Speedfest VI India Class Rules

April 22-24, 2016

Hosted By:

INDIA Class

Speedfest is an exciting, high-speed aircraft design competition which is intended to foster enthusiasm for aviation, and unmanned aircraft design. There are two flight classes: Alpha Class is the Advanced class which is for collegiate-level teams. India Class is the Invitational class. It is open to high-school level teams and teams with similar skill level, on an invitational basis. The top 3 teams in each class will be recognized with awards. The winners of each class will be awarded the Speedfest Cup.

Suggestions for India Class Teams and Teachers

Contents:
Mission Requirements and Design Constraints
Flight Procedures and Scoring
Safety Requirements
General Aircraft Requirements
Contest Day Information
Eligibility
Entry Form Format
Deadlines
Contest Site

Mission Requirements

Complete as many laps as possible in 2 minutes on a 600 ft. course

Design Constraints

Teams will be provided with a Tower Hobbies Uproar 40 kit: LINK, a O.S. 46LA ABN w/Muffler engine, and a voltage monitor. Teams may obtain the remaining items needed to build and fly the aircraft which are listed in the kit manual. (Assuming a team is starting with no equipment whatsoever, this should cost no more than approximately $300) Teams may compete with multiple airplanes, however only a single kit will be provided to each team. Teams may NOT use a pre-built or ARF airframe or major component such as fuselage or wing. Wings, tails, and fuselage must be built-up wood construction. (The same method used for the kit)

A Single ENGINE: O.S. 46LA ABN w/Muffler only. LINK Stock engine and stock exhaust. No modifications allowed to engine or muffler.

Any airframe redesign, modifications, and substitutions are allowed, subject to restrictions as follows: (Note that building the airplane in the stock configuration will satisfy all of the following restrictions)

Wing

Wing span measured at the widest points of the wing planform may be no more than 52 inches
Wing thickness measured at the max thickness location everywhere along the span except the last 2 inches near the wing tips, must be no less than 1-3/16 inches.
Wing chord must be constant along the span except for the last 2 inches near the wing tips.
Wing planform (Top View) wing area may be no less than 500 sq. in. Wing area will be calculated by multiplying wing span by average wing chord.

Empennage

Wing leading edge to horizontal tail leading edge distance at the root must be STOCK (Approx 23 inches.)

Horizontal and vertical tail size and geometry must be STOCK including controls.

General

All changes to the Uproar design, such as adding or subtracting material, changing dimensions, and/or use of materials or components not provided in the kit are allowed (subject to the design constraints.) However the structural integrity of the aircraft must not be compromised, and the airplane must pass the safety inspection.
Longitudinal Center of Gravity (CG) must be at the 1/4 chord point of the wing root +/- 0.25 in. (3 inches from the leading edge on the stock configuration)

Fuel: The fuel will be contest-supplied, Cool Power 15% or equivalent.

Commercially available propeller for internal combustion engines. Tips must be painted white for visibility, and balanced. (See General Aircraft Requirements)

Teams must use a 5-cell NiMH or NiCD receiver pack with an external switch and the voltage monitor mounted on the top of the fuselage so it is always visible while the plane is on the ground. The monitor must be set to the 6V position.

ROG (Rise off ground) only. No launch assist of any type. Nothing may be intentionally dropped from the plane. Teams may use a flight crew member to hold the airplane at the tail prior to release if they desire. The runway is a smooth geotextile material, and is 60 ft wide by 600 ft long.

Design objectives have been created to be as straightforward as possible to minimize the chances of ambiguity, or multiple interpretations. If however, there are questions about the contest, please email the address found below in the Entry Form Format section.

Flight Procedures and Scoring

Aircraft will be flown in up to 4-plane heats.

Planes will be launched from a line abreast configuration, staggered in time. A sample 3-plane heat is shown below.

Flight crew will hold the airplanes from behind. The Starter will call "ready" at which time the pilots may apply full throttle. The Starter will point to each team, at approximately 1 second intervals indicating they may release their aircraft. Each plane will take off in sequence starting from the outermost plane. Since the course entry is shifted to the east from the runway for safety, the staggered start eliminates any advantage of an airplane in an inner starting lane.

