Jim Oliver

My Feedback: (1)

I would like to document the UFO as SPA legal, if possible. Do any of you guys have design date or first flight date documentation?
If legal, it probably would already be documented, but wanted to give it a shot anyway.

I would call Joe, but the old number I have isn't working now.

Thanks,
Jim

Skylane

My Feedback: (3)

Jim,

The UFO appeared in the September 1977 issue of RCM. There is no date on the plans. However, the Dirty Birdy was published in 1975, I believe, and the UFO was next in line. I doubt that the first flight ocurred before the end of 1975.

Jeff

Jim Oliver

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Jeff.

I understand about the 1977 RCM article. I hoped that someone would have firsthand knowledge of the actual design/flight date, which could have been much earlier than the RCM article.

Jim

RC YEAGER

It would have to have been designed flown 21 months before the article came out... Doubtful... But hey... I've always wondered why the phoenix 8 is listed as SPA legal when it actually was designed/flown much later than 12/31/75. Dave Brown won the 1977 Nats (his 1st win) with the Phoenix 7 and even Don Lowe himself was flying the 7 during that same Nats. In 1976 they were flying the Phoenix 6, which also makes the fact that the Phoenix 7 is also listed as SPA legal very suspect too. But its been said that the difference between the P6 and P7 was merely small variations to account for two different kit manufacturers, so I guess a case could (and was) made for that. But the P8? No way.

RC YEAGER

Also cannot understand any killer chaos version being SPA legal, cause I certainly never heard of such version during any year of the '70s. Maybe cause all variations between all Kaos/Chaos models is small? So summarizing... the UFO is more or less a swept wing/anhedral stab Dirty Birdy, so if you make a good case for it then maybe, just maybe...

Skylane

My Feedback: (3)

Mickey Walker is the founder of SPA and he is the one who approves models for use in SPA contests. He made a decision some years ago that grandfathers in variations of a basic design, regardless of when the variations came about. Hence the approval for the derivatives of the original Kaos design, the Phoenix series, and the LFX series to name a few. One of the issues that this addressed was availability with the Phoenix 7 ARF and the large number of Kaos inspired designs (Killer, Utter, etc.) Yes, there are some strange consequences such as having the P8 on the list as you point out. But at least there is a little bit of a rationale for what has been done.

Jeff

RC YEAGER

I expected it to be do to some rationale along those lines, although a Killer Chaos is quite different than a whatever-Kaos... while a Tiporare, although designed flown in 1979 by Dick Hanson is obviously a Curare knock-off with slight differences and much closer to the Curare than the Killer to the Kaos. And many pattern planes usually start with modification of some design. Maybe the design year limit should be relaxed altogether and just limit it to NON-TURNAROUND designs... And by that standard it could be argued that the Dirty Birdy grandfathered the UFO, XLT, Grand Escape, etc. But I digress...

Skylane

My Feedback: (3)

All of your points are valid, especially the Tipo/Curare connection. But tradition persists.... In the end, we just try to have fun competing with these older designs, reliving something of what it was like in our younger years.

Jeff

RC YEAGER

Of course. I understand and I concur... As a matter of fact I just recently made a comeback to RC after nearly 30 years (!!!!) and if all goes according to plan, in 2016 or 2017 I'm planning to somehow go from Puerto Rico to a couple of SPA contests (to compete, not just as spectator)... Its a costly endeavor and a logistic nightmare (shipping the planes and carrying the equipment in todays airlines, if possible) but I'm gonna pull it off somehow. There are no classic pattern contest here.

Skylane

My Feedback: (3)

That's great! I will look forward to meeting you. Best of luck!

Jeff

RC YEAGER

Thanks... I will need to coordinate all with some feedback from you guys, and you are the first one I've told this to, so its good to have had this exchange with you. I'll keep in touch