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Post by Supervee on Jul 3, 2018 6:33:12 GMT -6
All good comments from Smutny and Dave. Affordable Air Racing was created to be broad based, by Jeff Lange, many years ago. Supervee Air Sports is just a Tenant of this overall site., the name and Idea of reviving VW competition was by myself initially. I am pro Supervee, and Formula Vee. I may be too nostalgic with little skills in enticing the youth out there. However, when the Formula Vee rules were first formulated in 1964, the proposed class sounded very exciting to those who initially got involved and created the class. I was involved with Formula one (Now IF-1) and Formula Vee many years ago, when there was much competition happening. Today, I still see merit in re-introducing the VW powered competition idea, as I think , even if it is small, it is still relevant, and affordable. You can still build a Supervee racer, flyable, for about the cost of a Race built Continental 0-200 that powers an IF-1. I see the need for low cost racing classes, weather it be VW based, or otherwise, but my focus is on Supervee, and what I can do to help interested builders and pilots and tech people get in and make it happen. Many of the current IF-1 participants call their class 'affordable', but Supervee is much more affordable.......
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Post by dmar836 on Jul 3, 2018 7:50:50 GMT -6
Smutny, I don’t think I ever said there wasn’t innovation just that the skills gap (and the tech distraction of the kids) has decreased interest in building things. I’m all for electric power and even researched motorcycle e-power years ago with a buddy - hoping to experiment. E-power, specifically batteries, were not what they are today and we are still a ways from perfection. Affordable is indeed the board title. F-1 was once the affordable class. FV with VW was a new affordable class. There are many options to continue the progression IMO but affordable VW engines, even new aftermarket engines and parts are still affordable and available. So that’s why it is still viable IMO. E-powered racers, at any human carrying level of racing, would be more expensive and require more skill than traditional building and more than I could justify at this time. Drones and all of that are cool but are a parallel technology. Your points are not untrue but there are many hills to die on. This is the toy department of life so why not open a new thread about alternative power and appropriate airframe builds for such. I would follow it intently. I don’t think any of us have gone to other forums to aspouse the virtues of FV/SV over emerging tech and innovation. Plenty of room for antique, vintage, contemporary, whatever in the world of flying and I want them all to stay around. Maybe I’ll explore these other things one day but I still fly a straight tail 172 as a daily flyer so affordable is about all I can commit to now. Dave
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Post by smutny on Jul 3, 2018 10:46:50 GMT -6
...just that the skills gap (and the tech distraction of the kids) has decreased interest in building things. Oh, I wholeheartedly disagree. I've been watching the robot challenges kids are doing through schools and 4H starting as early as the 4th grade. My great-nephew competed for years and is now in college with the goal of getting into NASA to build autonomous space exploring craft. Watching these kids build to meet the challenges is fascinating. E-powered racers, at any human carrying level of racing, would be more expensive and require more skill than traditional building and more than I could justify at this time. Once you learn the techniques of the new materials, it gets easier and cheaper. The overall costs right now are above most small homebuilts, but it's just getting started. I expect the sector to accelerate rapidly and drive costs down. I don’t think any of us have gone to other forums to aspouse the virtues of FV/SV over emerging tech and innovation. Point taken, this is a VW powered area only, despite the sub heading of General Air Racing. I'll let the nostalgia flow and move on.
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Post by treetopfler on Dec 15, 2018 14:02:05 GMT -6
Hello all, I would like to know if there are any pilots/builders/racers in my area? I think that would help me stay motivated with my build. I would love to race someday.
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Post by Supervee on Dec 15, 2018 17:59:11 GMT -6
Treetop flyer....Where are you located..?...I can look at my list once I know your locale.....ED
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Post by dmar836 on Dec 16, 2018 16:42:17 GMT -6
I’m in the Kansas City area but there appear to be few racer types near me. A guy or two at my airport have hypothesized buying a Cassutt and racing it but I’m not sure where they want to go with it. I end up doing a lot of the fabricating and building among us and I’m plum full and need motivation myself just to keep building my own project. I’m always creating but not always able to keep focus. Dave Olathe, Ks
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