Coming soon.
Daily Archives: March 17, 2011
9 posts
INDOOR FLYING AT ALLIANT SPORTS HALL
Flying Rules
- Membership in AMA and SEFSD is required for all RC pilots
- Only rubber soled shoes like Tennis and Court shoes are allowed.
- No food, gum, GLUE or drink is allowed on the courts.
- Stay away from all walls and fixtures, any planes caught in the overhead will be removed by the Maintenance Dept, when they get around to it!
- Indoor models shall weigh less than 16 oz, and be capable of slow flight.
- All charging must be in a fireproof container like a LiPoSack or metal container.
Results coming soon
Mandatory Technical Inspection of Team Selection Equipment shall take place Friday, September 23rd , at 6PM at Steve Neu’s, home, 4981 Armin Way, San Diego, 92115, (619) 318-8301. Conduct of the contest (except for SEFSD Field Specific Rules below) and equipment shall be per the requirements of FAI Sporting Code, Section 4C – Aeromodelling, Volume F5, 2011 Edition with changes approved at April, 2011 CIAM Plenary session and listed herein.
5.5.4.1 Definition
b) Model Aircraft Specifications :
Minimum weight without battery ……….1000g
Minimum Surface Area ………………….26.66 dm^2
Type of battery …………………………..Lithium Polymer
Maximum number of equivalent cells in series :.6 10
(cells in parallel are not permitted)
Minimum weight of battery pack……… 450 g
Maximum weight of battery pack……….600 g
Limitation of energy by an electronic
limiter that stops the motor………………1750 watt-minute (maximum)
5.5.4.2 Course Layout and Organization
a) …The sighting device for the safety plane is placed at a distance of a
minimum of 20 m from Base A or B outside of the course (if possible).
5.5.4.4 Launching
d) After the aircraft is hand launched and the stopwatch is started, no
further launching is allowed and flight is being considered as official, the
model aircraft being airborne or not.
5.5.4.5 Distance Task
e)…must remain at Base A on the safe side of the safety plane until the
distance…
g) The flight is annulled if the duration and landing task has not been
started and also the landing does not occur on the designated flying side
of the safety plane and within 100 m from the intersection of that line with
Base A or B.
h) If the model aircraft shows technical problems (i.e. motor stop, radio
problems etc.) and/or flies in a unsafe manner during the distance task,
scoring will stop competitor must land the model immediately. The flight is
given a score of zero (0) for the round. Unsafe flying includes crossing of
the safety line as defined in 5.5.4.2. Erratic flying may also be considered
unsafe and the flight stopped at the discretion of the contest director or his
designated official.
5.5.4.6 Duration and Landing
h) Flying through or close to the distance course in a manner that
interferes with another competitors distance task flight will result in a
penalty of 100 points from the pilots score of this round. This penalty can
be applied by the CD or a designated official.
SEFSD Field Specific Rules
Organization of Starts. Flight order for the first round will be by random draw Friday Evening. The first flight will be at 11:00 AM Saturday morning. We plan to complete 4 rounds on Saturday, and 4 rounds on Sunday. There will be one throw out score. Due to use of lithium batteries and allowance of 1 battery pack per 2 rounds per competitor, the contestants are expected to be able to fly consecutively without delays for battery charging.
Course Layout and Organization. SEFSD Club field cannot accommodate simultaneous and uninterruptible Distance and Duration flight tasks. Therefore, we will strive to have at most (2) models on Duration or (1) model on Distance and (1) model on Duration with 4:00 to 7:00 minute spacing. There will be (2) sets of landing circles provided : one at the West end of the field and one adjoining the Distance Course. The first pilot in the air shall use the West set and the 2nd pilot either the West or Distance set. There should be no landings occurring during a Distance task if the Duration contestant seeks maximum points. In the event of an emergency on Duration, the Administrators shall reserve the right to abort the Distance flight to allow the Duration Contestant to safely land.
Altitude Restriction. SEFSD Club field has a 400ft altitude restriction enforceable during proximity of full scale aircraft . Interference during Distance will be judged by the Base A official, the pilot directed to land immediately and be granted a reflight. Interference during Duration will be judged by the timing official; the pilot may be directed to change course and/or lower altitude and may be granted a reflight if interference is judged detrimental to flight and not collateral to circumstances within the control of the pilot such as running out of battery energy. The pilot is expected to honestly communicate his circumstances with the official timer.
