Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
WHAT'S all this fuss about noise? Just about every issue of Model Aviation has something about reducing aircraft noise. Competition Pattern fliers are under increasing pressure to reduce the noise of their aircraft. It wasn't too long ago that most Pattern aircraft had noise levels around 110 dB. Now, almost nobody has a problem meeting the FAI's F3A class 98-dB noise requirement. At the recent World Championships one Pattern flier had a noise level under 88 dB! The difference between 110 dB and 88 dB is enormous. If I remember the equation for dB correctly, a 6-dB decrease is a 50% reduction in sound pressure level. So, the sound pressure level at 88 dB is only about 8% of what it is at 110 dB. That's major improvement! Pattern fliers seem to have the noise problem licked. So we're in good shape, right? Well, we're not in as good a shape as you might think.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
PATTERN KITS: Periodically I get letters that go something like this: "I've been trying to find out where to buy a Pattern Wonder II kit and nobody seems to know. Can you help me?" Often, the kit is the current darling of the Pattern circuit and is available only from a small manufacturer which, even without advertising, still has a long back order list. Sometimes I know where to direct the request, but often I don't. Well, the problem is getting a lot easier to solve. Jim Graham of R/C City has been quietly buying up the rights to many Pattern aircraft. If you're interested in an Eclipse, LA-1, Conquest VI, Summit III, Typhoon, or several other Pattern aircraft, you can now get them from R/C City. R/C City sells everything from basic kits through super-deluxe ones, and they are available reasonably fast. Obviously, the more prefabrication and/or special features you desire, the longer it takes. Prices start at just under $200 and go much higher.
RC Aerobatics
LED by Ivan Kristensen, Canadians took first, third, and fifth in the FAI event. It could easily have been four Canadians in the top 10, but Dave Patrick became ill after qualifying 11th and could not continue. Maybe it's time to seal the U.S./Canadian border? Let's look at the level of participation in RC Aerobatics at the 1990 Nats: A total of 212 contestants competed in Pattern at the Nats. They were distributed among the classes as follows: ( Sportsman-47 ( Advanced-38 ( Expert Turnaround-25 ( Master-18 ( FAI-84
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
LET'S SEE if we can help out a fellow modeler. A.J. Hansen (32 E. Columbus Ave., #5, Phoenix, AZ 85012) wrote to me and asked if I could help him locate copies of deBolt Kitten and Kazmirski Taurus plans. The Kitten had been his first RC airplane 27 years ago, and he wants to build another using modern radio components. Talk about coincidences: When I started in RC 35 years ago, my first RC airplane was a deBolt Kitten! Unfortunately, I no longer have Kitten or Taurus plans. I put him in touch with Tom Dixon (1938 Peachtree Rd., Suite 401, Atlanta, GA 30309) who sells a lot of items not generally available through local dealers.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
HERE WE GO AGAIN! I received a letter from James Sanders (Oklahoma City, OK) who is a member of the Baxter Field Club. He says that of the four flying clubs in Oklahoma City, they think theirs is the best. (Don't we all?) Anyway, the main theme of James' letter will strike a familiar chord in the hearts and souls of anyone who has read my column for very long. James wrote: "I am getting into some heated arguments here in Okie land. We here in Oklahoma have our share of wild winds. This leads to the question, `Does an airplane feel the wind (in flight)?' I have a very strong opinion that it does. To prove my point I explain that many an airplane has fallen by shear wind (downdraft). Also, if a small aircraft enters a tornado it will be torn to shreds. Could you please give us your expert view on this subject, `Does an airplane feel the wind?' "
