2011 Season
This season we will be running the UK league event which will consist of 8 events.
The table above has been modified to show the scores as they would be after 4/5/6 events. We do still have one event to go so the aim is the final results will be best 6 rounds from 8. However if the last event is cancelled then it would be 5 from 7.
Detailed results from the individual events can be found below
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8
The table above has been modified to show the scores as they would be after 4/5/6 events. We do still have one event to go so the aim is the final results will be best 6 rounds from 8. However if the last event is cancelled then it would be 5 from 7.
Detailed results from the individual events can be found below
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8
Round 6 - RAF Cottesmore - Silent Flight Nationals - 29 August 2011This was held on Bank Holiday Monday (29th August) at RAF Cottesmore, sandwiched between 100S and F3K hand launched gliders. This required the course to be setup cross wind, very good for legs, but with the sun coming round onto the course in the afternoon for the last round. Unusually for a UK bank holiday it did not rain, only a few spots, but there was a very strong, very cold wind!
All the UK complement of F5B fyers were present, plus an old friend Barry Flude who flew our introductory category of 2S, very well despite a long absence from F5B. Because the wind was cross course it did not affect the scores too much and four contestants, Steve, Mark, Joe and Alan, made 45 legs. The contest was close, in the second round four contestants made 44 legs with only a few duration points between them. George was in front of this group until the wind forced a 20 point landing putting him at the end.
Mark won the first round and looked well placed but again the strong wind caused a landing out and dropped him to third. Steve got the sun in his eyes and had to abandon his fourth round, but had done so well in the first three that he came out on top. Joe caused a stir by flying all sixes, an interesting technique which he says economises watt.minutes, and came second.
Round 5 - Barkston Heath - 23 & 24 July 2011Report missing
Round 4 - Middle Wallop - 2 & 3 July 2011 - EurotourReport missing
Barkston Heath - 12 June 2011Rained Off
Round 3 - Barkston Heath - 21 & 22 May 2011Saturday Warm up- Prior to the Sunday event we held a Saturday practice event. Alan, Steve, George, Nigel, Tony and Roy all in attendance for the warm up. The course for warm up was left hand with an S shape entry to A. Although windy, demonstrated by Roy pulling off a perfect harrier landing from altitude, the weather remained dry with some sunny spells. During practice the maximum legs were 48 set by Alan and Steve followed by Roy 46 and George was close to 44. Nigel tested his custom traction control system which looks pretty slick.
Sunday Comp - Rain wind sun, we had it all! The wind was averaging 8m/s by 9am and a right hand circuit was elected. 2 Rounds were flown.
Round 1 claimed two victims Mark and Tony. Tony had a spectacular wing failure at Base A with motor on. The wing snapped (at a prior repair) and also caught fire 150m up wind on the tarmac runway, whilst the loose part of the wing ended up 300+m down wind.
Marks RW4 unfortunately split along the fuselage boom yet again during a tricky landing. Although Mark had a shiny new B09.5 ready in the car he elected not to maiden in the high wind so Round 2 he was out.
At the end of Round 1 it was time to retreat to the cars as a brief shower passed. George and Roy were level pegging around 3nd place with George winning the legs after Roy getting the landing. Alan, as always this year leading the charge and Steve in the hunt for 2nd.
With the head wind on the return leg, getting course entry with out motor on was proving tricky, steady 4s were the order of the day with the model taking around 2 secs to get to B and 6- 8+ seconds to return to A! Duration as always was was important but with no thermals it became a contest to manage energy in the legs to have enough motor for duration.
On with round 2, The wind was really starting to pick up and getting close to averaging the limit. The sun was out however with cloud shadows rapidly passing by. It was a two man job just to get the planes ready!
Up first was Nigel, with an impressive 38 legs in the conditions, 10,02 duration and 20 point landing. Nigel was observed blipping the throttle several times whilst hovering down to land just outside the 30, quite impressive to watch.
Next up, George, a smooth 36 legs, decent duration and landing, This comp is looking wide open!
Roy, again 36, duration OK, misses the landing... still the score board is looking pretty close.
The pressure was on as the wind was threatening to close the contest. Next up Steve, Tony, Dick and Alan. Dick usually the master of the 30 point landing and usually does well in Duration has been struggling with both at the previous two comps this year. This time he needed to combine the landing from round one with the duration from round 2...Steve would have to score above Nigel and wait for Alan's result if he was to win. However this round wasn't to be for Steve, limited on the duration falling 1m52s short, This comp is wide open now! Time for Alan, if Alan scores badly its between Roy and George for the win... Alan scrapes the duration, gets some landing points and 34 legs....
and the winner is.... Alan! followed by George then Roy.