Cowling on Profile Models?

[Tim Stagg]

I am designing a new profile P51 style model for electric and would like to add some type of cowling to hide as much of the electronics, Timer, Speed control, etc, as possible.

What is legal? what is not?

Thanks

Tim Stagg

[john e. holliday]

If I under stand the rules right.  Everything must be exposed around the engine from the mounting lugs up.  I don't know how to answer in regards to a motor.  DOC Holliday

[Mark Scarborough]

My interpretation of the rules would be that the motor needs to be exposed. the electronics are not part of the MOTOR so it can be hidden in a cheek cowl but my instinct tells me the  cheek cowl needs to be on the inboard, or non motor side of the fuse

[Larry Fulwider]

. . . What is legal? what is not?

http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=337065&mesg_id=337065&page=3

Butch Cassidy: "Before we start this here knife fight, let's get the rules straight!"

Larry Fulwider

[john e. holliday]

If P-40 was supposed to be an entry level event, why has so meny Exp, Adv and Int flyers building and flying in the event?   It is still a local event as it is not in the official rules catagory as far as I thought.  But, lets leave it as local event.  DOC Holliday

[Larry Fulwider]

If P-40 was supposed to be an entry level event, . . .

P-40 hasn't existed for a couple of years now. The only rules are in the NW, and no one has complained far as I know with the change from P-40 to larger engines. My take is that the poplular LA 46 (now legal on .015s) made the move away from a 40 limit a good one.

But, lets leave it as local event.  DOC Holliday

I'm not sure what threat anyone could see in having rules for an event. Why would rules not make it a local event? Profile is the only event where anyone has ever argued having rules would somehow taint it. Beats me!
             Name one thing  allowed in a "local" event that might be lost to a set of rules? I can see an argument for not going to the trouble to make rules, but not an argument that the rules would hurt anything.

Larry Fulwider

[Rudy Taube]

Hi Tim,

Good question. I don't think you will have any problems with your design as long as you stay within the most common written rules and within the "spirit" of those rules. Here are some links that may help, and a few observations.

1. It looks like there is a national concensus that the "no flap" bonus and the .40 eng. size rule has gone away .... even here in the ULTRA CONSERVATIVE CL environment of the South West. ;-)  Before we adopted the national standard of AMA CL engine size in P40 I was protested for using my eclectic motor in P40 and was refused entry in some contests here in the SW. ........ Now it is a little better for E power here in the SW, but still an up hill battle 

2.  http://www.kotrc.org/events/kotrcprofilestuntrules.pdf   

These are the Profile Rules used in most of the West. From everything I have read, these rules are used in most of our country.  Out here we often break P40 (now called "Profile") into two events. Placing beginner and Int together and Adv/Expert together. This is a big help and brings out more people.  The front width measurements should help you with your design.

3.  http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/events/rulebooks/CLGeneral.pdf  page 6 (table on page 5)

These AMA Profile rules are not directly for CLPA but they give us some guidelines for areas of the country that do not publish their local rules. They are from the CL General section of the rules.

4.  http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php?topic=5823.0   

    This is a photo of my Electric Brodack P-40 with the electric "stuff" mounted within a small cover. This was an after thought balsa box (painted in a hurry with a soldering brush! Yikes!!! ;-). I could not stand any more stuff being in sight. :-) Air just goes right through to cool the ESC and cables. BTW, even down here no one ever protested my little box so I think you would be OK using something on your plane to cover stuff up. With a military design you could use a drop tank, or bomb, or top secret WWII ray gun, or???

I am working on a classic legal "Trophy Trainer" profile now that will be E powered. I plan on making a large simulated profile fuel tank (balsa, with chrome film covering) and enclosing the E stuff inside. I will place the battery on the port side of the plane. We will see how that works out.

I'm sure a call to any local CL club officer will be able to get you in contact with a local CL CD and he can fill you in on any local "CL Profile" rules that are not covered above.

Good luck with your P40  P51 design. Please keep us posted with your progress, we need more scale E powered planes in CLPA. :-)

Regards,   

[john e. holliday]

Larry, not to start an argument, but, almost every event in the book started as a local event at one time or another.  Look at Rat Race, which was starting when I first got into competition.  Then there are Slow Rat, Slow Combat,  Mouse Race, and Goodyear Racing.  I think PAMPA Stunt Classes started as a national event is one of the few.  I can't remember when P-40 started.  I don't know for sure if Carrier Classes started as local or not.  I know the event started to promote the Navy as they were sponsors and hosts for so many years.  My take.  DOC Holliday

[Steve Helmick]

Here's a link to the rules for NW Profile Stunt. It might give an idea of what is "typical" about the engine enclosure question. http://flyinglines.org/rules.profilestunt.html


We never did have an event called "P-40 Stunt". We used to have an event called "P.40 Stunt" that most wrote as "P-40 Stunt", so we changed it to "Profile Stunt". At Registration yesterday, it got renamed "Professional Stunt", which is a name for the event that I really like a lot!!! 

It's a really good thing for Beginner and Intermediate fliers to be able to fly the same plane in more official flights at a given contest. The P.40 or Profile Stunt event does that, assuming that the one plane survives four official flights. Experts don't need more events, or need their reactions rearranged by flying different planes on the same day. Most of them would rather fly Classic as a 2nd event, but a few just have too much energy and like to fly all the events they can. The farther they have to drive, the more sense it makes. OTOH, we have "Experts" that will drive to Arizona, the NATS and the Team Trials, but can't be bothered to support our local contests where they still don't appear to have the equipment and skills to win, OBTW. Too far away, I guess???  Steve