NSRCA Officers

Hear from Your NSRCA Officers

President

Charlie Barrera 2627 Silver Shadow | Conroe, TX. 77304 936.404.0063 charliebarrera@consolidated.net

Hello again, everyone. It has been a long and “dry” season for most of us here for pattern flying. I’ve just been informed that another contest has been canceled in District 6 due to Covid-19. This contest was scheduled for early September. Certainly, a disappointment, but understandable. Texas spiked in the number of Covid cases last month, and the governor reinstated restrictions. The curve is once again flattened, and the right decision was made for this. I’m hoping and praying that a solution, a vaccine, can be developed soon, allowing us to return to our normal lives. This pandemic is having profound effects on all of us.

The Board of Directors is investigating ways of increasing interest in pattern. Several ideas have been discussed. One idea that has been presented is “Grow Pattern”.

It seems like we’re not attracting the young. We’ve become a national organization dominated by mostly old fellas like me. I practice with Don Ramsey regularly, and we were having a conversation concerning how we could encourage more participation in pattern. In addition, Mike Harrison, another prominent pattern competitor, whose been in pattern since the early 70’s, has submitted his ideas. He submitted them in the form of a rule change. Mikes idea was to limit the size of models to the 1.75 meters and limit power to .60 2 stroke, and .90 4 stroke, in the Club Class, Sportsman, and Intermediate. Those that were currently flying 2-meter planes in those classes would be grandfathered. Unfortunately, it was rejected by the contest board. However, I’ve been talking to both Mike and Don, and others in this area, about how we could improve participation, particularly among the young. Here are our thoughts.

We know that the young are just starting with careers, new family, and a very limited budget. Of course, the sons and daughters of some are still at home and their family may not have the “big” bucks to invest in a 2-meter pattern plane for them. We’re thinking that if we create a new class of pattern, where a smaller plane is used, it might encourage the investment.

We know that those interested in pattern will enter their first contest in Sportsman, or possibly Club Class, if it is offered. There is no size limit to fly this category. They usually fly what they have in their hanger.

If they want to move on to Intermediate, they perceive that to be competitive, they must invest in a large 2-meter plane. The purchase of used planes usually run about $1000 and upwards, with no motor, servos, ESC, etc. This is a deterrent. But what if we were to offer a smaller airplane to fly in Intermediate? It would certainly keep the cost down.

There are a number of airplanes in the smaller range that are suited for competition. The airplane that comes to mind is the AJ Acuity, the smaller version of the 2-meter airplane. Airplane, motor, and ESC would run about $700 initial cost. This airplane flies with a 5S or 6S battery. It’s small enough to fit in the trunk or back seat of a car. All that would be needed is a radio, batteries, and charger.

There are other airplanes that would make suitable pattern aircraft. Here is a list of those airplanes and their associated cost (see screen shot below).

This size airplane has some disadvantages compared to the 2-meter plane. For one thing, its effected more by wind. How can we even the playing field?

The proposal is to have a separate class... let’s call it I-60. It would consist of the same maneuvers in the Intermediate sequence, except scored separately from Intermediate. It can be flown in front of the same judges as Intermediate, scores tabulated independently in this new class, and a winner declared. A CD can run this class alongside all the other classes. The advantage is that it would be scored against other models in this category.

An alternative method for this class would be to fly this size aircraft against other two-meter aircraft, and in the Intermediate class. The scores will be reconciled as an Intermediate competitor in the usual manner. Standings will be posted at the end of the contest, and the highest scoring I-60 will be awarded a certificate for the highest scoring I-60 model, and a trophy if finishing in the top 3 of the competition. This type of scoring might demonstrate that a I-60 size model can be competitive against the larger 2-meter aircraft. This could encourage a pilot to get into pattern, but at a greatly reduced expense.

It’s called I-60 because it uses the same schedule as Intermediate, and 60 because of the size of the motor. It is limited in size to the equivalent horsepower of a .60 engine. Electric would be no more than 1400 watts. It’s turnaround pattern, but with smaller planes. This would encourage any airplane meeting this power range to be flown. If you wanted to, you could compete with a SPA category airplane. They’re limited to .60 in size, also.

