Speed trap
Chuck and Walt,
You both have great ideas on this. Actually Chuck I saw your posting went out and bought another stop watch to do this and it does work great! Actually it's the best system I've seen that you can do for less than $30.00.
I've been trying to get a setup that will work with the AMA for timing that is acceptable. What I'm trying to do is get Steve Kaluf at the AMA who in actually in charge of the FAI event records to open up various classes of straight line speed like 3.5cc 7.5cc 10cc 15cc and etc. Then actually hold speed events that are AMA sanctioned and start keeping records. One major hurdle is in the timing and anything they say over 150 mph has to be timed electronically and not hand activated to elininate the error variances inherit in such a system. I agree with them on that principal too.
The Russians hold the straight line speed record with a speed plane that is .60 size which has the wing rubberbanded down. believe it or not the record stands at 213.5 mph! How much do you think that rubberband stretched on pulling out of the dive? Plus you know how much drag there is with a rubberband hold down. 213.5 mph? I don't think so! I think somebody had a very nervous thumb. They used stop watches for timing. Anyway it stands at 213.5 like it or not. The new record holder must fly up wind and down wind at 217mph to break that record with a 10cc engine. Not likely to be done since their aren't any decent engines out there to fly on that are 10cc or less. On top of all this it has to be done on a 200 meter course. 600' is a mighty long run to keep the speed up through with an average of 217mph.
Anyway that's why I'm trying to find an acceptable electronically activated timing device. It would be fun to have several events for speed competition where we could get together for national records in different classes of speed planes.
Blue Skyy