THRL-CKER

Anyone interested in pylon racing in Texas needs to mark their calendar and plan on attending the first annual TPRA (Texas Pylon Racing Association) meeting in Waco TX on January 14th, 2012.



We plan on discussing all forms of pylon racing from EF-1 electric, Club 40, and up to Q500 424,426,& 428.



We will be discussing the possibility of promoting the NMPRA program or adopting our own TPRA organization and which would better fit our needs to promote pylon racing in Texas.



This will be an open discussion with opening remarks by people in the know such as Dub Jett, Fred French, Randy Rich, and others.



After the key note speakers remarks the floor will be open for anyone to speak.



We will try to follow a parliamentary type of meeting, letting everyone have their say.



After that we will put it to a vote as to which way we want to go.





We will set a race schedule up for 2012 and hope to have more pylon racing in TX this year.





Contact Jim McGuinn for place and time. I need to know how many to expect so that I can secure a meeting place large enough. It will likely be a restaurant that is easily accessible from I 35.



I am planning on starting around 10 or 11 AM have the opening remarks and then break for lunch, then continue with the meeting.



If the weather is good I would like to see Dub Jett and Randy Rich put on a demonstration 426 flight at our field.


Please respond early so I can get a count of how many will be attending.



Any feed back is welcome.



This will be a dutch treat, but it will be a moderate price restaurant.

I would like to see all CD's that plan on holding races in Texas this year attend.

Jim McGuinn
254-744-6781

[email protected]

THRL-CKER

Don't forget this Saturday Jan. 14th WACO TX Pylon racing meeting.

11:00 AM El Chico's WACO TX

2111 S. Valley Mills Dr. I-35 & Valley mills on the circle Take the Valley Mills exit next to Texas Roadhouse.

Hear comments from the 2011 AMA overall National Champion Dub Jett! (Jett Engineering)

Racer and race supporter Randy Rich (Richie's Brew)

Bob Petrinec member of the RCPRO rule committee.

Fred French Long time racer and giant scale engine builder.

Jerry Small Nats racer and Q25 supporter.

We will be discussing the up coming 2012 season.

What we can do to promote more racing in Texas.

Forming the Texas pylon racing origination or association (TPRO or TPRA)

Supporting the NMPRA

Local rules and standards.


Jim McGuiunn
254-744-6781

RBTHNTR64

My Feedback: (8)

How did your meeting go. Interested in the reason for thinking of splitting off from the National organization?
Thanks

THRL-CKER

The meeting went good, I wish we had spent more time setting up a schedule for this years racing.

Reasons for forming our own origination,

I had been under the impression that the NMPRA did not want to have anything to do with Club- 40 or Q-25 racing and we were wanting to become more organized. Just before the meeting I contacted Dan Kane jr the current president of NMPRA to confirm there lack of interest in C-40 and Q-25. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this was not the case. Not only did Dan tell me that the NMPRA would support the other racing formats, but that he ask me to start writing an article for there newsletter. The first installment can be found in the NMPRA February newsletter on there web site.

This changed everything as there was no need for a new organization we agreed to support the NMPRA and I have taken over as the Dist. 8 VP.

I encourage all pylon racers to join the NMPRA and help me work to a better future for C-40 and Q-25 racing.

I have been working with Don Stegal & Ken Erkson and others for something great to be coming up this fall for C-40. Keep an eye open for news about this in the near future.

Jim

Hossfly

Any minutes of this meeting? I have supported NMPRA for many years with a few years off between bouts. Kept up my IIRC 26 I membership. I did let it lapse last year but it would not take much arm-twist to send a check in if there is some function that may well be a decent sport event. Here in the Houston area we once had a good sport event going with that SIG Kit, until the "pros" took it over. No way can one take a ST .40 out of the box and, as is, turn 19-20000 rpm on a 9-7, standard 15%. NFW! [:@]

The other problem is to get a club interested in Pylon again. Then came Club 40. Way too restrictive in the airplane requirements. What did it come down to? Something like a 300 ft course. Ridiculous if you want new folks to try out for the event. You want activity: The rules need to allow most of the current airplanes to participate. Set a wing area, max. engine size with certain requirements, not limited to one make or prefer anyone person's engine, max. and minimum wingspan NOT set to allow some "great" to make money selling a certain kit or wing or whatever, and go for it. Competition will decide the machines, no need for certain individuals to do it.

In addition I know I will no longer ever, and many newer folks to RC ever, spend hundreds of yankee green just to satisfy a few that want to keep the racing strictly to benefit their own selves. I spent a few years supporting Scale Warbird Racing in the Phoenix AZ area as well as here in the Jetero RC Club. Once the big boys removed the scale factors to almost Formula I racing, not only did the racing die out, but so did my OPEN Billfold for cash awards.

I tried to get NMPRA to assist in getting SWRA rules into the AMA Book. NMPRA wanted nothing to do with the Scale Function and the Scale Contest Board wanted nothing to do with the Racing, especially the SCB Chairman of the time.

So what are you folks doing for Pylon Racing now?

DonStegall

My Feedback: (1)

Can you actually take the time to read the AMA 540-B Document [link=http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/540-B.pdf]Set-Back Distances For Sport Pylon Racing[/link] ???

This set of regulations was created by the RCPRO leadership in cooperation with the AMA leadership. It has served the R/C pylon racing community well as many groups are using it on smaller fields.

