Folks,

Discussion about NARAMs seem to appear many times in threads not directly related to the original subject.

I am creating this thread to facilitate discussions about NARAMs.

Posts can discuss past NARAMs and a participant's experiences.
There can be comments about past NARAMs vs. present NARAMs.
Comments about what makes a NARAM.
Etc.

Please keep the comments civil and respectful.

This thread will be monitored and poor behavior will not be tolerated.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

Okay then. Let's get this party started.

A few weeks ago I was talking with a NAR member who is a BTC in both NAR and FAI competition.

He commented that he could see a time when 'NAR' competition would become FAI events.

Thinking about it, I like that idea.

FAI competition seems to be the growing trend with NAR members interested in competition especially Junior members.
FAI competition has events with up to 'F' motor performance. None of this wimpy NAR NRC competition events limited to 'C' motors max.

I say let's chuck the NRC program and go with FAI events for competition.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

To the best of my knowledge, you've not flown either NRC or FAI competition. Why would you be suggesting this?

__________________
A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets. But high above the quiet streets on the 12th floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye.

Fox Valley Rocketeers: http://www.foxvalleyrocketeers.org

Oh, heck no!

https://www.fai.org/page/s-space-models

No altitude models that aren't at least 30mm for at least 50% of the airframe length. I'm out. Way out.

Actually, the minimum diameter for the tube events (Alt, PL, PD, SD, Scale Alt, and HD) was increased to 40mm for A and B models several years ago. For the complete FAI rules, here are the rules the cover model rockets.

Attached Files

sc4_vol_s_space_24.pdf (556.6 KB, 5 views)

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'Til next time,

Mike Toelle

NAR 31692 L1

SAM 0373

Wow. The more of that I read, the less interested I am.

I can see the technical challenge, but the end result is pretty much the opposite of what draws me to rocketry in the first place.

FAI models are technically challenging, that is for sure. My wife and I were part of the range crew (we were in the altimeter tent) as was @GuyNoir at the WSMC in Austin last summer. Some pretty amazing models were flown and quite a few failed, as they are often built right on the hairy edge of too lightly, or over the edge. It was fun to watch, but I'm not sure I'd really want to compete that way.

However my wife and I are both actively working on our models for this summer's NARAM. One aspect of it that's really got me tickled is that my wife got the competition bug. Heck, she beat me in A altitude at NARAM last summer. And those are tiny little models...about five inches of BT-5 flying on an A3-6T to over 375 meters for third place (her flight) or 368 meters for fourth (mine). You bet help finding the little buggers is appreciated.

Nothing quite so tiny this year.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Because non-participants are always chiming in (always since long ago) how participants should be doing things. They make all these suggestions saying that <insert great suggestion> will improve things, and gullible do-gooders fall for it and bend over backwards for them. Then the non-participants remain non-participants.

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-Wolfram v. Kiparski
NAR 28643 - TRA 15520
MTMA Section #606 President

I love both NRC and FAI flying and have had a bit of success at each.

But the bottom line is the world has changed. We currently have 59 juniors working with mentors to compete to get on the U.S. team which will compete at the World Championships in 2025 in Serbia. Those juniors will be competing for the 32 team slots this summer at the flyoffs at NARAM. Almost none of those juniors do any NRC flying.

I expect we will have some attrition before the flyoffs but there will still be more junior competitors at the FAI team flyoffs this year than senior NRC competitors. We just had more junior competitors at the NAR/FAI Arizona Cup last month than we currently have in all the events on the NRC scoreboard so far this year. We have figured out what works to grow junior model rocketry competition. It is the FAI style of flying.

There is no reason that NRC adult competition needs to go away as long as there are those of us who still love doing it. But the Junior competition absolutely needs to refocus on what is working.

As for those of you who never compete but don't feel FAI flying is enough of a challenge for you, show me how easy it is ...

... come on out and beat me.

Steve

FAI World Altitude Records set - 1
NAR U.S. Altitude Records set - 26
FAI Altitude Team World Championships - 1
Manager of FAI World Championship winning U.S. junior teams - 1

I submit that those numbers are more a function of the energy applied (i.e., mentoring) than the events per se.

__________________
A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets. But high above the quiet streets on the 12th floor of the Acme Building, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye.

Fox Valley Rocketeers: http://www.foxvalleyrocketeers.org