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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good, well balanced stuff as always Don. Thank
you - it's added to my collection :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Eric.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dszczur@maranatha.net href="mailto:dszczur@maranatha.net">Don
Szczur</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, May 07, 2005 10:34
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Reverse Avalanche, Masters
stuff, thoughts etc.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm motivated to write. There is
something deeper here. Bent aluminum tube? You can't be
serious! I guess it could happen. A friend of mine snapped a
pattern plane wing in half when he accidently hit his snap roll switch at full
throttle (actually twice, once to snap the plane inverted, and the second
to finish the job by ripping the wings off). Its impossible for me to
put myself in your shoes ... but I'll try to remember back in the days I flew
Masters. Now, I flew Masters when it was AMA (non-turnaround). My
first NATS flying Masters, I almost hit the judges on takeoff since I did not
have steering on that Curare. (Well, maybe an exaggeration, but I do
remember seeing, out of the corner of my eye, Dave Brown grabbing the
chair handles and leaning forward). I worked hard, built a plane current
to that decade, and got 2nd the next year. Moving from standard pattern
to turnaround was quite a big adjustment. I can clearly remember
that. Which is my point. I figured the bar was raised and
everyone is flying the same challenge. .</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Reverse Avalance...Loose wing tube socket on the
Focus II? It brings back a memory of squeaking styrofoam.. I think
mine came loose after the first couple of flights, but I was flying the plane
crisply. I just carefully took the retainer screw dowels out, globbed
some epoxy in (there was a gap around the end plate) and popped the dowel back
in with some additional epoxy. I can't remember for sure but I think
I have a diagram with the fix at:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Focus II at
the following address: </FONT><A href=""><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/FOCUS_II_ARF_construction_by%2Dthe%2Dnumbers/m_1431697/tm.htm</FONT></A>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Where was I... The Avalanche. That FAI
reverse avalance with 1 1/2 snaps. Done it probably 200 times, I'd
venture. It does require more power than every other maneuver (spare the
P05 humpty with pos snap up), but my style is in closer- just inside 150m so
the loop is not large (I snap at idle and add throttle after the snap).
Its not too bad on the power at this distance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Unknowns? I cannot comment on them for
pattern other than reporting two items. Several FAI flyers made comments
to me that "TOC" flyers have an advantage in the finals because they have
flown unknowns so much with the big planes. (try an outside avalanche
from the top with opposite POSITIVE snaps at the bottom). My response (raise
eyebrows) is to fly IMAC. IMAC Advanced or Unlimited. With
unknowns. It will build the skills necessary to learn how to approach
them. The FAI Unknowns really are not that. All 250 some odd
maneuvers are given to the pilots. Yes, I've practiced all 250 of them
(or at least every major varient in each maneuver family).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Second item is related to an IMAC contest I
used to run. We had unknowns in every class. At the time (mid to late
'90s) this was really quite new. The overwhelming response was very
positive. Again, just a data point.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well this is all food for thought. Pattern is
different from IMAC, and FAI different than Masters. To the pattern
flyers in Masters- I fully believe that your desires should be
instituted. Why? The turnover I experience at the IMAC contests I
ran was something like 60 to 75 percent. I don't know what happened to
them but they did not stick with it (at least for that annual
contest). Many pattern flyers continue for years. You guys
should be the main focus of the rules.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>