Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
With spring almost here, most of you are getting ready to go out and test that new pylon racer you built when it was too cold to do anything else. Some of you have not flown since last fall. While you don't forget how to fly, you are more apt to make a few dumb mistakes the first time back. Whoever you are, it sometimes pays to be a little careful.
Radio gear and batteries
What about your radio gear? Have you kept your batteries charged up all winter? There are several devices on the market that will cycle your batteries automatically and tell you what shape they are in. I believe it is well worth the investment. It took me about six years and the loss of one of my best Formula One planes (due to battery failure) for me to realize just how good an investment it is.
Engines
What about that engine that ran so well last fall? You say it is 1,000 RPM low and it doesn't seem to unload in the air? In most cases you should replace the bearings. It doesn't take much moisture to cause a bearing to go bad.
Finishes and scale judging
I received quite a response regarding my comments on the finishes we put on our Formula One planes. It seems most of you who have been flying for quite a while don't want to change. I feel the same way about it. But wait a minute — we are not the ones who are important. We are already racing. What about the ones who are not racing but would like to? Why aren't these people racing? These are the people we need to hear from. These are the people who will help pylon racing grow.
The responses were split about 50–50. There were those who wanted scale judging of Formula One to remain the same. Their argument is that we have the best-looking and fastest airplanes in the hobby. If we do away with scale judging, we will start getting a lot of junk. None of us want that.
The other half who responded didn't think that would happen. They felt a little less importance placed on the finish would allow the novice or beginner a chance to get started.
I think we may have lost something somewhere. It seems as though the plane that crosses the finish line first is the one that wins the race; it doesn't matter what it looks like. I personally have not seen any poorly finished Formula One planes that are capable of going fast enough to win.
People in Texas and Oklahoma have been racing without scale judging for three or four years now. It hasn't really changed much in the way people finish their planes, but it has allowed some new people to get started with a lot less hassle.
So there are those who would like scale judging of Formula One to remain the same and those who would like to see a change. It seems to me that those who would like to see a change are people who are racing Club 500 or Quarter Midget, or those who would like to get started in racing but don't want to put all the effort into the finish. It doesn't take much math to figure out that with some simple changes we could double the number of people racing Formula One.
How about a compromise? Perhaps the top 10% or so would get the first starts and the rest would draw straws. Perhaps only one plane would be picked as number one, and that pilot would take off first in each heat he raced; the rest would draw straws. There are lots of different approaches. Let's hear from you on this.
Tangerine Contest results
Each year between Christmas and New Year's there is a race held in Florida at the annual Tangerine Contest. They had a good turnout this year, with 22 entries in Formula One and 16 in Quarter Midget. Here’s how they finished.
Formula One Top Ten:
- John McDermott
- Greg Doe
- Mike Southard
- Bruce Richmond
- Bob Brogden
- Bill Williamson
- Dave Pearce
- Dan McCan
- Dave Kelly
- Norm Johnson
Quarter Midget Top Ten:
- Dave Latsha
- Dennis O'Brien
- Gail Jacobson
- Stu Richmond
- Rod Gier
- Lew Hipkins
- Greg Doe
- Bo Clinton
- Gary Walker
- Paul Schattauer
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77302
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
