Remember when you thought an Atlanta pictured in the front of the group picture was big. Having just gotten back into pattern I am amazed at the size of a modern 2M pattern plane.
In front is a 60 sized Zigsaw Atlanta. Next is a 60 sized McConville designed Desire from 1991 or so. Next is a 120 sized George Asteris designed Omen and finally a new Oxai Pinnacle.
The other picture shows an unfinished fiberglass fuse of the Stricker designed Excaliber. Definitely large for its time and the closest in size that I have to the pinnacle.

More pictures of the Pinnacle and its build coming soon

Stuart

ya well truthfully i don't like the fact planes became so large. They flew just as well at the 120 size. Now it's just harder to carry around and theres more problems with the new 2m planes then there were with the 120 size planes. I have both, an excelleron 90 and a genesis but i wish the genesis was just a 120 size haha. i don't see anything better with the larger planes. but hey thats my opinion on it.

Well again it's just my opinion, but I've flown pattern comps since the start of the turnaround schedules, and I think that the planes(and the engines and radio gear) have become more and more capable of meeting the demands of the concurrent schedules.
Just today, whilst flying my Abbra, in high winds, there was someone else flying a (Prettner designed) Calypso.
That was a great model in its day, but I know which one I prefer.

Stuart - I just want one of those beautiful laminated Asano props like on your Atlanta. I wish I had kept the ones that I had. What do you think it would cost today in a 17-12??

Asano props ROCK!!! I can't find them...I don't think there are any left for sale. Man if I could only get one. Any size.

In my opinion as the planes have gotten bigger they have gotten much easier to fly and have greatly eroded the pilot skill involved in making the patterns look good. Just my 2 cents worth.

I have a whole box of asano props. All 60 long stroked size. I remember many a night sanding, balancing and spraying clear on them. They came unfinished from most sources. I even morticed two to make a 4 blade

Stuart

Hey Stu,
What happened to Norm Staub?
Greg

He is still in NJ. Our families get together a couple of times a year. He has not been flying though. He received a Hirobo Lama indoor helicopter for Christmas after he saw my sons
I think he will probably drive up once I get the electric Pinnacle done. Maybe I'll give him a little stick time

Stu

Is the Desire older than the Omen? The reason why I ask is that the Omen appears to be a smaller volume fuse in relation to the Desire. I find that odd that the fuse sizes went down and back up.

Hey Stuart,

Do you have pictures of the asano props?

The omen is newer. The Desire was built right from Mike McConvilles plans. 120 4C started becoming popular the year after. The Omen is missing a large belly pan in the picture. The desire belly pan is only about an inch or less high.

I will see about getting some pics of the props.
Stuart

Big yes but by far not the biggest.

Below are 2 other pictures one is from Oxai also - Their new Beryl and the other is from Thailand I believe which is called Beam. Both of which stretch the above designs even further.

Personally, I think that with the increase in competition and the need for the plane to fly "straight" the emphasis has been pushed more on the plane to fly straight than the pilot to MAKE it fly straight.

Beryl


Beam

I'll tell you what I remember and what I miss. A first rate championship capable pattern
kit was less than a hundred dollars and a top notch engine was around seventy five dollars.
Man, we didn't know how good we had it !

tommy s

Yep, i'd agree with that

I'm just getting back into F3A and as we speak am waiting for 2 kits to arrive in the UK however these are balsa though as i can't afford to go moulded fibre glass. The advatage this gives me though is i can build 2 kits relativly cheaply when the costs are compared.

I'd say you dont have to spend thousands on the top equipment to compete at a high level, there are F3A kits that are the latest design and they weigh the same as their fibreglass counter parts when finished if built right. ASP make fourstroke engines at a fraction of the cost of YS or OS do so another option.

Not the couple of a hundred as days gone by but still a worthy option

Hey Tommy,
I remember those days fondly (especially my SUper Kaos and a Brand new Os .60FSR - I couldn't imagine having any more power ... or needing it ).
I wonder what the cost of pattern would be today if the 10cc engine displacement rule had remained in effect? I'm not sure it would be a whole lot cheaper. The designs would be a bit smaller, but the kits might be almost as expensive as designers strive for bigger and lighter airframes. I bet engines would be pretty expensive, too. (remember the Hanno Special... we'd be 2 or 3 generations of improvements from there).
As much as I loved my Super Kaos, the new designs fly really well and are a quantum leap forward from the 'good old days'
-Will

.

I am not too sure the planes would be much smaller. I remember Mr. Prettner flying a full 2x2 all composite patternized Extra 300 back in 1995. He had two examples built: one with the mighty OS 120 SuperCharged and the other one with a gear (or was it bel) reduced OS Hanno Mk2 .61 two stroke. The latter swinged an Asano Special 16x12 wood propeller. He was also testing an all wood 2x2m plane losely based on the Cranfield A-1 powered by the OS120SP. He was training in Italy for the Japan Worlds to get used to the heat, humidity and air density (same height above sea) when he collapsed and broke the neck. I believe he never returned to competition after that.

I couldn't find as many Asano props as I thought I had. Maybe they are with the electronic scale that I also cannot find
Anyway a couple of pictures as requested.

Stuart

Where's Asano's signature?

Most props were unfinished. I know that you could also get a finished prop, one I saw did have his name on it. I never got any, but a friend received one direct from a Japanese competitor.
Stuart