FAI-F3D

F3D. The premier R/C pylon race class as sanctioned by the FAI-Federation Aeronautique Internationle.  This world air sports federation founded in 1905, controls all aviation sporting events and record attempts, if it flies its covered by the FAI click on the link to see more. 

Being a world championship class you will find a full calendar of events taking place around the world, with Area and National Championships plus a number of  international competitions run in Japan, USA and around Europe attracting the more adventurous, but the holy grail event in F3D is the World Championship which takes place every two years on a different continent each time (2011 Bundaburg Australia). Each country is represented by three teams who are selected by team trails to form a national team, each team will race for four days ending with one Team and one individual being declared world champion. Click here to view the video action from 2007 F3D Muncie world champs.   

F3D models have more in common with a high performance glider than your average sport power model, with their very clean efficient airframes and wing sections, as evidence just watch the model glide after the engine has been shut down. The motors used are normally built by small specialist engineering companies, who are able to manufacture small batches to very very high standards, incorporating design features that produce power per cc more than you would see in a top drag race motor. Airframes like the motors are built to very high standards, they have to be, with stresses being inflicted in the number 1 pylon turn at full speed of over 35 G. It is possible to design and build your own models, but generally most flyer’s use an established design being built buy specialist builders, some of which take orders for complete models with engine and radio installed and test flown. But most flyer’s will go somewhere in between by buying an airframe and install their own equipment, models in this format can normally be taken from box to test flying in 2 weeks of evenings, it’s up to you, you do as much or as little as you want. With the quality of most engines and airframes being so high, this leaves you to work on you’re flying and set up, this in some ways makes it easier than competing in the standard class events where engine blue printing takes place to shop brought engines, fine if you know what you’re doing, but few really do. Now I would defiantly would not recommend a novice R/C pilot to go straight into F3D, learning the trade by going through Club2000 or Q500 is highly recommend, don’t loose site of the fact at 6m off the ground and doing over 200mph is not for the faint hearted.  

For infromation on how to construct one of these fine models, take a look at Travis Flynns great LOKI Q40 building building instructions. Click Here 

For technical information on pipes, propellers, wing sections, retracts verses fixed legs, plus much more, take a look at Martin Hepperle’s site Click Here

Engines

F3D motors are of 6.6cc have no throttle, full wave pipe and very few rules to restrict them from producing full power. The FAI do run a speed control strategy to limit the course speed to 234km/h to this extent a limit to the engines inlet venture size of 114mm² is the currant. With no carburettor another form of engine control/cut off is need as the rules state that you must be able to cut the motor within five seconds on the ground or in the air by radio, plus have a failsafe which in the event of a radio link problem cuts the motor. In the past the rear induction was the norm, but in recent years there has been a move to front induction, with the advantages of less moving parts and cooler clean air being inducted, but a larger crank case volume (swings and round abouts). Nelson pylon supremos Dave Shadel and Jim Shinohara have been working with engine designer Henry Nelson, have been developing Pylon Race motors since 1990 for the FAI F3D class. There first outing was the 1990 USA Nationals taking four of the top five places, that success did not end there they have now add several World championships. The European MB Metkemeijer Brothers motors has proved to be a credible challenger, with many flyers finding these motors easier to operate and with just as much power if not more. Watch this space as a new engine is on its way which is hoped to be able to cope with the future rules.