tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Just wondering how many 'left-siders' of the USA are going to attend the AMA Convention.

JohnShe

Convention?

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

My club has a double booth there. At one point we were the biggest club in the AMA, not sure if we still are.

www.valleyflyers.com

ira d

I Plan to be there on fri.

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

I'll be there alll day Sun, I've got take apart and pack-up duty for the big B-29 we're going to have on display.

PLANE JIM

My Feedback: (109)

I sure wish it was closer-too far for me right now.

Hossfly

Hey Jerry:

Have AMA comment on this FUTURE of Model Aviation! (The Sport Hobby, not the magazine)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRDg4UB9Ajg

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

Hoss,

Interesting video. Forgive me if I'm being dense and not getting the point, but I can see where AMA would have an interest in this, but don't see why they would have any comment. This is just evolutionary development, like foam wings, composite fuses and vacuum bagging, nothing revolutionary here. Only potential comment I see is whether or not a person has to "print" the parts themselves, or if they could have them "printed" by a commercial vendor to quality for the BOM rule.

Hossfly

The item there is, IMO, this very new "3D Printer" that can PRINT and build something. I have only seen one item explaining this new "printer" machine however I don't have a clue as to how such is done. It is proposed to be something over and above the complete Industrial Revolution. It is proposed that having China be the world's manufacturer is soon to end.
The ARF revolution of modeling has brought kit building almost to a close. 2.4 GH has made 72MHZ a has been. Gasoline and electric engines will soon make glow-power obsolete (NOT MINE!!) but within the industry.
One machine that can quickly spit out a model ready to fly will revolutionize the toy airplane industry as much as the Glow Plug did to coil, condensers, and spark plugs, RC did to CL&FF, ARFs did to kits and self designs. Just stop to think what the ARF did not only to kits but to the demand for all those screws, nuts, etc that hung on the walls of the Local Hobby Shops, many of which are closing because the modelers no longer need LHSs. There is more.

AMA has to change with the industry as they have been doing so for several years now. There is another big change on the horizon.

EDITED to add: Thanks for the kind words, KoastRC.

To Jerry: The BOM (Builder of the Model Rule, AMA Competition Rules) is another "almost extinct" item. Only a few CL/FF events recognize such, and the big CL group, CL Precision Aerobatics (stunt), can't make up their mind where, when, which way they really want to go. There are a few Scale Events that honor BOM however I have witnessed certain Scale events where I knew the BOM was active, but I also knew the contestant had others do the hard work. Besides competitors are now a small faction outside the overall AMA membership. The exact same for the average RC Flier. He/she belongs to AMA only because most clubs require AMA for the insurance, and Joe-Member has to belong to a club if he/she wishes to do other than park-fly. IMO, that is why AMA is fighting for FAA to establish the AMA as the recognized Community Based Organization, so AMA can almost guarrantee that all fliers belong to AMA, even the park crowd.

koastrc

I agree Hoss. There is another big change coming. You and I, people like us have watched the changes take place over the years. In my early years we spent much of our time inventing all sorts of "things" from waiting for glue to dry to sticking our fingers together because the glue dries to fast. Point and condensers to glo plugs to electronic ignition. You may recall when we only had a newsletter from the AMA. One of the head lines was, AMA now over 25,000. I think maybe in the mid sixties. Then the R/C revolution took place and the AMA as we knew it was no more. I think we are on the edge of a new revolution of sorts. The change in technology and the change in the way people view things is the force that is driving the change.
I hope the new generation never forgets it is folks like you that paved the way and to ignore you and others council and advice would be a serious error. We are over loaded with the clowns and fools that think because of our age we are no longer of any importance. Cute words and silly sayings in truth do nothing. Your advice and council is a different story. So stay who you are and never forget. Many of us may not agree with what you say, BUT we do respect your knowledge and judgement.

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

Well, Hoss, it may get to that level someday, but currently you can't just "print an airplane and go fly" with current state photopolymerization processes. For instance, you can't print servos, you can print the parts and make a servo, but there's still human interaction involved because you can't print gears together on a shaft as they just come out as one part and won't turn, so you have to print the shaft and the gears separately and assemble the servo. Currently, you can print a hollow wing with honeycomb internal structure, but it's still gonna require someone to hinge and install servos and attach to a fuselage and install a Rx ad naseum. Basically just another, currently more expensive, way to make an airplane that would be comparable to the current level of ARF's, and currently photopolymerization is more expensive than traditional injection molding technicques for high numbers of parts.

An interesting process with potential, but not revolutionaly for model airplane hobbists (yet)

Tarasdad

Back to the original topic...

I wish I could go this year but the money just isn't there. Heck, we're still trying to pay off a huge balance on our electric bill from August!

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I came, I saw, I bought, I came home Not a bad show - disappointed on the vendors present; I guess not a lot of interest for the .40-.60 sized modeler anymore, especially KIT builders . Would I go again? Sure, picked up some goodies and had my 'fix' for the year because I sure can't afford to go to Toledo (Darn).....

crash99

My Feedback: (3)

I guess this is OK for the AMA membership on the west coast. If the AMA is wanting to only focus on the West coast and say the rest of the AMA membership is not Important, then they did a great Job!

Crash99

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Good Point! I guess they chose Muncie because that is closer to the 'center' of modeling individuals (distance wise).

ira d

The AMA took over a existing show that had been going on many years previous to being the AMA show. As I understand it the AMA has a presence
at all the major hobby shows nationwide.

crash99

My Feedback: (3)

I understand that the AMA took it over. That makes it the AMA's event. They should place this event in Ind due to that is the state of the AMA headquarters or move it around.

Right now it's the AMA west coast event. I will have to ask if any AMA funds are used for this event.

Crash99

ira d

Being it's a AMA event I think we can be sure AMA funds are used but to move it around would take even more funds and would proberly cause
the shows demise.