Bob! You're a fair man and I respect you, your expertise and your critical evaluative thinking but allow me to put this forth as both a challenge and a true learning issue. I posted this on another thread but hopefully can you help arrange some sound "scientific"/semi scientific testing to evaluate the question I and a few others have posed. With your clout and the assistance of the AMA, the AMA can and will provide us with some guidelines, funding and their industry reputation to lead the research. What I wrote was:
"Truly, I hope you nor anyone else gets angry with me for this but .... why not?? Why not fiddle with line selection especially if the new materials for the lines have been shown to be safe and acceptable?? We fiddle with props, prop construction, airfoils, covering, wheels/tires, fuel, engines, plugs, and even the fit of the handles, right???
So why not the lines?? I mean other than the physical materials of construction, what's the difference in whether one uses 014 with single kink point failure/rejection solids versus 015 stranded or 018 stranded with multiple kinks to failure/rejection and what seems like a much greater pull strength versus 60# or 80# Spiderwire with no kinks to failure/rejection and even greater/snapping pull strength. Again, please don't bet angry but help me understand the logic and differences or at least point me to someone who can, please.
I mean, unless I misread some postings Spiderwire and similar products are acceptable in fast combat where "destruction is the accepted standard of the sport, isn't it? So why not racing where line contact is essentially nil except in Team Race events?? We're in a whole new century with a myriad of changes in products, manufacturing techniques and quality controls over what was the standard bearers in the "last century", many of which today, clearly outshine the capabilities and safety of "what was" thinking and technology.
All I'm seeking is a sound bit of information based on sound materials testing, use and actual trial versus "that's the way it was and that's the way it will be .... period"!! I will do all I can to assist and support you should you think this is a realistic and worthy project because I believe it has value across the entire spectrum of the hobby from control line to free flight to r/c.