Bored at home and ready for action? Here is a fun event for everyone, but that must be flown in your own home. THERE WILL BE PRIZES! Here are the basic rules, with expanded reasoning below:
1/2-Scale NoCal WWII Home Front Corona Combat
- any WWII Combat eligible aircraft
- FAC NoCal Rules, excepting
a. maximum 8″ wingspan
b. maximum 4.5″ propeller
c. must use a LOOP of 1/16″ rubber (only this size)
d. minimum wood size: 1/16″ square (laminations ok, all-sheet build ok at 1/32″)
e. minimum motor stick: 1/8″ square (no rolled) - Flying – inside your home only
- Scoring
a. unlimited attempts and submitted scores
b. flight time in seconds (no max)
c. weight multiplier: flight time x grams w/o rubber (penalizes ultralight models)
d. video multiplier: subtotal x 1.5 (shared video bonus) - Submission must include
a. Builder Name
b. Model Name
c. Weight in grams
d. Flight Time
Since we are all home-bound, photos of any stage of construction, finished models, weights, and videos of flights will be most welcome. Contest will run through the end of April.
I will do my best to share submissions and keep track of times. It is best to post on one of the Contest Posts on the Facebook Groups, or on my post on my web site.
PRIZES!!!!
- a NoCal Short Kit from my Production (winner’s choice)
- a 3D-printed Prop-Form or Winding Stooge from Archie Adamisin
Let the (isolated) fun times begin! Share this (virtually and online) with as many as you like! The more the merrier!
Background and Explanation:
Archie and I were talking and, in light of the Indoor group’s “Scraps” contest, Archie casually mentioned a 1/2 Scale NoCal event. Not having enough to do, my mind started planning – and the rules were born. Note that the rules are designed for FUN – no real benefit of building ultra-light or being super-competitive. Here are explanations:
- Follow FAC NoCal rules. Any dihedral or covering or coloring or marking or such questions are referred to the FAC NoCal rules.
- Must be half size: 8″ max span. This is to fit in your living room. Some of us will suffer with our smaller rooms and some will have huge multi-story rooms, but so be it – IN YOUR HOME ONLY.
- Max 4.5″ propeller – this is plenty big enough for a 8″ plane. You can make it smaller, if you like
- Use a LOOP of standard size 1/16″ rubber only. No single strands, no stripping rubber (this levels the playing field for those without strippers).
- all wood needs to be a minimum of 1/16″ square. You CAN laminate to get that dimension. Any sheet wood needs to be 1/16″ thick UNLESS your ENTIRE model is sheet – then you can use 1/32″ sheet.
- the Motor Stick must be no smaller than 1/8″ square – NO Rolled Tubes
- Flying must be done inside YOUR HOME – i.e. Home Front, participating in self-isolation due to the current health situation
- You may make unlimited flights. You may submit as often as you like, but each time must be a separate submission
- Flight time to be submitted in SECONDS with no maximum flight time
- Since some of us are heavy-handed builders and not indoor artistes, there will be a weight factor applied. Your flight time in seconds will multiplied by your weight in grams. A 4-gram plan flying for 10 seconds will beat a 1 gram plane flying for 30 seconds.
- Since everyone is alone and cannot see others flying, there will be a video submission bonus. The above sub-total will be multiplied by 1.5 if a video of the flight is submitted.
We are IN ! great idea. Thanks !
Very excited to try this George. Thanks for heading this up.
Archie Adamisin
Burlington, KY
What a great 8dea. Sadly, im one of the “heavy handed ” types you refer to, but ill look forward to seeing the videos/results! Great job.
Henry, build one with 1/32 sheet! That should be doable ham handed or not!
I’m in!
We need to do something to Combat this virus!
Any consideration for ROG?
I’d say “no” for two reasons: 1) rules already published and 2) not a NoCal consideration.
I’m in! Now, what to build….hmmm
great great, great!!! iam searching for plans some link???….please
Great idea Bob! Hang in there, don’t be down, be building!!! Thank you very much for the great products.
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Question: does the interior of my attached 2-car garage qualify as “in my home’? Our living room is pretty small and crammed with furniture, lamps, shelves, etc.
Thanks,
George Mansfield
Sure, just have some fun!
I think this is an appealing idea. However, I can’t afford the huge living room for a very fast 8 inch nocal that uses a tiny prop and the same size rubber that my full size nocal uses. Or my 16 inch dime scale, for that matter. Your custom stripped rubber, OTOH, is quite affordable. It will be interesting to see if someone manages to solve this problem. Maybe a 6 bladed prop, a biplane, and a high friction bearing? If this is to the FAC rules, gears are right out, but if not, they could solve the problem.
Hmm… maybe a twin with both props driven by the same motor, 1:1. That would be like having one 5.7 inch prop, I think. Lots of thrust line problems for 2 off-centerline props off 1 motor if you don’t use gears.
You have set quite the engineering challenge!
Hi George, I like your idea a lot and I would like to organise a similar contest for our local model aero club here in New Plymouth, New Zealand. We are a week into a 5 week lockdown.
Mostly Radio flyers with 25cc and 50cc engines in this club, so I will have a big job getting them to build something of only 8 inches.
I doubt there will be enough interest for the Postal Contest here. Can I use your rules as a basis for our local contest ? I will credit you and Volare Product for the idea.
Sure! Do it freely! Let us know of any results you have.
Thanks George. I have spent the afternoon writing a liberal set of rules and will release them on our unsuspecting modeling club members in the morning. Just as well I am not talking about a virus. Lol. I’ll let you know some progress.