FAI-F1D
Free Flight Indoorist
Jared Hughes on the Flite Test Fans facebook page raised the suggestion that we have a contest of sorts to see just how fast a legitimate foamboard airplane can go. He mentioned setting up a thread here, but doesn't look like he's gotten around to it, and I've got a set of preliminary rules to toss into the game.
Please understand before I get started, that this is not intended to be the official start of a forum contest, nor is it intended to compete with Joshua Orchard's scale air race for FF 2017. That said, I would very much like to see this held as an unofficial event at FF 2017.
I'm proposing that we race our models on our own time at our own fields and make speed runs recorded using a smartphone Doppler analyzer app. There are several available fairly cheaply in the Google play store. We need to all agree to use the same app. Also, it is very important that we eliminate the contribution of wind to the event, so the rules should include something like two runs in each direction, with the results averaged. The entries should be videoed of course.
Now, let's talk rules. This needs to be kept reasonable while allowing for as much performance as practical. As such, let's try this as a proposed set of design rules:
1. Completed model designs must be published. Make it possible for others to use your design
2. Keep it in the spirit of Flite Test--use actual foam board--no fiberglass or other skins, including tape. Actual, regular foamboard. It's perfectly reasonable to allow removal of the paper, as that's not a structural advantage, but it does eliminate humidity issues and allows further streamlining.
3. Tape reinforcing should only be allowed on firewall attachments, wing leading edges, and control surface hinges. Skinning wings in tape is not in keeping with foamboard construction
4. No carbon except for a single carbon wing spar--this allows for safe wing construction on closed courses without making these into disguised composite builds
5. Firewalls from any material desired, but no molded front ends.
6. Paper anywhere you like it.
7. No use of epoxy anywhere, or sealants intended to stiffen paper coverings.
8. Keep it reasonable: maximum battery should be a 3s 2200 or less. I don't believe we need a C rating restriction. If you're needing 70C batteries, you probably designed your propusion system wrong.
9. No folding propellers. This is not to restrict glide performance, but rather to eliminate expensive hotliner propellers.
10. Let's restrict cost further by putting a $50 cap on motors. This cost should be the retail cost of the motor with shipping ignored. No lowballing through clearance sales or swap meet trickery.
11. No cost restrictions on ESC's, servos, or receivers. High end electronics will not provide enough advantage to impact the outcome. If you want to use MKS servos, it's your wallet, not mine.
12. You can use other people's designs, provided they are credited and you clearly document any changes. The goal is speed. Get it any way you can within the design restrictions.
Also, the current speed record foamie at 139 mph:
Please understand before I get started, that this is not intended to be the official start of a forum contest, nor is it intended to compete with Joshua Orchard's scale air race for FF 2017. That said, I would very much like to see this held as an unofficial event at FF 2017.
I'm proposing that we race our models on our own time at our own fields and make speed runs recorded using a smartphone Doppler analyzer app. There are several available fairly cheaply in the Google play store. We need to all agree to use the same app. Also, it is very important that we eliminate the contribution of wind to the event, so the rules should include something like two runs in each direction, with the results averaged. The entries should be videoed of course.
Now, let's talk rules. This needs to be kept reasonable while allowing for as much performance as practical. As such, let's try this as a proposed set of design rules:
1. Completed model designs must be published. Make it possible for others to use your design
2. Keep it in the spirit of Flite Test--use actual foam board--no fiberglass or other skins, including tape. Actual, regular foamboard. It's perfectly reasonable to allow removal of the paper, as that's not a structural advantage, but it does eliminate humidity issues and allows further streamlining.
3. Tape reinforcing should only be allowed on firewall attachments, wing leading edges, and control surface hinges. Skinning wings in tape is not in keeping with foamboard construction
4. No carbon except for a single carbon wing spar--this allows for safe wing construction on closed courses without making these into disguised composite builds
5. Firewalls from any material desired, but no molded front ends.
6. Paper anywhere you like it.
7. No use of epoxy anywhere, or sealants intended to stiffen paper coverings.
8. Keep it reasonable: maximum battery should be a 3s 2200 or less. I don't believe we need a C rating restriction. If you're needing 70C batteries, you probably designed your propusion system wrong.
9. No folding propellers. This is not to restrict glide performance, but rather to eliminate expensive hotliner propellers.
10. Let's restrict cost further by putting a $50 cap on motors. This cost should be the retail cost of the motor with shipping ignored. No lowballing through clearance sales or swap meet trickery.
11. No cost restrictions on ESC's, servos, or receivers. High end electronics will not provide enough advantage to impact the outcome. If you want to use MKS servos, it's your wallet, not mine.
12. You can use other people's designs, provided they are credited and you clearly document any changes. The goal is speed. Get it any way you can within the design restrictions.
Also, the current speed record foamie at 139 mph:
