Edgewater Air Race

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
 
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BorisTheSpider

Active member
Just a follow-up thought -- if you really put a lot of production into it, you could probably shoot the actual race part in a day but spread it out to be a small series. You could even really hype it up with someone doing an old-timey announcer voice, calling the race.
 

FAI-F1D

Free Flight Indoorist
If y'all want a legit speed challenge, let's rig up a speed measurement system (perhaps this one) and come up with a few classes of planes and see who can put the biggest numbers on the board over a 200m FAI regulation course. You could break it down by open class foamboard, spec wings, etc, and of course have an unlimited class for whatever materials are desired. Josh showed me a site on the course that would be perfect to set this up and is far enough from everything else for a modicum of safety (a 40" foamboard plane with a 4kW power system at 160+ mph has way more kinetic energy than most folks realize).
 

Piotrsko

Master member
If y'all want a legit speed challenge, let's rig up a speed measurement system (perhaps this one) and come up with a few classes of planes and see who can put the biggest numbers on the board over a 200m FAI regulation course. You could break it down by open class foamboard, spec wings, etc, and of course have an unlimited class for whatever materials are desired. Josh showed me a site on the course that would be perfect to set this up and is far enough from everything else for a modicum of safety (a 40" foamboard plane with a 4kW power system at 160+ mph has way more kinetic energy than most folks realize).

A 40" foamy at 100+ will crack an unfilled block wall. It also kinda destroys the electronics
 

SlingShot

Maneuvering With Purpose
My $0.02

A one-design race a la the Quickie 500. At Reno, everyone loves the unlimited class. And they truly are spectacular machines. But the closest and most competitive races are in the T-6 class. Bar none.
 

JennyC6

Elite member
I'd love to see some additional categories and classes:

Wet Fuel aircraft in 1/2a size, 20 size, 40 size, 60 size, giant scale

Endurance. Longer you fly without replenishing your energy reserve the better you score, makes four stroke trainers(270cc flies my NexSTAR for about 15m on a 2cycle but 33m on a 4cycle at cruise power with plenty of lift on hand to carry a LOT more fuel) and things stuffed full of 18650s like Skyhunters competitive

Bomb run. Basically you take off and the first one to accurately put a nerf football bomb on target from the opposite side of the course wins.
 
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poor boy 101

Active member
maybe we could set something up at flite fest 2020! I'm willing to bet it will be at edgewater! also is fpv allowed? i just put in fpv in a freewing f4u corsair very tempting to race that or my fpv super bee (6s at max 130mph) also as i am a male i do not want to attempt flying something like my super bee through my legs. i draw the leg megging limit to about 50mph when i do it( also one motored.. like the ft mini sportster)
 

JennyC6

Elite member
maybe we could set something up at flite fest 2020! I'm willing to bet it will be at edgewater! also is fpv allowed? i just put in fpv in a freewing f4u corsair very tempting to race that or my fpv super bee (6s at max 130mph) also as i am a male i do not want to attempt flying something like my super bee through my legs. i draw the leg megging limit to about 50mph when i do it( also one motored.. like the ft mini sportster)
FPVFest 2020 is for sure st edgewater. 2019 was there and I enjoyed all four days even if none of my fpv systems were working st the time. And I will be there again next year.


Would love to race you with a phoenix typhoon powered by a Magnum 52RFS via FPV! I wont be hard to find; I bring nothing but nitro so just listen for engine noises I'll prolly be nearby.