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The Nats are about two months away. Last year Jim Jennings put up 24 (twenty four) flights to win the event as well as setting a new Category III B-electric record. The motor run was 15 seconds for the three official flights and 10 seconds for the flyoff rounds. There is no doubt that the marathons will repeat if the weather cooperates this year.
Although such marathons might be personally satisfying, it undercut participation in the event. A urgent rule change – which was to cut the motor run to 10 seconds in the official flights and 5 seconds in the flyoff flights – got canned by the Chairperson of the Free Flight Board, without even being submitted to the rest of the board. And changes in the regular rule cycle will only be effective in 2011.
As a teenager, I happened to observe the F1C World Championship at Cranfield, England in 1960. The flyoff max was fixed at 3 minutes, and the better models were flying 3:30-4:00 minutes. After many flyoffs five fliers remained clean: Pimenoff (Finland), Guerra (Italy), Sheppard (New Zealand) , Hagel (Sweden) and our Larry Conover. And the next year, the flyoff max was increased by one minute steps and later to the current two minute steps. What is certain is that CIAM was proactive in addressing this problem.
It is evident that the Free Flight Contest Board does not view this excess performance as a hole in the dike. My suggestion is that we come up with an agreement among ourselves to avoid marathons. So what do you think can be done within the AMA rule book? (There is actually more flexibility, if you read the rule book carefully.)
And yes, I’ll make a few B-electric flights at the Nats provided I have a surviving model.
Changing the rules mid-cycle has been addressed and tossed.
Changing the rules for the NATS has been discussed here and also tossed.
B Electric at the NATS will presumably be flown to the rule book which drops the motor to 10 secs.
We have seen nothing to indicate otherwise. Of course, we also don’t if there is a CD for the 09 NATS, nor any other poop regarding the NATS.Yeah, Dan, I was wondering too how you’d go about lodging a protest against someone who just didn’t like the idea of driving a thousand miles or so to find out the monkeys were running the zoo and decide wanted to fly by the rules as written.
Cheers!What I had in mind is flying B-electric as a Category II event. In other words, the max will be set a 3 minute with the standard 15/10 seconds motor runs. There is a good chance that the winner (Jim/Dan/Dick/???) will also post a new category II record.
Comments, by those who plan to fly the event at the Nats, are welcome.
The NATS is a Cat3 contest. I don’t see how it would be possible to select an event and summarily declare that it will be flown to Cat2 rules. I’ve never heard of anyone doing such.
Flying to 3 minute maxes would not have knocked any of my flights off a max last year at the Nats. It probably would have sent a couple off the 2 minute field that the Nats is flown upon.
I think we’re gonna be surprised at who/how many decide to pursue B electric at this years Nats.I just read the rules. Wow, there’s an idea, huh?
B Electric is not category specific. It calls for 2 minute maxes with an eventual 10 second motor. At the Cds discretion, it appears that the motor run and max could be shortened in acquiescence to adverse weather conditions. It gives no indication that a CD can arbitrarily shorten motor runs to end a marathon.
There is no Cat2 record to break nor set. There is no Cat2 electric. Its kinda like HLG and CLG in not being category specific.
I don’t see how it can be possible to fly to different rules.Dan,
The AMA rule book states many times that a CD can only shorten the maxes and motor runs. It does not prescribe an upside because increasing the max will effect all those who have already flown, while cutting the max/motor runs is a way out when the weather gets worse.Although categories are only specified in the AMA power section, they apply to many other events, including NFFS events such as P-30 and E-36. As such, their proper place should be in the introductory general section.
Another reason is that B-electric is a mirror power event, to which the same rational applies. This is particularly true since Lipos were allowed in the last rule cycle.
This interpretation (Category II) will allow two nice B-electric events at the Nationals, before the glacial “regular” rule cycle becomes effective in 2011. As we know, there are no electric fliers on the free flight contest board.
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