FxRES September 2022 F3L/F5-RES Monthly Duration Challenge

[martynk]

FxRES Monthly Postal Rules

This is a “for fun” challenge for UK based pilots. Anyone may enter with:

1. a bungee-launched F3L (F3-RES) specification glider using the reduced length Hi-Start. The reduced length Hi-Start bungee has a maximum of 10m of 6/4mm surgical tubing and 50m of static line (minimum 30lb breaking strain). Lighter/smaller/shorter bungee rubber may be used.

OR

2. an Electric motor launched F5-RES specification glider fitted with an Altitude Limiter set to 60m and a maximum motor run time of 20 seconds.

Object: Fly your F3L or F5-RES glider for as long as possible from a flat field. Each monthly challenge will commence on the 1st day of the Calendar month and  the person who's time is unbeaten at the end of the Calendar Month 'wins' and a new challenge will start. The annual challenge league will end on the 31st December of each year. A new annual challenge league will then commence on the 1st of January.

Rules:

Models must comply with the Model Specification rules for F3L (F3-RES) or F5-RES as appropriate.

You may self-time your own flights

Flight times begin when the tow-line falls from the tow-hook (for F3L/F3-RES) or in the case of a F5-RES glider when the motor stops.

The model must land in the launch field or (if there is no field boundary) within 150m of the launch position for times to count. There is no landing bonus.

If you are using a bungee launch (for this event or any other), then the launch line MUST be secured using a corkscrew dog tether or similar bungee stake to minimise the risk of injury caused by a loose stake.

Scores must be submitted on the relevant monthly postal event posting on the FxRES forum at www.barcs.co.uk/forums/   

Scoring flights must be submitted within 24 hours of the flight taking place.

A flight log graph from the Altitude limiter should also be submitted if entering with a F5-RES glider.

All scoring flights must start with a hand release from Ground Level with (if applicable), the motor running.

No flight information telemetry permitted except for Received signal strength and Receiver battery status.

Submitted scores will be amalgamated into an annual league. Points will be awarded as follows:  1st -15 points, 2nd - 12points, 3rd - 10points, 4th to 12th, 9 to 1 point respectively.

You may enter as many times as you wish using as many different models as you wish, but only your longest duration flight will count towards the league position.

Please enter your SEPTEMBER scores below in the following format...

ON THE FIRST LINE OF YOUR POST

Model Name : Class (F3 or F5) : Date of flight : Time Claimed

Any text or commentary or images please add afterwards.  Thanks  

[Stewart Walker]

Posting change noted Martyn 

[Graham Lorimer]

September 10th

Purito: E F5

Time: 23.41

A very dark day with lots of cloud and more wind than I would have liked, but needs must and I wanted a time to post. After the first launch and a flight of just over 6 minutes, I thought a 10 minute flight may be possible, and I would settle for that happily. The temperature was quite warm, and I managed to launch to near or slightly over 70 meters several times, better than I have done before, and I can only imagine it was the result of some quite soft air. I did see some rudder flutter when I got near the end of the power run dive, so that will need watching.

Having been given some very good advice on rudder set up and thermal movement from Steve H, I put that into practise and it all helped to get a better flight than I thought the conditions would provide.

The best flight was managed without going over 150 meters, so very pleased with that given my earlier thoughts.

 

Graham

[martynk]

A very good start Graham.  It will be interesting to see what the scores are like as Summer gives way to Autumn.

     

     

[Stewart Walker]

Fresh....F5....13/9/22....34m 04s Bramhall

Nice clear, calm day, 1st flight 10 mins, second & third 3min, last flight 34 mins, again the altitude got the better of me.

[martynk]

Superb flight. Well done Stewart

     

[AnthonyB]

Bombay Duck (light) - F5RES - 14 / 9 / 22 - Time 7:08.

Well it was the best I have done this month !

Sunshine all day and yet the grass was wet through - so not burning off then.

[martynk]

Its definitely getting cooler..  Keep those scores coming in..  

[cirrusRC]

Monday 19th September 2022 | F3L | Medina | 2 hours 8 minutes 35 seconds | Hand launch.

Good day to break my UK RES duration record.   Flying with the angels.

Overcast skies, 4 mph winds, light lift,  minimal sink and infill. 18 degrees C.   Hand launched my Medina F3L RES model and hooked up some light lift.   Slowly worked it to 300 meters as the sun started to peak out.  Hit some strong lift taking me close to 500 meters which needed spoilers.

Rest of the flight was a case of being patient with the weak lift and waiting for the sun to reappear.   Following the drought, there is an abundance of insects and house martins feeding on them,  each time I got low, I was able to look around the sky,  locate the birds and head towards them, hooking up the lift again.  

At the 2 hour mark,  the wind direction changed as a cold front moved in.

Video below of launch, showing conditions.

 

[martynk]

Wow.... and that is an understatement.

 

     

[SteveH]

 20th September 2022 PuritoE  F5RES  Flight claimed 39 mins 51 seconds.

Well done to Cirrus RC - what a great flight!

 

[Justin Mellor]

20th September, Fish Meadow,  Purito E Flight claimed 43 minutes 21 seconds.

Steve - timer on Tx wasn't set up right, so waited a long time (it seemed) to make sure I was over 39 minutes!

Can't claim there was a great deal of skill involved - plenty of lift.

Justin

[Justin Mellor]

Cirrus RC - just realised that you did this just from a hand launch! Really cool - who needs a motor when you can do that.

Justin

[cirrusRC]

A motor and bungee certainly easier, but very rewarding and satisfying to do it from a hand launch.  Just highlights wing loading and performance of these models.

[John Minchell]

More likely pilot skill David.

[AnthonyB]

Bombay Duck (light) 21st Sept. Time 24:41.

Dull, grey, no sun, SE light breeze.

 

3 flights on first battery – Nothing.

Second flight on second battery and I actually found something.

Third flight and it looked like that was it, then found a trace of something.

6 minutes of trying to find the optimum part of the lift and it had made it to 120m. Then it was all down hill.

All the while you are thinking “It is more over this way” and then “No – more over that way.”

I am forgetting what it is like to do a few circles and it's up and away !

This was the flight before - almost 5mins to gain 25m !

[martynk]

Apologies for the delay. 

Updated table:

 

     

[martynk]

Well, David CirrusRC clearly won that one. Well done David, an incredible flight.

 

New challenge and table up very shortly