The Quickie 25 section does not require any specific ARF and is open to any Quickie airframe.

The Club 40 section is open to planes other than those used by RCPRO Club 40.

[link=http://www.Club40Racing.com]RCPRO Club 40[/link] specifies three airframes. Two are from AirBorne Models and both have effectively the same drag profile. They are available in 12 different color schemes. But the [link=http://www.rcpro.org/content/rcpro/club_40/planes/club_40_raider/default.aspx]Sanaloma Laser Club 40 Raider kit[/link] is also allowed so that people can build from a kit if they desire and so that they don't have to fly an AirBorne ARF.

Racing on the 540-B course has been very successful all around the country. Some 3 pole advocates may not like that fact. Many more fields can host the 540-B course and more racing is happening. Magically some clubs try to host the 3 pole course after momentum builds with the 540-B course. Or they try Warbird racing on a longer course.

If you have a problem with the fact that Club 40 is using planes from [link=http://www.airborne-models.com]AirBorne Models[/link], then you just have a problem with the concept. Many of the planes used in Warbird racing are from AirBorne. They just have a good mix of planes and work hard to support the sport racing community.

If everything goes as planned, AirBorne will be coming out with two NMPRA EF1 legal planes later this year that I helped coordinate, and continue to work with the AirBorne designer on.

The NMPRA is now including Club 40 in their newsletter and Jim McGuinn who is the Contest Director for the [link=http://www.rcpro.org/content/rcpro/club_40/championship/default.aspx]2012 RCPRO Club 40 National Championship Race[/link] is the NMPRA District 8 VP.

The NMPRA is primarily focused on 3 pole racing. RCPRO is primarily focused on 2 pole racing. There is plenty of pylon racing work for everybody to do.

THRL-CKER

Hoace;

A recap of the Waco meeting can be found on the www.NMPRA .org site under 2012 newsletter.

What we were trying to do is get some kind of origination to the racing.

Glad to find new old people interested in racing.

Its always a a tight wire we are trying to walk between being too restrictive and being to leant. You go too far either way and the class is in trouble.

In Club 40 racing we have 3 legal planes and several engines that are allowed, we race on a 400 foot 2 pole course 10 laps with a rise off the ground start with 2 planes leaving the starting line and the second 2 about a second later. We alternate which lanes start first every round to keep it fair. Odd number lanes go first on odd number rounds and even on even numbered rounds.

We usually have 20 to 25 entrants in a local Club -40 race and that's enough for a full day of racing fun.

This started out as a grass roots form of racing that has caught on all across the US and there is even interest in other countries.

The goal of Club 40 racing is to be an affordable entry level form of racing that can be flown by the average flyer. The planes are very similar to the 4 stars you used to race in the Houston area. The rules are in place to keep it from going the way of the 4 Star racing, like you mentioned with a ST40 turning 19,000.

As a result of this we are having some renewed interest in AMA 424 racing in Texas this year.

The C-40 races operating under the 540B guidelines allow for most any club to host a race where the setbacks for 424 ect. prevent this due to the large area needed for a race.

The two pole arrangement cuts down on the number of course workers need to put on a race and is also more like a regular day at the field for new racers.

The new EF-1 class is more like what you were asking about with a wide varity of planes being accepted. To date I know of two ARF's and several kit and scratch built planes available with more ARF's coming on the market.

So my advice for you and any one else is put a C-40 plane together and give it a try, there ias a race coming up in a couple of weeks at Georgetown TX and there will be a C-40 & EF-1 race in Waco May 12th. We will alternate between rounds between EF-1 & C-40.

So get off the couch and quit complaining and waiting for something better and come join the fun.

If in the end you decide C-40 is not for you, you still have a great flying sport plane.

Anyone that is interested can contact me or most any other racer and we will give you details on how to set up your plane for racing all anybody has to do is ask.

If you are still undecided come to a race there are always spots open for course workers.

Jim McGuinn

NMPRA dist 8 VP

Note I have changed my user name from THRL-SKER to THRL-Cker

Hossfly

WOW Jim:

Thank you very much for the absolutely fantastic and friendly response to my grumpy attitude. With that, "Glad to find new old people interested in racing." and the

"So get off the couch and quit complaining and waiting for something better and come join the fun. .... If in the end you decide C-40 is not for you, you still have a great flying sport plane." you really know how to kick an old Fxrt IN THE BEHINDER. THAT WAS A GREAT ONE. I deserved it!

I built one each of those first btwo models that C-40 allowed. Since I never got any response from the club, they were just sport models. One forgot its course one day when IT QUIT watching the course in a Fun Fly and started watching the balloons. Again no ability to move the earth out of the way.
I still have the other one, I forget the name, but it was the nicer one.

This year has a full calendar and I will not promise anything, but thanks to you and Don, the distant drums are sounding again. I will be looking up the stuff you presented. There seems to be a lot of changes in the past few years.

Again thanks to you and Don for all the good information you presernted and the time expended. Turn left and go fast!

THRL-CKER

Glad I got your intrest.

There will be a National C-40 race here in Waco this fall, there are two web sites set up for regestration and more information www.c40nats.com & www.club40nats.com.

There is not a lot of information on them yet, but keep checking back for updates.

We use the RCPRO rules that can be found on there web site.