First International Slope Soaring Contest for
Disciplined Slope Aerobatics
Welcome aboard all slope soaring pilots from around the World. Many of you may be aware of my work on slope aerobatics over the past three decades. Well now you have a chance to participate and experience my passion. If you know of other people who fly this type of discipline I would really like to hear about it.
Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings. All other participants will receive a
certificate via e-mail or by post. Prizes are still being sought. However, I hope you participate
more for the challenge and not just the rewards.
I will leave you with my favourite quote. "You don't have to be the best pilot, you just have to be the best prepared pilot." Good luck everyone, Ian Cole, contest organiser.
~ RULES & GUIDELINES ~
Post online or mail a video, 5-1/2 minutes or less (6 max), containing the 15 manoeuvres listed. Once you have submitted your video, (one entry per pilot) you can change it if you are not satisfied with it up until two (2) weeks before the deadline expires.
Almost any kind of non-motorised slope plane can be used. However, for optimum viewing and performance it is recommended (not mandatory) that a conventional slope glider be used that has a wingspan of no less than 2 metres and no more than 3 metres. NOT ALLOWED - flying wings, canard-types, warbirds or sci-fi models.
Edit your footage so that only the start and finish of each manoeuvre is shown. i.e. the start and finish of a manoeuvre is determined by a distinct horizontal flightpath. The altitude of the glider's flightpath should remain constant when entering and exiting every manoeuvre.
You are required to perform all manoeuvres on the same slope and on the same day. If the organiser feels that you have not done this, you risk being disqualified.
Manoeuvres requiring roll procedures must roll in and roll out in the same direction with the exception of the 'Cuban Eight', 'Knife Edge' and 'Immelmans'.
Each manoeuvre must be performed the same (or better) as shown on the demonstration video and the camera setup/angles should be as close as possible to that shown in the video. Please try to include a reference point (e.g. horizon) in your video to enable easier comparative judging.
All submissions must be posted to this thread on RCgroups.com by April 1st, 2009. Late entries will be considered due to the time differences.
Winners will be chosen by experienced in-house judges. Each manoeuvre will be scored out of a possible 10. Each score will be attained by a combined decision arrived at by the judges. The final results will be posted on Ian Cole's Slope Soaring website and RCgroups.com
HOW YOU WILL BE JUDGED:
flightpath on entry not a distinct horizontal line
manoeuvre not performed as required
flightpath on exit not a distinct horizontal line
entry and exit flightpaths not at the same altitude
aircraft's flightpath changes heading by more than 15 degrees to that of original heading
presentation of the manoeuvre not pleasing or central to the judges viewing window
HOW YOU WILL BE SCORED:
not recognisable 0, very poor 1-2-3, pass 4-5, good 6-7, excellent 8-9, beyond belief 10.
For further information about the procedures you can view or freely download the book AEROBATICS PLUS here.
Some of the manoeuvres in the book do not have ribbon drawings, as they are recent inclusions to the program. However, between the book and the video I think there is sufficient information for you to work it out.
At least 6 entries must be submitted before the contest can be declared valid.
If you would prefer to send your video by mail for the organiser to post on the Internet, send it to:
International Slope Soaring Contest, C/- Ian Cole, Bass Post Office, Bass, 3991, Victoria, Australia.
The organiser has the right to change the rules and/or conditions if unforeseen circumstances arise.
Electric EPP
& PS Fliers Wanted For Competition
Become part of the future generation of slope soarers.
Competitive slope soaring is a great way to learn about slope
soaring.
Foamies: combat - limbo - pylon aerobatics - cross country &
more.
Conventional: open & novice programs.
Competition to suit all skill levels.
And now introducing electric power-assist foam gliders into slope
competition. No more waiting around for lift, fewer cancellations,
more quality flight-time, interstate competitions and the Nationals
now a real possibility.
Model Specifications:
The following specifications are based on the Canterbury
Sailplanes ‘Standard Eraser’ with electrics
added to the design. If you don’t have time to build your
own model for this competition, you can purchase an Erazer from
most reputable hobby shops, including Bass
Coasts Interactive Hobbies.
The model must be made out of foam of any type - preferably EPP
for longevity. Strengthening rods or other reinforcing is encouraged
but for safety purposes, no hard leading edges are allowed. ie,
rods or dowels etc. The first 100m of the fuselage must not have
any rods or dowel encroaching in this area and ballast must be
fixed securely, inside or outside, at least 50mm back from the
front of an ‘all foam’ nose. Tailplane assembly must be at the rear (no canards)
and can be any size or configuration. However, a conventional
rudder would be an advantage for some events. Weight of the aircraft will be specified before
the competition season commences. All aircraft will be required
to be weighted the same. Note that there will be no advantage
in having LiPo’s or brushless motors - at least for the
first season. This decision has been taken to keep costs to a
minimum and to encourage beginners to enter the competition. Motors can be speed 400’s / 480’s
of any type or brushless comparisons. Propellers can be fixed or fold-up. Battery packs can be any type.
All dimensions must fit within + or - 1mm of the specified dimensions,
unless otherwise stated.
Mind Twister
I designed this aerobatics competition so that pilots could learn
how to fly and judge slope soaring aerobatics. The object of the
event is for each contestant to think carefully on the selection
of manoeuvres they will either ask or be asked to perform by their
opposition. A contestant’s judgement of both their own and
their opposition’s limitations are crucial to the final
outcome. Judging is by comparison and therefore scoring is easier
than other methods. With its self-learning program and mind twisting
tactics, this event makes for an ideal competition for all levels
of flying skills.
Download Mind Twister Score Sheets, 2006. 0.2MB Adobe Acrobat
PDF. The free Acrobat reader is available from Adobe here.
