Bipe Flyer

The website for the design contest is http://www.donatelli.net/contest/

2006 1/2A Design Contest Rules

1. The model may be powered by any combination of engines as long as they are all internal combustion with none having a displacement larger than .061cu (1cc).

2. There are no restrictions on model design as long as it is designed and built by the entrant. I.E. the model can be scale, sport, twin, profile, control line, free flight etc.

3. Teams are allowed.

4. The contest starts Jan. 1, 2006 and all entries must be completed and flown by April 30, 2006.

5. Judging will be for one week with 5 votes allocated for each entrant to use and a single vote for any visitors to the contest site. The entrants will vote on 3 planes with 3 votes for 1st, 2 votes for 2nd and 1 vote for 3rd.

If people want to enter the contest , send me your name, RCU name and a password for the contest site. DO NOT send me your RCU password. Send me a new password that you want to use for the contest site. The contest website will be at http://www.donatelli.net/contest .

Bipe Flyer

I'm posting the same rules we've used in previous years. I'll update them as we decide on if we want to change the voting and entry fee for shirts, etc.


Bruce,
Can you please sticky this thread?

Bipe Flyer

Here are the entrants I've received so far.

arp67
phuffstatler
A. J. Clark
indoorff
newtech
av8rsodt
Tim Wiltse
ptulmer
dieFluggeister
Andrew Batts
Dukester
Ragwing
Bipe Flyer
Flying Poodle
Wazmo
flyswatter
Spadalltheway
D Bronk
scudrunner77
MatchlessAero
Gorgeflyer
Subarubrat
Vega
mikegordon10
AG Bill
Aussie Damo
Half-A-Hec
numthums
KidEpoxy
flybug
MR Flyer57
Avroarrow
BruceTharpe
MJD
Combatpigg

inSANe DIEGO

Bummer!!!! Where's the electric 1/2a size contest? I realize that 1/2a is an IC designation, but I'm sure there are 1/2a size electric flyers/designers that would like to get in a contest...

John
(1/2a electric designer/flyer looking for a contest.)

Tim Wiltse-RCU

It ain't no fun if your hands don't smell like castor at the end of the day son!!!

Later,
Tim

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Hey JOHN, you are welcome to join our little contest. We'll even be happy to point you in the direction of some nice 1/2a engines![>:]

inSANe DIEGO

Tim

Ah yessss... I too love the smell of castor in the morning. However, I've out grown the need to chase down a field in Bum%$&* Egypt just to fly because of noise complaints. Also, as an IC pilot, have you ever gone for a 5 minute quickie flight that involved getting out of your car, immediately doing a radio check and flying, then landing and immediately putting your plane back in the car- less than 2 minutes total on the ground from when you parked your car to when you drove away? I enjoy not having to worry about spending more time on the ground fueling, starting, and cleaning my plane. I also don't need to worry about fuel going bad or needing to change the fuel I run or tuning because the weather said to. I could go on...
I wasn't trying to start an IC vs. voltage war here with my post. I just wanted to see if anyone else felt the same as myself or if he or she might know of a contest that I don't. As I see it, 1/2a planes are a bit of a minority. It shouldn't matter whether it's IC or electric powered. The 1/2a community needs to stick together.

John
(E-vovled 1/2a plane designer/flyer) <----------- Maybe that's a better description.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

[sm=lol.gif]
Good one! While I think e-planes would deserve their own contest, is there a forum that you could go to? Maybe RCU's new Wattflyer.com?

Bipe Flyer

Would a Cox or Norvel be allowed into an electric contest or fly in? This contest is to promote scratch building and flying 1/2A. How would one even decide what the electric size limit would be?

Starting an electric contest is an excellent idea. If you want to do one sometime, I'd be glad to get involved.

inSANe DIEGO

I sure could go there, but this is where the small 1/2a community is- E or IC. Not to mention... why go somewhere else when the forum header mentions electric RIGHT IN THE DESCRIPTION!

"1/2 A" & "1/8 A" planes & aircraft
These are the small ones...more popular now than ever...small glow motors or electric power..discuss 'em here.

DOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could really whine and say that if this is a "1/2a Forum Contest" then it should be opened up to electrics since it's in the forum description, but I'm above that. I'll leave the 1/2a world to you IC guys if that's what you want. I still hold my opinion. 1/2a needs to stick together. If the community is not a minority, then why is the contest open to all types of airframes? Maybe because the participation is too small to break it into classes?????

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Going out and spending time with my little nitro burners is why I do this hobby. Spending 5 minutes next to my car flying an e-powered thing sounds to much like a video game to me. Just my 2 cents.

Later,Tim

inSANe DIEGO

Tim
I understand. However, I can fly all day too... and I have. I can also get a quick flight in during lunch, or before that storm comes or just because the setup is non-existent. No need to say "electric thing" I never mentioned "Slimer" because I'm being rational and mature. If what you may not understand scares you then open your eyes and ears. You may learn something. I'm not some video game junkie and I don't appreciate the implication that I am one (meaning an immature little mama's boy). If that's what you're getting at. Sorry Tim I'm also NOT your "son."

Bipe
It's easy to limit the electrics. Although batteries have gotten lighter and electrics now equal if not surpass glow performance, the size of plane can dictate the power output alone. You can also set an amperage draw limit. Amperage draw is proportional like IC size is. I'd say 25amps max would be equal to a 1/2a IC output.
Again, I'm not asking you to change the rules. I'm getting the feeling that the judging would biased anyway.

