F3B vs. Thermal duration
05-18-2005, 03:25 PM
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F3B vs. Thermal duration
I have both types of planes that are "Open Class" Thermal duration and F3B Airplanes but does anyone out there know what the major difference in requirements for the airplanes are? Most contest venues I have been involved in at clubs have been "Thermal Duration" contests. Is the F3B contest more rigid in its requirements for both aircraft and equipment? Maybe that's why I have never seen an F3B contest recently. The answer is probably locked in the rules for both types of venues. The reason I ask is that some composite airplanes being manufactured have two versions of the same design (RNR Millenium for example) one being a thermal duration design and the other being an F3B version.
05-22-2005, 07:59 PM
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RE: F3B vs. Thermal duration
In thermal duration contests the main thing the plane is designed for is minimum sink as you are trying to get the most time out of a flight up to a max time.
In F3B there are 3 tasks which make up a contest: duration- a 7 minute flight with a spot landing, a 4 minute flight trying to get the maximum distance over a 150 meter course, and a speed flight over the same course making 2 complete laps ( 4X150 Meters). These planes are designed more with minimum drag and necessarily less lifty arfoils and designed more toward the speed aspect as the tasks are more looking for speed. Also 7 minute max'es aren't all that difficult from a good launch even for a lead sled.
JESTER
In F3B there are 3 tasks which make up a contest: duration- a 7 minute flight with a spot landing, a 4 minute flight trying to get the maximum distance over a 150 meter course, and a speed flight over the same course making 2 complete laps ( 4X150 Meters). These planes are designed more with minimum drag and necessarily less lifty arfoils and designed more toward the speed aspect as the tasks are more looking for speed. Also 7 minute max'es aren't all that difficult from a good launch even for a lead sled.
JESTER
06-21-2005, 06:17 PM
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RE: F3B vs. Thermal duration
The answer above is right on.The reason for the demise of f3b is it is so demanding.
expensive models,backup airplanes,tons of practice, with a helper i might add.
Thermal duration on the other hand, requires simply any model you happen to own
and probably fly every sunday.
06-23-2005, 07:06 AM
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RE: F3B vs. Thermal duration
The duration task in F3B is now 10 minutes and not 7. This has affected the design of gliders towards more thermaling capabilities, but still needing to be fast in the speed task and "fly long" at best L/D in the distance task.
Correct. To be competitive in F3B you need to spend some $$$ in equipment and to fly the distance task, you need as many helpers at the B-base as there are pilots flying at any moment, plus the helpers at the A-base, which normally are fellow pilots not flying at the moment.
It's still fun though!
Alex
Correct. To be competitive in F3B you need to spend some $$$ in equipment and to fly the distance task, you need as many helpers at the B-base as there are pilots flying at any moment, plus the helpers at the A-base, which normally are fellow pilots not flying at the moment.
It's still fun though!
Alex
