I've got a question for all of you IAC guys and gals. Would there be a problem participating in aerobatic competitions in a polished plane. I was thinking about of polish job like Julie Clark's absolutely beautiful T34 (http://www.maxair2air.com/AIR/Profiles/T-34.html). Would the polish job interfere with the judges seeing the aircraft's performance too much? Have you all ever seen a polished aircraft compete? Any info would be helpful. Thanks.
Competing in a polished plane?
- Thread starter mcjon77
- Start date
Steve
En-Route
I can't speak to competing in a polished plane, but the engine compartment on Julie's plane is just as clean and shiny as the exterior, if not more so. The firewall has a mirror finish.
She keeps a blush brush in the plane for last minute detailing.
She keeps a blush brush in the plane for last minute detailing.
djpacro
Pre-takeoff checklist
One of my friends had a Pitts S-1S - red with silver stripes and sunburst. Silver was done with plastic decals so it was high gloss. Sun glints on the silver would result in a zero when the judges thought there was a hesitation in a roll.
Another friend flew a plain white Pitts S-1S for a while. We called it Casper as we couldn't see it in some skies.
Another friend flew a plain white Pitts S-1S for a while. We called it Casper as we couldn't see it in some skies.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Must not have an engine in it.
nddons
Touchdown! Greaser!
That is one beautiful airplane. I've seen her perform at AirVenture, and she puts on a great show with it.
Steve
En-Route
Just a few images on the net. I can vouch for the fact that there is indeed one in it. And it looks just like what's in these pics. Gold-plated.
PittsDriver
Cleared for Takeoff
I've been competing in IAC for that last 5 years and a judge for the last 3 years. In that time I've only seen one polished aircraft in the box - though "polished" is probably being a little kind to it. One of our local guys at IAC 11 at Warrenton jumped up in the box in Primary in his T-28A and he's done it multiple years. It was a hoot to watch and so freakin' big that I'm not sure we could have missed it no matter how it was finished.
I wouldn't think a polished finish would make a big difference and it probably depends on what kind of plane it is. In general, some odd planes that we judges don't get to see as often sometimes get inconsistent judging more because we may not be as familiar with where the zero lift axis is or where to look on it during figures. Just the minor differences in a plane like the Giles with a slightly higher horizontal stab gets called sometimes for barreling a roll when it was on a rail. Decathlons have a distinctly different look on a vertical line than say a Pitts or an Extra.
What kind of plane is it and what level do you expect to compete at in it?
I wouldn't think a polished finish would make a big difference and it probably depends on what kind of plane it is. In general, some odd planes that we judges don't get to see as often sometimes get inconsistent judging more because we may not be as familiar with where the zero lift axis is or where to look on it during figures. Just the minor differences in a plane like the Giles with a slightly higher horizontal stab gets called sometimes for barreling a roll when it was on a rail. Decathlons have a distinctly different look on a vertical line than say a Pitts or an Extra.
What kind of plane is it and what level do you expect to compete at in it?
A Sonex. Primary class, MAYBE sportsman.
PittsDriver
Cleared for Takeoff
I guess my thought would be to put a finish on the aircraft that is appealing to you and worry about subtle scoring issues only as a secondary issue. Here's why I think that:
A lot of "competition paint jobs" focus on making the lines of the plane look true vs. it's actually attitude. You see a lot of straight lines or stripes down the fuselage and across the wings to help the judges see it better. Of course, if you're not good, then it's more obvious. The rule in aerobatic contest judging is if I didn't see the error, it didn't happen. Judges are only supposed to downgrade for what they actually see, not for what they suspect you did or didn't do. Every figure starts with a 10 and should only be downgraded for errors that are positively seen by the judge. Some pilots/planes have used that to their advantage by flying a small plane up high in the box making it hard to notice that a point roll didn't stop exactly on the points. In Primary/Sportsman you'll have to stay above 1500' anyway and flying a plane that's hard to see might work one of two ways with the judges. If they're honest and doing the job properly, you won't get as many downgrades because they can't see them as well. On the other hand, a capricious judge is perhaps more likely to score you based upon how good they think you are instead of what they're actually seeing. That you can't do anything about and you might as well be flying an airplane that you love the appearance of instead of worrying about what that knucklehead is thinking
Thanks for the info, PittsDriver (and everyone else who posted on this thread)
. I am definately polishing my plane. I just fell in love with the look of a nice polish job. I was just afraid that it would prevent me from competing all together. It is nice to know that I can still compete even with my polished bird. I'm not concerned about winning. I really just want to participate. This is only fueling the fire to work more on building my plane.
PittsDriver
Cleared for Takeoff
Thanks for the info, PittsDriver (and everyone else who posted on this thread)
Cool. I have to say that competition aerobatics is the most fun I've ever had turning fossil fuels into grins and I've spent a lifetime doing just that. You should look out for some competitions in your neck of the woods and start attending if you haven't already. It's a great group of people that would welcome you, get you started up the learning curve about competitions, and meet some people that'll share their passion for it. www.iac.org.