No. An IC plane would not be allowed in an E plane contest. It's not electric. That said, read my previous post about the 1/2a forum description.


Its seems that there is a lot of animosity toward electrics in here for whatever reason. It may be plain ignorance or maybe jealousy. Someday the cow pasture your club rents will close you down because of development and noise abatement or any number of reasons. Then you will have to drive farther away and then again farther away. I've been there and seen it. Here in Sunny San Diego AND in rural Arkansas. More in Arkansas. Nobody is safe. The planes that can fly in small areas are the ones that will be fun, BUT they will have to be quiet.

My $.03
With regret and hope for better understanding, I concede...

Bipe Flyer

I agree that 1/2A is very much a minority, but small electrics certainly aren't. I can tell by the tone of your last post that you are getting offend, but please don't feel that way. I fly glow and electrics, yet I like having this contest as is. Don't think that this forum is anti-electric; its full of a great bunch of guys. I've gotten more positive comments about my electric designs in this forum than I ever have in any of the electric forums. You could build an entry with a glow engine and when the contest is over, replace it with an electric.

As for the sarcastic comment about breaking it into classes. Read through the previous years and you'll see what it's all about. Some people have suggested it into classes, or make it more competitive in other ways, but the general consensus has been to keep the competitive aspect low key to encourage people to scratch build.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Hey iD...like Bipe, lots of us have an electric plane or 2 and I go and visit the electric forums too,but this contest was designed the .049 glow engine,,we did raise it to .061 ,,your welcome to hang out here, this comes up every year though about the small electrics and 1/2a engines being the "smaller ones"..sorry to hear about your troubles with flying fields,,the one closest to me is on an old landfill and cant be built on, so Im not worried,,,build a plane like Bipe said , put a $7 cox product engine on it ,,enter it, fly it ,clean it off and put your brushless back on it...Rog,,
Half-a Hec regularly entertains us with models that he electrifies ...while I regularly entertain these guys with models that I crash.........oh yeah just put a norvel .074 in a Goldberg Tiger 400 park flyer havent tested it yet.....stay tuned for better weather .....

inSANe DIEGO

I'll think about the challenge. I really do love the smell of the nitro fuel. It reminds me of my childhood when I used to go down to the field and watch all the old men sit, er, fly around. I couldn't wait! Years later I got my plane and built it; broke in the engine too...only to find out the field had been shut down due to environmental concerns. It even had a beautiful paved runway. Too bad that .15 is too big. I have had that one sitting around for eighteen years. Does 1/2a pertain only to the engine size or the size of the aircraft as well? Easier put.... What is my max model size (if any)? What is the max number of engines I can use? If I use .049's can I design a plane to use (8) of them?

John

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

iD, rule #1 says build a B-29 with 8 surestarts! 1/2a is strictly about displacement not the airframe. Go nuts on the design! My offer stands.[sm=thumbup.gif]

Dukester

My Feedback: (31)

I'm sending my info to Bipe, but I sure as heck can't decide what to do though.

Duke

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Gees dude take it easy for goodness sake!!! I think your post took it over the line. I was not calling you a little snot nosed wet behind the ears baby boy but that is the way you just came across son. I can take it to that level if that is what you want t o do.

Just so you know I am well versed in what it takes to get a 140mph+ e-powered hotliner in the air so I am sorry to tell you that little electrics do not scare me.

T

matchlessaero

Bipe, consider me entered... This year should be fun.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Hey bipe,consider me on hold....I may get in but my companies owners came to have a meeting with us about how they are gonna try and get us on a 5 day week....1 time a month (the rest of them are 6) so my modeling time will be limited as usual and I need to concentrate on more flying this spring ,,,I do have some cool ideas though...hmmmmmm...Rog

av8rsodt

My Feedback: (23)

Bipeflier (Andrew)-

Would you be willing to organize the T-shirts this year?

You have great skills in doing the art work and it sounds like you have a good contact to make them.

Also, we know where to find you Truth be known, you are probably one of the most reliable of us all in the 1/2A section.

I just hate to burden you since you host the Design Contest as it already stands...

What are your thoughts?
Av8rsodt (Brian)

Bipe Flyer

OK, I can do a design and set it up on some place like cafepress.com and then people can just order the shirt, hat, mug or whatever they want. I think the reason nothing happened in 2004 was because we never got any artwork done. I'll try to set it up so that you can just follow a link, select the product and pay, rather than uploading the artwork yourself.

It would be nice if I could get some ideas for the front artwork. I think we can just go with the list of entrants for the back.

spadalltheway

Hi, i think it should be some simple lettering on the front of the shirt, and maby a big logo, of something to do with 1/2a flying.?

D Bronk

I like this.BIPER`s the host .Use his LOGO,(large) on the chest,(small)on 1 shoulder. State on the front
"1/2A model design /build /flyContest",or something like that.On the back all the entrants, Names and countries they are from.To finish it off.In, BIG, BOLD, letters ,anywhere on the shirt,,MY NAME ,and the words, ChampionMight as well, have That printed on the shirt now,It would be less expensive, than having it printed on later!!! DAVE B

av8rsodt

My Feedback: (23)

Andrew-

How about on the front of the shirt, maybe left chest pocket area, have the RCU planet symbol w/ RCUniverse.com? (as it appears in the upper left corner of this post in the header)

Then the words below it saying "2006 1/2A Design Contest." (or similar)

The back of the T-shirt would then have the Contestants (screen names) and the name of their Contest entries.

The cafepress.com is a great idea - everyone can then order it on their own.

Thanks,
Brian