Jake has posted a report on the April round of Pylon Racing with some great pictures too on the JPH website.

Great reports Jake! Keep em coming!

http://www.jphracing.com/April_15th__2012__WCF_Pylon_Report.cfm

Race 2 results have been posted. There are no throw-outs now because the series is only 4 races. Make em count!

-Jon 

The 6th Annual CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium, coming up April 27 and 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif., will feature speakers from NASA, Boeing, Aerovironment, leaders in battery technology, and more, the organizers announced recently. Tine Tomazic of Pipistrel will be there to talk about the Taurus G4, which won last year's $1.35 million Green Flight Challenge. Mark Moore of NASA will discuss advanced concepts in electric propulsion, and Tom Gunnarson of FAA's Small Airplane Directorate will explain the agency's plans for certifying electric aircraft. The weekend is billed as a "graduate-level program"  in new flight technologies, featuring experts in lithium battery research, design software, UAVs, quiet propellers, and high-lift aerodynamics.
More info here -
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ElectricAircraftAdvocatesToMeet_206498-1.html

Race 1 results have been posted. The next race is April 15th. Be there!

The results of Race 1 have been calculated and will be posted shortly. Be sure to check out the Race 1 Report and photos from Jake at Jake's Performance Hobbies.

http://www.jphracing.com/2012_March_Pylon_Report.cfm

Great presentation on the latest advances in quad rotor technology and development

http://www.ted.com/talks/vijay_kumar_robots_that_fly_and_cooperate.html

T-28 / Corsair:
Jake McDonald
Dave Mercer
Brian Young


Reno 450:
Jon Stychno- P-39 "Mr. Mennen", F4U Corsair "Big Hummer"
Tony McDonald
Brian Young- P-51, La-7


DogFighter:
Adam Clement
Jon Stychno
Brian Young

EF1:
Red Jensen
Steve Cole
Jon Stychno - Shoestring


What about you Jake?

Jake's Performance Hobbies is hosting another indoor flying event March 2nd, 7-10 pm.

More info here http://www.jphracing.com/JPH_Special_Events.cfm

We'll be determining the class line-up at the next board meeting.

The 2011 final points standings have been posted.

Congratulations to Adam Clement for winning the championship in Reno 450 and 12th Scale, and to Tony McDonald for taking the title in T-28!

Nice.. The motor and speed control should be ok, but I'd take a close look at the servos and hardware. I think they are putting spars into these arfs now.

    It has been very interesting watching these companies evolve over the past few years. China based hobby companies began by offering poor performing, clunky model airplanes at a very low price, but have steadily improved on each generation of warbirds and jets, resulting in great looking models with amazing scale features.  I have flown the Airfield 57 inch P-51, and Bf-109 from Nitroplanes. They are very scale, come with all electronics installed, and are under $300. While they look great, they perform “marginally” in the air. The all foam wing without a main spar results in a “flexi” feel in the air. The power systems are more than adequate, but the scale multibladed propellers reduce the speed considerably, and make for wild takeoffs from the added torque, especially the 4 bladed prop on the Mustang. On the plus side, the stock spinner is set up to accept a 2 bladed prop as well. With that being said, the larger jets perform much better, with their shorter, stiffer wings and efficient EDF units. Jerry Leister’s F-22 is a nice flying jet.
 
   The latest F4U Corsair from Banana Hobby has raised the bar again. The larger size results in a stiffer airframe, and they keep refining the foam composition to get increased rigidity and a smooth finish after paint is applied by the factory. The electronic folding wing is amazing, and the retracts are aluminum electronic units, with sequenced gear doors! It also has a sliding canopy, navigation lights and scale bombs and rockets! It looks like the performance in the air will be better as well. Jerry Leister has purchased one for his “Jair Force” and we’ll have it up at the field soon. Banana Hobby also has a 79 inch P-40 coming out soon, and it is incredible!

YouTube link to Corsair Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHkKfJlfJgI&feature=channel_video_title

   Due to the low cost of these kits, instructions are very poor, and some of the hardware may need replacing, but any experienced modeler can overcome these minor obstacles. These companies are certainly becoming a player in the industry and are worth taking a look at.

I definitely agree with Jake! Racing classes that have strict requirements in regards to airframe, motor, and prop will have the most participation and closest racing. Pilot skill determines the winner. Racing a plane that I haven't spent tons of time on allows me to fly a bit harder,  and reduced build times keep racers coming back after a crash. This can be seen in the T-28/Corsair class currently. Tech inspections would also keep the racing close and honest, and clear up any confusion on what is allowed before the racing starts. I'd like to see a Dogfighter class with only one motor and prop option, the fastest of course! That would make for an affordable, low time investment, exciting, and fast racing class!

-Jon

Gabriel Black puts in a nice flight with his Addiction X!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvpEFtkPJSY&feature=channel_video_title 

Jerry Leister's F-22 Raptor with smoke pods at the 2011 Larry Frank Memorial Scale Fly-In.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhtKJrN5UYM&feature=channel_video_title