RCAerobatics PHOTO: LISA ZOLDAK PHOTOS: DAVE LOCKHART
The pit area equaled the full length of the flight area (above left and center) and was packed with intricately built planes, presenting a veritable showcase of the newest F3P equipment and building techniques. Judges pictured from left to
few of the more common questions I have been asked recently: Is that 0.020 carbon rod or 0.030 carbon tube? Is 0.010 carbon rod really useful for anything? The additional milling was done by hand? These questions have nothing to do with Yuri, Project Pattern Redux, and last month’s ongoing discussion of knife edge trimming. However, the questions are very relevant to this month’s topic, the re- cently completed U.S. F3P Team Trials. Proj- ect Pattern Redux will return next month. F3P is the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) class designation for indoor precision aerobatics. Indoor precision aero- batics contests have been around for ap- proximately a decade, but the first F3P World Championship was not held until 2013, in Coburg, Germany. The top three pilots were Gernot Bruckmann (Austria), Donatas Pauzuolis (Lithuania), and Tetsuo Onda (Japan). The Team Championship was won by France, followed by Austria, and Germany. Unfortunately, the U.S. did not field a Team for 2013, leaving out some of the top indoor pilots in the world, as evi- denced by ETOC (Electric Tournament of Champions) results.
A U.S. Team Trials
With the next F3P World Championships scheduled for April 2015, in Warsaw, Poland, the winter 2013/2014 indoor season was the right time to hold a U.S. Team
right: Joe Lachowski, Vicente Bortone, and AMA Executive Director, Dave Mathewson (above right). Here they critically evaluate maneuvers before assigning scores.
Trials. Our Team Trials were held in con- junction with the Northeast Ohio Electric Festival (NEF, 21–23 March, 2014) in the huge Stiles Fieldhouse at the University of Akron. The host club, Mentor Area Radio Control Society (MARCS), graciously set aside a dedicated flight area for the Team Trials at one end of the venue.
In addition to the F3P class for the Team Trials, provisional classes of Sportsman and Intermediate were also flown. All three class- es practiced on Friday, and then four rounds of contest flights were completed for each class on Saturday. The F3P class flew the AP- 15 schedule (preliminary sequence), and the top five pilots advanced to fly three additional rounds of AF-15 (finals sequence) on Sunday. Considering I did a lot of the organization
for the F3P contest/Team Trials, my opinion could be biased, but the contest ran very smoothly thanks to a “stacked” staff of expe- rienced contest workers: Contest Director Jon Lowe, Assistant CD John Konneker, Scorekeeper Bob Kane (assisted by Scott Smith, Linda Jesky, and Scott McNickle), and Flightline Director Tim Jesky. Additionally, several judges for the F3P class were at the event primarily to judge the Team Trials: Joe Lachowski, Vicente Bortone, and AMA Executive Director Dave Mathew- son. Prior to the event, Bob Brown and Dave Mathewson of the AMA, Rex Lesher (AMA F3P Committee Chairman), and Jon Carter (NSRCA Judging Committee) completed the
bulk of the requisite administrative planning and paperwork to facilitate the event. The event was well attended with 4 pilots in Sportsman, 6 in Intermediate, and 16 in F3P. The demographics included 4 Father/ Son pairings and ages ranging from 9 to 70. Pilots came from nine states (Arkansas, California, Kansas, Michigan, North Caroli- na, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Vir- ginia) as well as the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Nathan Carlson trav- eled all the way from San Mateo, California.
Ultralight technology
As a relatively young event, advances in F3P aircraft performance are progressing at a very rapid pace. Being a precision event, the airframes must be accurately built, rigid in the air and have precise servos and linkages. Given the limitations of the flying space, lightweight is also a high priority as it allows the airplanes to fly slower, giving pilots more time to fly complex maneuvers precisely. The modern day F3P plane can be comfortably flown (by skilled pilots) in venues as small as 40 ×80-foot floor space with ceilings as low as 25 feet. Reducing weight without compromis- ing structural integrity and precision is the battle F3P pilots constantly fight. At the 2013 World Championships, Ger-
not’s Trivia design weighed 92 grams. The Trivia was constructed of a 3mm Depron foam “skeleton” covered with mylar film and used carbon fiber rod truss structures
by dave lockhart You can reach Dave Lockhart via e-mail at
davel322@comcast.net
PHOTO: DEVIN MCGRATH
With an intricate structure of 0.020 and 0.010 carbon fiber rod reinforcement (above left), even the minimal amount of foam remaining is milled to save additional weight on Dave Lockhart’s Spies. The “business” end (above center) of Devin McGrath’s immaculately built Anubis. Mylar covered carbon fiber frame propellers of the Kimmo V2 Contra system compliment the foam/mylar structure of the plane. Ron Lockhart (at right) receives his trophy for 1st place in Sportsman from notable presenters AMA President Bob Brown (left) and Jon Lowe (right), president of the National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics (NSRCA).
48 MAY 2014
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