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<DIV>In a message dated 1/9/05 12:57:21 PM Central Standard Time,
Norm500@comcast.net writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Just
some thoughts from an electric flyer that hasn't started in <BR>Pattern
yet. I have flown electric power in IMAC, but am <BR>interested in
Pattern because of the 2-meter size limit. My IMAC <BR>plane, a 2-meter
Staudacher which weighs just over 13 lbs. RTF, <BR>and is as large as I want
to go. In larger electrics the price <BR>starts going up exponentially,
but 2-meters start looking rather <BR>small alongside of the now typical IMAC
planes.<BR><BR>BTW, my battery pack weighs just under 3 lbs. so if the rules
were <BR>ever changed to allow electrics to be weighed without the pack,
<BR>I'd only be at about 10 lbs. Not too bad for a plane that was
<BR>originally built and flown with a Quadra gas engine.<BR><BR>Anyway, the
point of all this is that you might be able to start <BR>attracting some
electric powered flyers that want to compete <BR>simply because of the 2-meter
limit on size. I know it's not <BR>something that's going to happen
overnight, but changing the rule <BR>about weighing with the battery installed
would surely help. I <BR>also know that some of the top rung people are
already flying <BR>electric pattern, but with state of the art planes that's
hard for <BR>entry level builders to achieve.<BR><BR>I've been trying to
decide on a pattern plane to build for some <BR>weeks now. I'd like it
to be a 2-meter if for no other reason <BR>than my eyesight isn't very good
and the larger planes are easier <BR>to see. Thinking of building a
Typhoon 2K with Mike Hester's <BR>modifications, but the project looks
daunting to someone who's <BR>never built a wing with tubes, adjustable wing
and stabs, etc. <BR>Also have been considering the Focus II, but figure it
will be <BR>overweight with the batteries.<BR><BR>Oh well, that's my input for
today.<BR><BR>Norm<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Norm: Because most pattern enthusiasts fly glow powered models, there
really hasn't been much discussion or concern regarding how glow/gas/electric
pattern aircraft are weighed. Competition rules should be as fair as
possible when applied across the board to all the different types of models
authorized to compete in a given category. Rather than weigh electric
pattern ships without batteries, it's my personal view that either 1) the weight
limit for pattern should be eliminated, or 2) weigh all aircraft types --
gas, glow, or electric -- ready to fly....with fuel or batteries as the case may
be. I'm not pro or con any particular type of power plant. I've used
glow engines for nearly 55 years and currently have two electric pattern ships
on the workbench. Our AMA competition rules are guided and
influenced by international FAI rules and it will be interesting to see how this
issue is handled as more and more modelers move to forms of power other than
glow fuel.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mike Moritko </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>