RE: Scale pattern plane?
Dick Hanson designed a couple of pattern planes with scale appearance a few years ago. One was a Slim Ziln (I had one, crashed on maiden flight due to builder error (me) with a detachable stab that detached in mid air) and later an Excess that looked like an Extra 300 (I had one of these too and flew it a long time). If you could find one of these it should suit your needs and both were very capable pattern planes too. Dave
Posted on: 9/11/2012 2:07 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11225354

RE: What's the story with JR 2.4ghz?
What is going on with JR? I've heard rumors of JR switching away from the DSM2 (Spektrum) to something else. What will happent to support for existing JR? Will there be conversions available if the newer stuff is different/better? I've seen nothing in any of the on-line or published info. Dave
Posted on: 9/8/2012 4:27 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221572

RE: Power sources
Looks like a computer/server power supply. I have used a couple of these conversions at 12 volts and 45-50 amps rated and they have not served me well. They both shut down often using a CellPro 10S before the charge cycle is complete. Don't know why and this one may be fine but I've had better sucess with other power supplies than server units.
Posted on: 7/16/2012 1:49 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11157644

RE: 1980 TOC Laser 200 by Ulery
Sounds like you have a Bob Godfrey laser. He sold them mostly in the bones (framed up but not covered I think). Lots of them were used in TOC contest in years after 1978. I think the basis of his Laser was the Ulery design that he modified to build easier. I had a couple of the 1/4 scale versions years ago. Last I knew his son was still selling kits and parts but that's been a couple or more of years ago. They were great flying airplanes with a 3w-60 or 3w-70 or a 4.2 ci single cyl gasser. Lanier made a deal with Bob to build his kits and the 1/4 scale and 33% versions were available while lanier was still in business. At one time you could buy the fiberglass parts from Godfrey to replace the plastic stuff Lanier used in the kits. If his son is still in business I'd think he's still have them. Here's his web site. http://www.bobflies.com/Home/tabid/1163/Default.aspx Dave
Posted on: 7/6/2012 6:30 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11140339

RE: F3a The Future
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Posted on: 6/30/2012 3:16 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11137775

RE: F3a The Future
[quote]ORIGINAL: ROOKIE PILOT Back to the weight rule, can anyone give me a common sense reason why we have a maximum weight rule in the first place. Randy Hicks Team TALON extreme [/quote] The only reason is because it's always been that way.
Posted on: 6/29/2012 9:11 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11137272

RE: OS 33GT Gasoline Engine for Pattern
btt
Posted on: 6/29/2012 11:11 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11136714

RE: Mercurio
The most recent pattern planes I've built have been ARC or all white versions and painted with a scheme I can see. The next ones will be also. The really complex schemes so common now don't show up in the air to me - just a blob. Guys flying with me will see a similar scheme to this from now on. Dave
Posted on: 6/15/2012 1:09 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119438

RE: Who is Kitting/Producing the SL-1
I think heard Jim Graham has re-opened RC City and has gotten all or most of the moulds back from PAC or Scott Anderson. Don't know the schedule for producing kits and if he has the SL-1 but you might contact him.
Posted on: 6/12/2012 8:08 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11115522

RE: Pattern Planes in Mothballs
[quote]ORIGINAL: edwarda10pilot Dave: My SL-1 had the same hatch on the bottom of the fuse. I used this access hatch to install one of the MK bellcranks that allowed me to drive both elevator halves with single servo. This bellcrank allowed me to install the elev. servo forward in the fuse near the wing TE. I also collocated the rudder servo next to the elevator servo. I opted not to install the servos in the rear of the fuse for balance reasons. I really believe it is an SL-1. Ed [/quote] Other clues for me are the shape of the wing filets, the canopy detail of the frame molded in like a fighter canopy, and the location of the end of the chin cowl taped up behind the wing. You may be right, but it sure looks like an Omen to me. Dave
Posted on: 6/10/2012 2:42 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11113528

RE: Pattern Planes in Mothballs
Never has a SL1 but it's very similar George Asteris's Omen. Clue to me is the hatch location for the rudder/elevator servos. The more I look at the nose and canopy detail, it looks like an Omen to me. Dave
Posted on: 6/10/2012 2:16 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11113506

RE: Proposed 2013/2014 Sequences
And by the way, if the Sequence Committee is so constrained by the sequence guidelines, maybe it's time to revisit what we want them to be. May be this is a case of less is better if it causes the committee to have so much trouble in developing sequences as the planes and equipment and pilots skill gets better. Some more creative solutions may be better! Dave
Posted on: 5/21/2012 12:51 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089113

