Radio Control: Soaring
Dan Pruss
THE GREAT Bi-Centennial RC Sailplane race! Open to the first 17 AMA chartered clubs that pre-register (one club for each frequency). The task will be a cross-country goal and return race—total distance of 76 kilometers (got it? 1776).
Scheduled for July 17, in conjunction with the Seventh S.O.A.R. Nationals, the race will have the following restrictions:
- Open only to AMA chartered clubs.
- One entry per club.
- No restrictions as to sailplane functions, but sailplane must be within AMA size and weight criteria.
- Sailplane must have a red, white, and blue color scheme and carry a patriotic slogan or theme (press-on lettering works good for this).
- A club may enter one sailplane and flier.
- One back-up flier will be allowed.
- Both fliers must be LSF—level III or higher.
- Individual clubs must provide at least the following:
a) an assistant (back-up flier can serve as assistant); b) a chase vehicle; c) a timer (timer to be exchanged with other clubs); d) their own launch equipment (maximum launch potential of 300 meters will be allowed on hand-tow, high-start, and winch devices).
- Any number of re-launches will be allowed during the race (S.O.A.R. will provide winches only for the initial launch).
- Sailplanes entered in this task need not be entered in the regular S.O.A.R. Nationals competition; however, pilots must be...
Prizes will include awards for the shortest overall time, longest leg, least number of launches, and most patriotic-looking sailplane. So make this a club effort! Pick your best fliers, best builders; let the artistically inclined allow brushes and palettes to help the project.
After the foregoing idea was first conceived a feeler was put out to a few sailplane enthusiasts around the country. Reaction to such an event couldn't have been more enthusiastic. Italy polled possible renewal of the Mille Miglia—you're coming? SOAR Nationals planned coming early just might see the event. It could usher in a whole new concept: inter-club competition versus regular competition.
Seventh Soaring Nationals will be held at Lewis University, Lockport, IL, July 19-20-21 following TGB-CR/CSR events. This year will include three sailplane classes per definitions in AMA rules. However, there will be no class jumping. Sailplanes meeting specifics of classes B and C must fly their respective class. A wild-card feature will again be used this year; it enables a flier to use his last round flying better in either precision or duration scores. Modelers getting geared to the FAI program this year decided duration tasks will be six minutes max. Allowable line length of 200 meters will also be used; 300-meter lines (scale) using AMA/NSS provisional rules. Past limitation of 15 contestants per frequency has been raised to 20. Again, awards will be given for team competition, best design, and best technical achievement. Further details and entry form — send SASE to address at end of column.
No doubt soaring has the greatest competition flier/sport flier ratios of RC flying. This year's contest calendar helps bear out the FAI team selection program. Contest season itself is well underway. Jim Simpson, FAI Contest Coordinator, says already 16 clubs have plans. Quarter-finals include Blairsville, PA; York, PA; Colorado Springs; Denver; Clovis, NM; Washington, DC; Chicago; Miami; Idaho; Wyoming — working out specific sites. Spokane, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Fort Wayne, Tullahoma, TN; Elmira will host quarter-finals and semi-finals. Remember quarter-finals are held during May; the semi-finals over the July 4th weekend; finals will be in Denver (change from earlier announced Albuquerque site over Labor Day weekend). There is still time to plan competing; moreover, any club wanting to host a quarter-final should write Jim Simpson, 1437 Norwood, Hurst, TX 76053, 817-282-5735.
John Nielsen, finance chairman, reports the FAI program is well underway and is appealing to US soaring with an eye toward the US team, South Africa.
Radio Control: Soaring
Best fliers and your best builder(s), and let those that are artistically inclined allow their brushes and palettes to help in the project.
After the idea for the foregoing was first conceived, a "feeler" was put out to a few sailplane enthusiasts around the country. The reaction to such an event couldn't have been any more enthusiastic than if all of Italy was polled for the possible renewal of the Mille Miglia. If you're coming to the S.O.A.R. Nationals, plan on coming early. You just might see an event that could usher in a whole new concept for inter-club competition.
The regular competition for the Seventh Soaring Nationals will be held at Lewis University, Lockport, IL, July 19-20-21 (following TGB-CR/CSR). Events this year will include all three sailplane classes as per definitions in the AMA rules. However, there will be no class "jumping." Sailplanes that meet the specifics of classes A, B, or C must fly in that respective class.
The "wild card" feature will again be used this year. This enables the flier to use the last round of flying to better either the precision or duration scores. With so many modelers getting geared for the FAI program this year, it was decided that the duration tasks will be of six minutes. The max allowable line length of 200 meters will also be used, with 300-meter lines for scale using AMA/NSS provisional rules. The past limitation of 15 contestants per frequency has been raised to 20. Again, awards will be given for team competition, best design, and best technical achievement. For further details and entry form, send S.A.S.E. to address at the end of this column.
There is no doubt that soaring has one of the greatest competition flier/sport flier ratios in RC flying. This year's contest calendar helps bear this out.
The FAI team selection program — which is a contest season in itself — is well underway. Jim Simpson, FAI Contest Coordinator, says that already 16 clubs have plans for as many quarter-finals. Included are Blairsville, PA; York, PA; Colorado Springs; Denver; Clovis, NM; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and Miami. Idaho and Wyoming are working out specific sites. Spokane, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Fort Wayne, Tullahoma, TN, and Elmira will host quarter-finals and semi-finals. Remember that the quarter-finals are held during May — the semi-finals over the July 4th weekend. The finals will be in Denver (a change from the earlier announced Albuquerque site) over the Labor Day weekend. You still have time to plan on competing; moreover, if your club wants to host a quarter-final, there is time for that too. For particulars write to: Jim Simpson, 1437 Norwood, Hurst, TX 76053, 817-282-5735.
