Just home from the 2003 NATs and, while riffling through the many email
messages awaiting me, I noticed comments about sailplanes at each end of the
price spectrum, the AVA and the new ARF BOT.
I got my first look at an AVA (you gotta like a plane named after one of
your childhood movie star crushes) when Jim Bacus put his up on an F3J tow
in very light air. It proved to be a good choice for the occasion and I was
most impressed with the workmanship.
Yesterday was the RES/NOS event at the NATs and the conditions were not
ideal for bent-wing sailplanes. A stiff breeze which got stiffer as the
rounds progressed presented a challenge to anyone who flew. There were
several planes damaged on tow - victims of the combination of a stout winch
and stiff breeze. Among the victims were two AVA's - one from a blown stab;
the other from a blown wing panel.
At lest two of the new BOT ARFs were also victims of blown wing panels.
I had a chance to examine the remains of one of these and, while the outside
of these ships look great, the construction methodology employed leaves
something to be desired at the competition level.
As the event wore on, Aspires were placed into service as backups in the
RES class. Sorry to report at least one of these blew up on launch as well.
Hmm... it looks like RES and Nostalgia are events are such that the
winning models must be built and built right to win. One observation - it
was cool to see the planes in these events as they did not look like they
were all made with a cookie cutter and a check book.
Results of this event are probably posted on the AMA web site by now.
Joe did not win these events.
And, by the way, the second place in RES was taken with a beautifully
crafted Nostalgia sailplane.
Home from what my wife calls "Jim's Summer Camp",
Jim Deck
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