iqon

Having had the sea bee - thats what I would have gone for.....fantastic plane....best plane i ever had.....

viva_peru

I think that the plane you picked will serve you well. Pattern flying is not just about the maneuvers, but also managing your speed, keeping the maneuvers within the box and learning to correct for the wind. The only suggestion I would make is to see if you can get someone who has some experience in competition (whether IMAC or pattern does not matter) to coach you along. You will learn things much more quickly that way.

Good luck,

Teo

felker14

My Feedback: (50)

If you're close to Kansas City (not shipping) I have a new Tower Hobbies Kaos I would give you. Also a .60 size I would sell.

sierra_bravo

Sorry i havent been able to post in a while. I was busy finishing the plane and i also had to do some other important stuff to do.

I actully took the servos and engine from the trainer and put them in this plane. The trainer is now an empty airframe but I still have my eletric ugly stick that's a bit more fun to fly then the trainner. I was looking into joining the NSRCA but i wanted to know what the benefits of joining were. I know they have a magizene called k-factor but i cant really find more information about the membership. I dont really see alot of patten pilots at my field. I know 3 guys are serious pattern pilots and they are all super helpful and friendly. Most of the other acrobatic pilots only fly 3d and dont really care about pattern. They think its kinda boring.

I've finished the plane and its ready to fly. Sadly it looks like tomorrow is going to be windy at my field but tuesday looks nice.

-sam

dmanson

My Feedback: (1)

My name is Don Manson and I am the NSRCA Vice President for District 2 (includes North Carolina). You absolutely are on the right track. You've done your research and appear to have a good idea of how to get started. I know your instructor and some other members of your club, as well as other pattern fliers in the Charlotte area. You are in good hands. I will be at the upcoming contest at your field and look forward to meeting you!

For you information, in case you haven't heard, a member of my local is Joseph Szczur. He's a couple of years older than you are and has just won the Junior Pattern World Championship in Switzerland. I hope that he is able to make to the contest so that you can meet him. We have some real talent in NSRCA District 2.

As you'll hear over and over: Practice as much as you can and keep the wings level.

See you in early October.

sierra_bravo

Im honored to have the vice president of my flying district respond. I would of never predicted that any official from the NSRCA would have responded. My instructor actually told me that Joseph Szczur is most likely going to come to the event and that I should get to know him. As for practicing I've have literally had every pattern pilot at my field tell me that the key to a well performed sequence is being able to do perfect straight lines in all types of wind. I've stuck to that advice and now every time I go to the field all I do are straight lines and turn around maneuvers. Sadly I haven't been able to practice in about a week because I've been so busy but hopefully I start practicing again this Wednesday. I can't wait to meet all the pattern pilots that are going to be at the competition and hopefully I'll be able to meet Joseph also. At the same time I would kinda like it if I had more time to practice.

Thank you everyone for all the help and support.
-Sam

kenh3497

Sam, I'm not a pattern pilot but am very interested in aerobatics. I plan to build a reduced size 2 meter plane of older vintage this winter to fit an engine already on hand.
As to your practicing, I've found that several short sessions, especially in the beginning can be more beneficial than one long session. Say for example, three 10 minute sessions is better than one 30 minute session. If you are tired or just can't seem to focus, don't force a practice. I'm not saying this so you can find an excuse not to practice. It's just a "poor" practice session can undo or delay progress. You know yourself so use your practice sessions to your best advantage. You are very lucky to have all the help you have so close at hand.

I wish you the best of luck in your pattern career.

Ken

sierra_bravo

Thanks for the advice. Usually I practice for around 10 minutes land take a short break, read the description for a maneuver I felt I may of have done wrong while I wait for the engine to cool down and take off.

-Sam

thebest_102

My Feedback: (6)

Hi Sam welcome to Pattern. My name is Chris Martin. I was in your shoes a couple years ago. I went out with a sport plane and started to work on basics of pattern. I then moved up in airframes and practiced more. I will be at the same contest and will be flying sportsman with you. You will find that all of the D2 pilots in all classes are helpful and friendly. You will have about 20-25 pilots introducing themselves and offering help. Do not be shy we will all help in anyway we can. If you need a caller just ask one of us will be happy to call maneuvers for you. Having a caller helps a lot in the contests as it helps your mind focus on the next maneuver. Getting that straight line is Pattern at its core. That is the reason we spend 100's of hours a year practicing and why we love to travel 100's of miles to different locations. I have flown the sportsman pattern easily 200 times this year. I still find things to correct. I still do a wrong maneuver in a contest. Your first contest is a whirlwind of activity and 2 days of edgy nerves. Try hard to relax and breath. If a mistake happens take a breath and move to the next maneuver. Also most important keep in the forefront this is all for fun. Whether I am in first or last I am out on a field flying and having fun with my friends.

sierra_bravo

I surprised that you're coming from Maryland to NC for the competition. I've heard that there are going to be alot of people from out of state which is why we recently made a lot of improvements to the field. About 3 weeks ago we got a speaker system installed and we are working on getting new gravel laid for the entrance . It's really a beautiful field long runway, short grass, lots of starting tables, no nearby trees, and a really nice large gazebo, I'm lucky to live so close to it.

