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Here in the USA, it appears that motorcycle flapping won’t be allowed in the team selection process.
What do you guys think about this?
I would hate to see us having to go back to air picking skills. This would give those with that kind of observational judgment an unfair advantage over the rest of us. However given the enormous amount of hot air expended over this topic I think if we just took the debate out to the flying field then everyone could max out.
I can well remember in Melbourne Australia flying FAI power, now F1C and Open Power where one lined up to a timer keeper, and there were lots of timekeepers available in those days, and when it was your turn you had 5 minutes to have your flight or come back and line up again.
No thermal hunting back then men. 😈
I’ve had a thought. If there is no hot air then you can’t release thermals right ? At that point motor bikes become a waste of time for flapping, so, simple solution, hold all contests on frozen lakes. There would be no thermals to be released by motor flapping and it you tried it you would break the ice and die a horrible death.
Job done, I’ll propose it to CIAM.
CHE
Hello CHE
I guess it doesn’t matter what the effect of motor vehicle flapping causes here in the USA, because it has been stopped due to safety reasons. Can you imagine a contest where everyone wanted to execute this tactic and with a flyer bringing his team of 3-5 guys with to the contest to ride motorcycles in circles under the models in motocross style?
I think the effect is not so much breaking thermals loose, but creating them, kind of like waving jackets under indoor models.
But I am glad to see that the contests have been reverted to free flight, and we won’t have guys coming back bleeding and with broken somethings, with the exception of the normal chase accidents on motorcycles.
“Can you imagine a contest where everyone wanted to execute this tactic and with a flyer bringing his team of 3-5 guys with to the contest to ride motorcycles in circles under the models in motocross style? “
Isn’t it called NASCAR ?
CHE
CHE,
Have you ever thought of abandoning the world of stress calculations and trying a career in diplomacy?
JohnCHE wrote:“Can you imagine a contest where everyone wanted to execute this tactic and with a flyer bringing his team of 3-5 guys with to the contest to ride motorcycles in circles under the models in motocross style? “Isn’t it called NASCAR ?
Only if ya go in left hand circles. LOL 😆
This does bring up an interesting question:
That is, if , given that thermals predominently circle clockwise as viewed from above, which direction is it best to circle-flap?
Inquiring minds want to know so as to be prepared if it ever becomes “legal” again.
Cheers!Pete,
Years of experience has told me that it is best to flap in front of the model. The model then flies into the released air which is hopefully going up. So to answer your question, the direction you choose is dependant on the circling direction of your model.
Do the new US rules allow you to push your motor bike under the model ? Just wondered as you could get the engine really hot and then just use it as a mobile heater.
CHE
CHE,
I’m not sure I could push fast enough to be truly effective.
The idea of an auxiliary heat source is interesting.
I could envision the burner system from a hot air balloon mounted on wheels to allow strategic positioning. Selective use of the device likely could extend flight time significantly. The only down side might occur if one waited too long to activate the device and the model got a bit low before use. It would add real meaning to the phrase “shot down in flames”
Properly done, it would save a lot of wear and tear on the chase bikes as well.
As an aside, I just love these deeply technical discussions that add so much to the art and artifice of Free Flight.
Cheers!Pete,
Ah, the old hot air balloon burner trick – it has been tried. There is a former UK F1A team member who flies balloons as his other hobby (sport ?). On a particularly calm evening flyoff he set up his balloon and managed to ‘catch’ his model in the balloon’s envelope. His assistant then took off with the model circling away with the burner keeping it aloft. As the model could be seen by the timekeeper (as a shadow illuminated by the burner’s flame) the score counted. Even well known rules afficiandos (no names mentioned , lets just call them Hipperson and O’Donnell) failed to argue aginst the flight counting. His time of 2hrs 37mins and 7 seconds is still a UK record I believe.
CHE
PS Some of the above may be a complete fabrication, but then some of it is also true.
I would be interested in what discretion contest directors have.Surely they must be able to rule against gross unsportsmanlike conduct.No one is going to write a 1000 page list of daft exclusions to include the like of lofting.
In the words of a famous tennis player.”You cannot be serious”.
This issue should never have got off the ground.
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