New newsletter, no more electric's in SPA. Are we going completely back to 2 strokes only ? What's the next rule going to be?

Crank

Crank,

watch that other forum for some news

scott

i like the total classic pattern idea. if you have to go electric there's still the flying to do. but if there is a piped screamer on the other side of you hopefully i won't step on your electric going to look at the 2 stroke.[sm=72_72.gif]

I never thought that electric's should be included in Classic Pattern. I still have a problem seeing 4 stroke’s and tail draggers.

i don't know why you would want any of the above on your classic plane.

I for one am pleased that the committee took such a strong stand. The SPA is not about today, it is about pre 1975. The organization should stay true to its roots.

Jamesf

All I will say is if they want to stay "TRUE" go back to the 3% rule and dump the "duck rule" get rid of the OS 91 4 stroke and the velocity stacks and 30% nitro.. get rid of the computer radio.. US the REAL patterns from the day not this made up crap, stop normalizing the score..hmmm how many more pages.. again the BOD did a backroom vote without asking the membership as normal and no one wants to hurt Mickey's feeling and stand up.... Well there is pages of more stuff but I'm going to stop....

keep a eye on the other forum below for some cool up coming new


scott
SPA 239

Where is the "other" forum?
Got a link?

sent you a pm

Wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if SPA went back to 2 stroke .61's..... (doubt that this will ever happen) or at least, to a smaller four stroke that really is equivalent in power (like an .82). I have to agree with the others on this post, that SPA is about the way it used to be (as much as possible). Yah, the radio's are digital now, and lots of people have better building skills than I used to have (actually. I'm still back in the '70s with my heavy building techniques). I'll be using a 2 stroke 61, but I'll make my Deception a tail dragger because of the rough fields most of us fly from. I actually never flew off grass (except for the grassy hillside near the NCO club at Spangdahlem AB in Germany - John Lingrel will know what I'm saying) back in the day! The roughest field I ever flew from back then was the dry lakebed at Edwards AFB in California. Your plane could fall into the dry lakebed cracks they were so wide. Anyway, sounds like the SPA BOD is committed to NO "E" power so let's just get back to flying issues.

Greg

I'm very sorry to see this action by the SPA BOD.
Electric airplanes are the way we will obtain and keep our flying sites in the future.
SPA should encourage the use and development of electric flight.
I like nostalgic planes and equipment as much as anyone, but we need to be facing forward on this issue and not turning our back to it.

There's nothing keeping you from flying with "E" power - just not in SPA sanctioned contests. So unless your club field is used for SPA contests, you have no issue. Fly "E" all you want.

No tail dragger's? Awe come on.....[]

Sorry Jeff.

stay tuned... there is something in the works

scott

“Electric airplanes are the way we will obtain and keep our flying sites in the future�

I heard this in the 80’s noise that is. It destroyed the hobby for me. I was V.P. of our local club. You will not lose your field because of noise, if you do lose it; it will be because someone doesn’t want you flying period.

Classic pattern is what it is, 2 strokes on pipes. Thing are always going to change, electrics are the rage, Great, but they don’t belong period.

That’s like having an electric car drag racing. Sorry for my views but I put them on the line years ago, I destroyed a great friendship over this. I stand by my words.

Why would I want to build an E powered SPA competition plane when I couldn't fly it in SPA contests?
I've invested money in electric motors, batterys, and planes to fly SPA contest and now my "legal in 2009" equipment is "illegal" in 2010. Others are in the same boat. It's a little distasteful!

I do understand your disappointment..... I've been critical of some of SPA's "rules" too. But flying RC airplanes is a hobby and most of us don't have unlimited resources to buy whatever and as much of, whatever we want. Every one of us, I'm sure, has local RC flying club affiliations. I'd bet that if you could visit every flying field in this country you'd find a vast mixture of RC activity based upon individual preference. I belong to two local clubs, and I see various forms of power systems, different types of airplanes, different styles of flying, etc. It boils down to ....we buy what we like. I don't know anybody who bought "E" power systems because of SPA. They buy them because they want to. I belong to two local flying clubs and I see some who won't fly anything but electric, some who won't fly anthing but IC, and some who fly both. The point is, that most likely, you bought into the "E" movement because you wanted to, not because a few guys in SPA were trying it out. I also suspect that you will use that equipment at your local flying field until its worn out, broken, or until you become interested in some other "latest and greatest" equipment change.

