bob Brown and I did.
Background
The U.S.A. quit racing FAI Pylon in 1975, if my memory serves me right. One of the reasons was that we had about all of the Formula I races that we could handle. Formula I was a little faster, and, for some reason, there weren't many FAI competitions scheduled throughout the year. So it seemed like quite a waste to build an FAI plane to fly only two or three times a year.
The thought at the time when we quit flying FAI was that if we could use our Formula I planes to fly FAI, we would only need one plane for both events. If this were the case, then we could become interested in the event again. The problem was that we weren't the only people flying this event. Therefore, it took some time to get the people involved, on an international level, to start thinking that changing the rules might not be a bad idea. With the U.S.A. not competing, this left quite a void in the FAI Pylon event competitions.
Costs and current state of Pylon Racing
There are a lot of plus factors for getting involved in FAI Pylon, including some that we didn't have a few years ago. The largest factor is the cost of Formula I racing as we have it today. Examples of rising costs:
- A gallon of nitromethane (of which we use 60% to 70% to mix one gallon of racing fuel) has gone from $4–$5 per gallon to $25–$35 per gallon in recent years.
- Glow plugs, which often only last one flight, have gone from $0.39 to $1.50–$2.00 each.
- Engines may only last one contest—if even that. We are running engines harder and to their limits, and engine prices have about doubled in the past six to eight years.
The big factor is that our Pylon Racing has become stagnant. We have not improved anything or grown at all since 1974–75. If anything, we have gotten smaller.
What will FAI Pylon Racing do?
What will FAI Pylon Racing do to increase total racing activity? Why could it even end up taking the place of Formula I?
FAI, with the new rules, will be a new event. There are a lot of us who feel this will be very good for the sport. Most of our current Formula I models will meet the new rules (which were printed in the April 1981 issue of Model Aviation). The ultimate racer for this event would be superior to a current Formula I plane. There are people now flying in the 1:15s with the current setup.
The fuel that is used is the cheapest—usually 80% methanol and 20% oil—and is furnished by the contest management. FAI fuel isn't as high-nitro, so an engine could last a whole season or more. Also, you wouldn't blow a plug every flight.
FAI Pylon Racers must be quiet. This would also help solve the noise problem a lot of clubs are having. In use today is the so-called "magic muffler." While being quiet, it also adds power. I've seen this myself, because John Jennings of Dallas, TX, has been working with the magic muffler for some time. Tuned pipes are also allowed.
FAI Pylon Racing is a worldwide event, and we have been sitting back on the sidelines too long watching almost every other type of modeling event have competitions on a world level. There will be RC Pylon Racing World Championship races, and a U.S. World Championship team will be chosen. I think that this will cause a great deal of interest in Pylon Racing. It will do a lot to get new people involved and will get a lot of the old-timers to come back out and race with us again. So what do you say? Let's give it a try.
Upcoming event
At this time, it looks as if our first FAI race this year will be held Nov. 2–3, 1981, in conjunction with the NMPRA Championship Race in Las Vegas, NV. Both contests would then have the backing of Circus Circus.
Call for input and club news
We don't know what you think unless you write. So let us know your opinions on this new event. One of the purposes or goals that I have is to be able to pass on information to you, the readers, as to what is happening around the country in Pylon Racing, plus some of the new items on the market, hints, and ideas that will help some of you out there.
I can't write what I don't know. I'm not getting any response at all. If your club had a contest, write something about it and send it to me. If you can send some good 5 x 7 black-and-white photos, all the better. But make sure they are good, with a lot of contrast, and include names of the people in the picture. I will give credit to the author or photographer, and send him five bucks if it's printed in MA. Send them directly to me. This is a good way to let people all over know what is going on at the local level. Let us know what is going on in your club this season and share it with all the fliers.
Send your ideas, complaints, or contest coverage to me.
Contact
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77302
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
