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Speed,Combat,Scale,Racing => Rat Racing and Team Racing => Topic started by: George Grossardt on October 22, 2012, 06:52:22 PM
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OK, so I am thinking about trying a little racing. I am thinking Goodyear and SSR. Not much C/L activity here in NE Wisconsin, so I am looking for a little advice - I already have plans for the Lil Quickie. Are Rossi and Nelson's still available? What about SSR plans?
Am open to any and all ideas.
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George, you're on the right track: select events where there is current interest.
SSR certainly fills that bill, but Goodyear (aka Scale Race) is essentially dead as it is defined in the AMA rules. If you really want to fly a Goodyear event, you would be better served by looking up one of the local so-called "Sport GY" events.
Another event that is also still widely flown is Quickie Rat (Rules on the NCLRA website). This is the longest running CL Racing event we have ever had since the equipment is simple, engines are low tech and readily available, rules designed explicitly to keep the overall performance level at a sane level. Where as almost every other racing event dies after a brief period of rapidly escalating performance, Quickie has endured as a popular event for over 30 years.
Good luck and welcome.
Bill
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OK, so I am thinking about trying a little racing. I am thinking Goodyear and SSR. Not much C/L activity here in NE Wisconsin, so I am looking for a little advice - I already have plans for the Lil Quickie. Are Rossi and Nelson's still available? What about SSR plans?
Am open to any and all ideas.
Dave Hull's "Shy Fox" SSR was published in Model Aviation. Excellent airplane.
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Or the Brodak "Super-Fly" kit. Pictures of both this plane and the Shy Fox have been posted on this forum. Use the engine of your choice...LA-25, FP-25, Brodak-25. Pros and cons of each have also been debated here. 8)
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First, you need to look around and see what events are likely to be available for you to fly. Once you settle on event(s), you need to get together a team, at least pilot and pitperson. Practice leads to trophies. You need an adequate engine, which the team knows how to make, as we say, "Sit up and whistle Dixie!". That comes with practice You need a stable sturdy airplane which flies well. Part of the practice is the pilot getting the airplane to the pitperson ASAP. Another part is the pitperson catching the airplane without breaking it, refueling it efficiently, restarting the engine with one flip and releasing the airplane safely.
When you get a chance to watch races, you will soon be able to tell which teams are experienced and which are not. You will usually see an experienced team win.
I hope you are successful, running clean races and getting a place or win is really good fun.
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Pilots and pitcrew need to be in fairly good physical condition. No, really. Start off at a comfortable pace and work up.
Rotational speeds are still about three second laps, give or take. dg :)
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Pilots and pitcrew need to be in fairly good physical condition. No, really. Start off at a comfortable pace and work up.
Rotational speeds are still about three second laps, give or take. dg :)
As an avid cyclist (I still race), I am not concerned about the physical part at all. Seems to me the biggest issue with CL racing is the lack of interest, especially in my neck of the woods.