First a little background. I flew control line in the 60's and then powered RC in the early 70s. I got out because I was tired of fighting radio problems, fixing airplanes and flipping cranky engines.
After watching some foamie combat about a year and a half ago I got back into RC with an EPP combat wing. They bounce and are as close to indestructible a plane can get. Since then my hanger has added other foamie and crunchie gliders, even a couple eflight models. Guess I'm back into the hobby. I joined the AMA earlier this year so I could fly in contests with my new Photon DLG. It's very durable and a lots of fun to fly. My flying are improving and I'm developing new thermalling and launch skills. So foamie combat got me back into RC, and then into the AMA. I wonder how many more there are like "me"? I agree with the majority of what Mike Garcon wrote regarding his "reasonable guidelines" for foamie combat, but there is one specific part I don't agree with as written and wish to propose an alternative. I have <snipped> from Mike's email as indicated. On Wed, 12 Jun 2002 14:52:55 -0500, Mike Garcon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote the following: >Jerry and all of RCSE, > >I emailed my district rep, the President and the Vice President of AMA. >I did hear back from President Dave Brown and have exchanged several more >emails on the slope combat topic with him. <snip> >Reasonable guidelines could include: > >1. All aircraft must have only expanded poly propylene (EPP) foam for the >first 2" of the fuse and wing with no hard objects imbedded in the first 2". >This is already a common rule at contests. >EPP is the springy, shock absorbent type of foam. AGREE >2. Combat aircraft shall weigh no more than 2 pounds. >This limits both the speed and momentum of the gliders. AGREE >3. Pilots are not allowed to stand directly downwind of the flight area. >CD's would mark off the pilot area. A "no-fly-zone" will be enforced >upwind of the pilots. Light combat planes stall and tumble downwind >(up the slope hill) when they are hit. >This rule alone would make slope combat very safe. DISAGREE This rule would outlaw foamie combat at some of the better places. Lets see, places I've flown in So. Cal., Parker in Acton, Snake Hill in Los Virgenes and Grant Park in Ventura. Every place I have flown (slope) foamie combat the action seems to be right in front of the pilot. Don't know how to get off to the side, especially in combat. These places may not be contest or club flying sites, but nevertheless are indicative of better slope flying sites. If we need to go to extremes to preserve (slope) foamie combat, perhaps compromise is in order. Uniform of the day for Foamie Slope Combat, goggles and bike helmets for liability management. This is assuming that protection is needed for slope foamie combat liability management. I have been hit by an errant foamie slope plane, and although it may startle or sting, it didn't hurt. I personally don't believe protection is needed, but law makers need options. I don't think this would be a financial impact. If you had to buy the gear from scratch it shouldn't set anyone back more than $50, and I would venture a guess most people already have a bike helmet. Notice I introduced slope (un-powered) into the definition 4 paragraphs back. I am not reviewing powered combat. >4. Combat planes can not have exposed sharp linkages or control surfaces. >Nylon clevises or ball links are OK, Z-bends and other exposed metal pushrod ends are >not. >Balsa or chloroplast control surfaces are OK. Fiberglass, kevlar, or carbon control >surfaces are not legal. Rules of this type are not currently being used in contest >but >would be easy to accommodate. Manufacturers and owners of existing aircraft >can easily make the change. AGREE >I realize the natural tendency is to stand on the lip and fly directly in >front of you. Liability management is a fact of life. See # 3 disagree - compromise, helmets and goggles for liability management. just my .02. Herb RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
