What Makes a Target Hobby Area Grow?

[MIA Micro-FLIGHT (Mario I. Arguello)]

I wanted to write about this for a while now and I hope that readers and most importantly the more expert members of the RC Autogyro Hobby allow me to express these words with an open mind.

I've been doing a lot of work in this area on my own, and most of it privately. Although I have a considerable amount of videos also in the RC autogyro area on You Tube, there is a good percentage of stuff I have not shown. So there is still a lot to look forward to and it maybe the same from others who have been prolific at contributing to the growth of this hobby.

Reading through many RC autogyro threads and analyzing how the rc autogyro communities operate, I feel that this is still is a Club members only environment.

My direction with RC autogyros from the start has been to expand the interest with a Kit that helps promote confidence outside dedicated clubs that both the UK and the USA has.

My dream hjas been and still is, to see people flying RC autogyros in local parks and perhaps in a large backyard, all over the world, as people fly, say, a typical foamy trainer plane and as I often do with many of the models I've designed and shown on You Tube.

How many can say or can fly a model like the MIA MPG in front of their house in a cul-de-sac with a fair amount of ease? under low lighting, at night? Not many, because there are no RC autogyros of this caliber, most of them require a large field, because of size and power requirement to get them to fly. How many can do the same with a foamy park flyer model aiplane? or even a small micro heli? A lot of people, all over the world.

I believe that offering the freedom to fly any rc model whenever you want and in any most local park or in the comfort of your home is a good medium to expand the hobby and grow the interest faster, I said the same thing before the start of the influx of micro helis when I was designing small micro heli kits.

As of today, we still do not have this model perfected in the RC autogyro arena and I believe it is for two reasons.

1) Many are still Dedicated Club Members oriented only

2) There has not been an RC Autogyro Kit to help gain the confidence in this area.

Although many of you have probably built from plans, I think it is important to consider also ARFs and RTFs equally for the hobby to grow. Nothing is perfect and there is a learning and perfecting curve that takes time. A model I often look at is the way the Micro helis came about and it may just work out the same way with RC Autogyros. New technology may just open this door wide open, for newcomers, but I hope that it does not get too diluted where it becomes to simple of a task that it becomes boring. Today's Micro RC Helicopters for instance and reason I am writing this in an RC autogyro section.

About Dedicated Club Members Only

Being a dedicated club members only group only helps those that are part of that club. For a newbie, It maybe like trying to join a health club where most of the members are people who are good looking and totally fit. Someone in need of a little work may be discouraged as many people actually are, according to some statistics done in the health club area. The logic here is the same in any dedicated club.

So that model has to be broken so that more people can come into this area a lot faster and with a little more confidence that they are not going to get criticised in the process, wether it is trying to lean how fly RC autogyros or flying a model that maybe totally outside the normal preferred model the club members maybe flying.

Opportunity has to be also given to potential new OEMs who could offer some very cool and helpful kits, ARFs, RTFs.

The release of the Auto G has bought people that have been into planes into the rc autogyro arena, judging by the you tube videos and to some extent it seems that many are getting the hang of it. Still not perfect, as the kits have to be moded for additional durability and fly-ability. But it is a step in the right direction. I got a few e-mails recently, from people who are looking to the next step up from the Auto G. But are looking I think for something that is consistently reliable and more durable but with a good degree of ease.

So I guess the message here is that cross-support from experts, die hards, tinkerers and OEMs as well as the media that allows viewers to read all about it, is important.

On this note let me add, that once you discover how one RC autogyro works, it is simply a matter of a change of clothes to make a new new one and change the pace. By the same token once you discover the new high you can get from learning and actually flying one with confidence, it is a bug hard to get out of your system.

With this much power and the experience that some of us have gained so far in this area, and can share openly with others, the RC Autogyro Hobby sky is the limit.

Today Pusher RC Autogyros are no more a secret than they were when it was first disclosed that "to make that Pusher Bensen that we all have been dreaming of building sucessfuly" All you have to know is 2 things. For those of you that have been following the technical notes from the first Gyronuts, this is probably nothing new.

 

Thank You for Reading.

As always open for positive comments and suggestions.

Mario I. Arguello

Edited By MIA Micro-FLIGHT (Mario I. Arguello) on 20/07/2013 00:34:57