3D Robotics Comment by Chris Anderson on November 19, 2011 at 3:53pm

What does "F1AX" mean?

Comment by Veikko Vierola on November 19, 2011 at 4:28pm

F1AX is a free flying competition class in Finland. I think the class is invented by Olavi Lumes the founder of SUOMEN LENNOKKI KY (1955) which is a shop that sells model flying related products. 

 

Short rules of F1AX:

F1AX-competition class

 

Open to everyone.

 

Definition: F1AX-class glider has to be build using 1 - 3 "basic wings".

Basic wing is a 600mm x 112mm size styrofoam wing designed by O.Lumes.

 

• Wing span: max 180 cm
• Elevator span: max 60 cm
• No weight or surface area limitations
• No radio controlling is allowed

 

The aircraft is towed from hook to air by hand using 50m cord. 

You have tree tows and the total flight time of flights together gives you the competition result.

The longer the aircraft stays in air the better the result.

 

Basically it is a very open class and gives the competitor quite open hands to design one's plane. Main thing is that you have to use 1-3 "basic wings". My design F1AX is made out of 2 basic wings, 1 x 60cm in the middle and 2 x 30cm pieces in the end of the wing.

 

Here is the Suomen Lennokki website (unfortunately only in finnish language)

 

http://www.suomenlennokki.fi/

Comment by Dale on November 20, 2011 at 7:44am

no radio controlling,  but are mechanical or electrical controls allowed?

Comment by Veikko Vierola on November 20, 2011 at 11:02am

Yes mechanical controls like springs, clocks, timers, etc are ok. The main idea is to build and trim the aircraft according to weather. For example the rudder can be adjusted so that the during tow it is at zero angle, but after the hook release the rudder spring will turn the rudder to desired position so that the aircraft will hopefully stay in detected thermal as long as possible. So you have to know about building, trimming and weather to be succesful in the competition. But the best thing about this competition is that it is not that seriuous but lot of fun :)

Comment by Andrew Radford on November 20, 2011 at 11:12am

Reminds me of a free flight balsa plane my father and me built - the motor was on a timer for a couple of minutes - the timer was made from a piece of ice that was slowly melted through by a wire, like a cheese cutter. We had a thermos flask full of ice 'cores' for the field!

Not really practical.. but a fun design and construction exercise!

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