I'm worried that my B-17 will weigh over 55 pounds. I weighed in about 60 pounds. Will I have to get it checked, or can I pass by a few pounds.

A simple answer is no, you can't get by with a few extra pounds. Your B-17 will to meet the requirements spelled out in the AMA Experimental RC Aircraft Program (see AMA document 520-a [link]http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/520-a.pdf[/link]).

If you strip out the landing gear and hand launch it, it should be OK.

Depends if you are an AMA member in an AMA sanctioned club, or if you are a renegade.

I'm presumming that is the Don Smith B17 you mention in your other threads. They typically weigh in around 45 to 50lbs. Perhaps you have miscalculated or your scale if off.

Exactly. There is no law limiting you to 55 lbs. You will forfeit AMAinsurance coverage though.

Of course it only matters if something happens. If something does happen that 5 pound brick of lead that you used for balance could have never been there
This is a joke, so you AMA net nanny's chill out.

You can get a waiver for planes over 55 pounds if you want. It will need to pass an inspection but not hard to get. Good luck

Yes, it's very critical. The moment you lift off the ground weighing more than 55 pounds, the Earth's magnetic field will reverse, and a time/space wormhole will appear at the spot you broke ground. All life as we know it will cease to exist, being instantly sucked into a vortex that time itself cannot escape.

Or...

You can file for that experimental certificate them other guys told you about and all is good again.

Is this plane for the new AMA approved paintball event posted tonight? Staggers the imagination, you can shoot at model aircraft hoping to disable it at 60mph, but don't you dare tip the scales too much.

It is really no problem to get the waiver, at least that has been my experience. Our Super Decathlon weighs 75#. It's been a year so it is time to do it again. In 39 flights at several Big Bird flyins I have never been asked to see the waiver. Chances are pretty slim that you will ever be asked about the waiver with your bomber. In my case I didn't want to drive 300 miles to a flyin and have someone reject the plane for lack of a waiver.

Since there is no expectation that clubs or CD's check for anything other then valid AMA membership or enforce the rules, it is (yes this is a direct answer from the AMA) the responsibility of the individual to comply.

Brad

Of course, you and the goober could call the police if they don't comply with your whinning.

As a CD I will ask for the waiver. And yes I will accept the pilots word on the weight. Getting the waiver is always a good idea, if nothing else it's a good idea to have someone else that really knows big planes go over your work and setup and give you his blessing. Dennis

Dennis, that is exactly what happened in my case. The inspector was very thorough and spotted a few small items that needed to be corrected. After these were corrected there was a second inspection and all items passed. I would expect that there is a big difference in inspectors but I'm glad we had one of the best. The mandatory flights went off just fine. After all that I had a good feeling about the safety of our airplane. This has proven out in practice.

As you can imagine from my comments, I am a strong advocate of the AMA Experimental Aircraft program.

There is one large RC club in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that has voted to exclude 55 to 100 pound planes from flying at their field even with the required AMA waiver. Of course, they have the right to do this but it just doesn't seem right to me. Fortunately there are several other fields in the area where we can fly this plane.

"enforce the rules" ???????
what 'rules' do we expect them to enforce?







is this the ole Comma Game again?
Opt A: no expectation that clubs or CD's check for anything (other then valid AMA membership or enforce the rules)
Opt B: no expectation that clubs or CD's check for anything (other then valid AMA membership) or enforce the rules

I'm a CD of a GS event and we get planes over the 55lbs. There has never been a problem. If it wasn't for the cost of a new trailer I'd probility have one. This hobby is based in trust. I trust that i can leave my radio on the table and find it there hours later. If a pilot tells me 54lbs, he's only cheating himself if he's over. He signs the paper work that states the plane is legal. If there is a problem it's all on him not me or the club. If you weigh the plane and it's over and you fudge on the weight your the only looser. Dennis

Well, it may not be an issue moving forward since it would not surprise me at all if the FAA made 55 pounds the absolute limit for model aircraft operations. Hopefully they will still allow an AMA-type waiver program, but it would not surprise me if they did not.

I wonder how the safety record of these 55#+ planes compares to the less than 55# planes. I have seen quite a number of these big birds fly and not one crash.

Its a numbers game.

Way more small planes vs large ones.

So small will crash more. Also small is where the beginner starts typically and they crash more than expereinced (I hope!).



The FAA/Govt is going to ruin this hobby by lumping us with UAV's.........

But isn't everything SUPPOSED TO BE bigger in Texas?

Oh, he's got some bug about 'illegal' 2.4Ghz systems. Thinks CD's and club members should be forced by the AMA to inspect everyone's radios and rx's.

Arbo,
I was referring to the phrasing that we should not expect the CD to do do stuff.


If I bring a turbine to an event, should I 'expect' to have the CD/SO/Staff inspect my turbine papers?
Or should I not bother bringing the turbine waiver because there is 'no expectation' of the CD enforcing the rules?

The rules (aka SafetyCode) say no planes over 55(*),
should we 'expect' event staff to enforce this rule at their meets?

If there ever was an insurance claim type accident with an over weight model...who's ever gonna know it was over weight and needed further inspection? There's going to be chunks of that plane scattered all over Hell and half of Georgia.

The big ones breakup just about the same way as the under 55 lb, birds do. It just takes the extra strength plastic bags for the parts.
Having spent several years flying over 55 lb planes plus being in the company of several others doing the same I find the heavy iron to be way less dramatic than the much smaller and much faster planes being flown under marginal control and with little thought as to what the next move will be.
There are a couple of 75 lb planes in my gallery pictures for reference.