SEN 2079
Table of Contents – SEN 2079
- F1E article
- Pending FAA Decision
- Lithium Battery
- F1Q has potential to attract new free flight enthusiasts
F1E article in CIAM News
The latest edition of the CIAM Flyer is now available: CIAM Flyer (05-2015) – F1E – Fly an FAI Championship Class
FAA DECISION on Model Airplanes
From: Roger Willis
Within the next 60 days, the FAA’s recommendations to Congress on what to
include under their new “restrictions” on model flight will be forthcoming.
They have asked for input from the model aviation community to
help them decide what constitutes a safety issue [ size,weight and
altitude ] and what part of our hobby does not pose a safety issue.
The President of the FLYING ACES, Ross Mayo, has constructed a letter to
the appropriate FAA contact, explaining …”rubber powered free flight
models ” and strongly suggesting that they be excluded from any definition
decision by the FAA.
I would urge the senior leadership of the NFFS , FAI and SAM
organizations to do the same…. and quickly.
Roger Willis…WESTFAC HQ.
Lithium batteries
UK F1B man Pete Brown found this –
Anyone with an interest in Lithium batteries should watch this video.
It’s long but very informative.
http://www.ri.cmu.edu/video_view.html?video_id=60
F1Q has potential to attract new free flight enthusiasts
When I started flying free flight contests fifty-something years ago, there were more than two thousand free flight members of the national Danish aeroclub. Today we are 30 members – less than half the number in the vintage model club in Denmark.
I think the same tendency can be observed in most countries.
In Denmark we have 3.000 radio control fliers in the national aeroclub – and probably thousands of non-organized fliers. Plus several thousands flying radio controlled model-drones. So there is a lot of interest in model flying …
There are – as I see it – two ways to become a free flight aeromodeller. The traditional one – start with a small glider and learn how to trim and fly the model – then graduate to bigger, more complex models, and start flying contests. In the end new glider fliers may compete in World Cup contests, regional championships, and World Championships (if they make the national team). New glider fliers certainly have something to dream about!
With the American E36-class – luckily adopted by FAI as class F1S – another way has emerged. The E36-class is an ideal class for new fliers – it’s easy to build a model, there are kits available, the cost of the necessary equipment is reasonable, the equipment is available from several sources, and flying E36-models does not require big fields. And most important: Flying E36 is fun!
My American friends tell me, that more than thousand E36-kits have been produced and sold – and probably built. This is very promising – and the new fliers may have dreams about winning contests or making the ultimate E36-model outperforming the present stars of the class. But the dreams do not extend to World Cup contests or regional or World Championships.
As a F1H-glider flier will turn to the F1A-class to fly big contests, the E36/F1S-flier will maybe turn to the F1Q-class. But only to find out that many World Cup organizers do not invite participants to fly F1Q. And there are no F1Q-contests at regional or World Championships.
We should change this and make way for newcomers dedicated to electric powered free flight. It is easy for organizers of World Cup contests to include the F1Q-class. Please do so!
To include F1Q at e.g. a World Championship would require another contest day – or maybe to combine the F1C and the F1Q contests on the same day. F1C normally attracts considerably less contestants than F1A and F1B, so maybe the two contests could be run alongside without need for more officials.
I will propose to invite to the first World Championships in F1Q at the WC in 2017. The earlier we try to attract those flying electric powered free flight models to all our contests, the better chance there is that they will help to keep free flight alive for coming generations!
A note about the F1Q-rules
I have often heard and read, that the central rule in F1Q – the energy maximum – is hard to understand and hard to use. It is also said that the F1Q-rules keep changing, so it does not make sense to build or buy models for the class.
It is correct that you have to learn a thing or two about electricity, if you will fly F1Q. But not more than most of us learned in school (and have happily forgotten). The rules are now very open for individual ways of flying and designing the models.
The energy maximum rule is quite parallel to the corresponding rule in F1B – that is the weight of the rubber. The higher weight of rubber, the more energy can be stored in it. Energy is measured in joule – so higher rubber weight means more joules to lift the F1B-model.
In F1Q the joules are stored in the battery – and when the allowed number of joules have been sent to the engine, the energy limiter cuts of the engine. Just like the timer cuts off the power on a F1C-model, before the maximum runtime is passed. F1Q is very much like the other power-classes – we just need to become familiar with terms like watt, ampere, volt and joule.
And – if performance in F1Q becomes too high – the energy rule makes it so easy to reduce performance in suitable steps that will not make models obsolete.
Per Grunnet
Mail: pergrunnet@hotmail.com
……………..
Roger Morrell