Brodaks - Spectra lines in combat

[tom hampshire]

     Combat at Brodaks will include the use of Spectra lines subject to finalizing the upcoming AMA rules.  Please be prepared if you want to run Spectra.  Stainless is of course allowed as before, without change.

     Apologies for the somewhat awkward timing, but both Phil Cartier and myself want to get started with the use of Spectra as quickly as possible.  The present draft of the upcoming rules change is posted in the combat section.  Tom Hampshire

[Brian Massey]

Having fished with Spectra for years, I know it's strength; is there any other (or main) advantage for C/L use? And will it's use be expanded beyond combat?

Brian

[Dwayne]

Having fished with Spectra for years, I know it's strength; is there any other (or main) advantage for C/L use? And will it's use be expanded beyond combat?

Brian

For me it's being able to walk into any home or sports store and buy the stuff when needed no mail order. also 50LB test is only .012dia, 65lb is .016 dia. and is smoother then steel so it has less drag.

[tom hampshire]

     We can't use spectra in any event other than combat during this year.  Stay tuned for more changes during the 2012 rules cycle.  There seem to be more people who use it than I suspected during the 5 years or so the I have been working with it.  See the thread about it under the combat heading for full details.  Tom Hampshire

[Brian Massey]

For me it's being able to walk into any home or sports store and buy the stuff when needed no mail order. also 50LB test is only .012dia, 65lb is .016 dia. and is smoother then steel so it has less drag.

Sounds really good to me; and it won't kink for no dang reason  . Probably lot's of good reasons to make the switch after we get the OK.

Brian

[phil c]

After the fact that it won't kink and fatigue like steel, the other big plus is the low weight.  Most flyers have seen a plane get slowed down a bit in a maneuver and start to flounder around when the weight of the lines swinging around makes it do all sorts of strange things.  Spectra lines weigh about 1/10th of steel, so the weight of the lines becomes insignificant.  There are still line drag issues, but the weight of the lines is not enough to seriously affect how the plane flys.

[Bill Adair]

My friends and I have been using Spectra lines for all our half-A airplanes, and all the weight and size advantages are very real, but what pleases me the most is the speed of fabricating a set of lines!

Takes about ten seconds to tie a Palomar knot to a line clip, and we have yet to see one fail, other than the fellow who didn't feel secure with such a simple knot, and used CA for insurance. One line failed right at the edge of the CA hardened area, as expected by some of us who stopped using the AMA method of soldering copper wire windings to insure line fatigue, many years ago.

I love Spectra, and the available high visibility colors (red and yellow from Tufline) stand out great on any field surface, paved, grass, or dirt. My favorite high visibility color is yellow, and I have it in three test strengths so far (10, 20, and 30 pound test).

Tufline by Western Filament Inc is the brand we are using, and the only problem we have found so far is the tendency for the very light stuff (10# or less) to tangle if unwound with out tension on the supply reel.

Spectra is evidently woven in tubular form, and then wound tightly on a supply reel, which flattens the tube. If allowed to unspool by itself, it will instantly curl itself into a snarl you won't believe!

Simple prevention is to hold tension on the line until unreeled, and then pre-stretch the line to about half it's test strength. This is only necessary for the very light lines, as the 20# test and up seem to be well behaved.

Hey, watch me wind up a set of Spectra lines in seconds, as opposed to many minutes for steel lines, and you will see yet another advantage of this marvelous product.

Bill

[Phil Spillman]

In 2007 or 2008 I was introduced to Spider Wire/ Spectra line by several friends in Ohio. We made up a set of these and I flew them on my Sterling Mustang with an FP .25 for power. The plane flew like it had never flown before almost as if there weren't any drag on the inside wing at all! It performed the entire PA pattern with ease and no funniness whatsoever! In the ensuing months I contacted the AMA about using this stuff and received mixed answers but the most encouraging comment then was "if it (the rules) don't say you Can't use it then  you can"! Amazing! We used it in Pennsylvania but the guys in Virginia were more reserved and concerned about loosing our flying site by violating the rules. So I haven't used it since moving herein 2009! I'll start using it again for Sport flying because I know first hand how superior it is to steel!

