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ACRO E-mail Archive Thread: [IAC] 1988 knowns & ?'s

Thread: [IAC] 1988 knowns & ?'s

Message: Re: [IAC] 1988 knowns & ?'s

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From: Don Peterson <autotech at flash.net>

Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 04:42:55 UTC

Message:

  
Paul Michael Scanlon wrote:

> And last but not least... It seems that I seldon see listed in any
> competition results many 'homebuilt' types, excluding an experimental
> Pitts.  Don't even seem to see many Rihns, One Designs, Edges,
> Arcosports, Acrodusters, Baby Lakes etc... I often find myself
> stuttering Pitts, Pitts, Pitts while reading competition results.  How
> do competitors and Judges Feel about these planes?  Is it really that
> difficult to get them signed off at a competition?
>

Hmmm.  My observation is that most aircraft at a contest are experimental
by a long shot.  Most listed as Pitts are actually homebuilt, or so heavily
modified that calling them a Pitts is a bit of a stretch.

Also, getting an airplane "signed off" at a competition is simply a matter
of showing up with an airplane which is legal, and which does not have
obvious defects.  "Obvious" is a term I won't debate here, but suffice to
say that most people would agree on the truly disqualifying defects.  Those
that split the concensus tend to get approved for competition.  One sees a
fair amount of ratty fabric, loose hinges, bald tires, leaky engines (oil,
not fuel) and safety ties and wire spread liberally through the airframe.
Not that the airplanes are not safe.  Not at all.  Just that a year of hard
acro tends to result in a winter of repairs rather than mid-summer
touch-ups.

I have long campaigned for a re-think of the intermediate category, as it
is the most likely place for Stardusters, Acrodusters, Skybolts, Rans,
Great Lakes, T-Carts, and the like to go play.  As it is, we see one or two
of these aircraft at every contest, but the Pitts continues to infest the
ranks.  Please join us, and bring something else!

Don Peterson
Midlothian, Tx.