It took SPA a while to figure out what its position would be on "E" power. There was a lot of internal wrangling about technical details going on. I'm a SPA member, but I'm not privy to the thinking that went on that resulted in this BOD decision, but I'd bet that when they finally decided the "E" power was not "right" for SPA, they also decided that the longer they left it in, the more difficulty getting it out. As far as I know, there was never an explicit approval of "E" power in SPA. A few folks started using it because there was no rule against using it. There was a little effort to try out the "fit". But now there is a final decision. There is no "right" time to cut something off.... sorta like pulling out those "baby" teeth, quicker is better, less painful, and leaves less discomfort than dragging it out for another full year. All this is my opinion and my opinion only. The BOD is not a Democracy. They're not required to consult with the membership. Their responsibility is to do what they think is "right" for the organization, not necessarily what's "right" for each and every member of the organization. That would be an impossible task in any case since the membership is all over the map on this issue. But, and again just my opinion, if we could poll the membership, I'd bet that far more members think SPA should stay as it was originally framed than to evolve with the existing trends in our hobby. Some change is always inevitable, products we used then are not available, building techniques change, our skill set changes. But keeping it like it was "back in the day" is, I believe, the bedrock this organization was founded on.

If you've "dumped" all your internal combustion engines and are fully electric, you'll have to fly on without SPA. You can convert your SPA planes back to IC if you want to... I have one of those kind of conversions, or you can use them as practice planes if you choose, or you can find a "E" power oriented group to join... lots of possibilities. All your decision to make. In the real world, "change" happens. In SPA change reluctantly happens.... and that's the way most of us like it.

Sorry about your disappointment. Hope you see lots of fair sky's and gentle winds in your future, with or without SPA.

ChiefK

How 'bout keeping electrics and phasing out tail draggers.

I don't see a location for an ESC on my Dirty Birdy plans, but I do see locations for main gear and tail wheel. The DB was designed and inked to be built as a tail dragger. So tail draggers would be consistant with the designs used "back in the day".

now we need some retracts and pipes, and we are set!

I personally dont think electrics should be banned, just regulated. If the particular aircraft required a 60 then the electric motor should be equivilent to a 60, not an 80 or 90. As for tail draggers, if the original was a tail dragger then allow it, an original style Curare or a Mach One with a tail wheel makes me cringe. Please note I said origianl style, I know there are kits and even ARF's done now based on the original kits. I will do a Mach One one day, right now I am going to do my Curare 20 and Curare 40 in electric, but no tail draggers.

I don't know why SPA decided on the rules they use but in my opinion that is why
the organization hasn't grown nationwide. Everyone who loves SPA says they want
to keep pattern as it was in the old days but it's nothing like it was in the old days.
Most of the planes are so different than the originals they resemble them in name only
and I still can't figure why no retracts and pipes and what's with those .91 four strokes ?
If you like it like that, fine but don't say it's like the old pattern days because it's not.

tommy s

I am just starting to get interested in flying pattern and I have been thinking about building one of the Bridi designs which could be used in the lower classes of the current AMA pattern or possibly, in SPA competition as well. Based on what I have read, it seems that the SPA's approach to competition is to make it low key and fun, something which I find very appealing. After all, it is a hobby and it is meant to be fun. The problem is, I only fly electric. I can understand the desire to keep the planes as close as possible to their original designs, but at the end of the day, the plane does not care whether it is an I.C. engine or electric motor spinning the prop. It seems to me that rather than excluding electrics, they should subject to additional rules regarding power. If the intent is really to be as faithful as possible to the original designs and how the planes were flown back in the day, should modern radios be allowed? After all, back in the 70's and earlier I doubt that any radios had dual rates, expo and mixes....

There are not many opportunities to compete in pattern, so please don't close the door on us...

Teo

You can fly electrics in the BPA. ( we are kind of inclusive that way). Huntsville aug 2010...


gary