MICRO-FLYING
2020
NEAT FAIR
By Joe Malinchak | joemal@echoes.net
THE NORTHEAST ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY (NEAT) FAIR in Downsville, New York, is always one of the highlights of the year for me. I look forward to visiting with my friends and seeing what new projects they have made for the event.
As we all know, most of the major events in 2020 were canceled or postponed because of COVID-19. My wife and I had to cancel the 2020 Indoor Night at NEAT because the Downsville Central School District would not allow any indoor events. However, the 21st outdoor NEAT Fair was held September 17-20, 2020, as planned.
More than 200 pilots participated in the fun. Although the event officially started on Thursday, September 17, some people arrived several days early to camp and fly throughout the week. Face masks were worn, and COVID-19 protocols and restrictions were followed. Everyone seemed to have a good time and were probably happy to be out enjoying some time away from all of the problems that we faced.
Vapor Games
Each year at NEAT Fair, the Jersey Coast Sport Fliers (JCSF) hosts several events in the club’s big tent, including the Vapor Games. This was my second time participating in this high-spirited event.
The Vapor Games were held on Thursday evening. The event featured two separate competitions, with a flyoff including the winners of each one. The first had each pilot fly through hoops that were suspended from the ceiling of the tent. Fliers had 1 minute to rack up as many points as possible for each
hoop that they flew through.
With music playing, lights flashing, horns blowing, and people cheering everyone on, it was exciting to watch. A slight wind was blowing, which made it difficult to maneuver the lightweight model aircraft in the tent. Adam Lilley won the event with his Vapor.
Next up was the carrier landing contest. Each contestant had 1 minute to make as many full-stop landings on the carrier as possible. I tied with Adam in this event, and we went straight to a flyoff that had us trying to land our models in a box with a small hole in it as many times as we could in a minute. Adam and I again ended up with a tie in the first round. He then won the event in another flyoff! It was great fun, and I hope to participate in this contest next year.
Although the indoor event did not take place, we had several great micro models that flew outdoors. Anthony Sole impressed me with his 3D-printed SR-71. The model was printed using LW-PLA filament, and it has a length of 39.5 cm, and a wingspan of 22 cm. It uses UMX UltriX motors, a flight controller, servos, and a 500 mAh 1S LiPo battery. The model flew great.
Ross Clements always has some new,
unique models with him. This year, he flew his 14-inch wingspan Micro Deamon. The model is capable of flying approximately 100 mph. He also flew some beautiful gliders. Ross’ Micro Drifter has a 36-inch wingspan and uses a hi-start or a 1206 outrunner motor and a 5 x 3 folding propeller. Both models are available from J&H Aerospace. Contact information for the company is listed in “Sources.”
The Peaceful Valley Campground field that is the NEAT venue is also a private airstrip. Several friends talked me into flying my Piper L-4 Cub to the event on Sunday for people to see. The weather was perfect and it was only a 35-minute flight. I circled the field as Tom Hunt cleared the airspace of model aircraft. The field is surrounded by mountains, which makes for an interesting approach. It was a highlight of the weekend for me, and I hope that everyone enjoyed seeing my airplane.
SOURCES:
NEAT Fair
www.neatfair.org
Zeke’s Park Scale Models
www.parkscalemodels.com
J&H Aerospace
www.jhaerospace.com