John Nielsen, finance chairman for the FAI program, has his program well underway. He is appealing to all of us in soaring to back the U.S. team to South Africa by becoming a team supporter. To qualify it'll cost ten bucks and for that you'll get a bumper sticker telling others you are backing the U.S.A. RC Sailplane Team. But that's not all you receive for ten dollars.
You will also get a dozen chances on a list of prizes that would make planners for a state lottery envious. Through the generosity of some manufacturers whose names should be emblazoned in neon lights, the following prizes will be raffled. And since the prizes will be drawn at random as the winners are, the list of donors are listed at random here. A ten-speed
RC Soaring (continued)
Schwinn bicycle, a $425 crate of balsa wood from Midwest Products Co. — call that one a lifetime supply just as the five 25-ft. rolls of Monokote (with iron) from Top Flite are. Two Magnum 12s from Scarecraft, a Du-Bro Tri-Star helicopter, a Kraft 61 engine, six — count 'em — radios from EK Logictron and, from Cox/Sanwa and Airtronics an Aquila with radio — a Gee biplane with radio and engine, and a Q-Tee with engine and radio. You'll note that some of the prizes are in the non-sailplane field. This will enable you to encourage your other-than-sailplane enthusiasts (word is that there are just a few left) to get in on the raffle.
Support the team! Support the manufacturers!
While on the subject of contests, the AMA Nationals in Dayton will have a three-day soaring event under the C.D. Bob Miller and the D.A.R.T.S.
Because of the "heavy" schedule, especially among the clubs supporting the FAI eliminations, the L.S.F. Tournament will be a one-site contest again this year. San Francisco is the general area, and Contest Director Kirby Parker, LSF/721, is going to take all of the blame this year. Details as they become available.
In the October, 1975, issue of Model Aviation, a near solution to tow-line breakage was described as proposed by "Greater Detroit" and Lansing fliers. This month Chet Tuthill of the Coffee Airfoliers has sent us drawings for a "better mousetrap." His and Jim Robinson's article follows.
Answer to Towline Breakage
One problem that plagues the RC soaring community is the problem of towline breakage. It forces the contest director to rule in favor of a re-flight for a contestant, even though he knows in his own mind that the contestant involved will routinely be the only one at the contest that will consistently break the line. It worries the other contestants when line breakage occurs because when they follow a launch where the line broke they are afraid of a weakened line. Also, line breakage always seems to occur at the wrong time; sometimes resulting in a rapid re-kitting of the model on the tow; and nearly always results in a few hairy moments of pilot spasms during recovery.
The "answer" will not prevent line breakage, but it will place the cause definitely as being a fault of the line and not the contestants. It will take all of the decision making away from the C.D. because a contestant will get an automatic re-flight if a line breaks. The answer lies in a maximum available line force which is set below the line's breaking strength. If a contestant attempts to exceed the maximum force available, but by using the usual pulsing action, known around here as the "Tennessee Toe-Tap," he can obtain the desired tow in a regular manner. Thus, the system functions as all winches do up to the allowable maximum load without fear of breaking the line. The system will work with any winch; 12-volt, 6-volt, 2-in. drum, 4-in. drum, or whatever. The system requires no modification to any winch. It can be calibrated (if required) very easily.
The system, devised by Jim Robinson of the Coffee Airfoliers, is shown in the figure. The heart of the system is the mount on which the winch is placed. The mount in the sketch shows the weight of the winch but can be further restrained as deemed necessary. The platform which supports the winch is attached to the base by way of a pivot rod. Rotation of the platform about this rod is resisted by the compression spring. Rotation of the platform, caused by the pull on the towline, is sensed by the switch which cuts power to the solenoid when the pull reaches a pre-set value. If the line pulls, the power to the winch is reduced, power is restored, and the cycle repeats cyclically as required to maintain the applied force at the pre-set limit (which is pre-set to a value below the line breakage point). Actual operation is easier than it is to describe in words. The amount of allowable force is easily varied by screwing in or out on the nut on the spring rod while holding the fish scale (or equivalent) and noting the pull exerted on the towline.
Try it — it works — you'll like it.
New Clubs
Well through their first year with many activities under their wings is the Western Pennsylvania Conference on Soaring. Dave Burt, Gene Shelkey and Co. have got the Blairsville, Pa. area "off the ground." So, if you're interested in joining an RC sailplane club and you're from that area, contact either of the above. Addresses: Dave Burt, 180 S. 8th St., Apt. 4, Indiana, Pa. 15701; Gene Shelkey, 217 Euclid Ave., Scottdale, Pa. 15683.
The newly formed Mid-Ohio Soaring Society (MOSS) is made up of at least 24 members from the Columbus area. Their first effort at a club newsletter was excellent. If you're looking for thermals and a club in Mid-Ohio, contact William F. Deummel, 7766 Candlewood Lane, Worthington, OH 43085.
And while we're on the subject of addresses: National Soaring Society (NSS — see S10), c/o Stanley Pfost, 1481 Howell Branch Rd., Winter Park, FL 32789.
League of Silent Flight (LSF — Free): P.O. Box 39068 Dept. AM, Chicago, IL 60639.
My address: Dan Pruss, Box 490 Dept. AM, Plainfield, IL 60544.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
