Thinking of Competition

[tnreefguy]

Well I sold my 3d machine and have decided over the winter to build two MA stratus's for competition. Here are my ideas on a setup.

ys .91 with the todd bennett floating head pipes
9252's on all surfaces
gy 611 gyro
gv-1 gov
MA stratus with the FAI head ( I like MA machines so thats why I picked this one)
710 blades and 110s on the tail


Questions

1. What kind of pitch curve?
2. What gear ratio?
3. Am I using the correct length blade or is it pilot preference
4. Is 30% fuel good for fai or something with more oil and less nitro? I notice there is a lot of hovering involved, but coolpower has never let me down.
5. Is there anyone in TN that is currently competing that would be willing to "coach" a comp. newbe?
6. Is it a good idea to have two machines in the beginning?
7. I almost forgot what about headspeed?
8. Whats with the fiberglass fuse some people have.

I am planning on beginning class I as a start.




All input will be appreciated.

[DavidH]

#1. In normal mode ( hover) keep the curve as linear as possible. You need about -4 to -5 to hold the heli on the ground while spooled up if the wind is blowing. Positive pitch in normal mode really doesn't matter. Not going to be flying the heli around in Normal. Or at least I don't <G>

#2. YS 91 will need 8.18 or 7.91

#3. That is pilot preference. But 710's should work nicely for mains. 105-106 mm on the tail works great.

#4. Most F3C pilots thru out the world use 30% nitro. Flying Class 1, you could use 15%-20% nitro. There will be some forward flight maneuvers. But nothing that requires lots of power.

#5. I only know of a couple contest pilots in Tennessee. They are located in Nashville area.


David

[tdiperi]

If you are in the Nashville area, give me a note.

My e-mail is diperi@caseco-inc.com

Thanks,

Tim DiPeri

Well I sold my 3d machine and have decided over the winter to build two MA stratus's for competition. Here are my ideas on a setup.

ys .91 with the todd bennett floating head pipes
9252's on all surfaces
gy 611 gyro
gv-1 gov
MA stratus with the FAI head ( I like MA machines so thats why I picked this one)
710 blades and 110s on the tail


Questions

1. What kind of pitch curve?
2. What gear ratio?
3. Am I using the correct length blade or is it pilot preference
4. Is 30% fuel good for fai or something with more oil and less nitro? I notice there is a lot of hovering involved, but coolpower has never let me down.
5. Is there anyone in TN that is currently competing that would be willing to "coach" a comp. newbe?
6. Is it a good idea to have two machines in the beginning?
7. I almost forgot what about headspeed?
8. Whats with the fiberglass fuse some people have.

I am planning on beginning class I as a start.




All input will be appreciated.

[ErichF]

If you are interested in a little trip to Florida next march, I will be having my Season Opener contest here 10-11 March '07 in Zephyrhills, FL, 30 miles north of Tampa.

More to come.

Erich

PS, I'm contemplating cash prizes for the AMA classes, and F3C Non-Pro. This will require a slightly higher entry fee, however (about $50). Any thoughts?

[tnreefguy]

Man you got me. I just hope I can have two machines ready and tweeked by then. And also practice time.

[GM1]

Start with one model and get it flying well, then build a second model and duplicate the first as close as you can. Both of my contest models will fly off the same program, though one will be a little out of sorts as the p-mixes are not identical, but I just copied the first program and adapted it for the second.
Gordie

[tnreefguy]

Thanks. What about the stratus with the fai head. From what PM's I have recieved its not that great a model to start with. So now I am kinda caught between the tempest with the FAI head and the stratus.

[GM1]

I fly a Stratus FAI and have had good success with it. Mine weighs a fuzz over ten pounds less fuel, a full pound less than the ProII-KT I flew before. There is a bit of a learning curve but once over that, it flies very well.
Gordie

[tnreefguy]

Can you give an example of the learning curve you are talking about? Also what machines were you flying before?

[GM1]

You have to decide what motor/gear combination you are going to run, what mixing ratio you want, what blades and paddles you like, how long a flybar, what tail ratio and length of TR blades. There's about 50 things you will need to make suit your personal taste as you go along, and everyone's is slightly different.
Before the Stratus, I flew the XL Pro IIK-T, the last incarnation of the Pro. I really loved the model as it was mechanical mix and had very little control interaction, but it was almost 12 pounds and had a very complex collective system that required a lot of routine maintenance to keep slop free, and the use of a 4 stroke clutch if you were flying a 90 as the older clutch really wasn't up to the task, having been designed for a 61. The Stratus is over a pound lighter, with the CCPM program in the 14MZ, there is almost no control interaction and the model can be fine tuned very well.
Gordie

[tnreefguy]

Thanks for the info. Now I just need to do some research on my flying style and choose the right machine for me.

[ViperDrags44]

Greetings All:

Don't you have to be sponsered or isn't it better to be? In order to be a serious contender don't you have to have the best? Most of the serious flyers have the 14mhz transmitters and such...

I was just wondering, I don't mean to start any thing I was just wondering that's all!!

Best of luck to you contest flyers!! :lolol

Brian :glasses2:

[Kinger]

I'm sure most of the contest pilots didn't start out with "the best" equipment. Only after they increased their skill through lots and lots of practice did they probably start moving on up in equipment. There are PLENTY of contest pilots out there that are not sponsored I'm sure. In fact, I'm not so sure that it's as important to be sponsored in competition as it is in the 3D world because you are probably not crashing near as often.