RE: Proposed 2013/2014 Sequences
I agree with Arch and Joe except the part about adding a class. I think we have enough to handle from a contest management standpoint. Make Sportsman (or whatever it may be called) a non turnaround event that can be flown with any sport plane. Then have Intermediate the first turnaround event with a schedule that suits the skill a pilot would have when they move out of Sportsman - perhaps a box exit in the middle of the routine to get back on track. Dave
Posted on: 5/21/2012 12:42 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089104

RE: R/C Aerobatics Contest Board Initital Vote
[quote]ORIGINAL: rcpattern Dave, I believe Joe Lachowski is in Ron Lockhart's AMA district. This goes by AMA district, not NSRCA. Arch [/quote] Thanks Arch, Sorry Scott, I was thinking NSRCA districts. Dave
Posted on: 5/21/2012 6:56 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088675

RE: R/C Aerobatics Contest Board Initital Vote
[quote]ORIGINAL: Scott Smith [quote]ORIGINAL: jgg215 ...they will not even consider a proposal that increases the weight for AMA classes. I would like to see a justification of that position. [/quote] That seems like a reasonable request, speaking for District 1: - Masters would be mostly impacted (since the development classes already have an increase) and 68.6% of the Master’s pilots that took the NSRCA survey voted against an increase. - Not a single person from my district contacted me with a desire to have the limit raised; not this cycle or the prior. - Popular vote aside, while raising the weight limit may decrease cost for some in the short term, I believe it will increase costs in the long term. - I do not believe raising the weight limit will have an effect on participation at the local or national level. - What action would we take in the future when people are butting up against the higher limit? Raise it yet again? - The last rule cycle contained a weight increase for the development classes, give it time. - I feel it is important to maintain the integrity of the sport which is bounded only by 2m and 5kg. Scott [/quote] Scott, Some questions about your post I'd like your response on. 1. At least one person in your district asked you for a weight limit increase, he submitted a change proposal to increase it. (Joe L.) 2. What evidence do you have to support your theory about increasing cost in the long term even though cost decrease in the short term? 3. What help will masters class get by giving time to see the effect of raising weight in the lower classes? 4. What do you mean by maintaning the intergrity of the sport? - I don't understand this statement. Thanks for your response, Dave
Posted on: 5/21/2012 6:34 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088637

RE: R/C Aerobatics Contest Board Initital Vote
It seems to me if these are to be enforced as AMA safety rules then they should not be specific to only pattern events. Let's take them out of the Pattern specific rules and turn the issue over to AMA for them to consider as general safety rules or part of the Safety Code. Dave
Posted on: 5/20/2012 7:29 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088209

RE: My building services
If you did business through the Mail, you may be better off with the Post Master General's office. Mail fraud is pretty serious.
Posted on: 5/20/2012 3:24 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087996

RE: My building services
A box of scrap wood was about what you got with one of the old Midwest Mach I kits. What a pain to build! I built one back in the 70's and as mich as I liked the plane I could never even think about building another.
Posted on: 5/20/2012 7:18 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087573

RE: R/C Aerobatics Contest Board Initital Vote
[quote]ORIGINAL: TonyF I really don't like that alternative. IMO if there are rules in the rulebook that are predominately ignored, then they should be removed. Rules that are only for one contest a year should be avoided. [/quote] I agree. What's been your success in getting the meaningless stuff removed? Mine's been zero over years I've attempted it. Dave
Posted on: 5/18/2012 10:37 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11085881

RE: R/C Aerobatics Contest Board Initital Vote
[quote]ORIGINAL: TonyF Not yet. This was the Initial Vote. There will be more process before the Final Vote. I found it very interesting that the CB voted down the NSRCA proposal adopting the F3A wording that had been discussed at great length, yet passed the one that had the wording that so many had objections. Seems like a real disconnect. Also, for you F3A fliers, you should be aware of one thing. If this proposal passes, you will be required to follow these rules just like every other contestant. F3A is not a separate event, it is another class flown at our sanctioned contests. If passed, you will also have to meet this proposal. [/quote] Another alternative is just to ignore it as we do several other rules. You only have to pay attention if you go to the NATS (And even there it may not be enforced)! Dave
Posted on: 5/18/2012 10:25 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11085864

