Designs and Kits

[chalker7]

The rules state that you can't use rigid plastic on any part of your helicopter.

That's not true. The rules distinguish between "functional" components and the rest of the helicopter. The functional components cannot be made of rigid plastic. Now, we can have a debate over what counts as "functional" or not, and this isn't the place for official rulings, if you want 100% certainty, submit an official clarification through soinc.org. However, I do know the intent of the rule (to force teams to construct their own rotors) and I don't think that the Ikara bearing falls into that category (thus, it is likely legal). That being said, I doubt anyone would consider any part of an Ikara prop that is part of the moving rotor (the hub or the blades) to be legal.

[wlsguy]

The rules state that you can't use rigid plastic on any part of your helicopter.

That's not true. The rules distinguish between "functional" components and the rest of the helicopter. The functional components cannot be made of rigid plastic. Now, we can have a debate over what counts as "functional" or not, and this isn't the place for official rulings, if you want 100% certainty, submit an official clarification through soinc.org. However, I do know the intent of the rule (to force teams to construct their own rotors) and I don't think that the Ikara bearing falls into that category (thus, it is likely legal). That being said, I doubt anyone would consider any part of an Ikara prop that is part of the moving rotor (the hub or the blades) to be legal.

My explaination to the kids in an attempt to meet the rules has been:

If it is part of the helicopter that is supposed to rotate, it's functional. The exception is the motor stick, it must be balsa.
If it's not supposed to rotate, it's not functional (like the bearings, ballast, etc). The exception is the prop wires, they are obviously wire.

Maybe next year the soinc website can post a sketch of an example helicopter with the material requirements to make it easier to understand.
Just part of my wish list....

Thanks.

[jarrred_1415]

I don't think kits make a difference. The top teams will be using a custom design. The kits are for those teams who, without a starting point, may not have a helicopter. The event is more about testing and modification anyway. It is essentially a "design of experiments" where different parameters are tested to determine the best performance. The kit only provides the "control".

The argument favoring kits was actually made by someone opposed to them with the following statement.

... We used a kit to get an idea of how the event works and then started custom building which has given us far better results.

this event is far more complicated than most realize. the options for design are endless. so by starting for a kit you have a way knowing for sure that it will fly. or you can guess at what to build and have a helicopter built out of popsicle sticks and a standard like 2 inch rubber band. and have no clue what went wrong.

let the experinced F1D builders figure it out. and then modify the kit to make it better

[kjhsscioly]

I don't think kits make a difference. The top teams will be using a custom design. The kits are for those teams who, without a starting point, may not have a helicopter. The event is more about testing and modification anyway. It is essentially a "design of experiments" where different parameters are tested to determine the best performance. The kit only provides the "control".

The argument favoring kits was actually made by someone opposed to them with the following statement.

... We used a kit to get an idea of how the event works and then started custom building which has given us far better results.

this event is far more complicated than most realize. the options for design are endless. so by starting for a kit you have a way knowing for sure that it will fly. or you can guess at what to build and have a helicopter built out of popsicle sticks and a standard like 2 inch rubber band. and have no clue what went wrong.

let the experinced F1D builders figure it out. and then modify the kit to make it better

There is a reasonable amount of material out there on the internet, where you can get reasonable bearings as to how to start

[chia]

Then again, we started from a kit. I definitely ended up learning from it... I eventually built a helicopter that performed better + placed at state. I think I wouldn't have known where to start without one (well, maybe I could have tried, based on Wright Stuff knowledge, but even then in 8th grade we learned the basics from a kit).

[illusionist]

Actually kjhs, Helicopters was brought in to challenge students since there is actually very limited resources pertaining to indoor duration helicopters. You might get 3 or4 hits with a google search. However, wright stuff knowledge is very helpful with helicopters.

[chia]

Ugh. I totally meant to do some experimenting with helicopter designs this summer, but... procrastination got the best of me

[illusionist]

haha, same here