National Free Flight Society

SEN 2808

  1. Canadian Extras
  2. Jama drop, Jama flop and the Kamikaze launch.
  3. Free Flight Quarterly #78 has appeared
  4. Fall or Stand
  5. Flopping, Dropping or Not

Canadian Extras

From:Gene Ulm

Dear Canadian Team:  I want in on this!

Gene Ulm


Editor’s comment: Gene’s one liner was in response to the article written by “the Canadian Team member” who described all additional support that they were planning on giving to the team, Jama in particular.  Looks like he wants some of that ! Some how we missed including it in a previous SEN.  We are not sure if Gene can say “eh” and important part of Canadian conversation, is OK with  getting his coffee at Tim Hortons and likes poutine …. All possible downside of being on the Canadian team?


 Jama drop, Jama flop and the Kamikaze launch.

From: Leslie Farkas

I am surprised that we are having this discussion after nine years, three World Championships, hundreds of world cups using the technique by Jama and many others.  I thought that we are mature grownups, able to make our own decisions.  Everybody is responsible to make their own decision about what risk to take or not to take.  If the launching results in physical pain, the competitors will surely decide on their own to protect themselves or stop using the technique.  A prime example is Mikhail Kosonoshkin who padded his head and yes, Jama also has hip and elbow paddings.

I have the same opinion as Allard and it is fine with me either way the Plenary will make a decision. However, the problem that I see and have seen for a long time that many of these proposals are initiated and decided by individuals who do not compete in the same category and have no understanding of it.   With all my respect for the Germain and Swiss sports federations, I would like to know who is their CIAM representative and what is the category they personally compete in? Have they consulted their F1A members which would be the base for their proposal?  Let’s see democracy work and the majority to rule by allowing only the category of F1A competitors to decide.

I also think that John Carter made a good assumption when he said “I suspect, part of the reason to ban the falling launch is that some feel they can’t or don’t want to do the fall and they are disadvantaged” We face two problems with this.

1,  In every sport there is an age limit dictated by nature for how long someone can be a top competitor.  After having said that, my dear friend Peter Allnutt at the age of 87 is still a fierce competitor.  However, when he sees Jama launching, he always says “that is a different category” No, I am not discriminating by age. Because as an ex-professional ice hockey player who did run the 100 meters in 11 seconds and did full squat with 550 pounds, today at the age of 71 I just cannot do it. But certainly would not want to stop others from trying and do it better.

2, I can understand when Allard mentioned his concerns about a junior getting injured and how to explain it to the parents? Is an injury possible? Yes, but they more likely to get a twisted ankle before hitting their head.   I also would like to see the statistics on how many junior freeflight competitors each CIAM member country has? That is a much bigger problem and I believe that the numbers would be a real eye-opener for everybody.

We should address and deal with the real issues of our sport, not creating some imaginary problems and try to solve them with a proposal.

The way I see it anyway.

Sincerely,

Leslie Farkas from Canada


Free Flight Quarterly #78 has appeared

From: sergio montes

SEN

Dear Roger,

Could you please publish this announcement in your next edition of SEN?

regards

Sergio


The new edition of Free Flight Quarterly has appeared, the Digital version  has been distributed and the print version mailed.
It may take  some time before the copies reach the subscribers, due to altered postal flight schedules. After the Digital-only Free Flight Quarterly #77,
we resume publishing the magazine in its printed and Digital versions.

Free Flight Quarterly #78 for January 2021- Table of Contents
In this issue

Editorial, Progress in Aviation                  Sergio Montes
Power Duration models, Part 2 Jim Baguley  Series on power model trimming
Overload Power Model, 1959 Jim Baguley Vintage Power Model
Taking an idea to a kit       Paul Bradley Model kit production
Dihedral, do we have enough dihedral? Sergio Montes Dihedral Analysis for stability
A contest that won’t get cancelled-hopefully  Stuart Darmon Postal Contest with A-1 gliders
Carbon Tubes for FF Models Robert J. Caso Carbon  Tube Frames
Properly Speaking  Part 6 Chris Stoddart New prop folding arrangements
Super Capacitors for Indoor Models Heinrich Eder  and Electric motor Indoor models
Paul Willutzki with Capacitor Power
The Fuji Story, Chapter 4, Part 1 Adrian Duncan Japanese Engine History
Outdoor models with Capacitor Power Alexandre Cruz Capacitors for outdoor models
Beardmore Inflexible William Pearce Aviation History
F1E Scene,  part 7   Gerhard Woebbeking F1E Finishing Techniques  *

A summary of the articles, and the cover of the latest issue can be found on our website:

http://www.freeflightquarterly.com/wordpress

Sergio Montes
Ed. Free Flight Quarterly


 

Fall or Stand

From:john carter

Fall or Stand

Further to my last post on the falling launch proposed rule change.
It’s nice to see a debate and views offered . As a member of the UKs FF technical committee I will as part of this group will be advising our CIAM representative how to vote .
So please all send your views in so that we end up, with hopefully a sensible vote reflecting the majority of interest in this important rule change .

Personally I am for leaving things as they are and if and I do say if! We really need to review safety,put together a sensible rule adapting PPE ?

As a side my interest in F1A is promoted by the fact it requires some physical effort
Indeed all ff requires a degree of fitness we all need to retrieve or models ( UK on foot Motorised retrieval is by request of CD and not automatic.)
Now back to the why do I fly the class. It’s  the challenge and motivation to continue at 67 to be in top condition to be able to mix it with much younger competitors and still to achieve good 100m plus launches .
This involves a commitment to flying and a regular fitness programme.
In my professional capacity as a qualified fitness instructor.I can say age is a number not a condition . So rather than try to go back wards with  our class step up to the challenge .
JC


 

Flopping, Dropping or Not

Where we are …

Editorial

There continues to be much discussion around this subject on social media, on the field (when people can go there ) and some here.

A few key points have emerged
1. It is about safety not performance
2. The decision will be made by the representatives of the NAC (National Aero clubs) at the CIAM Meeting.
3. People need to make sure that they have properly communicated with their NAC to let them know how they feel on this issue and that process varies by country.

There are two other points that probably need further exploration one way or another
1. With the Covid pandemic the FAI/CIAM meeting are being conducted by Zoom. This means that some NACs who did take part in the meetings or did not bring a  trusted expert, typically for financial reasons can now participate so need to get organized to do so.
2. Some of discussion of FB suggest that because a possible risk involved with “falling on launch” is known there is some possible legal risk to the FAI/CIAM or event organizer.  In this case an article by Pern Findahl, leading F1A sportsman and Youth modelsport leader. In this article Per mentions that sportsmen tape their hands to protected them from  damage by the low line and there is a risk when falling over. Is this a statement that we know about th problem and should do some thing ? or is it guidelines to sportsmen saying there is some risk and you need to be aware and mitigate.  Many sporting activities involve some form of risk, for example gymnastics you could fall or even do a bad landing and strike a hard object.  Most of these risks are “known” as presumably covered by some form of insurance that a Sporting organization takes out. Any legal experts out there ?