RE: Flying with Cataract's
Vince, I had cataract surgery pretty early, in my late 50's, and there is no comparison in the before and after vision. You don't realize how bad it is until after the implants. Not only the visual acuity but the brightness of colors again. Get it done ASAP. You can figure out how to make the vision test come out as needed. My Dr. wanted to do the surgery when it interfeared with activity & lifestyle so that was a big help. I have some distortion from surgery for detached retinas in both eyes so I don't see as well as I test (20-20 and 20-30) but that has also gotten better with time. In some ways I see better than ever as I can read the alarm clock at night without reaching for my glasses first. Dave
Posted on: 5/17/2012 8:05 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11085188

RE: What's going on with the NSRCA?
I find I don't miss not getting the K-Factor. There is more timely and better information on the on-line forums, and NSRCA site and E-mail list. Perhaps it's time to do away with it and spend more money and time making the NSRCA on-line stuff better and more current. Dave
Posted on: 5/14/2012 11:29 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11080405

RE: Himax 6330-F3A Pattern Motor
Bill, I've got both a Pletty 30-10 and the Himaxx (original version) motors. In my experience the Pletty has a little more power than the original Himaxx. Don't know how the current version works as I have not tried one of them but I think they are reported as improved. I have no trouble flying the Masters sequence with either but I can notice the power diference. This is an old pattern proverb: "There's no such thing as too much power and way, way too much is about right!" Dave
Posted on: 5/10/2012 10:17 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11075911

RE: Curious about e-powered Integral
The all white Integral kit at $1,040.00 is the best buy out there in 2M planes IMO. Get Dave Snow to build a wing for you if you want it lighter. It's going to take some planning to make weight with the stock kit. But if the rules change for next year you probably won't have to worry about it. They are great flying planes.
Posted on: 4/10/2012 9:38 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11036080

RE: NSRCA Candidate Rules Proposal Survey is available
[quote]ORIGINAL: gaRCfield A pattern plane does not have to be 2 meters in size. [/quote] But the ones that are easiest to see and fly the best are!
Posted on: 3/28/2012 5:04 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11019143

RE: 2nd Annual D2 vs D3 Shootout March31-April 1
[quote]ORIGINAL: vquick Also a non-official ''courtesy weighing'' by the team that did all the official airplane weighing at the 2012 F3A World Championships [/quote] What does non official "courtesy weighing" mean? Mandatory or volunteer? What happens if plane can't pass?
Posted on: 3/25/2012 8:32 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11015037

RE: NSRCA Candidate Rules Proposal Survey is available
[quote]ORIGINAL: mjfrederick First and foremost, the NSRCA is not a governing body, the AMA is. The NSRCA is a Special Interest Group that has the sole purpose of voicing the opinion of its majority. [/quote] Where would one find this definition of board responsibilities spelled out?
Posted on: 3/21/2012 8:42 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11009514

RE: NSRCA Candidate Rules Proposal Survey is available
[quote]ORIGINAL: grcourtney Dave.B. I disagree with you . Neither side of the issue has been represented by the board.. I do not need a rule change to be safe or make weight or to fly cheap.. All I need is a $30 scale and some good old understanding about technique and patience.. Really all anyone needs when building or selecting materials for assembly as we do for ARF's or building as we do for kits.. Its been proven from the dawn of model flight by those that are attentive. Gary [/quote] Gary, I was just commenting on the process, not the merits of the proposals. I don't know what input the board has had to make their decisions on, I'm sure a lot of it was not included in the survey or the on-line forums. I know I communicated my views to my district VP directly. I'll do the same to my AMA Contest Board member too. Dave
Posted on: 3/21/2012 8:30 AM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11009495

RE: NSRCA Candidate Rules Proposal Survey is available
Perhaps 100% of the board was in favor of the proposals. That's well above any margin of error. In most representative forms of government we elect people to use their experience, knowledge, and judgement in our collective best interest. They are not obligated to decide whichever way the majority wants. It's not a democracy, it's a representative form of government. We elect them to use their best judgement on our behalf, and if we don't like the decisions they make it's our responsibility to vote them out of office when their term ends. NSRCA members vote by not voting too. If a majority don't respond to a survey, it doesn't invalidate the survey. Same as any election where people don't vote. Also, we are talking about AMA rules, not NSRCA rules. Any AMA member can and should have a voice in making decisions that affect the AMA rules.
Posted on: 3/20/2012 10:47 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11009153

RE: NSRCA Candidate Rules Proposal Survey is available
Wonder if the NSRCA board communicated with anyone at AMA about this proposal? Seems to me if there is a problem needing a solution that it should be a part of the AMA safety code and not included in the Pattern rules and should apply to all propeller flying. Dave
Posted on: 3/15/2012 12:52 PM by Author "burtona" in the forum "RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11001399