Timer starts when the Starters flag first drops.

Laps are performed in left-handed ovals as indicated in the figure below. Planes do not need to fly around a flag, they just must pass a turn line in space. If wind conditiions force takeoff to the north, planes will take off in the same order, however the first turn will be to the right.

Each team will provide two flight crew members to serve as turn indicators, and will stand next to the Cut Judges. When a plane crosses the turn line, they will signal their caller by raising a flag. Crew flaggers must not raise a flag prior to the airplane crossing the turn line, or it will be considered a "cut" resulting in a DQ. This is the most common reason for a DQ.

Cut Judges will use a sighting guide to determine when a plane has passed a turn line, and if a flag has been raised early, or if a plane has "cut" the turn. If a cut occurs, the judge will identify the number of the offending team, and indicate a disqualification (DQ) for that flight attempt by raising a flag. If a plane is DQ'ed, the pilot should land as soon as possible. A DQ results in no points being awarded for that heat, which will affect a team's overall score.

Teams must bring their own "flags." They will be a solid board at least 24in x 24 in, with the team number on both sides, at least 20 inches tall. Flaggers will hold the signs with both hands and promptly raise the sign over thier head as their plane crosses the line. It is important that the signs are as legible as possible from 300 ft. away. The signs will be used by the caller to call turns, as well as by the judges to award a point.

Score:

Scoring is based on distance traveled (flags) within two minutes, on a course with 2 turn markers spaced 600ft. apart. One point is awarded for each turn line reached (including the first).

Awards:

The Speedfest organizers will present 9 India Class awards in the following 7 categories. Criteria shown in parentheses:

Overall Score Champion (Sum of all points scored by a team for the entire day)

Speedfest Cup awards (Based on the best single score for the day)

1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place

India Class Promotional Video Award (A video is required of all India Class teams. Follow link for details.)
Best Airplane Build (Quality of overall build, attention to detail, innovative design features)
Best Airplane Graphics (Design and quality of covering and / or paint scheme)
Best Helmet (Helmet graphics)
Team Spirit (Judged on sportsmanship, spirit, integrity)

Tiebreakers:

In case of a tie for Speedfest Cup awards, Overall score will break the tie.
In case of a tie for the Overall Score award, the the highest Promotional Video score will decide placement. (Laps completed during a head to head tiebreaker are not included in Overall Score)

Safety Requirements

Safety must be the number one priority of all contest participants. The Speedfest organizers have gone to great lengths to keep the event safe for participants and spectators. Please carefully note the following:

Contestants are expected to conduct themselves, and operate their aircraft in accordance to the AMA Safety Code. (the following link contains all AMA documents including the Safety Code: http://www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx)

Every person beyond the spectator line (including officials), must wear a helmet approved by OSHA, DOT, ANSI, SNELL,NOCSAE or other recognized organization that certifies safety equipment. There is a very wide variety of helmets that meet these criteria including; skateboarding helmets, bicycle helmets, construction hard-hats, etc.

Any flight crew member involved with starting the aircraft engine at any time (flightline or pits), or holding the airplane, must wear official safety glasses and gloves (level-5 cut-resistant gloves are strongly recommended example).

Teams must make sure that people are standing clear of the plane of the propeller in case of a blade failure. The safest location is behind the propeller. All individuals must be behind the plane of the propeller when running up the engine. Only the starter should be in front, however the throttle should not be advanced until the starter is in a safe location.

Flight Crew: Required minimum flight crew is 4 members (Pilot, Caller, and 2 Flagmen). Beyond that, the number and makeup of the flight crew is at the discretion of each team, however it may consist of a maximum of 7 team members. Functions of flight crew members may be combined if desired. All must verify current AMA membership at the event. Typical flight crew functions include:

Pilot

Caller: Stands by the pilot to call turns.

Crew Flagmen: Minimum of two. Stand near turn marker judges to indicate turn line passage
Recovery: (Optional) Only flight crew and contest officials may go recover aircraft
Starter/Timer: (Optional) Teams may have a member assist with starting the engine on the runway, and runup prior to start. The person may also serve as a timer or additional flagman.

When a team is called for a flight, only flight crew may enter the field beyond the spectator area.

