turbo,
I still have brushless motors and speed controllers from 2003 that are flying great ...... but ...... I can replace them at 1/3 the cost if they fail tomorrow.
Still, they have provided me with many $ in pleasure during the 6 years of use.
Batteries, on the other hand, ..... are quite a different matter. As you suggested, buy only what you need for the next 6 months or so. That technology
continues to improve rapidly..... and ...... you will likely be able to buy better batteries at a cheaper price only 6 months down the road. Don't get me wrong,
your batteries (if used properly and well maintained) should have a 200+ cycle life (which for me is about 2 years). They just won't be as good the 2nd year
..... and new stuff coming out will be better than your originals, so the performance gap widens quickly.
Ed

So does that mean that the SPA will be outlawing porting,polishing and blueprinting of O.S. 91's any time soon to keep cost's down I mean.
As far as AMA pattern being a showcase for how much money you can spend. I won the nats (advanced) last year with a plane that was close to 3 years old and about 6+ year old design with a minimum 1200+ flights on it. Not exactly a showcase of money spent.
Imac I have no idea about as that type of flying is not my bag so to speak.

gary

Gary,
You and I need to talk. Since I won't be flying SPA next year (I fly only electric) .... I was thinking of trying my 1800 watt 9 lb Venus II in NSCRA Sportsman.
Ed

GREAT!!! That is a real warm and fizzy thought for us "new" guys! John

You can say you competed against a national champion. That will look good on your resume.

Tom

I won't really be flying Novice John. I wouldn't be able to face anyone at the contest if I did. I really would have just help guys out instead. Since the contest isn't a true SPA ruled contest, I'll be flying Expert.

"You can say you competed against a national champion. That will look good on your resume.

Tom"

Tom, as funny as that sounds, I know one pilot that reminds every time we meet that he beat me at the 85 Nats...lol. Right Dave Best part is he has the 85 Nats issue of MA... now if I can just find a copy of that magazine, that would be too cool.

I think we've come up with a way to keep Jason out of your class, John. Worry not.

When i think of Senior pattern ships, i think of nothing but two strokes with tuned pipes, or at least a muffler.... Electrics arent even in the picture... Electric may be the way to go but ill stick to my internal combustion engines, gas and glow

Ed,

I'm so sorry I won't be seeing you at Ashville and Greensboro. I do understand your position. I don't fly electric..... if SPA was electric only, I'd be joining a different group. You know you are always welcome at our 7 Lakes field with your electrics... anytime.

Greg

Ed, I don't think the guys at CCRC (Greensboro area) will turn you away with your electron burner.

It all comes down to what the flyers want to fly. Lately a lot of hobbies have lost sanctioning bodies or the sanctioning bodies have managed themselves into irrelevance. Whether this is the right decision or wrong one is up to the people doing this type of flying. Good sanctioning bodies will make rules that all the people in the hobby (or that subset of the hobby) can live with. Bad ones will partake in experiments like management by perkele and they all to often go the way of the NPPL, XPSL, ROAR, etc.

The worst case is where you have an event and the rules would force you to turn away a significant portion of the participants, or would-be participants b'cos their gear is not canon. The best case is that no one was bringing this type of gear to the event to begin with.

I'm honored to fly on the SAMEFIELD with Jason and a lot of other guys in SPA. I wish I had found pattern years ago. This is all I want to do now....if I can just get those darn loops....

I've built/rebuilt seventeen engines since October for various friends. All OS 91's. I can tell you with certainty that SPA is not going to fiddle around with the glow engine rules. It has nothing to do with the cost of flying. What we can do with an engine is not fully regulated, and yep - some of us are going to fiddle with them. A lot of people wish they knew how to fiddle with 'em, and some even claim to know how to fiddle with them.
Got to go warm up my blueprinting machine and get my prop polished and drink some port!

I was just referring to one of the big time SPA advocates that I over heard talking about keeping costs down with the rules structure with one breath then talking about all the modifications he had someone do to his O.S. 91in the next breath.
Just have always found that curious.



gary

ED,

I have yet to loose a motor AND don't see why I would as I regularly oil them and stay within amp ratings. I have lost enough in the batteries that flight performance is effected. They need to be replaced( were talking over 30 batteries - OOUCH!!) My lesson is to limit battery purchases as we both seem to agree upon. If for no other reason, it is to benefit form the performance benefit of getting the next generation of battery technology. I have yet to loose an esc.

I just want to point out that just because someone( not necessarily you) has spent the money for 200 flights doesn't mean they will will get 200 flight from every purchase, glow or electric. That seems to be the arguement that glow is more expensive over time. Fact is not all electrics will last 200 flights, just as not all glow engines will last for 200 flights. It all depends on several factors that we can't control ( ie. other people using them).

