Small Site RC

Small Site RC

Click on a file name in the list below to see a low resolution picture and/or to down load a short video clip. An explanation of each clip is given before the option to down load. To learn more about the moving camera technology used to make some of these clips, check out Brownstone Beam LLC, the home site of hand held camera positioner technology. The models shown are Hand Launch Aerobatic machines that you can learn about in the Laboratry. The light weight parts and specialty tools used to make the Airplanes shown are available in the Hand Launch Aerobatics STORE. For web site feedback, contact the Site-Admin at SiteAdmin. Be sure to leave you e-mail address if you would like a response.

Access

The concept of Small Site as related to Hand Launch Aerobatics is a concept of ACCESS. With a well built HLAerobatic machine you can fly almost anywhere, such as a yard or a very small field. This means that as long as you can carry your model with you, you'll just about always find a place to fly it. Because of the maneuverability and relatively low speed compared to other RC models, a Hand Launch Aerobatic glider can be flown under the tree canopy, in circles at a neighborhood intersection, down the street at the small park, and sometimes even inside if the venue is big enough. All of these Small Site examples are shown in the video clips above. The HLA model opens a new world of RC, much the way electric propulsion opened a new world for powered RC flight. The human imagination becomes the only limit to the possible maneuvers and the potential number of different flying sites.

New Becomes Normal

The beauty of Small Site flying is having a very good feel for what the model can do, and then using that to try new things. After doing this for a while, trying new things becomes the norm, and the diversity of the experience multiplies. Before long you end up trying new maneuvers or places to fly without even thinking that they are new. Like a new lane under the same group of tees in the same yard with the same model in the same weather. For each airplane, the limits are found: what is the minimum space required to maneuver? Once this is determined, all sites that are that size and bigger are flyable for that airplane. An entire new world of possible flying sites become available with an understanding of what the model and pilot are capable of. It's all about ACCESS.

New and Available Space

One surprising thing is how much we can get away with when trying a new place to fly. Many times we might try something new and be doubtful at first, only to complete the flight as planned, missing all of the obstacles. This is most rewarding. Even when the first try is unsuccessful, a strong airframe and tough covering should stand up to the abuse of Small Site flying. The combat derived airframes used for Hand Launch Aerobatics have the durability required to continue flying after mistakes, instead of having to rebuild after them. This speeds the learning process tremendously.

Small Site flying is about seeing all of the possible space as available space, including lanes under and around trees and other obstacles, vertical lanes, increasing connectedness of volume as height increases, turbulent volumes and shear zones, dynamic avenues to reach bigger heights, and definitely the SPACE UNDER YOUR FEET as well. This is the most important space of all in Hand Launch Aerobatics. This is the STYLE SPACE, or the most unlikely place that your model can go and still execute a successful maneuver sequence.

When practicing HLAerobatics in a Small Site, there are two things made much more difficult by the limited available working volume: catching, and making use of the STYLE SPACE, or jumping. A catch is easiest when there is space to establish and adjust an approach. If you stand in the middle of the open space, you have only half as much distance for the approach as the space is wide. Quite often, catching will be easiest near the edge of the space. When jumping a model, you typically need an approach and a departure lane. This use of the STYLE SPACE by jumping the model becomes extremely difficult due to the very short time and distance available for approach and departure.

Because of the above mentioned distance requirement for jumping over the model in flight, one of the easiest ways to jump your airplane while Small Site flying is to CATCH IT IN THE PROCESS OF JUMPING OVER IT. It sounds crazy at first, but it is often easier than the simple jump pass. The "Jump Catch" allows a longer approach to the jump by eliminating the need for the departure. This way, you can stand all the way to one side or one end of the site and set up a longer approach, giving yourself more time to make last second adjustments. As you gain experince with the jump pass, you will begin to feel when the energy of the model is correct for it to pass close under your feet, giving you a chance to grapple it on the way by. A good way to practice the Jump Catch without risking you model is by using a frisbee.

Starting Out

You can probe the lower, smaller spaces of an unfamiliar flying site slowly at first, with gentle launches while first learning a site. This should be done most completely to find any quirky air that may be lurking in the corners. The mid-level heights may then be entered with the lower avenues having been established for contingency. Mid-level dives can give more speed into the lower lanes for further investigation of connectedness between the lower regions of the site. Finally, the upper levels may be investigated with stronger launches to fully work the vertical lanes and vertical connectedness of a site. A good example of a new site progression is shown in the "IntersectionX" series of video clips above. Going Big is typically the strongest possible/practical launch followed by complete and extreme utilization of the space within the flying site. Going Big sometimes means climbing trees or other objects to get your model back.

Miss Everything

Small Site flying basically boils down to flying around stuff. At the smallest possible site, the entire flight is conducted while constantly changing direction to miss everything in the way. It is a beautiful way to learn about how the wind and the world interact with each other. It is always new and different with the slightest change in the wind. Once a pilot has flown a few different types of small sites in different conditions, they usually adapt very easily to further new sites. This allows them to relax when flying, which always improves piloting performance. Small Site flying often involves more continuous maneuvering than straight and level flying. This is why HLAerobatic planes and pilots are well suited for such activity. The goal is to miss everything.

Small Site Invitational Flying Meets

When more than one pilot flies the same site together it becomes truly magical. When this happens, the site comes alive with the motion of dancing airplanes. The concept of the Small Site Invitational meet takes advantage of this magic. Skilled pilots and high performance vehicles combine for an airborne dance that is as pretty to watch is it is fun to take part in. Both fun-fly and competition events may be held at a Small Site Invitational meet, and there doesn't always have to be a distinct winner. Everyone who gets to fly in such a meet wins by doing so. Scoring of compulsory and free routine segments may be used to formally determine a winner if the attendees so desire. At the start of the meet the attendees may vote their will for the particular format of the meet, often taking place over a weekend. Such get-togethers are always a learning experience for all invloved. Some may learn more about climbing trees than others. Often this is only true because the experienced Small Site RC pilot has little more to learn about climbing trees after climbing them all already!

Tim Harris