Howard,
I thought your call outs for specific goals to improve stunt were particularly good.
Picking one feature, improving flying in the wind, I realize how I haven't a clue about what is needed. Assuming, for the moment, a flying model could somehow "sense" certain windy conditions, how might it adjust itself (power, of course, but not necessarily limited to that) to help it fly better?
How do you characterize the problem in any decent manner? Speed up when flying up wind, and slow down when flying down wind? Somehow I doubt that is the complete answer.
A stunt flier easily knows when he's flying in windy conditions, but how does a model? Since there is no practical, accurate position tracking system anywhere in sight, what is even feasible? I can't really define inputs and outputs, let alone a control function to connect them.
(Say.. perhaps have the model "trim" itself, aerodynamically during windy conditions? Adjust a screw to move a weight in the fuselage and adjust CG for extra sensitivity?)
I doubt that we'll ever see a self trimming stunt ship, nor would it be desirable. Fun to think about, interesting problems to solve, likely useless. The quality of a stunt pattern ultimately depends on the skill of the pilot; a certain level of equipment quality is assumed.
L.
PS - Randy, I certainly didn't mean to slight you or your opinions in any manner. But I do remember getting thoroughly ripped apart years ago when I repeated Bill Melton's observation that "any good stunt ship has poor line tension at times" - all sorts of decrees about piped engines NEVER experiencing decreases in line tension, EVER, and WTF could I possibly know about it, etc. Amazing just how emotional it all got. I've always wanted to install an accelerometer to actually record line tension, to OBSERVE this phenomena of uniform line tension, specifically due to power plant.
Remember the pugnacity of "discussions" that ushered in the piped engine era? For that matter, how many fist fights have nearly erupted when someone expressed disdain for the venerable Fox .35 Stunt motor? We all have our opinions, which are CORRECT!
I sense just a tad of defensiveness from the anti-electric crowd, a similar conviction that IC power is absolutely superior in every way, having achieved perfection including consistency. Just my general, unqualified opinion, but I think electric power perhaps has already achieved the performance level of the best IC setups. And electric is just getting started.
We both share the conviction that we want everyone to run what they are happy with. I pray we'll always have options.
Best regards.
"If you don't want to work, you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work" -Ogden Nash