If this catches on, we could create a A-60 class, using the same criteria and the Advanced sequence. A side benefit - if the FAA has their way limiting us to 400 feet altitude, these airplanes would certainly fit this flying. This is just a proposal. I’m hoping that some interest might be displayed in this new category. Please relay your thoughts and suggestions to your respective District Vice President, or feel free to email me directly.

2022-2023 Sequences - Your respective DVP has polled his respective members concerning new sequences for 2022-2023. In light of the curtailed season that we’ve had, it has been suggested to continue with our current sequences another two years. AMA rules dictate that Sportsman, Intermediate, and Advanced, fly their sequence for up to four years, and Masters must be changed every two years. In years past, we’ve elected to change all sequences every two years. However, because we’ve had such a curtailed season, consideration has been given to keep the same sequences for another two years, i.e., 2022-2023. We’ve polled our members and the poll results showed a split vote – half wanted to continue with these same sequences, while the other half wanted new sequences. Your BoD has decided to create new sequences for pattern years 2022-2023. We’ve just convened the Sequence Guideline Committee. They will review the Sequence Guideline Charter and make appropriate changes. I’ve asked the committee to evaluate new maneuvers, such as can be found in the FAI Sporting Code, for inclusion in our Catalogue of Maneuvers. They will also look at current maneuvers and their respective K’s and make changes, if needed. Upon completion of this, the Sequence Development Committee will convene. They will create new sequences for pattern years 2022-2023. The timeline requires that these sequences be made available to our members for test flying next summer and be finalized by the fall of 2021 so that they are ready for use in the spring of 2022. More to follow…

Until next time… Fly straight; keep your radiuses constant, and stay in the box.

Charlie Barrera…OUT!

Vice President

Position Open Secretary

Heedo Yun 4610 Willow Pond Ct. \ Sugar Land, Tx 77479 281.512.9163 | Heedo.Yun@gmail.com

Hello, time sure seems to be flying by in 2020. January seemed only like yesterday, but it’s already September. The average daily high of September is 89 degrees in Houston, Texas, where I live. I carry my icy water jug everywhere I go to keep my body cool and hydrated throughout the day. I’m considering visiting Seattle, WA, where my two daughters live, just to stay cooler. We are hearing mixed news that while the infection rate recently increased in the U.S., the development of a vaccine is close to completion. Also, it seems the U.S. economy is stabilizing having passed a huge dip in March. Through all of these circumstances, I feel very fortunate that my family and friends are all staying safe so far, including my RC club members. Please continue to practice social distancing, wear masks in public places (“no mask, no service” is practiced in the Texas restaurants and retail stores), and do whatever you can to help reduce exposure and minimize the spread of the virus for all until this pandemic is over.

Since I moved up to the Advanced class last year I’ve been feeling like I’ve hit a brick wall. Spending more time in the field alone is not cutting it anymore. I must consider seriously to learn how to fly smart, how to minimize deductions, how to identify & correct bad habits, and last but not least how to trim my airplane properly. I have a feeling that I won’t survive the Advanced class unless I make major changes in all these areas. I love flying pattern very much, and hope one day I fly in the Masters class

(the word “Masters” sounds so sweet to me). Fortunately, my fellow Masters and FAI class friends in the Houston area have been helping me with tips and lessons - thanks! Below I’ve listed some of these for your reading pleasure and consideration for continued improvement. These are from my personal notes of pattern flying, and some of these may not be generally agreeable to you.