Distance Safety Plane. SEFSD Club has an East-West fence adjoining the pit area. The Base A and Base B sighting devices will be aligned with that fence. Pilots are expected to fly from the South side of the fence, behind the sighting devices. The safe flying area is nominally 5 m North of the fence and not South of the fence in any case.
Entry fees for the Team Selection Trials will be $75 USD. Entry fees will include lunch, and drinks at the field each day. Lunch will be available to non-contestants for $15. San Diego weather in late September ranges from 65 to 85 degrees f. The event will be held at our field at the South Shores Park in Mission Bay, San Diego, CA.
F-5B Team Selection entries must be received by September 11th 2011. Entry shall consist of E-mail to the Contest Director containing Contestant’s name, address, phone #, AMA #. Payment of entry fees is expected prior to or at Equipment Check in. F5B Team Trial entrants must separately meet AMA’s deadlines, FAI Program entry fees and FAI program eligibility requirements. No attempt will be made to vet eligibility prior to or during the competition. The unofficial contest results will be forwarded to AMA with 2012 Romania Team comprised of the top 3 placing eligible competitors. The FAI program contact at AMA is Ms. Colleen Pierce (800) 435-9262 x252 or cpierce@modelaircraft.org . Any entrants needing certification as Qualified to Fly FAI F5B Team Trials may do so at our monthly club practice sessions (appointments in advance are required), here in San Diego, or contact AMA for other methods to attain eligibility.
Further information may be had by contacting Steve Manganelli, smanganelli@earthlink.net (619) 534-1383 or 119 W. Walnut Ave. #9, San Diego, CA 92103-4842.
Best of luck to all entrants and please feel free to pass this information on to anyone interested in joining the competition.
Steve Manganelli
Member, Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego
Contest Director
Crowded Target
Electroglide results for August
It was an overcast and windy morning for the August Electroglide. Lindbergh Field was reporting North West winds of 8 mph at 9:00 am, but it felt a bit stronger at our flying field.
We had a good turnout of nine pilots, most of whom were flying Radians. Jon Graber flew an Easy Star 2 and Brian McCune flew a big, pretty Multiplex Heron in the open class.
Off & Running
The first launch looked great, with all nine aircraft charging up into a now westerly breeze. After “motors off “, most pilots headed west looking for the lift coming from Sea World’s parking lot. The wind made it tricky to stay in the lift however, with only Bob Stinson and Roger Ball staying aloft beyond 5 minutes. Bob had the longest flight of 5 min. 13 seconds and topped that with a 30-point landing.
The second launch was similar in flight times and conditions, but the landings for extra credit became really fun. Take a look at the enclosed pictures, that’s three of us parked in the bullseye and a forth aircraft halfway in. That round had three 30 point landings, two 20 point landings and two 10 point landings. Roger Ball had the longest flight of 5:10 and one of the 10 point landings. Really good flying guys.
Concentration
The third launch found the wind a bit stronger and the flight times were mostly in the mid 3 minutes. Only Scott Vance and Brian McCune had times above 4 minutes. Scott had a 4:30 aloft and Brian had his Multiplex Heron working well for a winning time of 6:37.
The fourth and final launch had short flight times as well, the lift being hard to find. Scott Vance and Brian McCune again had the longest flights. Scott had 4:04 aloft and Brian had 5:14. Most of us managed to land on the runway, but only Scott (20 pt.) and Rich (10 pt.) made the target circles.
More Concentration
Placing first for the day is Scott Vance at 216 points. Second place goes to Bob Stinson at 170 points and third place goes to Brian McCune with 150 points.
Bob Stinson and I noted that, as far as we can remember, no one has scored four 30 point landings in one Electroglide competition. Scott Vance had three last Saturday, his final landing coming close with 20 points.
For those of you who do not know the rules for an Electroglide, we only allow 20 seconds of motor run time. During those 20 seconds we have to get our aircraft high enough (max of 400 ft.), so it can glide to where we think the lift will be. If we find some lift that’s great, because each minute aloft is worth six points and every ten seconds is worth 1 point.
We set the maximum flight time per launch at 10 minutes. If we fly beyond that, no score is awarded. If we land off the runway, again, no score is awarded. Extra points come from landing in the target circles, (30, 20 and 10 points). The first aircraft that lands on the runway gets a “Lucky Dog “award, which means the time aloft is doubled.
