The Roots of Team Racing
The very first contest. The first rules. Not only B Team Racing but C Team Racing and other Mysteries resolved.

Report From The West Coast

Model Airplane News

November 1948

By Granger Williams

As control line model speeds continue to increase more and more, once hopeful speed pilots drop from the running and enter other phases of model flying, or quit the game entirely, while the same old group of flyers continue to walk away with the prizes at practically every contest

For myself, I seem to have remained about six months behind the fast boys since my return in 1946 from a two year absence. We still keep trying to develop something that would eventually catch up with them, but so far-have not met with much success. We work and work, and just when we think we have something that will break a record, some other fellow doing the same thing comes out and sets a new record of five to ten miles faster and we have to start all over again to try and beat the new record.

We have no desire to enter the precision phase of control line flying and try to compete with the experts in that group. Also, as more and more precision flyers become proficient at acrobatics the judges of this event become more hard pressed to pick the winners. Spectator interest in these events begins to disappear because, having seen one precision flight they need not remain to see the rest, for they will be but a repetition of the first. Most of the precision models look the same both upright and inverted and bear little or no resemblance to an actual aircraft.

Spectator interest in speed is even less because the speed model is supposed to be designed for level Right and cannot, loop, fly inverted, nor do figure eights as do the precision models. Wings become smaller and thinner as do the tail groups. Engines are even increasing in power and durability. The speed model is rapidly becoming more like a bullet in appearance as well as in speed.

As spectator interest dwindles, so does the stock of future modelers become less, in control line flying as well as in free flight. To get that needed spectator interest and the return of sensibility to the modeling game, something in the way of a change will have to be made.

A step in the right direction was made in a recent Burbank contest in which "Team Speed" was to have been introduced to contest flying. We were extremely interested in this event and are sure there were at great many others equally as interested. However, due to a misunderstanding of the rules, which were drawn up by a group of modelers from the F.A.S.T. club, or perhaps only because many interested flyers like myself wanted to see what would happen in such an event before building a model to those rules, the event had but four entries.

We under those entries were only completed the evening before the contest and had not been tested. Due to the release models by automatic stooge and by a single starter, several unforeseen accidents resulted and the event was not too great a success. Perhaps a clarification of rules and another presentation of that type contest will result in a more successful turnout.

These rules included minimum wing area for given displacement; the models must resemble an actual aircraft or at be equipped with fixed or retractable landing gear, open or enclosed cabin or cockpit, spinner unless actual aircraft had none, and the engine or engines completely cowled with the exception of the spark or glow plug.

The rules presented for this particular contest included engines up to .30 displ. only and a minimum wing area of 125 sq. in. We believe the turnout would have been much better if one more class had been included, allowing engines up to .65 displ. and a minimum wing area of 250 sq. in. Perhaps a better method of detetmining wing area in relation to displacement would be to set a mininmum wing area of 4 sq. in. for every .01 cu. in. displ. This, would give engines smaller than .30 and between 30 to .65 cu. In. a fair chance. Ships of 125 sq. in. or less might fly on 60 ft lines, and those of 125 to 250 sq. in. on 70 ft. lines.

By flying these models up to four in a circle, with a certain number of laps to fly, perhaps ten to fifteen mile runs, and making one landing to refuel during the race, not only would the spectator interest be regained but the modeler himself would have to be a good pilot with a good airplane to win his race.

Due to peculiarities of takeoff in every model, race horse starts are impractical and would involve accidents that would discourage future entries. Therefore the most type type of takeoff would be one at a time. With a helper on each airplane release model only when takeoff space is clear. With a timer or judge watching each model in the race, actual timing would start on each model as it is released by the helper; race horse starts would be unnecessary. Winners of the heat races would then try for winning places in the main event.

These are only suggestions, and as everyone has his own ideas of the type of rules needed we only hope that this little discussion will help encourage others interested in developing something more interesting the way of contests.

Others agree with us that the precision point system should be changed to give the modeler who has the courage to enter a scale or semi-scale model in this event enough points for his scale attempt, so that he would have a chance to win the event with out doing all the maneuvers now required. A step toward this has already been taken at some contests, by giving so many points for appearance or adherence to scale; eventually this may eliminate the "flying door" type of precision model.

These are not merely our personal ideas and complaints-the majority of modelers we have talked to are in agreement with us. How about it, fellows, what are your ideas theories on these subjects?