SEN 3289
- 2025 SYMPO Model of the Year / Achievements of the Year
- Invention is the Mother of Necessity
- The question is where does chance end.
- Livno 1985 had beautiful weather, gentle wind and nice afternoon thermals.
2025 SYMPO Model of the Year / Achievements of the Year
From: Walt Ghio
I have been selected to be the Model of the Year chairman for the 2025
SYMPO. For this year we have decided to make a change to the format
of asking for models. What we would like to do is include a special
award for supporting items that make our models preform. This would
be like a new timer system or a new concept for a rubber model prop
drive. Could also be a different type of construction or a new method
for the use of carbon in our models. In the past we have had many
articles in the MOY that were not models and sometimes referred to as
“Special Awards”. I reviewed the past nine years of SYMPO’s and
twelve special award articles were included in the nine SYMPO’s. The
new format would be called “Model of the Year / Achievements of the
Year”.
Please send me any model or achievement’s that you would believe to
be a candidate for this year’s SYMPO. With the review that I did it was
interesting to see that very few gas models were selected. Most
popular models were indoor models with scale models next in line.
My e-mail is: f1bwalt@comcast.net
Thank you, Walt Ghio
Invention is the Mother of Necessity
From: Ross Jahnke
The old joke “Why does a dog lick its #####? Because it can,” comes to mind when I read these posts about timing models in the electronic era. The electronics have given us the ability to “lick” parts that have thus far been out of reach, but should we? Do we really need to start doing that? Altimeters and GPS scratch and itch, giving us useful data on the flight characteristics and help us locate our models, but why must we use that information to change the way we score our flights? It does not eliminate chance for the sport, and chance is part of what makes free flight intriguing. If the only answer is we must make this change because we can, I don’t think it’s good enough.
The question is where does chance end.
I think that we all understand that thermal picking is like all forms of weather forecasting some science, some art and some luck. We accept that. We also know that to quote a well known golfer , the more I practice, the luckier I get. Same with pre flight checks, quality of construction, aeronautical design, etc . Because we try to eliminate luck be doing those things better , it is worse and discouraging when some of the other luck items like getting a ‘blind’ or distracted timekeeper does not seem like acceptable bad luck.
But when it comes to something like timing a 4 second F1C motor run that requires excellent reaction time and hearing and an error of 0.1 is significant. Or where cases of accidental mistiming by the challenges to the eye sight of the available timers on distance or human error on timing the wrong model are getting sufficiently common that they are discouraging participation either as a contestant or organizer so we need to do something.
I was present when a group of USA FAI sportsmen were discussing the possible next World Champs to be hosted by the USA . They had noted that it would be a few years yet but they had already identified a possible CD. That person’s instant response was “Only if automated timing is permitted by then”. It is very difficult to get the required number of timer to run a big event to a very high standard.
Finally there is the elephant in the corner that we don’t want to talk about or admit that does happen and that is deliberate mis-timing , i.e. cheating or the assignment of a timer who the organizers knows is not suitable but they just don’t have anyone else or any other alternate . The editorial opinion is different from Ross’s in that we believe that these non-luck cases along with some difficult to interpret civil air space rule like “unaided line of sight” represent a significant risk to free flight that we must do something about it. Maybe that is automated timing or maybe making big changing to the model specs?
Livno 1985 had beautiful weather, gentle wind and nice afternoon thermals.
From: Alex A
Livno 1985 had beautiful weather, gentle wind and nice afternoon thermals.
Back at those days I was extremely happy to achieve 5 minute flight in clean air. And yes, I did measure rubber energy. Best Pirelli produced 1200 kg*m/kg and today rubber generates 2000. Best models today with the best motors and perfect flight can make almost 8 minutes in clean air. With 23 gram motor it will be 5 to 6 minutes… I do not see anything wrong with it??. We can go back to 3 minutes max in the morning.
Well, some of this performance improvement is because models are better now.
Alex Andriukov
SEN Status
Our new web site is online with archives of SEN going back to 1997 plus many items about FAI Free Flight. It can be found at http://www.faifreeflight.org
Existing SEN subscribers can update their preferences by following the update your preferences link at the bottom of this page.
New users can sign up at this link http://eepurl.com/crOnvj
or at the SEN website
…………..
Roger Morrell