Remember, all this flying is done “Dead Stick”, the motor is turned off after the first 20 seconds. Like the other contests the club organizes, this kind of flying teaches you to pay close attention to your aircraft and that translates to good flying skills for any pilot.
Want to try? This is challenging and fun. The next Electroglide is scheduled for September 17th at 9:30.
Until then,
Jeff Struthers
Home of the San Diego Electroglide
The Electroglide is the third Saturday of each month, pilots meeting 09:15 with a 9:30 am first launch. The whole contest, with the 10 minute limits for each round lasts short of an hour. This LMR (Limited Motor Run) event is designed for any motor glider powered by a brushless motor dimensions not to exceed 28mm in diameter and 16mm in length, with a max of a 3 cell (11.1 volts) battery. The contest consists of four consecutive, group launches, with all classes flying simultaneously. The total score will be determined by final placing in each class. No inter-launch battery charging, or exchange will be allowed. Bonus points for accurate landings, are to be assessed from the nose of the aircraft — 10, 20, or 30 points per flight. Landings off field, flights longer than 10 minutes, or the use of additional motor run time will result in a zero-zero score.
Class Definition:
Radian Class: Factory Parkzone Radian with no modifications. Battery limited to 1300 mAh. Easy Star Class: Factory Multiplex Easy Star with no modifications. Battery limited to 2200mAh. Open Class: Any 2 meter wingspan airframe can be used. 3 cell battery with no limitations on mAh. Motor not to exceed 35mm dia., 33mm overall length. No battery exchange or charging during the contest.
SCORE SHEET – See below or Download your own copy here.
AUDIO FILE for ipod and similar devices – Audio File |
EMAC Results for 2017 coming soon. . .
EMAC Has Been Cancelled by order of the SEFSD BOD, 7/2017.
2017 EMAC RULES
? 1. Six practices and best four will be used for the final standings.?
? 2. Anyone can move to adifferent class if they wish, no restriction.?
? 3. 4 classes will be flown: Basic, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced.?
? 4. All participants are encouraged to be prepared to fly two sequences each round.?
? 5. All sequences will be from the IMAC 2017 schedule.?
? 6. Judging rules will be from IMAC.?
? 7. Schedule to be announced and records kept on the SEFSD site or linked.?
? 8. Awards given at the year’s end. At least first, second, third in each class.?
? 9. All SEFSD field rules shall apply.?
• See Tim’s EMAC Flying & Judging Seminar
RC-Airplane-World has a nice website with good information to get started in aerobatics.
2017 EMAC EVENTS
Feb 19: Aircraft Trim Clinic and EMAC Demonstration. See Calendar for 2017 EMAC dates.
2017 EMAC ROUTINES
Sources explaining Aresti symbolls:
CLINIC….WHAT’S A CLINIC…
GETTING READY FOR PRECISION AEROBATICS
Assuming that you now have an airplane suitabe for basic aerobatic operation AND you have installed a good power system and have several battery packs (one is really not enough)… AND you have the best servos that your pocket book can stand….. AND you have zero slop in all flying surfaces…then you are ready to proceed down the road to precision aerobatics.
Trust me that if you go cheap on any of the aforementioned you risk distress and head scratching which will slow down your progress.
Setting up your aircraft is next and you maybe asking “what do I do next?”
Next step is…..fly the aircraft and watch what it is doing. Hopefully it will stay straight and level with power on and power off. Pull to upline vertical and go 300 to 400 feet up without correction from you. If it fails to do these reasonable well then you must adjust:
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- Center of gravity
- Engine thrust
- Decalogue of wing or stab
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Two tests that I suggest for CG, assuming that you have set it at manufacturer’s recommendations, are…..Test # 1. get up high and fly downwind and roll to inverted and fly for 200 or so feet and watch to see how much down elevator is required to keep it in level flight. It should require a little bit. If it climbs or falls substantially then you must adjust the CG until it does what I described. Test # 2. pull to a 45 degree upline and roll to inverted again and watch how much it drops the nose. Without down elevator it should just gradually begin to arc toward the ground……very slight arc….the longer that line goes without arcing the closer it is to being right. Down wind test may arc a little less than upwind.
Keep your adjustments small until you achieve this balance because it is essential to get this right. Fudge toward the aircraft being a little nose heavy as it is easier to land and will not be as pitch sensitive and it will stay on heading a little better that way.