I didn't know you could have a caller during the competition, I thought you could only have one for practice. I was able to go to my flying field yesterday and maiden the plane. Sadly it was tail heavy and I was only able to do two laps around the runway and then I had to land. I didn't have any weights and neither did anyone else at my field so I had to go back home and buy some weights. But after adding 2.5oz to the nose of the plane it's nicely balanced and It actually may be slightly nose heavy. But while a nose heavy plane may fly poorly a tail heavy plane will only fly twice.I did do some other changes to the plane. I moved the battery pack about 3.5 inches forward so it under the fuel tank, changed the wheel to 3" rubber wheels 'cause the wheels that came with the plane(in my opinion) were crap, added a clunk to the fill line so it easier to un-fuel, and changed the spinner that came with to plane, which was 4" and red, to a smaller 3" white spinner because the red one looked like a big clown nose and the white one looks much cleaner and more appropriately sized. From the little I flew the plane it felt like a really good plane that was tail heavy. Hopefully I'll be able to go out to my field this saturday.

I'm not sure if I'm more excited to meet all the other pattern pilots or to be able to compete. Also what plane are you going to bring?

Thanks for all the help
-Sam

thebest_102

My Feedback: (6)

I will be flying a BJ Craft monolog. I got it used at a good price. For the budget conscience used planes are a good way to go. Yeah I enjoy the traveling to different fields to fly. I am looking forward to seeing your field after talking to jerry earlier this year. There will be at least 2 of us from MD. Maybe as many as 4. We just had a contest last weekend in Virginia and next week it will be at my field. Yeah callers are allowed during the contest. Our district has some really good ones too. Just ask around and try a few people out. It takes a few to figure who you like to hear when you fly.

sierra_bravo

Wow it looks like there are going to be alot more people then I thought. Considering this is the first year the field has hosted the competition it looks like alot of people are hearing about the event. I haven't been to alot of others flying fields so I cant do to much judging but I think that you'll like our field. The photo on the event flyer is kinda old and I couldn't find a new one but there has been a lot of changes and a lot of improvements to make it a really nice flying field. Here's a aerial photo so you can see how much flying space the field has. The tress surrounding the runway(Which is all of the lightly colored grass) are probably a bit under half a mile out.


-Sam

Kevin Duncan

My Feedback: (2)

Sam, glad to hear you're making progress with the plane. You are right about what you said regarding tail heavy planes. You must be a pretty good pilot to have gotten it down safely. Kudos!!! Once you get the balance right, you'll have a blast flying the sequences!

Regarding having a caller, VERY FEW pilots I have seen don't use one. They ought to make it mandatory, as it is a huge safety factor (in addition to calling your pattern to you when you fly). You'll need your caller to take your plane out onto the runway while you walk up and introduce yourself to the judges. After you lift off, your caller will quietly come up behind you and be ready to call your first maneuver. You can practice the sequence 1,000 times and then when you take off in a contest and announce "Entering the box", your mind will go completely blank and you'll forget the maneuvers! Been there, done that! You need a caller............... The caller will also be your extra set of eyes. If there is an aircraft in the area, or something that you need to be aware of, the caller is there to talk you through it. Usually there will be 2 flight lines running at the same time. When you finish your last maneuver and exit the box, your caller will confirm to you that the runway is clear for landing, as you don't want to impede on the other flight line during their take-offs or landings. It'll all make sense when you see the activity going on. Before your first flight, watch how the other pilot/caller teams work together. You'll have a lot of fun!

Looks like you'll be flying against Chris Martin. Nicest guy on Earth and I know you'll have a friend in him for life. He's good people!

Chris, if you're reading this, I'm curious to know who's Monolog you bought? Steve's or Al's?

Take care,
Kevin

thebest_102

My Feedback: (6)

Neither. I grabbed Greyson's. I was talking to Arch and he told me about it. A few texts and it worked out that Bill was coming out here so everything lined up well. Everyone here misses seeing you at the contests.

Kevin Duncan

My Feedback: (2)

That's good. I was afraid Steve or Al were losing interest! LOL I'm sure after winning the Adv. Nats, Greyson is moving on to a different plane.

I miss flying out there with ya'll as well. Tell the MD gang I said hello. There just isn't the pattern activity out here like in D2. I did find a good go-kart track here though.............. (inside joke).

