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Coach Dave and I were ES at the ATX invite this weekend. I want to pass on "lessons learned" to help you avoid common issues.

• Read and understand the logbook rules. Out of 41 teams (WS and EWS), only about 5 had "complete" logbooks.
• The most common incomplete was non-metric units in the flying portion, usually "feet" for altitude or circle diameter. You can have a traditional measurement column, but couple it with a converted column (counts as one parameter only). Be sure to label your parts in metric as well, including balsa thickness.
• The second failure in logs was lack of a cover page. This is specified as a separate page (cover page) with specific requirements (Team name, team number for this tourney, etc.)
• Label your airplane! This is tier-able! Just your school name (and team A, B, etc.) with a marker is needed
• Color 1 panel of the wing, or the tip plate, for a bonus
• Read and understand the rule on chargers. See the FAQ. Currently, a switch is NOT PERMITTED on your charger. You will probably have to get a cheap battery holder to replace the commercial charger. Connect your wire with another connector, and that second connector can function in place of the switch. If unclear on this, submit an FAQ or rules proposal. This is also tier-able!
• Test your capacitor charge before launch! Several official flights were launched with no charge due to poor connection. Blip it on a half second to be sure it is spinning hard! You cannot afford a 2-second flight due to no charge!
• Kits contain instructions, or links to videos, for flight trimming. Do this! Many planes were well-built but never flown, or substantially out of trim. Get your CG in the right location and then trim with shims to get a gradual climb, not a stall or dive.
• The rules are explicit on not receiving outside help once in the contest area, whether competing or testing. Coaches cannot come in, teammates cannot come in. You cannot leave for tools, materials, or anything else. This is a little ambiguous if you came in just to practice, as you may need to leave to go to other events. However, don't have your coach fix your plane just outside the contest area in view of the contest officials! Bring what you need to fix and maintain your plane. If you bring a retrieval pole, have it extended before you fly!
• Bring two planes! It is easy to get caught on the lights, ceiling, etc., and it takes time to get the plane back. You can usually get help AFTER your flight window to retrieve, but you are on your own during competition.

Coach Chuck

Our current chargers do have a switch also. Can you recommend a website or video that explains what you stated about using a cheap battery holder instead so we have an idea how to make this? Thank you.

Ccase,

Here’s what I’m using. The D-Cell battery holder that holds two batteries. I bent each lead wire back on itself so that they formed rudimentary hooks and “hook” over the two capacitor wire leads to charge. The black wire attaches to the negative lead wire of the capacitor (usually the short wire coming out of the capacitor).

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywo ... 3sQAvD_BwE

Brian T

There has not been any change to the rules, nor the FAQ's, in terms of a switch on the charger. Having a switch, according to both the rule and the FAQ, will tier you.

Unfortunately, commercially-supplied chargers include a switch on the charger. In most cases, there is a combination switch/charge socket on the plane as well. Typically you plug in the charger, then turn on the charger switch to charge. Then you turn it off to stop charging, based on time of voltage. Then, when ready to launch, you unplug the charger form the plane, which turns on the motor.

If you eliminate the charger switch, you would stop charging by unplugging the charger form the plane, but then the motor starts immediately.. (the switch on the plane is OK)

So, to clarify my suggestion above:

• Purchase a battery holder without a switch
• Purchase a male/female connector set to put inline on the charger lead (I have not selected a good one yet. Should be simple to plug/unplug)
• Cut the lead from your commercial charger
• Install the purchased connector on this cut lead, at the charger end, and the mating connector on the leads of your purchased battery holder
• Connect the lead to the plane, which turns off the motor
• When ready to charge, connect the battery pack lead connector to the charging lead connector, applying battery voltage to the plane's capacitor
• When completed charging, unplug the battery pack lead form the charging lead, stopping the charge. Leave the charger lead plugged into the plane socket/switch
• When ready to launch, pull the charger lead from the plane socket, starting the motor

This method essentially replaces the switch in the commercial charger with a connector pair in the lead from the battery to the plane. Not ideal, but connectors are allowed, switches are not.

This is my interpretation, and is not official. However, I believe the FAQ's are quite clear in the fact that switches, even disabled, are not permitted on the charger. If you want any official clarity beyond what is in the current FAQ's, submit another FAQ. Nothing said in the forums is official.

Coach Chuck

coachchuckaahs wrote: ↑November 1st, 2021, 8:40 am Coach Dave and I were ES at the ATX invite this weekend. I want to pass on "lessons learned" to help you avoid common issues.

• Read and understand the logbook rules. Out of 41 teams (WS and EWS), only about 5 had "complete" logbooks.
• The most common incomplete was non-metric units in the flying portion, usually "feet" for altitude or circle diameter. You can have a traditional measurement column, but couple it with a converted column (counts as one parameter only). Be sure to label your parts in metric as well, including balsa thickness.
• The second failure in logs was lack of a cover page. This is specified as a separate page (cover page) with specific requirements (Team name, team number for this tourney, etc.)
• Label your airplane! This is tier-able! Just your school name (and team A, B, etc.) with a marker is needed
• Color 1 panel of the wing, or the tip plate, for a bonus
• Read and understand the rule on chargers. See the FAQ. Currently, a switch is NOT PERMITTED on your charger. You will probably have to get a cheap battery holder to replace the commercial charger. Connect your wire with another connector, and that second connector can function in place of the switch. If unclear on this, submit an FAQ or rules proposal. This is also tier-able!
• Test your capacitor charge before launch! Several official flights were launched with no charge due to poor connection. Blip it on a half second to be sure it is spinning hard! You cannot afford a 2-second flight due to no charge!
• Kits contain instructions, or links to videos, for flight trimming. Do this! Many planes were well-built but never flown, or substantially out of trim. Get your CG in the right location and then trim with shims to get a gradual climb, not a stall or dive.
• The rules are explicit on not receiving outside help once in the contest area, whether competing or testing. Coaches cannot come in, teammates cannot come in. You cannot leave for tools, materials, or anything else. This is a little ambiguous if you came in just to practice, as you may need to leave to go to other events. However, don't have your coach fix your plane just outside the contest area in view of the contest officials! Bring what you need to fix and maintain your plane. If you bring a retrieval pole, have it extended before you fly!
• Bring two planes! It is easy to get caught on the lights, ceiling, etc., and it takes time to get the plane back. You can usually get help AFTER your flight window to retrieve, but you are on your own during competition.

Coach Chuck

Supervised a small-ish (~30 teams) tourney for EWS in NW Ohio today. Mostly Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan teams. Agree with everything Coach Chuck says. Top times were only in the mid-30s. Mostly JH Aerospace or Guru kits that the kids clearly hadn't had much time to practice with. Lots of incomplete logs, switches on battery holders, label-less planes, etc. It's still early; hopefully the kids get moving as we get deeper into the season.

Remember, the switch and label are construction violations. Tier, not penalty!

Couch Chuck