Lap times?

[Paul Taylor]

Reading Paul W's artical on trimming he speaks of a good lap time for 70 ft lines.
 
What is a good window for shorter lines? 60-65 ft?

Good stuff if your missing it.

Thanks
Paul

[Dave_Trible]

Paul I'm sure there are other opinions but I don't think I would try to graph line length to laps times exactly.  For a given airspeed obviously length will very much affect lap times but I don't think you would set a lap time based on a given line length.  The lap times (in general) will be more of compromise of what your timing is comfortable with vs. where the airplane flies well and stays out on the lines and (specifically) creating a style or look to certain maneuvers and tracking.  I would try for my comfort zone in lap times on whatever line length I have.  In general there are benefits to longer lines as long as you have the power and airplane to handle them.

Dave

[Will Hinton]

Dave says it as good as it can be said.  I totally agree. 

[Paul Taylor]

Sounds good. Sometimes I read things and maybe over think it.

Thanks Guys. 

[Avaiojet]

What is a good window for shorter lines? 60-65 ft?

Paul,

I cannot speak for anyone else, but my Pathfinder on 63' lines does the circle at about 5.5 seconds.

Not using a stop watch, but by objects and that 1000-1, 1000-2 thing. Did this a number of times, so I'm really close. I use to breeze thoroughbreds, so I'm really good at that 1000-1, 1000-2 thing. 

The Pathfinder is 55.2 oz, assembled out of the box with an OS LA 46, stock, and blue in color.

I should look at the prop?

[john e. holliday]

As I have told several individuals complaining about how their plane was flying, throw the stop watch in the box.  Set your engine where it is happiest.  That includes the prop the engine likes.   Each combination of power and plane will be different.   Once you have the combination where it is happy, then think about line length to make your self happy.   Once you are happy and it is all working then have some one time your laps, this is only for a reference in case you have some thing change.   Same with using a tach.   I see guys using a tach on every flight, my thinking once the engine is set, it should hold if the weather stays the same.

[Randy Cuberly]

All that said...I think that somewhere between 5.1 seconds and 5.4 seconds is usually where my large airplanes seem to work best.

For Nobler size airplanes on 60 ft lines the best is usually around 4.8 seconds to 5.0 seconds.

We timed Paul Walkers' Skylark at a past VSC in one of the best flights I've witnessed at 4.5 seconds and maru Hiki's flight with his Hallmark this year at VSC at 4.3 seconds...blazing corners and an incredible pattern!

I guess what that says is it depends on the airplane and the PILOT!!!  How's your reflexes?  

Randy Cuberly