RE: What should we able to do with the Autogyro?
Inverted flight is a good one to add.
An autorotation landing with a roll in it is possible also.
I imagine you could have a couple skill levels.
Level 1: Takeoffs, spot landings, slow speed, constant altitude 8's,tc.
Level 2: Min/max speeds, Split S, immelman, hovering,Dead stick touch and go(electric), etc.
Level 3 : All the more difficult stuff.
Probably would have 3 categories of aircraft also:
Fixed pitch twin rotor.
Fixed pitch single rotor.
Collective pitch single rotor.
Seems like we know enough now to not have wings
except beginner models. I'd suggest wings would
only be allowed in level 1.
Jim suggests some important points, namely competition is not for everyone.
In the beginning competition spurs development, in the end competition is
excluding.
The number of people who fly pattern or competition helicopters is miniscule
to the number of people who fly for fun.
Fun fly events are always better attended, and the hot dog sessions at the end
of competitions are usually much more fun than the actual competion.
I'm all for both, fun fly and real competition.
A fun fly event with
bomb drop, limbo, touch an goes, slow flight, climb and glide, slalom course,
would be just as fun, as long as it does not take up to much free flying time.
I'm not going to suggest obstacle course since I have a head start.
I'll post video some day of the obstacles we fly through at the park,
Loops through soccer goals, over 8' fences under oak trees, through
pavillions, etc.
mickey