fastfret:

Combat Pig will always be on top of the best advice around. Knows from where he's talking. There are some ways to cheat fairly. Optomize yourself, practice, practice, practice. Learn where that engilne is happy giving you the most thrust for the rpm's its capable of, and needle it so you get the most out of it when in flight, not the ground. Keep a good plug in it at all times, you will see some replacing the plug every heat. Ballance your prop and spinner well, good for a few 100 rpms. Take a close look at your bird and see where you can reduce weight and drag. Do you have your wing saddle sealed, control surfaces sealed? There is a few mph. All added up and decent flying should put you on top. Learning how to get a good line around the pylons is good for 500 rpm or more. The winner is in your head and thumbs. There is a very good reason, usually a lot of them that the same guys are in front year after year. They are both good pilots and pay a lot of attention to detail. Practice your starts, go high as close in as your rules allow (reduces time-distance errors in judgement) and use the dive to your best advantage in innitial speed (assuming you are using the flying start). If you are having a hard time judging coming across the start time within 1/2-1 second, tuck in behind the best starter of the group and follow him in. Winning is not always the fastest airplane out there. Winning is being the best pilot out there with the smarts to get good starts and use every advantage available. You cant win every race, but you can win the majority of the races. Some airplanes respond in turning well with a little elevon in the ailerons. Copy what the winners are doing and do it better. There is such a thing as a "racers mental edge", but cant really tell you how to get there. A winning attitude is not "cocky" when you back it up. Are you a "mean" pilot where some fear to pass because your will (they think) put them into the ground? Would I do that? To be honest, in a heartbeat. We race to win. You can always be nice when on the ground. ENJOY