Looks like Sam is lining himself up with some good mentors and is well on his way to battling it out with you guys. I look forward to tracking the contest results and keeping up with the D2 activities.

Take care,
Kevin

sierra_bravo

one question I never asked(for some reason) is what are pattern competitions like. I've never been to any type of rc event besides fly-ins so I'm not to sure what the day is going to be like. I know that someone else sets your plane on the runway and that there is going to be a flag marking the center of the runway but besides that I don't really know much else.

Also Kevin when you say "Sam is well on his way to battling it out with you guys"(kinda had to shorten the sentence) I'm sure that there are people who are going to try to go for first place but I'm just going to try to not to get my half reversed Cuban eight's and my reversed Cuban eight's mixed up. To be honest I be amazed if I don't come last

well only 21 days till the event which means that I only have 21 days left to practice.

-Sam

Kevin Duncan

My Feedback: (2)

So, after you sign up (Don't forget to take your AMA card), get your plane set-up and even take a practice flight just to do any final trimming or adjustments. Don't worry about being a shadow. Ask any one of the competitors if they would be willing to be your caller. Preferably someone other than Sportsman, as you don't want to keep someone away from their plane just before they fly. Once you befriend someone, set-up your plane near them and just follow them around. They won't mind at all. After everyone is signed up and the CD (Contest Director) is ready, he'll announce for the Pilot's meeting. Just follow the pilots over to the meeting and listen to the safety rules and any other important info he may have to share. Once the meeting is over, go to the scorer's table and look at the line-up. It's important to know when you fly. See who flies before you and get to know their face and plane. That way, when you see them flying, you know you're up next! When the person ahead of you takes off, go find your caller and have him help take your plane up to the flight line. Then you wait. Watch his flight, assuming the guy ahead of you is Sportsman. Watch how he flies, his distance out, when and where he calls his box entries and exits. As he enters his landing pattern, go ahead and fire up your engine. Be courteous and don't run up the engine near the judges or pilots, as it can distract them and they won't appreciate it. Once he lands and clears the runway, your caller will take your plane out to the runway. While he is doing that, walk up to the pilot's box and introduce yourself to the judges. Tell them your name and that you're flying Sportsman. Once they are ready they'll let you know. If they don't, it's ok to turn and ask the judges if they're ready. Once they say yes, go ahead and announce "Take off beginning now". Then go do your thing! Don't forget to announce your take-off complete when you pass the 2M altitude mark. Same with landing. Don't forget to announce "Landing beginning now". It's good for the judges to know your intentions and it will help build up your relationship with them. When you announce your intentions, you're telling them that you are in command of that airplane, and that is a comforting feeling for the judges. Once down, do not taxi. Shut off the motor and let your caller retrieve your airplane. That's his job. Turn and face the judges and thank them. Give them a big smile to let them know you're having fun! They may or may comment on what they saw in the flight that you can work on. Take whatever advice they give you and don't forget. Go back and write it down if you have to. Those will be the things to work on during your practice days.

One more thing about your caller, be sure to give him a copy of the Sportsman pattern if he doesn't have one. Go over with him how much or how little you want him to say to you during the flight. Some pilots like callers that JUST read the maneuvers, while other pilots want constant info on things during the flight. Let him know WHEN you would like him to call out the next maneuver. Figuring out your communication with the caller is important to do BEFORE the flight, not DURING.

Depending on how the CD sets it up, the judges may hand you your score sheet after you land. Take the score sheets over to the scoring table for him to input into the system.

When you're not flying, try to relax. Believe it or not, after your flights, you will walk back to the pits absolutely exhausted. You won't believe how the excitement and anxiety of flying in front of judges can wipe you out! It's a good thing!!!!! Get back, do whatever you have to do to the plane, then sit and relax. You will then feel the relief of having that first flight under your belt. You'll appreciate knowing that it's over, but at the same time anxiously awaiting to go up and do it again! While relaxing in your chair, watch the other pilots fly. Especially those in the higher classes. You'll get a good idea of what your maneuvers should look like and the smoothness they can achieve. Try to emulate them. Smoothness is the key to high scores.

Now, after all that, it is most important that you ask your questions to someone in person. Seek out the experienced pilots before the weekend of the contest. Try to fly with one of them so you can learn the dimensions of the box and what it looks like in the sky.

Send me a PM if you need names of anyone specific. I know several pilots that are going to be there (and a few that live in Charlotte).