All aircraft to be flown must go through an airworthiness inspection outlined below.

Teams must conduct test flights only at an AMA-sanctioned airfield. There are sanctioned clubs throughout the state. The AMA mentor can assist with access to a sanctioned flying site. Additionally, teams may go to the AMA club locator site to find one.

For teams not familiar with AMA contest airworthiness inspections, it is recommended that an experienced RC pilot or AMA Contest Director assist the team with an airworthiness inspection prior to travelling to the Speedfest in order to reduce the chances of a delay requiring repairs or modifications.

All team members, who attend the event should be AMA members. It is the opinion of the organizers that all team members, must be committed to the AMA safety code when designing, building, and flying, unmanned aircraft. AMA has a free youth membership for people 19 and younger, and a low-cost trial 90-day membership if necessary. AMA Membership Link.

Engines or motors must not be started in the teams pit area. There will be designated areas for engine runup and testing.

Proof of flight must be demonstrated prior to 9 AM on contest day, or the team will not be allowed to compete.

Pilots

Speedfest is not an event appropriate for novice pilots. Teams should use experienced pilots with a record of safety.
Contest organizers will provide a pilot upon request. Teams may not however request a specific pilot.
Pilot instructions:

Safety must the primary responsibility of every pilot.
If there is some aspect of the airplane that the pilot deems unsafe, he must ensure the team takes corrective action before flight.
Pilots must follow the instructions of the safety officer during flight. If instructed to abort, or even sacrifice the airplane for safety, the pilot must do so immediately without question.
Pilots must never allow the airplane to cross a line defined by the West edge of the runway. If the line is crossed, power must be cut immediately, and a turn made away from the spectators.
Pilots will be instructed how far to the east to fly patterns in order to maintain safe distances from the spectators. India class uses a 275 ft. setback from the spectator line.

General Aircraft Requirements

Landing Gear
No part of the aircraft may be jettisoned or fall off, including, landing gear which must stay with the aircraft at all times. For example, no “dollies” or sleds.

Propeller
Metal propellers are prohibited. Only propellers designed for internal combustion engines are allowed. Teams must paint the tips of their propellers (approximately 0.5 inches) on both sides, white. This is to reduce chances of injury. (Teams should balance their propellers after they are painted.)

Engine Mounting
The engine should be securely attached to the mount, and the mount to the airframe. Due to vibration, mounting bolts must use nylock nuts, or blue Loctite.

Radio Gear:
Only 2.4 GHz spread spectrum radios will be allowed. A standard radio range check should be conducted at the Speedfest airfield by the mentor or teacher, who will then verify pass, to the technical inspection judges. The receiver battery must be a 5-cell (6v) NiCD or NiMH pack and have an external switch. Teams must use a voltage monitor mounted permanently to the TOP of the plane so that it may be seen at all times when the plane is on the ground. The monitor may be plugged into an open channel on the receiver, or connected to a "Y" at a point after the switch. The monitor must be ON when the required receiver switch is ON. The Voltwatch must be set to the 6V position.

Team Numbering
Each team will mark their airplane with their team number which will be assigned by the Speedfest organizers. Each airplane must be numbered on the port wing (left side as viewed from sitting in the cockpit) top AND bottom of the wing. Numbers must be 10 inches tall, and at least 1 inch thick. The bottom of the number should face the wingtip so that the judges can easily read the team number during turns. Teams may choose the number colors, but the color chosen should be the highest contrast possible with the background color of the wing so that it is easy to see from a distance. Teams should take care to choose fonts, or number styles so that it is difficult to mistake a number when it is upside down (such as 6 and 9) or from other numbers (1 and 7, 4 and 9). The picture below illustrates a properly numbered airplane:

Preflight Airworthiness Inspection of Aircraft
Prior to competition, all aircraft shall undergo a safety inspection. Safety inspections will be conducted on a first come, first served basis. Teams are encouraged to go through safety inspections on the Friday afternoon of Speedfest so as to not miss any flight opportunities.

