SEN 1993

Table of Contents – SEN 1993

1. Frank Schlachta
2. 2015 BFMA FF Forum Report
3. Unintended Consequences
4. Truth of Aermodelling
5. Why we have different classes of Free Flight

Frank Schlachta
From: Leslie Farkas
With great sadness we have to inform you that our friend and outstanding Canadian F1C flier for decades, Mr. Frank Schlachta have passed away on April 3rd. 2015. He will be dearly missed by all of us.
Members of the Toronto Free Flight Club

2015 BMFA FF Forum Report
From: Martin Dilly

_It’s New, It’s Here and it’s Got an Eye-Catching Cover_

..It’s the new 2015 BMFA Free Flight Forum Report and it’s also full of lots of interesting papers on numerous aspects of free-flight, as the contents list shows:

Recent F1D Developments by Tony Hebb; Electronic Timers for F1B by Mike Woodhouse; Personal Observations on Classic Power Models by John Thompson; The F1Q Mystery by Trevor Grey; Experiences with Electronic Timers by Roy Vaughn; Free Flight, Flying Sites & the BMFA by Dave Phipps; The Cursed S – Why Won’t It Keep Going Up? by Alan Jack; Rubber Powered Kit Scale Competition by Andy Hewitt; New Ideas for the F1 Rules by Mike Woodhouse; Revisiting Rubber Scale 55 Years Onby Ivan Taylor . As well as all this Phil Ball’s selection of notable models from 2014 includes Andy Hewitt’s Fokker D-VII Nats Rubber Kit Scale winner, Ed Bennett’s Thin Man Classic Rubber model, Frank Rushby’s 1/2A Mini Creep, Chris Redrup’s BMFA Rubber model; Andy Crisp’s Blue Note F1A for BMFA Glider contests and Trevor Grey’s Kaon E-36.

For thirty-one years these Reports have provided information on new developments in a wide range of free-flight activities. This year is no exception. //

The UK price is £12.00 including postage; to Europe it’s £15 and everywhere else £17. Cheques should be payable to ‘BMFA F/F Team Support Fund’ in pounds sterling, drawn on a bank with a UK branch; you may also order by credit card, which is a lot easier (and cheaper).

Copies are available from : Martin Dilly

20, Links Road,

West Wickham,

Kent,

BR4 OQW

or byphone or fax to: (44) + (0)20-8777-5533, or by e-mail to martindilly20@gmail.com (NB new e-mail address)

Unintended Consequences ?
To All,
A few observations from someone who has been competing in the F1 events since 1953. Note that long the way I have enjoyed flying all the classes including F1D and look forward to doing so for a long time.
First, the only rule change I recall that actually increased participation in the F1 events was the elimination of the Builder Of The Model rule.
Second, thank goodness for contest organizers, but as Mr. Simpson said the events only exist because we enjoy flying and competing in them. Don’t make changes that have the potential of reducing the number of competitors or there will be no need for the organizers.
Third, let’s make some assumption’s. The numbers might not be exact but you will get the idea. Assume world wide we have 1000 F1 fliers in all classes X a average of say 5 models each X a suggested value of $1200 each. This equals $6,000,000 US. No small sum. The potential of obsoleting models with this much value, which some of the suggested drastic rule changes would do, should rejected. Many of us could very well decide that we don’t want to start all over way back in the 1960’s and I don’t think that would be the best thing for our sport. Lets move forward not backwards.
Please beware of the potential for Unintended Consequences.

Paul Crowley
USA2298

The truth of aeromodeling?
From: Leslie Farkas

The truth about the state of aeromodeling is between the comments made by Doug, Gil, and Ross, Bernard with Tony. Yes we can not turn the clock back nor should we attempt to try. What happened is that our World became a Me-Me-Me self centered, greedy and egoistic society. That includes not just sports but the governments, politician s, factories and people in general. That leaves the middle class struggling to support their families and try to survive. Do I hear that somebody will try to convince me that in the next three to five years there will be a large number of people lining up to purchase a $3000.00 to $5000.00 free flight models?

Regarding the proposals, in a number of cases the modeling community doesn’t even know who submitted their country’s proposal(s). It feels like “the tail has started to wag the dog”. Perhaps Ian should consult with the best Glider, Wakefield and Power fliers around the World to find solutions.

None of us should forget that we were all taught by our father, older sportsmen and teachers. There are still some special people out there like Art Ellis, Shigeru Kanegawa, Per Findal, Ansgar Nuttgens, Andrew Baron, Brian Van Nest or Mr. Li Renda who supports the Chinese national team from his own pocket by purchasing rubber and with the travel expenses. Here in Canada only Tony who is teaching and taking his nephew to fly. There are teachers and others but they don’t even know that the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada exist. Does this sound familiar in other countries??? I would like to apologize to the ones whose name I do not mention because I am sure that there are many others.In Germany there is Ansgar Nuttgens who is actively working toward the revival of free flight on a bigger scale. His efforts have started to show positive signs by the increasing number of junior and senior participating in the HEC (f1H European Challenge) competitions. He is also instrumental in negotiating a major youth competition in Mongolia.• In Mongolia the Ministry of Education and Science started to implement the national project named “Flyer Kids” two years ago in 2013.• The first stage started in 2013 and over 3500 kids under 13 years of age and approximately 350 school teachers were joined to run short-term courses of Flyer Kids for constructing, flying simple gliders and rubber airplanes. The training courses are very attractive to join by school kids and their parents.• The second stage of the project was started in 2014 for middle- and high school students to teach how to build F1H and F1A models.• Over 50-60 juniors will participate in the 2015 FAI Mongolia Cup as World Cup event for F1A and F1H EURO Challenge. This is a very big event of juniors for the first time in the world. The project’s for Flyer Kids adviser is Mr. Shigeru Kanegawa the Japanese competitor and past F1C World Champion in 2005. Yes, the Mongol government is sponsoring the program. It makes me wonder, where are the rich Western countries????If anybody interested to start a program, there is a Polish F1H laser-cut kit available for about 12 Euro.!!!!! The only thing missing is the timer. Perhaps we should start a HWC (F1H World Challenge)???? Ansgar has also started his program with establishing three categories. The very same idea which a number of people are thinking about.

In glider:1. Simple. Strait tow2. Circle tow and bunting allowed.3. Super. All modern technology allowed. This resulted in increased interest for all ages. A senior competitor at age 76 won one of the F1A contest with his strait tow, wooden model. We can only congratulate and God bless him. The lack of publicity, cost, these are the real issues, not talking about ping pong balls, 1.75 mm towlines and a number of other performance reducing changes, just because some of the contest directors feel that there are too many in the fly-offs. I am sure that there are some smart competitors out there who can make a realistic and constructive statement about, how to save aeromodeling. However just like I said before, those suggestions must be submitted to CIAM. But please, only well thought out, tested and proven recommendations!!!!

Did everybody forget the Olympic motto proposed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894. In Latin, Citius, Altius, Fortius which is Faster, Higher, Stronger.Leslie Farkas

P.S. To all our friends around the World, I would like to wish a Happy Easter and Happy Passover

Why we have different classes for Free Flight ? – ref to SEN 1992
From: Ross Jahnke
I think the deeper issue is that different types of events, FAC, FAI, AMA,
SAM, NOS were created to address the diverse aesthetics, temperament,
socio-economic status, age and skill level of people who wanted to fly free
flight models. Rule changes are not enough to move large segments of one
class to fly the other.

………………………….

Roger Morrell