Neck Strap: I started using the neck strap last year. This definitely helped me hold the transmitter more steady, and as a result I am able to fly more steadily. Transmitter Tray: I was told using a transmitter tray would further steady the transmitter, and subsequently the flying. This is especially true for pilots who use fingers, but probably less for thumb flyers. Being a thumb flyer myself I have not tried this yet, but plan on trying it in the future. Body Setup: I was told by experts that my body must maintain straight and upright posture and that I take a few deep breaths before takeoff. My shoulders and the transmitter must stay together as one. Try to follow the plane by turning your head only with the shoulder and transmitter remain parallel to the flight line. This method helps me maintain the correct airplane heading relative to the flight line. Play music: I count numbers much like counting beats in music in order to anticipate the start of the next maneuver. In effect this practice makes my flying more musical versus drawing geometric shapes in the sky. I’m not sure if this is true, but according to one expert, what looks prettier receives a higher score from judges than what is geometrically more precise – there’s a certain beauty in pattern flying, and judges aren’t robots! We control tempo in music and similarly in pattern flying. For example, the airplane speed of 45 miles/hour translates into 20 meters/sec. If the box size is 520 meters wide and 260 meters tall (if the box is 150 meters away from you, and probably this is the largest box size you may want to fly in), it takes 26 seconds to sweep the entire box at a constant speed of 45 MPH (theoretically, the box width of 520 m divided by the airplane speed of 20 5.

6.

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10. m/s equals sweeping time of 26 s). If I subdivide the box width into 6 equal sections, each section takes 4 seconds with 1 second margin at either end of the box. Drawing Geometry: I draw each maneuver on a piece of paper with a ruler and pencil. This practice helps me understand the exact geometry I want to draw in the sky. It also helps me choose the proper radius size of each maneuver. Airplane Trim: Proper trimming of one’s airplane becomes more important at higher skill levels. The most important are the wing incidences, stab incidences, and the CG location (the stab incidences are usually parallel to the fuselage axis, i.e. zero degrees relative to the fuselage axis, so these may be omitted from the list). In my opinion the throttle curve and the control throw curves come next in line of importance. The rest of the trimming practices, which include thrust heading and program mixing, are probably less than 5% important. Power Package: Some of the higher level pilots prefer contra-rotating two prop systems with a high efficiency motor and gear system, but I’ve only used the single prop system and plan to continue doing so. Servos: Most of my Masters and FAI class friends say that good servos are worth investing. So, I only use the good ones, such as the Futaba BLS servos. Airplane weight: It makes sense that heavier airplanes require more energy to fly. An expert advised me that there is absolutely no benefit (in aerobatic sense) in heavier weight. Another expert said he aims for about 11 pounds. If there is no benefit in heavier weight, then why the weight limit at NATS? I’m curious if there exists an optimum weight (in aerobatic sense), because an airplane that is too light may become unstable in the wind, for example. Altitude: If possible I fly in the upper side of the box rather than the lower side. I have better visibility of the airplane as a pilot, it may look prettier in the judges’ eyes, and it is safer to fly high above the ground. satisfaction, so let’s all continue our efforts to become better pilots. Thanks again to all my pattern friends who gave me these tips and advice! Regards, Heedo Yun

Treasurer

John Decker 2878 Carrera Ct | League City, TX 77573 281-627-9474 | johndecker@sbcglobal.net

It has been 98 degrees for a couple of weeks now in Texas. No wind makes for ideal flying conditions for practice except that you physically melt, cannot drink enough water, and the sweat runs into your eyes. It is also hard on equipment, especially batteries. I was lucky enough to recently score three sets of 5s batteries with little use and have decided to sacrifice them during these summer months and hope to be ready for the few fall contests remaining. For now, I am keeping all my other batteries in the air conditioning.

I am happy to report that the NSRCA finances have stabilized, and the future appears bright again. Several years of losing a fair amount of cash was a little scary but the Board made some tough decisions and took drastic measures to shore up our finances. The new format of the Kfactor using the Issuu program will make the Kfactor more dynamic for the future. Check out the link for the July version within the new program. https://issuu.com/ nsrca/docs/jul20hd

As I have mentioned before I have a Cadence being built with a DLE35ra on a cannister. I also assembled a 73-inch

AJ Laser with a DLE35ra on a cannister with an internal EME electric starter. The starter setup and the high C rated 3s battery weighs almost two pounds all together but the cool factor is worth it. Finally, maidened the Laser and “wow” is all I can say. I like the way gas engines pull and it does not sound bad on a cannister. Next maneuver I am going to work on is to kill the engine on a downline, yell “Dead stick” on the downwind and restart the motor as I glide over the threshold. That sounds like fun.

Always land wheels down, John Decker