I really didn't expect to find this topic in this thread but since since Dave has given his opinion on the subject I will as well. Even though a good bit of Daves answer is accurate there are many things that I feel he left out when it came to my placing, plane choice, and some of the reasoning why. However before I go into that I want to commend CK Aero on the Allure and let everyone know it is the real deal. I had half a dozen partial flights and 2 complete flights through P since last years Nats on my Allure and when the contest started I felt like I had been flying it all year. It is everything Bryan has said and then some. No aileron dif. and no roll, or pitch coupling with rudder, that I could detect. It took the standard 2.5% down elev at idle and 2% right rudder to full throttle that I have used for 25 years. The rudder part Bryan says will come out with the correct thrust and I said why bother to change it this was to EZ to just use the radio.
The factory did a fantastic job on the color scheme I sent over and I could not of been happier with the quality, fit and finish. I did have to change the landing gear due to one delaminating but after last years loss of planes that was the one thing I had plenty of. It is true I flew the Allure in one round of the semi finals and that was the round I happened to win. However I think if I had flown the Allure first and the FT second due to the rotation the outcome would of been the same. That is not a neg. against either plane they are both by far the best flying planes I have ever owned and once again Bryan thanks for all the helkp and your hard work to make it happen. (With like 15 minutes to spare)
Now this is where Dave's opinion and mine are slightly different. Had the Unknowns had any of the difficult maneuvers in them I truely believe the Finals Touch would of been the weapon of choice. However since they did not, AC was wise to stick with his Allure because his bipe was not flying anywhere close to it.
The reason I can say that is AC and I were over practicing on site 4 together and I called some unknowns for him. While he was able to get through all of them it was not as clean as I think it would of needed to be IMO. But since the unknowns were basically looping maneuvers, with a couple rolls, and a snap, there was no doubt in my mind what plane he was going to fly. I considered Flying my Allure but after waiting for 3 years to get the FT to a contest I had to fly it and I am glad I did.
Also one other thing most know is Dave has a Contra in his and that makes any plane more sensitive in yaw which is the reason i think he feels like he does. After the event Dave let me get a flight on his plane and OMG was it sensitive on the rudder for me and I like a sensitive rudder. I think that Dave has always flown that way though and that is why he will never really like a biplane until he actually gets his own and sets it up how he likes to fly. Again just my opinion.
While yes it is true I finished 3rd, Dave forgot to mention that I won the first round with the FT while being 3rd up. Then upon finding out I failed noise by 3DB, upon my recheck I had to spend the entire time with my stuff impounded and dealing with all that. Of course I was 1st up in the unknown and until we went to the line I had never looked at the pattern or gone through it with my caller Joey Hayes. BTW I failed the noise retest and I lost the 1000. So I had one shot to dial down the atv which I already had at 60% to 40% and right back to the noise test I went. This time was the same as last and even though I wasn't told for sure I could tell by Jeff's look I failed it again. Anyway Joey was on it, and I felt good about the flight which btw, scored better then I could of hoped for. I think it was a mid 960, being first up, under those conditions, all I had to do to keep it was pass the noise which we finally did, or the contest would of been over for me. (It was the same engine, prop, pipe, header, fuel, glow plug, with the ATV back 3 times as far as I had to last year, except in the new plane and Matt Kimbros setup was exactly the same and he failed as well) Anyhow that wont happen again.
So as you can see had I passed noise I would of easily been second and who knows what could of been. Actually had I just been penalized per the rule book and lost my score for the first round, without the other pilots (not per the rule book) getting a bonus it I could of still been second. However the scores were not made public until after the contest was over and after the allotted time per the rule book, to file a protest, so it is what it is. I can assure you that no place in the rulebook says that any other competitor will be awarded more points due to a penalty incurred by another. Another words, AC should of had a 990 something, and Dave a 940 something instead of what they ended up with. Now some may argue the rule book is not clear on this, but I think it is very clear, and it surely doesn't mention adding points to anyones score. Aside from that I was very pleased with the way both planes performed and I felt better then I have in years as far as nerves and just being able to see the planes clearly no matter where it was in the box.
Also I need to add I feel it was a honest mistake and in no way am trying to say the contest management or anyone else tried to slip something in that shouldn't of been when it came to the scoring of my penalty. Either way AC won the contest and my hat is off to him he flew really well. It was obvious he put some time in this year as his flying has definitely improved. I use to have a friend once that would tell me "The more you practice, the luckier you get" He is gone now but I will never forget that saying.
Anyhow I am really excited about next years TT and have already started flying the new sequences. I cant wait until next month to go to a contest I have heard about for years and see all the guys I missed at the Nats this year. Thats right the Cajun Nats are a for sure thing, and along Michael Caglia and Dan Landis are coming in force. It is going to be a blast, so if your in the general area, you might not want to miss it.
C