The overall quality of construction must be considered safe and airworthy. Safety inspectors will be checking the following:

Push/pull rods or cables and control horns, shall be installed in such a way that they will not become disconnected in flight. Clevises must have a "keeper mechanism." Adjustable control linkages that use set screws or friction are NOT acceptable.
Pushrods shall have only one threaded end that is free to turn.
Control surfaces shall be firm on the hinge line without excessive play.
Servos shall be mounted securely with little play.
Any servo extensions used must have connections secured with a servo lead lock (electrical tape or shrink wrap is permitted)
All screws holding the engine to the mount and the mount to the firewall shall be in place and secure using nyloc nuts or Loctite.
Spinner or prop nut used to secure propeller.
Prop tips painted white last 0.5 inches of span.
The radio receiver and battery pack shall be secure, and surrounded by soft foam rubber or other vibration-dampening material and adequately protected against contamination by engine exhaust, raw fuel, or fuel residue.
Receiver battery check: 5-cell NiCD or NiMH, external switch, and visible voltage monitor when switch ON.
Wings, if removable, shall be securely attached to the fuselage by some mechanical means such as bolts.
The aircraft shall be structurally sound as well as free of structural damage which may compromise safety.
Range check verification with mentor or teacher
Team Flags and safety gear will be checked
Proof of prior flight. Teams must demonstrate proof of prior flight. This may be done using pictures or video evidence. Proof of flight must be demonstrated prior to 9 AM on contest day, or the team will not be allowed to compete.

Repairs:
Any aircraft that has been damaged after a safety inspection or has a known history of problems shall not be permitted to fly until it has been satisfactorily repaired and re-inspected. Materials used for repair may come from any source.

Confirmation of class rules:
Judges will also confirm that all aircraft entered comply with the Design Constraints. This will include inspection and measurements of the airframe and engine for compliance.

Contest-Day Information

Each team will be provided at least 3 flight attempt opportunities. Maximum number of flight attempts depends on several factors, and may be 7 or more. The best score of all attempts will be retained.

Speedfest objectives and scoring have been designed to minimize the effect of weather conditions. Expect competition to continue unless winds are above 30 mph sustained with cross, or if there is continuous rain. If all teams are not provided with 3 flight attempt opportunities, the rain date will be used.

Speedfest is a competition between teams. There are no restrictions on repairs, spare parts, replacement aircraft, etc. Repaired and replacement planes must still conform to the rules for a particular class. If an aircraft is damaged to an extent that airworthiness may be questioned, and is to be re-flown, the airplane must go through the airworthiness inspection again. Also, if a replacement plane is used, it must also go through the airworthiness inspection.

Teams may request a Speedfest Pilot at the event, however, they may not request a specific pilot. This is to make sure that heats may be scheduled efficiently, and without concern about which teams cannot fly in the same heat. For teams that require a Speedfest pilot at the event, pilots will be assigned on a rotation.

Mandatory Items to bring:

Current AMA membership cards for flight crews
Proof of flight

Helmets, safety glasses, gloves, and flags, for Flight Crew listed above.

There will be limited electrical service for individual teams. A charging station will be provided where teams may connect their charging equipment.

Registration
During the designated time on the day of the event, flight crews must register. Speedfest officials will then provide each with a flight line pass. Registration consists of the following:

Flight crews must each show proof of current AMA membership
Flight Crews, advisors, and mentors should report with their airplane to have a team photo taken.

Flight Sequence

Teams will be called based on the scheduled heats. Teams should be aware of where they are in the heat schedule.

Teams will be fueled prior to entering the queue. Before receiving the fuel, teams must be able to confirm to a judge that their fuel tank is empty. To simplify fueling in the pits, judges will fill fuel tanks full as indicated by fuel flowing from the vent line.

When teams are called, they will need to go get their fuel in the hangar, and have a receiver/transmitter voltage check. Failure of the voltage check will result in DQ for that round.

After fueling, teams will move to the queue boxes which will be labeled 1-4, corresponding to the starting sequence on the runway.

Only teams that are called to the flight line may pass the spectator line and enter the course. They must wear the appropriate safety gear.

When called to the flightline, teams must identify their plane and flags to the judges table so the flag counting judges can identify the planes.