[ErichF]

You rather have to define "sponsored" as well. As far as I know, there's only about 6 or 7 pilots with a full ride. However, most pilots are on some "Team", and only get some support, if any, from Futaba, JR, etc. I'm an example of a non-sponsored, non-team, nobody in helicopter competition. I fly high end equipment, but not the top of the line stuff, either. Would I turn down a team position? Probably not, if it's a manufacturer of what I already use. I wouldn't switch all my stuff over just for a fancy polo shirt.

There isn't really much need for a sponsorship when competing, as far as equipment goes. Where a corporate sponsorship would come in handy is taking care of some travel expenses. With the average hotel stay over $75 a night, gas prices, and time off work, this is where you have to pay to play. If you should attend 3-4 contests a year, you can expect to pay out the same as a new helicopter kit every year, in the form of these expenses. Unfortunately, being on a team or sponsorship doesn't usually cover such expenses. I used my frequent flyer miles and Hertz Rewards points for my trip to the Nats this past year, which really helped. I probably would not have been able to attend without the free airfare and rental.

In this aspect, we are not alone. IMAC competitors, one of the largest RC competition disciplines, endure the same expenses; sometimes more so, since they usually have to drag a trailer to each event.

Anyways, go to the AMA website and download the Contest Regulations PDF. In it, you will see the three AMA classes for heli comp. You will notice that Class I is full of manuevers nearly any helicopter can accomplish. If you are on a budget, consider a standard Raptor 90 or Freya Evo 90 (my pick). Start burning fuel, and practice often. Don't worry about getting the manuevers perfect...the schedule of manuevers are a perfect baseline against which you are judged. Hardly anyone scores 10s on these manuevers. Everyone starts out hovering "all over the place". With time and practice, you will be nailing those cones to the dirt with your downwash. In the beginning, your primary competition is yourself. The primary basis behind any competition is self-improvement. This stuff WILL make you a better pilot, without a doubt.

Regards,

Erich

PS:

Friendly reminder for the 2nd Annual Tampa Bay Heli Classic 10-11 March in Zephyrhills, FL

[Rocket Man]

Great post, Erich. Most of us (including me) are sponsored by our tolerant wives and other family members. :D

With luck and decent weather to learn the new schedule, I hope to see you in March. You can't miss me - I'll be one of the guys hovering "all over the place". :lol:

[ErichF]

That's awesome, look forwad to seeing you "all over the place"
:D


Erich

[GM1]

When I started competing, I was flying a Schluter Scout 2 with an OS 61 SFN and a Futaba 7ch UHP with 9202 servos and a 153BB gyro. I had NO sponsorship other than Mastercard. I saved up and bought a Futaba 9Z and migrated onto that, then bought a used X-Cell Custom. The next year I went to the NATS in Lubbock TX and managed to win Class 2, still un-sponsored.
Since then I have moved up through the ranks to Class 3 and now FAI and have picked up some help along the way. I am currently a rep for Duralite battery systems, YS motors, Hatori exhausts, and a sponsored pilot for Miniature Aircraft USA, Futaba RC, and Wildcat Fuels. Without the aid of these folks, I could only do a fraction of what I am able to do today. I travel to 12-15 events each year and have friends all over the country. I have access to the best advice and latest information on many of the very best products in RC. Life is good! Would I still fly without support? Absolutely, but my travel would be limited.

[WMann]

My suggestion; if you are buying everything new scrap the S9252 servos and get the S9255. They are far superior to the S9252 servos. If you already have S9252's then I understand why you want to use them.


Wayne Mann

[Rocket Man]

My suggestion; if you are buying everything new scrap the S9252 servos and get the S9255. They are far superior to the S9252 servos.

Wayne,

Would you please elaborate. The 9252 is supposed to be a little faster; the 9255 has more torque.

Is torque more important than speed, or are there other factors involved?

Thanks,

Ron

[GM1]

The 9255 seems to be MUCH stronger immediately off center so it appears faster than it is. The 9255 has much better centering characteristics and stays that way much longer. We are not dealing with center drift and endpoint drift on the 9255s like we did with the 9252s. That has been my experience anyway.
Gordie

[Rocket Man]

Gordie,

Thanks for the info. Maybe some day I will be good enough to notice the difference (in helicopters). I have a feeling my 9252s, 8311s, and Hi Tecs will be good enough for this season.

I'll check in with you guys later this year and put your recommendations on my 2007 Christmas list. :lol:

Take care,

Ron

[WMann]

Sorry for the late reply Ron,

The truth is most of us F3C types run quite a bit of expo in all flight modes trying to slow down the control responses so servo speed is not an issue for us. I am much more concerned with the torque and centering capabilities of the servos. The next thing on the list is how long the servos last before developing unacceptable amounts of play in the gear train.

I hope this helps


Wayne Mann

[Rocket Man]

Thanks, Wayne.

Your reply and Gordie's make a lot of sense. I spent many years flying RC Pattern and consistency was always the main challenge. We did not have digital servos and servo performance was my biggest problem.

I am not in your league (probably never will be), but at this stage of my life I want to fly the best equipment I can afford. I have enough challenges as it is. :lol: :lol:

Thanks again.