This may be a dumb question, but does anyone fly older designs like the Dirty Birdi or Phoneix 7 in the new AMA pattern competitions with the 2 meter planes? I realize that you have to stay "in the box" most of the time, so the speed of the classic pattern airplanes may present a problem. I also noticed a noise dB limit as well when I looked at the rules.

I flew in an SPA competition a few weeks ago and had a blast, and was looking at the AMA contests, but I really don't like the looks of those larger pattern airplanes. I saw one fly the other day and it seemed really slow and not very exciting to watch. I've never flown one of the bigger ones, so I guess I shouldn't knock it until I've tried it. It looked a lot easier to get the maneuvers clean because of the lower airspeed, but I could be mistaken.

I just thought that it might open up more contests to attend if you could fly in both SPA and AMA and it would keep costs down if you could use the same plane.

You see one occasionally at the entry level. You should see a good FAI pilot fly the FAI F13 pattern with the newer designs.

Rusty Dose flew a Tipo at last years St Charles Il. contest in FAI. So yes but it was not competitive in an upper class. I think a Dirty Birdy would do fine in Sportsman. Mike

I think that if you put more power to the airframe the Phx7 and DB would probably fly the pattern through Advanced. Say a SaitoFA-125Alpha or the new OS 115 four stroke on either plane would give it the oomph it would need in some of the larger power hungry maneuvers. then just swap out engines to get back to legal for SPA.

I think any good SPA design would be perfect for Sportsman and maybe Intermediate. Most of those designs and the power SPA allows would keep the speed down and would work well.