A two minute countdown timer will begin when teams are called to the flight line. Within that time, teams must get to their starting location on the runway, and start their airplane. When time expires, the flightline judge will clear the runway of starters and spotters. If a team’s airplane is not running at that time, they must immediately leave the runway with the airplane and all flight gear. When the runway is clear, the flightline judge will immediately start the race. When time expires, teams have two minutes to land and clear the runway. Teams should have proper starting equipment and should be practiced in quickly starting their airplane.

Speedfest Team Promotional Video Award

All India class teams are required to create a Team Promotional Video. Videos can promote: their team, airplane, school, Speedfest, or any combination of these in an entertaining and informative way. The videos can be as simple as an introduction to the team taken with a smart phone camera, to as complicated as a fully edited promotional music video.

Guidelines:

Videos may be no more than 2 minutes in length total. .
May not refer to specific competitors teams in a negative light.
May not contain material considered to be obscene by professional standards.
Royalty-free music is preferred. Teams should test their videos on YouTube well in advance of the deadline, so that they are not removed or muted due to copyrighted music.
Videos not meeting all guidelines will not be eligible for voting.

Teams will send the YouTube link to their videos to SpeedfestAero email address no later than April 19, and the winner will be chosen by electronic voting. There are no restrictions on who may vote. Votes will be accumulated from April 19, until Speedfest contest day. The penalty for a team not submitting the link to their video by the deadline, is loss of their best heat score on contest day.

Eligibility

Team members (other than pilots and mentors), must be students of the institution, or otherwise pre-approved by the contest director.
Each team must have an advisor who is a teacher or other approved representative from the institution.
Each team must have a mentor who is an AMA member and familiar with the building and operation of remote control airplanes. The team advisor can also be the mentor if appropriate. Mentors should be positive, patient individuals, supportive and willing to help the students learn. They should not lead the team. Speedfest organizers can assist with identifying mentors if requested. The mentor need-not be the contest pilot. A contest pilot will be provided if requested.
All team members should be current AMA members. Flight crew must be AMA members. Only full memberships, or Youth memberships are acceptable (Park Pilot memberships are not acceptable for Speedfest.) Note that for students age 19 and under, AMA has a Free Youth membership. AMA also has a low cost 3-month trial membership.
An institution may enter a second team only if the following conditions are met:

The institution has participated in Speedfest previously.
The reason for entry of more than one team is justified based on excessive team size or some other compelling educational rationale
The two teams must be distinct (as they are competing against each other). There must be no members common to both teams other than faculty/staff and/or the mentor. Team names and aircraft markings must be different.

Starting with Speedfest IV, if a team receives a kit, but is a no-show to the event, they will not be eligible to participate the following year.

Entry Form Format

The team advisor (not the mentor) shall send an email with all of the following information, in the following format, for each team entered:
AS OF 10/29/2015 ALL INDIA CLASS SLOTS FOR SPEEDFEST HAVE BEEN FILLED. PLEASE CONTACT THE SPEEDFEST EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW TO CHECK IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY TEAMS WITHDRAW.

- Academic institution name
- Team Name
- Class to be entered
- Team Advisor name
- Team Advisor email
- Team Mentor name
- Team Mentor email

In the Subject line of your email write: “India Class Speedfest Entry Request, (Team Name), (date)”

Subject line example: India Class Speedfest Entry Request, SHS Lancers, 21Sept2012

Send entries to:

To keep the Speedfest manageable and enjoyable, a limited number of teams will be invited on a first-come basis.

Deadlines

Teams may enter at any time.
Rules are subject to change until September 30. After this date, rules become final.
Promotional Video due no later than April 19. Penalty for late or missing video is loss of best heat score.

Contest Site

Speedfest is held at the Unmanned Aircraft Flight Station (UAFS) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
GPS Location: lat=36.1632229 lon=-96.836514
Stillwater Oklahoma is approximately 75 miles from two major airports: Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, OK, and Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, OK.

Airfield Directions: From all directions, the best way to get to the UAFS is to drive to the intersection of Hwy 51 (E 6th st.) and N. Clay Road (bulls-eye in map below). Then take Clay road north approximately 3.2 miles. The UAFS is just north of the intersection of N. Clay Rd. and E. Airport Rd.