I just think it makes a poor example to get people to expect that type of return everytime. With that said, my hobby is for enjoyment and cost is really not the biggest factor involved in my decisions. And I do enjoy every facet of this great hobby.

turbo

Gary - The SPA is full of contradictions, so I know where you are coming from. I've been pattern flying for only three years and have had so much fun and met so many interesting people that will surely be my friends till I am gone that I tend to overlook all the 'ducks' we have in SPA. Through odd circumstance I've wound up on the BOD's and have spent countless hours thinking about what the SPA is and what we should or could be, then I realize that we are "just what we are". Our board has diverse opinion and nobody knows how much we care for this group of men and how we anguish over the business of our association.
Anyway - I ment no disparage in my comment, and I know that people - who for the most part - veiw us from afar sometimes may scratch their head or arse and wonder what we are doing! Well, we are having fun and enjoying ourselves! I'm mighty proud of our members, even the ones I disagree with! Make sense?
Mike

You can see my good friend Ed Lyerly at the Chattanooga contest in August 2010. Good Lord willing, he will be coming down to help me out and visit some friends. How about that for being a good sport!?!
Greg - I expect you to show up also. No sandbagging this year!!!

I couldn't even enjoy a SPA plane with electric power. I like electric, but not in my classic pattern aircraft. I just fly for sport fun now, but I enjoy flying them the way they were. It's the nostalgia thing kickin' in guess I "went-n-got old". If you want a electric in your ship, its your ship. Please give me the same courtesy.

ALL top aerobatic planes are tail draggers. Accept it! The weenies who can't handle tail draggers need more training.

Electric motors are for generating power. Gas/nitro engines are for generating real power!

================================================== ================================================== ==========================================

Yes Greg, I'll probably be at Asheville too ..... just not as a competitor. I'll be visiting friends and bringing some donations for the raffle. I've had a great time flying with the SPA for the last 14 months, and most all of these guys are my friends.
If I was flying glow ...... and dabbling with electrics, this wouldn't change a thing for me. That is exactly the case with 99% of SPA membership. However, I've been flying electrics only since 2000. I only joined the SPA because electrics were legal at the time.
As it turns out, the SPA BOD has decided that it was a mistake to make electrics legal in the 1st place. Rather than ducking the issues and allowing controversy to continue, they stood up and basically said "hey, we made a mistake, and now we are going to fix it ..... it may cause some pain and hard feelings .... but ...... we are going to fix our mistake .... and fix now"
Any SPA member who is unhappy about it and wants his membership dues returned has been offered that option. I won't be one of those.
As I have said in an earlier post, I think this is the best thing for the SPA to do at this time.
Ed

classic pattern airplanes were designed with nose gear for a reason. you had to come to a complete stop during taxiing. aerobatics had nothing to do with it. and classic pattern planes set up as taildraggers don't look right anyway.

dhal22,

Right on !! Plus, in general, trike gear are easier to take-off and land, no nose overs.

Ralph White

Compete, try to better myself each round, and watch the scoreboard. See where I need to improve. I am not concerned what someone else has on the front of their plane. If my OS61SF's will haul the mail thru the class I am flying in, then so be it, let me be judged for that sequence. Putting a different power plant on the front is not going to help, if what I am using is sufficient.
It is all in good sportsmanship and competing with like minded RC pilot's. Post modified a little, had too much non rc material in it.

Crank

Jeff Owens regularly wins with a OS .55 AX! How? Because he has spent countless hours practicing. He also has selected the right airframe, prop and has his plane set up to perform at it's best. In other words he is thoughtfully dedicated. Plus, that little blonde named Linda he has calling for him doesn't hurt either! <grin>
In 2009 I won the SPA Masters in Sportsman class, so now I move up to Expert in 2010. I am a fan of the OS .91-FS P. I have ONE modification on the two engines that I use for competition. My muffler exit has been enlarged as much as possible on the OS .70 - .90 silencer. I normally use Cool Power 25% Pro Pattern and in really hot weather I sometimes use 30% heli fuel of the same brand. It took me two dedicated seasons to move through Sportsman class.
I told you all that to say this. Jeff Owens will likely give me a regular THRASHING on the flight line in 2010. He will do it with a .55 AX. (Jeff is only one of many that will give me a good whipping!!)
Like you Vince - I try to focus on what I am doing and better MYSELF each contest. If I wind up at the top in the future that would be good, but it is not a prerequisite to having a GREAT time. So, to a large degree I am with you Vince. But, I have to admit....sure is nice to come out on top of the list from time to time.
90% pilot - 10% all that other stuff.
Mike