> Did you know that on the second last fly-off round Arend's line was > less than 1 foot short?
I believe that that line was the shortest of all that were measured. Also, the Canadian lines were the ones most frequently measured... we figured we had to pick on them :) --Bryan -----Original Message----- From: Simon Van Leeuwen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 6:47 PM To: 5-Soaring Forum Subject: [RCSE] FAI F3J Worlds - Some Hindsight from a Local #2 How do you describe the reigning world champion trying to hold back an aircraft while the tow-folks have started their burnout, flying through the air when he failed, and still saving the aircraft? It's not easy; We were attempting to re-light Grahame's Tsunami after bad air (is there ever such a thing - outside of the bedcovers I mean?). Things were a bit rushed. It seemed to take forever for Grahame's aircraft to get down, and he landed a distance from either Arend or himself. As Arend ran to pick it up, I ran to pick up the back-up line. The procedure we worked out is that the aircraft handler (AH) would hook in, quickly move back into the launch corridor (LC), and the lolly pop (see note 1 below) would drop signaling the towers to run. The AH would release after a "little" more tension. Some more info first: We were staking the lines ~15 to 18 paces from the launch corridor. This meant the AH (the Canadian pilots launched for themselves 99% of the time) had to make his way back into the LC just before the working time began. The trick was to time it so you launched exactly on time, and not have your arm drop off from fatigue once you released (whew). At one second the lolly was dropped, further enhancing the "stretch" (my arm has sympathetic pain at the moment). Anyways, Arend and I ran towards each other, hooked on, and Arend backed the few feet back into the box, and...I dropped the lolly. Well, Arend was not quite ready, as in he was still struggling against the built-up tension I induced when hooking in an already-stretched line. Add to this the second line was usually one diameter larger than the primary. Oh oh.... The bulldozers started wailing on the pullies at the other end, while Arend started to hunker down with the aircraft now held in his chest. This was looking "really" from my POV. Try and imagine what would go through your mind as you realize that releasing would obliterate one of your teammates silver slippers...on number 2 of 2 launches. There was no WAAY Arend was going to win I thought, no way to get the aircraft into launch attitude...and no WAAAY he was going to hold on to it. Arend stands what, 6' 4"? His body was cranked back at 45 degrees when he started to lose his footing. Well not really his footing, but rather the tow boyz and 1.45mm line were no longer willing to wait for him to release. Makes one wonder just how much tension was in that line at that point in time. Good thing the lines had been soaking for weeks if not months! Come to think of it, we retired that line as a result. A funny thing happened. Arend flew. I mean his body flew like I used to when I pole vaulted in high school. That 6'4" frame WAS the pole! At the end of that pole was a nice looking model aircraft still in one piece. I won't bother explaining "it looked like hula dancers...", or "who has seen head bangers dance..." somehow that human pole wiggled and waggled dropping the line (the chute let out the biggest fart as it reached .5 MACH) , then with gangly legs flailing madly, Arend came down somewhere hovering over the now inverted Tsunami. It reminded me of the Samurai, sword-fighting in mid-air.Hmmm...Tsunami, Samurai, maybe it was repulsion. No damage to Arend, or aircraft. In disbelief I ran like a gazelle to recover the line which stopped somewhere near it's attachment point. I "gazelled", actually that should read "gasped like a spent gazelle" back to Arend and Grahame. Our towers are good I must say, by the time I got back they had the pulley back in the block and were bobbing up and down ready to bolt for a third time. Now technically, is it considered a second launch if the AH goes along for the ride? I never heard, as no one ever said a thing. Anyways, Arend and Grahame had speedily deciphered that indeedy the Tsunami was airworthy, the line was attached and the bird sent to altitude. Needless to say, we breathed on this procedure before the next rounds. Oh ya...Arend's flight was a record 24ft. Note #1: the lolly pop was a 25" diameter brightly colored bullseye we used to communicate with our towers. REALLY effective procedure... Note #2: Did you know that on one occasion the official measurement of Joe's lines, they were ~10 meters short? I forgot to ask Joe whether this was intentional, and if so the logic. Did you know that on the second last fly-off round Arend's line was less than 1 foot short? I think I know why that particular line which measured 2-3 meters (normally our lines were 2-4 meters short of 150 when we had to submit) short the night previous was waaay too close this time. The Canadians consistently launched equal to, and a significant amount of the time higher than everyone else. -- Simon Van Leeuwen RADIUS SYSTEMS Cogito Ergo Zooom (403) 244-5816 RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