Phil Spillman 

[BillLee]

Just keep in mind that the CL General rules still specify metal wire for the lines. Only the Combat rules have been changed to allow the GSUMP lines.

[tom hampshire]

Hi Bill - I have heard it rumored that this iteration of the rules may contain a reference in the CL General section sufficient to allow the use of Spectra for sport flying.  It looks like that makes good sense.  We'll have to wait and see.  If not, we'll pursue it in the 2012 cycle.

[Bryan Higgins]

Tom
Thanks for the information.  I'll have to try some.

[Bill Adair]

One problem here on the left coast, is finding small diameter Spectra line. I gave up, and called Western Filaments to find out who stocks the six and ten pound test, and was given the name of a dealer on the East coast (Florida)!

I called them and they said they were all out, but could order it, and have it dropped shipped from the factory in Colorado!

Had it in a few days!

If you have any such problem, you might want to give them a call, or send an email to:

info@hookhertackle.com

Bill

[john e. holliday]

Maybe one of our great friends here on the forum could send you guys some.   I haven't tried them yet.   Do have a few 1/2A's to get in the air.  


Sorry folks,  guess I didn't read enough.  Glad you found a source.

[Lauri Malila]

 Hi.

 Spectra lines are very strong and they don't flex much, so why not use them in CL fun flying. But in combat, in a line tangle situation it can break very easily when it's rubbing against another lines.
 Another thing, not necessarily CL but I'll tell it anyway: In Free flight I every now and then break brand new lines in start acceleration. The line usually breaks from a knot that is not pulled tight enough. usually it breaks at about 80% of the max. line tension in start, which is about 25...30kilo's. Probably the friction heat in the knot breaks the line when it's quickly tightened. So, it's important to slowly pull the lines near the maximum tension a few times before first flights.
 Another warning: The spectra line (and other similar fibres) loose their strenght in a surprisingly low temperature, not far from 100 degrees C. So if you are tempted to mark the line ends or protect the knots with heat-shrink tubing, don't do it. L

[Dwayne]

One problem here on the left coast, is finding small diameter Spectra line. I gave up, and called Western Filaments to find out who stocks the six and ten pound test, and was given the name of a dealer on the East coast (Florida)!

I called them and they said they were all out, but could order it, and have it dropped shipped from the factory in Colorado!

Had it in a few days!

If you have any such problem, you might want to give them a call, or send an email to:

info@hookhertackle.com

Bill

Bill, I use 20 lb test on all my 1/2 A planes it works great.

[Bill Adair]

Hi Dwayne,

That is what I use as well, but I want to try the lighter weight stuff next.

I have ten pound test to try, but a friend is using even lighter Spectra on his half-A airplanes, and loves it. Only problem is the tendency to snarl into impossible tangles, if allowed to unspool off the supply reel with no tension on the line. *

My favorite is TufLine XP in high visibility yellow, but it also comes in red, and that color stands out almost as well on our grass field.

Bill

* Note: Tension only required when unspooling new XP  from the factor reel.

[Phil Spillman]

Hi All, When I couldn't find the correct weight test for Spider Wire,a/k/a Spectra Line, at my local vendor,I went to Cabella's web siite and ordered what I wanted. Incidentally this stuff comes in various colors and I chose chartruse something like day glow yellow which is quite easy to see in the grass!

Phil Spillman

[Steve Fitton]

We used it in Pennsylvania but the guys in Virginia were more reserved and concerned about loosing our flying site by violating the rules. So I haven't used it since moving herein 2009! I'll start using it again for Sport flying because I know first hand how superior it is to steel!

Phil Spillman 

Let me know when you use it so I can hide behind something!   

[Larry Wong]

Now is there a certain brand or manufacture that we have to look for? 

[john e. holliday]

It's in the preceding posts what line to look for.   It's even in the title of the thread.