I remember 18 years ago people saying you couldn't fly a F3B ship in AMA TD. Impossible! Won't thermal! Never make a landing! etc. etc. etc. Funny, today, nearly all of the planes being used in AMA TD would have cleaned up in F3B back then. While the F3B ship may not be the best possible choice for AMA TD, it will certainly be in the hunt if the pilot is skilled. What is the best plane? The one that you love so much that you take her out and fly every chance you get. The one that you have flown hundreds of hours and done thousands of landings in. The one that you have flown in every type of weather and that you still bring out and fly some more. AMA TD is much more a test of the pilot than the plane. The tasks don't really push aircraft performance much at all. Generally you need to find *some* lift, and then land on a particular spot at a precise time. F3J is somewhat more demanding on the plane as it has to launch fast and high to win. F3B is much more demanding on the plane as it is a racing event. Speed is all about going fast, fast, fast. Distance is going far, ... fast. Duration is there to keep the planes from becoming too bullet like. :-)) To win you must have a plane that will go very fast and very far. The pilot must have the skills to fly the plane to the limit but even flying to the limit will not save a poor plane in F3B. At the same time, the best plane will not save a so-so pilot. Is a F3B ship really at that much of a disadvantage in a TD contest? I don't think so. The (possibly) slightly higher sink rate is offset by a higher launch and ability to get to any thermal in visual range. So for duration it is likely a wash, unless there is no thermal activity at all and that is very rare. Landing is the key difference and the slightly higher approach speed of the F3B bird is offset by the smooth tracking and gust resistance, so it comes back to the pilot. The F3B bird will demand more from the pilot on landing mainly because there will be less time to think. Again, the pilot with a thousand landings on his plane is very likely to beat the pilot with 50 landing on his plane no matter which planes they are. Remember again, the big difference between F3B and TD versions of some planes today is only the amount of carbon fiber. Just like my Navy days, "Give me a fast ship, for I intend to go in harms way." Pick a plane you like and just fly the heck out of it! michael N6CHV AMA 77292 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > In a message dated 12/11/2000 9:07:59 AM Central Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > Bozo has to to let his lick in here...So whats the story with all this Cobra > > stuff? Its an F3B ship ...right?? There are only 35 guys in the whole of > the > > USA who fly F3B and I know who they are...sooo who in thier right mind is > > gonna fly a Cobra for TD? And if they are gonna fly one in TD...why???, Its > > an F3B ship. Designed and Optimized around Speed, Distance and > Duration...By > > definition and design a compromise between Speed and Distance... There is > no > > free lunch guys. As a spot lannder... the spot in FIA is huge compared to > > AMA...and this plane was designed for FAI. I am missing something...or am I > > after all just a Bozo? > > Your friend Bozo > > aka Starvin Marvin > > Despite the fine job the designers did at hitting the bullseye of FAI, I > think they accidentally splattered a little on AMA. Horace's for choruses you > might say. > > Bill Wingstedt > > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and >"unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
