World Championships Experience
08-02-2011, 08:52 AM
#52
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RE: World Championships Experience
Hi Don:
Do you know of anyone took video of the final flights? I think would be superb that we could see the different type of flights, and also the last efforts from all the contestants. Do you know if Fred Midgett from HPP was there?
thanks for the info.
Claude
Do you know of anyone took video of the final flights? I think would be superb that we could see the different type of flights, and also the last efforts from all the contestants. Do you know if Fred Midgett from HPP was there?
thanks for the info.
Claude
08-03-2011, 12:59 AM
#53
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RE: World Championships Experience
ORIGINAL: Don Szczur
What impressed me most about Christophe's flying (and Benoit) was that they were flying slow and deliberate, yet very smooth and graceful, not sloppy as an airplane would do when flying that slow. I spoke with Christophe and he is running (if I remember it correctly) a 20 x 10 with a somewhat conventional shape (versus wide blade). It did not have the same constant width (i.e., paintstick) shape that several others were flying. The main advantage of the YS 175 is the ability to run larger props. I'd try a larger diameter prop on my Black Magic but would need to change landing gear to get higher clearance. I'm running a very small prop (18.1 x 12) but am comfortable with the setup. Christophe and Benoit also had the best rolling circles. Most agree the geometry of many of the finalists were off, particularly the half cuban 8 and the sharks tooth. But what is this technically- 1 point per 15 degrees. All the best pilots held their aircraft at a constant distance out which was very impressive particularly during the early afternoon when the wind picked up some.
What impressed me most about Christophe's flying (and Benoit) was that they were flying slow and deliberate, yet very smooth and graceful, not sloppy as an airplane would do when flying that slow. I spoke with Christophe and he is running (if I remember it correctly) a 20 x 10 with a somewhat conventional shape (versus wide blade). It did not have the same constant width (i.e., paintstick) shape that several others were flying. The main advantage of the YS 175 is the ability to run larger props. I'd try a larger diameter prop on my Black Magic but would need to change landing gear to get higher clearance. I'm running a very small prop (18.1 x 12) but am comfortable with the setup. Christophe and Benoit also had the best rolling circles. Most agree the geometry of many of the finalists were off, particularly the half cuban 8 and the sharks tooth. But what is this technically- 1 point per 15 degrees. All the best pilots held their aircraft at a constant distance out which was very impressive particularly during the early afternoon when the wind picked up some.
Thanks a lot for this report thread!
As regard Cristophe's slower flight speed, could it be due to a lower wing loading? I remember in the late late 90 competitions his Topline was about 500 gr lighter than the other planes (4100 gr vs an average of 4500 gr).
Do we know what was the weight of his planes at Muncie? Is there some public data about this?
What do you think about this?
I also noticed that now mostly all the planes end up near 4.8 kg. Could a lower wing loading be an advantage for todays sequences?
Thanks again!
08-04-2011, 05:27 AM
#54
RE: World Championships Experience
Andrew had one of if not the lightest plane. I was impressed with the simplicity of Christophe's setup. I don't know if there were aircraft statistics sheets passed out but wish they did that like in past U.S. NATS. I believe the low idle setup on his 175 YS DZ CDI and 10 pitch prop was the determining factor of his speed. He did fly faster and a bit further out in the finals and unknowns but the F11 sequence requires more room plus there was more wind in the finals than what was experienced during most of the preliminaries.
08-17-2011, 05:29 PM
#57
RE: World Championships Experience
After reflecting on the World Championships and NATS for a couple weeks (yes I still have dreams/nightmares nightly that I have to rush to get up a 6 a.m. out to the site and do the warmup flight), it was really a big deal. I was so busy during the finals (we did equipment checks on 100% of planes in the final round) I recall seeing Sebastiano with little more time to say "hi", and so many past American greats. Bill Cunningham, many time U.S. team member and former NATS champion. Chris Lakin, U.S. team member and leader for at least two world championships, Dave Brown, many time U.S. national champion and U.S. team leader (it was interesting to see Dave talking to Wolfgang, his major competitor for so many world championships going back to more than 30 years ago). Dean Papas- who I believe mentioned to me he got to meet some of the pilots he assited decades ago at a european hosted world championships. Dick Penrod hanging out with some of the great flyers from "the day". Listening to (now Alaska) Reeves Lippincott, Canadian great Ivan Kristensen and so many more "in the crowd" of spectators. World championship competitors, we wecome you and thank you for coming to the U.S. to make this event spectacular for all that witnessed it.
08-17-2011, 05:52 PM
#58
RE: World Championships Experience
Flying in front of World Judges was really a great experience. I learned each day to fly my best. Its hard to do anything else in front of the world's best judges. When I looked at the U.S. Nats scores, it paid off. After day 1 I was in 1st place, flying the preliminary rounds with P-11 mastered. Joseph was also in 1st place in Advanced (that was a special dinner we had that first evening). My last P11 flight was very enjoyable, as Bill Ahrens can attest. By the way one of my favorite quotes was from Bill, "This is the BEST Nats EVER!" Put yourself in the same mental state as a six year old excitement at a birthday party with all your best friends there and just got your best birthday wish, you can experince his excitement at that moment. By the end of the prelims I was in 3rd or something like that for the semi finals then 4th in the finals. I looked at my scores and I placed 3rd in the first round of F11, 3rd in the first round of Unknown, 2nd in the second round of F11 and 2nd in the final round of Unknown. How did I end up 4th? Dave won 2 rounds, Mark won one round and Chad won one round. You have to win rounds (or score almost winning rounds) in the finals to win. The NATS finals were somewhat surreal. When we showed up at site 1 at 7:30 a.m., there were 4 people there. When we started, there were about 10 (8 were pilots). This in no way diminished the quality of the event as all the finalists flew supurbly. I was so brain drained that as soon as I was done the last unknown, I headed over to site 4 to pick up Joseph's 12v battery and our shelter. The battery was gone (AMA took it and stored it I found out later), and we packed up the shelter and raced back to site 3 just in time for the awards ceremony. Afterward we went back to site 1 to pick up my fuel jug which I left in the gazebo, and looked back to realize we were the LAST ones at the AMA facility (pattern flyers, that is), It was very different and even spooky, as the wind blew through and was blowing some of the collapsed judges shade that was all we heard. Silence. We got in our car and drove stright through to Virginia, and HOME, after more than 2 weeks of airplane only activity. I am thankful for my wife Beth and her support. So where to go from here? We need 3 new airplanes. We need to decide on a design. There are a lot. We can spend upwards of $12000 to $15000 for three airframes to get the "best" out there. Shall we attain some kits and build them over the winter? Probably a more economical approach.
A second approach is to simulator practice and set up a online session called "South Africa". It would be really neat to do a backdrop with that site on the simulator. Got to do something positive and motivating in order to keep the momentum going....
A second approach is to simulator practice and set up a online session called "South Africa". It would be really neat to do a backdrop with that site on the simulator. Got to do something positive and motivating in order to keep the momentum going....
