BorisTheSpider
Active member
I mentioned this idea a while back on one of the Facebook groups but I'll put it here, in the appropriate place.
I'd love to see an old-fashioned air race around Edgewater. You'd have to get as many pilots as you can muster to make it the most entertaining though. Ideally, it looks like the Wings Around the Globe air race from Planes, not the pylon races that are more popular now. So it would go something like this:
Each participant chooses or builds their favorite airframe. They can fly FPV or LoS, but FPV would be ideal. They all start from the same runway. There are 6 stops, and points are earned along the way.
Points are like this:
Each leg of the trip is a race. For most stops, the sooner to arrive, the higher the points.
Each landing zone is set up like a target - the closest landing gets the most points.
So as to not exclude slower planes or more novice pilots, include a leg where you get more points for length of time running without motor. Highest points for longest glide (and still closest landing).
Along the way, include certain obstacles worth bonus points - certain gaps to shoot, cutting a streamer hanging from a DJI, pop balloons, fly inverted, barnstorming, etc.
Other fun ideas - a leg with streamer combat, a leg with a bomb drop challenge along the way, a leg with a water take-off and landing (planes that can't adapt would just get fewer points for hand or land launch and landing in alternate LZ), and bonus points for flair (purtiest paint job, goofiest bird, pulling out of a tough spot, and such).
In between legs, take a short break for quick maintenance and battery change (and adding floats for water leg and bombs for bomb drop leg).
I'd even allow changes to the airframe between legs -- things like swapping wings or props would be fine but leave the fuselage alone.
Honestly, I think 4-6 would be the magic number of pilots, but I understand that could be problematic due to limited number of crew. Rest assured, the community will be willing to volunteer some help. I'd hold a camera, maintain a DJI hold, or whatever. I know there are others who are more talented nearby who would jump at the chance to help out.
This would really allow you to show off the progress at Edgewater. It would also be a fantastic showcase of what the FT designs are capable of -- especially the versatility of some of them. Additionally, we haven't really seen a group fly from you guys since...the Simple Scout video, I think. And that was a blast.
So yeah, the idea wasn't as fleshed-out when I mentioned it on the facebook group, but this is a better format for doing exactly that. How about it - any other ideas from the community?
PS: For the purposes of staying true to the format of the cartoon air races, you really should have a villain who shows up with wild contraptions to try to gain an edge. Nobody on the FT crew fits that bill, but I'll bet Alex would really revel in the chance to dress up as Dick Dastardly. I'll bet Chad could come up with some wicked goofy stuff though. @flitetest
I'd love to see an old-fashioned air race around Edgewater. You'd have to get as many pilots as you can muster to make it the most entertaining though. Ideally, it looks like the Wings Around the Globe air race from Planes, not the pylon races that are more popular now. So it would go something like this:
Each participant chooses or builds their favorite airframe. They can fly FPV or LoS, but FPV would be ideal. They all start from the same runway. There are 6 stops, and points are earned along the way.
Points are like this:
Each leg of the trip is a race. For most stops, the sooner to arrive, the higher the points.
Each landing zone is set up like a target - the closest landing gets the most points.
So as to not exclude slower planes or more novice pilots, include a leg where you get more points for length of time running without motor. Highest points for longest glide (and still closest landing).
Along the way, include certain obstacles worth bonus points - certain gaps to shoot, cutting a streamer hanging from a DJI, pop balloons, fly inverted, barnstorming, etc.
Other fun ideas - a leg with streamer combat, a leg with a bomb drop challenge along the way, a leg with a water take-off and landing (planes that can't adapt would just get fewer points for hand or land launch and landing in alternate LZ), and bonus points for flair (purtiest paint job, goofiest bird, pulling out of a tough spot, and such).
In between legs, take a short break for quick maintenance and battery change (and adding floats for water leg and bombs for bomb drop leg).
I'd even allow changes to the airframe between legs -- things like swapping wings or props would be fine but leave the fuselage alone.
Honestly, I think 4-6 would be the magic number of pilots, but I understand that could be problematic due to limited number of crew. Rest assured, the community will be willing to volunteer some help. I'd hold a camera, maintain a DJI hold, or whatever. I know there are others who are more talented nearby who would jump at the chance to help out.
This would really allow you to show off the progress at Edgewater. It would also be a fantastic showcase of what the FT designs are capable of -- especially the versatility of some of them. Additionally, we haven't really seen a group fly from you guys since...the Simple Scout video, I think. And that was a blast.
So yeah, the idea wasn't as fleshed-out when I mentioned it on the facebook group, but this is a better format for doing exactly that. How about it - any other ideas from the community?
PS: For the purposes of staying true to the format of the cartoon air races, you really should have a villain who shows up with wild contraptions to try to gain an edge. Nobody on the FT crew fits that bill, but I'll bet Alex would really revel in the chance to dress up as Dick Dastardly. I'll bet Chad could come up with some wicked goofy stuff though. @flitetest
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