I live in Scrub City, and our state last year had the following rule clarfications about Wright Stuff:
1) No rubber band power, free flight without any aid. It doesn't have to be a mono-plane!! Still going for max time aloft AND minimum displacement.
3) a. No commercial kits. b. Allowed materials: paper, any wieght; drinking straws, styrofoam plates/trays; duct tape. c. Weight requirement TBD. d. Any wing configurations OK, but dimensions still in force. e.&f. null and void.
4) c. 1. & 2. not applicable. f. n/a g. motor materials n/a l. Competitors may not provide additional lift or other air currents, either.
5) Base scoring will include displacement from starting point, measured in cm. a.-c. null and void.
This pretty clearly went against the spirit of the event (unless there was something in the 2015 rules that I didn't get), and Massachusetts ended up with a lot of 20-second flights from sketchy planes made out of paper straws and duct tape. As a result, such a sketchy plane is what I have to work with for this time around. Furthermore, this year's rule clarifications are similar, but without the most sketchy parts:
"1) It doesn't have to be a mono-plane!! Still going for max time aloft AND minimum displacement. Max time aloft is more important than displacement, but I want to encourage teams to think flying in circles, so we don't run out of room.
3) a. No commercial kits.
b. As stated in the rules, but preferred materials are: paper, any wieght; drinking straws, styrofoam plates/trays, cling wrap, plastic bottles, food containers, etc; balsa wood and other traditional plane materials (not Boron filaments!) allowed but not from kits; duct tape.
c. Weight requirement: as stated in the rules.
d. Any wing configurations OK, but dimensions still in force for each wing.
e. As stated; limited use of 3D printers for propellors or hubs OK
f. As stated.
4) c. As stated.
f. As stated
g. As stated
l. As stated. Competitors may not provide additional lift or other air currents, either.
5) As stated, but displacement from starting point, measured in cm. will break ties.
a.-c. As stated.
Is there any way that using a plane made out of straws could support a rubber motor and a prop?