One Design Build and One Design Contest

[Ed Anderson]

I presume you guys in the UK do this sort of thing.  Have they been successful?

 

My club, the Long Island Silent Flyers, is about to start a group build over the winter. We are in New York, USA where it gets cold in the winter, so  
some of our members don't fly over the winter.  So we are going to get a group build going.  

Most of the OD build and contests I have read about are based on 2M
entry level models like the Gentle Lady, Vista or the Easy Glider.
These are inexpensve but what I am told is, after the contest, they
become hanger queens.   We wanted to avoid that, so we are going to
base our OD on a 3M glider.

The chosen model will be the Bird of Time which can be built from
plans, from an inexpensive kit sold by Tower Hobbies, or you can buy
the ARF. Even non-builders can join the fun.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXYXJ8&P=7

While our club has many winches, we are going to make this a hi-start
launched contest in order to take away any advantage that anyone might
have through improvements to the spar or wing rod as compared to the
earlier built kits or the ARF.

You can read about it on our club forum here: 
http://www.lisfsoar.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=balsa&action=display&thread=103 

So far we know of six who will be joining the build.  For many of
these this will be their first build and their first 3M glider. We
have also opened this to surrounding clubs for any who are interested
in joining the project or the One Design contest.

This should spark some great "show and tell" at the meetings, generate
interest in buildling, and get a few more people into contest flying
their gliders.  We hope to pick up more builders over the winter.

AFTER THE OD CONTEST

We are going to allow a significant amount of latitude in
modifications to make the BOT lighter, stronger or more easily
transported.  These won't buy you much on a hi-start launch but will
make the planes much more winchable after the contest.

The goal is that this plane should not become a hanger queen. It was
chosen because people will want to fly it. Once finished, with some
allowed modifictions, the pilot should have a beautiful 3M sailplane
that can be flown for sport and which is very well suited for the
monthly club RES contests or the monthly club unlimited contest.  We
allow winch or HS launches for all club contests.

If they choose to carbon cap the spar and add spoilers they should
even be able to compete in the ESL contests, in the Sportsman class,
and place well.  Many of our club members have won ESL contests with
RES gliders. There is no reason this one would not place well in the
hands of a [u]practiced[/u] pilot.

The goal is to get more people flying pure gliders, teach more people
how to build and teach more people how to use a hi-start. And
ultimately we will give them their first taste of contest flying.

Hopefully we will darken the sky with the beautiful profile of the Bird of Time.
Thank you Dave Thornburg for designing such a beautiful glider.

This should be fun! ]

Ed Anderson
President, Long Island Silent Flyers
Newsletter Editor, Eastern Soaring League

[Chris Card]

Sounds great Ed and to answer your question yes my club had a similar idea: club pylon racing using a standard model (Paul Daniel's Slipso).  Around 7 of us bought the kits I think but 1 year later only 1 slipso has flown!  Too many competing commitments I guess.

 

Still, I hope your clubmates follow through with the idea and you have a fun competition. 

[Ed Anderson]

Update

 

We have 6 kits being built. Mine gets delivered tomorrow and will go under the Christmas tree.

 

In addition a couple of pilots in near by clubs are building too. 

 

We started a build thread on one of the big US forums and other people have now joined in.  

 

Looks like we should have good participation.

[Ed Anderson]

The family of builders is now at 13 with 6 in our club 2 in adjacent clubs and a bunch of people who are building with us on the internet.

 

I should start mine in a week or so.

 

I plan to make a 3 piece wing and beef up the spar with carbon for strong winch launches.