Good luck and most importantly, HAVE FUN,
Kevin

Kevin Duncan

My Feedback: (2)

Sam, forgot to mention, if you have nobody to show you the pattern and how to position your maneuvers in the box, you have to watch the slideshow below. It's produced by NSRCA and illustrates very clearly what you should be doing. I encourage you to explore www.nsrca.us and see what all there is, as there is lots of good reference material in there. Also, AMA's website has rules and regulations for pattern (RC Aerobatics).

http://www.nsrca.us/images/stories/c...20-%202015.pdf
http://www.modelaircraft.org/events/compreg.aspx

Please don't let this overwhelm you. If it seems too much, just stop reading, go to the contest and fly your plane and just have fun!

sierra_bravo

Wow thanks for the really thorough answer. Now I know what to expect on competition day. Also I thought that after landing you wait a couple of seconds and then taxi the plane back to the pilot area not stop the engine and wait for my caller to bring it.
Don't worry about overwhelming me with information. The more I know about the event the better since I can plan for it. Also I hate doing things without knowing anything about it.

Thanks again for all the help. I have to say(at least on this forum) pattern guys seem to be the nicest guys in the RC hobby. Not that most people in the hobby aren't helpful(in fact I would say that 85% of the people who fly model aircraft love to help other people) just that pattern fliers seem to be extra helpful.

-Sam

Smooth Pilot

All of the pattern flyers with even a year of experience started out where you are right now. They want to pass it on and help because they want the experience to be fun, easy going, fun, and above all fun. We are a special breed and want everybody with an interest to join us and be part of the competitor scene. Ask anybody that is not in the middle of something a question and he will make sure you get an answer, from somebody else if necessary, or recommend and point to a person that can answer the question. Enjoy!!

Sheldon

Anthony-RCU

My Feedback: (2)

Lots of great info here. Also, take a look the the beginner page of the NSRCA website.

http://nsrca.us/index.php/best-airplane-for-beginners

sierra_bravo

It's been almost a week since my last post and I wanted to update whats going on with the plane.

I finally got everything setup to where I'm happy with the way it performs. I did have to change alot of things on the plane though. I had to remove the old (IMHO crap) fuel tank and put in a 9oz fuel tank, lower the fuel tank mounting plate because before the tank was to high, move the battery forward so it's touching the firewall, fix the canopy mounting system by adding magnets and changing some other things, and I also changed some other things like wheels, push rods, and spinner.

So the flight report. The plane flies really nice so far. After fixing the cg and giving the rudder some more throw the plane flew straight and true. It very stable and take off was really smooth. Rolls and loops were ok but the faster the plane goes the better it dose maneuvers0. Rudder does bank the plane slightly and I will have to mix in some aileron, stall turns were ok but with with aileron mixed in I'm sure there going to get better. Landing the plane is really easy just lower throttle about 50ft before your going to make your approach and the plane slows down a good amount (to about 17mph) but doesn't just drop out of the air like my FMS sbach. By the third landing I could do some of the best landing I've ever done. I feel that the tri-gear helps alot with smoothness of landings since you cant touch down the tails wheels first and then the nose gear.

I really liked the plane and cant really wait to fly it some more. One thing about the motor is that it has so much power that it started to deform the spinner so I had to buy a tru-turn aluminum spinner.

-Sam

Kevin Duncan

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Sam! Thanks for the updates. I'm happy to hear of your success! Looks like your adjusting and trimming correctly. Remember to take notes and any good/bad changes you make. I keep a logbook for my pattern planes and it helps me keep track of my settings. If something I try doesn't work, I have my notes to set it back to where it was.

If you have any pictures of that spinner, I would love to see it! I've never heard of such a thing happening!

Keep the updates coming!
Kevin

thebest_102

My Feedback: (6)

Sam, Great to hear the plane is flying well. Remember trim always gets better but is never complete. As weather changes, as humidity changes, as the frame gets older there will be minor changes to the trim. Pattern is all about chasing the elusive perfection in the airplane and the pilot. Only a couple weeks left looking forward to meeting you.

sierra_bravo

I went to my field today for a quick practice session and of the guy who helps me out with this plane recommended that I lower expo and rates on the aileron and man dose it roll nicely now. I can easily do slow rolls and two point rolls without losing altitude. So I'm confident I've got the ailerons set next I get more work done on the tail feathers. Also one thing I wanted to try is setting up flaps with the ailerons so after I've landed I can slow the plane down faster. The reason I want to do that is because when you land left to right and you land fast the plane sometimes rolls down the slope at the right end of the runway and you lose sight of it. My idea is that after you touch down onto the runway you flip a switch to lower both ailerons so that they would act like brakes.

I'll most likely go to the field Wednesday since I'm going to be busy tomorrow. Also I might post some photos of the new tru turn spinner if the UPS delivery truck comes before 9pm.

Oh and kevin I would love to get a photo of the spinner when it deforms but its hard to see on camera.

only 12 days to the event

-Sam

UPDATE:
just before I posted this the ups man delivered my stuff