If power on power off shows the airplane to climb and or dive then the thrust line is in need of adjustment. If you are carrying up trim in your elevator to get it to fly straight and level at full power than you have too much down thrust in the set up. If the airplane stays straight on horizontal flight when you power up and power down than move on.
If this is in the bag then begin to look at how the top of a vertical line ends up. Does the aircraft go left, right, to the wheels or to the canopy? Small adjustments to the motor thrust line will pay dividends and keep it straight a little longer. A small washer here or there will usually do what you want to get that line a bit longer.
Your ultimate goal is to have an aircraft that is in a groove in horizontal and vertical flight…….NOT BUSY….. as in requiring constant corrections to keep it in a straight line. If your airplane is busy than your thumbs will be busy and that is definitely not a good thing.
If your aircraft is flying straight then be happy, burn electrons, and bring the aircraft and fully charged batteries to the first clinic for more advanced setup tests and modifications.
February 19 at 10am. Pedro Brantuas, Ray Fulks and I will be there to consult with you and fly your aircraft and make further adjustments to: Exponential, amount of throw, differential, and small mixing programs that will make your thumbs relax even more.
Tim Attaway
AEROBATICS-FLYING SMOOTHLY AND ACCURATELY
By Tim Attaway
One of the first things one must ask oneself is do you like a challenge. Precision aerobatics is a challenge that will infect you with a desire to learn to fly straight and loop beautifully and then expand on these two essentials. When asked what to practice first my standard reply is learn to fly wings level and do loops that maintain constant radius and stay on heading. Sound simple enough? The neat thing about getting into this is that any aircraft that is straight and set up correctly will allow you to practice these things anytime you want, adding little things to your repertoire until you are able to do a number of really nice looking figures. The basic figures that comprise the beginner level are really simply horizontal lines, vertical lines, 45 degree lines, simple axial rolls, and then spins and stall turns to provide a bit of spice.
When you have soloed and you have moved up to more challenging aircraft…perhaps a low wing tail dragger. Take offs and landings are in the bag so to speak and you are looking for new things to try then pilots frequently are caught rolling and looping and keeping good control of the aircraft all of the time and they begin to watch what others are doing with their aircraft. Often times you will be impressed by someone who seems to be disciplined and is trying new things. You want to go there too but you do not know how to get on that road.
The road begins with watching the action at the field and picking out certain aircraft that you like the look of and can afford…both time and moneywise and talk to those that are flying these aircraft. Many new aerobatic planes exist on the market and asking questions about them is a terrific idea. One club member that comes to my mind is Craig Hunter who approached me repeatedly when I was flying a Fliton Extra 330 and plied me with questions about this and that and took pictures and asked how I liked the plane. This went on for quite a while and I was wondering if it would come together and sure enough I know that he is successfully using that very good airplane to practice precision aerobatics.
Once an aircraft has your fancy and you think it will fly straight then the next thing you must do is put it together correctly with the best servos and dependable power system that you can afford and begin to fly it and watch what it is doing when you try to fly straight lines of all types. Here’s the thing: light weight means a light wing loading…..a very good thing…., you must then get the center of gravity correct, you must get the thrust lines correct, and you must get the control throws correct. When these are achieved you will be amazed at how much pleasure you will get from flying that aircraft. Small airplanes are at a disadvantage because they tend to jump around a bit and seem to flit around instead of groove through aerobatic maneuvers. The larger the aircraft the more solid it feels through turbulence because of the higher Reynolds Numbers. RN is the laminar flow principles that air produces as it flows through or around an object.
Google it if you would like to find out more about RN.
This installment, as you noticed, is all about the important questions…..do you want to fly smoothly and do you have the right tool for the job? Once you get past these two in the affirmative then the next stage in development is to try to trim the aircraft to fly straight and level without touching the sticks….(once in level flight). There is so much to learn in setting up a good aircraft but when you do have one set up and you like the feel of it in flight then you are ready to try loops that have constant radius throughout and slow rolls that require small inputs on rudder and elevator to hold the heading and roll rate constant. Think about flying the nose of the aircraft and making your rudder and elevator guide the nose at all times by pressurizing those two surfaces. There is nothing more excellent and exciting then to see a brilliantly performed slow roll from one end of the field to the other. Once you learn to do them then rolling loops and circles are just around the corner.
Tim
Mini Ultra Stick and T-28 Racing Results.
Race results from September 15th:
Scoring:
1 st Place = 10 points
2nd = 8
3rd = 6
4th = 4
5th = 2
Each cut = -2