Future Aviation Events

[thsom]

If we use a balsa disc to accommodate for the "blunt tip the size of a dime" on a simple simon, should we also glue another precisely same massed disc on the back of the glider?

[jander14indoor]

Not necessarily. Not sure why you think it would be wise. Better to reduce weight somehow so that you end at the same overall weight and don't balance by ADDING weight. If you have to add weight, minimize, add it at the extreme and just enough to balance.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[twototwenty]

Speaking of the blunt tip, I see the safety aspect of it, but wouldn't having something like that significantly affect the glider's aerodynamacy?

[chalker7]

Speaking of the blunt tip, I see the safety aspect of it, but wouldn't having something like that significantly affect the glider's aerodynamacy?

Yep, it will and that's definitely problematic. In fact, I think it's one of the largest outstanding questions about the rules. This is why we asked for input and suggestions on it in the first couple of posts in this forum. That offer is still open if anyone has a suggestion for an easily measurable definition for a blunt tip that would be safe on the gliders.

[twototwenty]

How about "the tip cannot pierce, but only squish, modelling clay when pressed into it"...maybe...
"Squish" isnt very scientific/official, but the idea is clear, I think.

[chalker7]

How about "the tip cannot pierce, but only squish, modelling clay when pressed into it"...maybe...
"Squish" isnt very scientific/official, but the idea is clear, I think.

It has to be measurable. What is "squishing" to one event supervisor might not be "squishing" to another.

[twototwenty]

Hmmm...my line of thinking was really the piercing of something with a high viscosity...
What about being able to pop (or really,tear) a balloon filled with something like sand? Although I don't know how defineable that senario would be...

[chalker7]

Hmmm...my line of thinking was really the piercing of something with a high viscosity...
What about being able to pop (or really,tear) a balloon filled with something like sand? Although I don't know how defineable that senario would be...

That's the thing, it has to be explicitly defined and 100% repeatable (from a fairness perspective.) Even if we were to say "it cannot pop a balloon" we would get questions about defining the balloon and how the test will work. We'd have to say what brand, color, size, etc to be used (and we'd still almost certainly hear about a couple of crazy regional supervisors that use mylar balloons.)

[Orange714]

The ideas that have been suggested is the chapstick lid or the sharpie lid right? If that was used how would you measure/define it? Like stick the lid on and see if you can see the nose??

[jander14indoor]

I'm less worried about the aerodynamics since that will be the same for everyone, than ease of measuring and safety by blunting.

What do you competitors think about something like this.
"A flat 1/4 thick by 1/2 diameter balsa disk shall be firmly attached to the forward most point of the glider." Perhaps provide an illustration to make our point clear.

I thought about rounding the edges, but balsa is soft enough that even sharp edges will round in impact. Not rounded, but the force of a max weight glider will still be spread across a good sized disk preventing puncture wounds and risk of other injnuries.

Thoughts?

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI