Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Electric Replica At Southwest Regionals 2012

This just in!
Bob Angus, Contest Director, has listed Electric Replica (see earlier post) as an event at the Southwest Regionals. It will be flown on Sunday, January 15. Trophies will be presented by SAM 100 for the first three places and prizes will be given to all entrants in the event.

The Comet Kid

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Electric Replica

I bought a little Request 020 replica kit during the Concours night at the 2011 SAM Champs in Boulder NV. An idea began to form. Why not get those 020 Free Flight Replica models to fly on brushed or brushless with the only battery limitation a 2S LiPo of any capacity? I thought we could limit the span to 36". My research on those kits (I have five or six just sitting there.) shows they all came in at that span, near it or under. Then, someone could do a plan of a Lanzo Airborne even if a kit or its accompanying plan was not available. The thing that makes this possible is the current availability of micro 2.4 receivers, servos, speed controllers for brushless, and inexpensive 2S LiPos in the 180 mAh capacity.
This photo shows my 020 replica kit of the Comet Sailplane. Let's get these gems out of the box and into the skies!

Richard Dick - a club member in the Albuquerque Soaring Association - had asked me if his little 020 Replica of the Brooklyn Dodger was eligible to fly in Spirit Of SAM. I had to admit that it can't under the present rules. SOS models are based on rubber powered old timers. It seemed unfair that he could not fly that pretty little model in a SAM event.

Vic Newton (co-founder and flying buddy) volunteered to help me with testing and creation of rules in time for the Southwest Regionals at Eloy, AZ in January of 2012. We will finish our E36 Electric Replica models and encourage others to build for the event. Good friend and SAM 117 member, Jack Hiner, vetted our first rules draft and he likes the simplicity of the event.

I'm sticking my neck out here and will personally buy and present trophies to the first three places at the Southwest Regionals in January 2012.


And now the details:

Electric Replica: a new remote-controlled provisional event for old timers

Goals:

Encourage the building and flying of remote-controlled, replica models of fuel-powered, SAM-legal models. There are many kits and plans available for the current Replica .020 Power event. The advent of reliable, reasonably-priced, micro radio control components makes this class workable and affordable. Added to that is the availability of small brushless in-runner and out-runner electric motors coupled with inexpensive LiPo batteries and inherently safe chargers now on the market.

The Model:

  1. Not to exceed 36” in wingspan projected.
  2. Replica Model of any fuel-powered model kitted or built from plans published by December 31, 1942.
  3. Motor - any electric brushed or brushless in-runner or out-runner
  4. Battery - a 2 cell lithium polymer battery of any capacity
  5. Propeller - fixed, no folding propellers
  6. Landing Gear - Two-wheel landing gear may be substituted for a single wheel.
  7. Construction - Construction is at the discretion of the builder.
  8. Airfoil - Airfoils may be modified, but must retain the characteristic shape of the original, i.e., RAF 32 Type, 6409 type, Single Surface type, Clark Y type etc.

Flight Task:

  1. Motor Run - Motor run is 120 seconds. A restart of the motor after 120 seconds results in a zero score for that flight. This time may be changed at the discretion of the Contest Director.
  2. The model’s score is the sum of the best two of three flights (10 minute max). In the event of more than one competitor achieving two maximum flights, at the discretion of the Contest Director, the winner may be determined by a fly off.

2012 Southwest Regionals at Eloy, AZ


I'm calling your attention to the 2012 62nd Southwest Regionals at Eloy, Arizona January 14,15, and 16. The longest running model airplane contest in the US! For more information and details, go to Al Lidberg's website or drill down to the 2012 Southwest Regionals page. Mary and I attended for the first time in 2011 and we had a truly wonderful time. Bob and Walt Angus (the R/C CDs) really made us feel welcome as newbies from New Mexico. We are making plans to go in January.

(The photo is the LMR fly-off between me and my Brooklyn Dodger and Dave Harding's Stardust Special. We are taking off for an eventful duel. I recall one onlooker said, "You'll probably never see this face-off between two distinctly different aircraft." I won and beat a truly exceptional pilot.)

Photo Credit: Bob Angel

The Comet Kid

Sunday, November 6, 2011

SAM 100 Receives its Charter

Our Charter arrived in the mail! You can see that it's signed by the top brass at SAM. My thanks to Grant Carson, Chapter Coordinator, for expediting my application. I got to meet Ed Hamler and Tommy Gray in person at the Champs this October. Both are great guys. Webmaster Trevor Boundy quickly and efficiently has linked to us from the main SAM Website. So, now our Roadrunner Squadron is official. Stay tuned for a very informal meeting to be announced here soon.
Fly New Mexico!

The Comet Kid
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