IMPBA "F" class

[P THOMAS]

Hope the next rooster tail has ALL the rule updates in the new rule book. What good is a rule book that is not current??? It should be double checked and printed up in the next roostertail for all to review for errors. This has been a problem for years with all the rule changes in the roostertail and it take forever to get updated in the rulebook. Hope the new secretary can get it done, and more power to her to do it.

 

[Brad Christy]

Chuck,

No. An on-board battery for use with a glow plug is NOT illegal. It is still a glow ignition system and NOT a spark ignition system. Don't try and read more into the rule than what is written.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

Model Machine And Precision LLC

 

[John Knight]

Chuck,

No. An on-board battery for use with a glow plug is NOT illegal. It is still a glow ignition system and NOT a spark ignition system. Don't try and read more into the rule than what is written.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

Model Machine And Precision LLC

This is absolutely true. Been legal for ages but rarely used.

 

[BigChuck]

Thank you Gentleman..............I did say ..."I will be adding for 2014."

 

[Andy Brown]

I guess I'm going to have to have some direct communications with current IMPBA officials to find out the answer to my question, which has now actually changed to, "if Spark Ignition is not legal in F class then why can I not find it in the rule book?". It was in fact voted on by the membership in Oct 2007, so if is was in fact PASSED by the membership 6 years ago, why is it not updated in the book?

Currently there seems to be a positive interest here.

 

[SayMikey]

My question would be with all the races in decline and the need for gas and Nitro to mix as its does need to.Why not let f boats that are legal run as gas or glow? I know of no current races that only run one or the other except special events.

 

[Don Ferrette]

My question would be with all the races in decline and the need for gas and Nitro to mix as its does need to.Why not let f boats that are legal run as gas or glow? I know of no current races that only run one or the other except special events.

Perhaps at some local levels but we seem to have no problems whatsoever filling the F classes at the bigger events such as Charleston and Hobart to name just two.

Why don't you go over to Jim's gas forum and ask the gassers to let the F boats run in their classes and tell us the replies you get ........ if they are fit to print.

Funny how you don't run the class and say it's ok to mix but you've been overheard being 100% against letting the FE 1/8 scales run with the nitro 1/8 scales, a class that you do run..................

 

[SayMikey]

Don said " Funny how you don't run the class and say it's ok to mix but you've been overheard being 100% against letting the FE 1/8 scales run with the nitro 1/8 scales, a class that you do run.................." Mike said " The real issue I have with FE running in scale is equality,I dont know enough to answer that question but do know if not powered equally a FE scale boat is way faster." Don lets face it at some point Nitro,Gas and FE will all need each other to fill events,local events are where most racers are racing

 

[seaducerpete]

I do not like running against the gas monos in the open class i think they create big holes in the water.I wish stu would make it f mono instead of open mono in Hobart the gas mono guys can still run the boats in the open gas glass

 

[ALLAN YUEN]

I can't beleive Mixer boats so I watched David Hall JAE FE big motor " Freak Fast" run against Nitro and Gas boats for Vintage Class at Hobart

 

[SayMikey]

OK I posted the question,Ray get the popcorn out. Pete All F monos dig holes

 

[Andy Brown]

My question would be with all the races in decline and the need for gas and Nitro to mix as its does need to.Why not let f boats that are legal run as gas or glow? I know of no current races that only run one or the other except special events.

I agree Mike! Today gas riggers run nearly the same laps times as F nitro race boats. "F" class covers engines as big as 30cc.

Ten years ago I could see a reason for seperating gas and nitro, because of the speed difference....gas boats getting in the way!

 

[Andy Brown]

F class has had a 30cc limit for the 65 year history of IMPBA. What do Spark plugs and Big Holes have to do with it?

 

[BigChuck]

The class was Unlimited in Evansville, Myself Joe Warren ran 101 twin Vs. Gas rigger.....................I have since sold that boat, but do plan for another. I would run it in any class of like kind that it is allowed to run in.

 

[Tim Kish]

Don said " Funny how you don't run the class and say it's ok to mix but you've been overheard being 100% against letting the FE 1/8 scales run with the nitro 1/8 scales, a class that you do run.................." Mike said " The real issue I have with FE running in scale is equality,I dont know enough to answer that question but do know if not powered equally a FE scale boat is way faster." Don lets face it at some point Nitro,Gas and FE will all need each other to fill events,local events are where most racers are racing

Don said " Funny how you don't run the class and say it's ok to mix but you've been overheard being 100% against letting the FE 1/8 scales run with the nitro 1/8 scales, a class that you do run.................." Mike said " The real issue I have with FE running in scale is equality,I dont know enough to answer that question but do know if not powered equally a FE scale boat is way faster." Don lets face it at some point Nitro,Gas and FE will all need each other to fill events,local events are where most racers are racing

D1 tried the F.E. and Nitro Scale thing ten years ago and it was very obvious that even though the F.E guys de-tuned their boats that they still had a huge advantage and other than at smaller events where the boats were needed on both parts just to make a class that it did not work.Some things just don't mix no matter how you slice it.

As for gas riggers running in F hydro, in D1 we do it all the time it's called Open Rigger.

No need to change or bend the rules, just run in Open.

Tim

 

[Don Ferrette]

Don said " Funny how you don't run the class and say it's ok to mix but you've been overheard being 100% against letting the FE 1/8 scales run with the nitro 1/8 scales, a class that you do run.................." Mike said " The real issue I have with FE running in scale is equality,I dont know enough to answer that question but do know if not powered equally a FE scale boat is way faster." Don lets face it at some point Nitro,Gas and FE will all need each other to fill events,local events are where most racers are racing

It's called a parity rule Mike which I was told you also want no part of. We mix the nitro and FE classes in D12 with set of rules including parity -

6. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, any FE boats having a noticeable speed advantage over the faster nitro boats will be asked to detune their boats to ensure competitive racing. If they do not comply, they shall be disqualified from the class for the race weekend. All Open Classes are exempt from this rule.

We had radared my Pak top speed in heat trim @ 67mph so I have my FE Elam propped to limit top speed to 65. John Finch has done the same with his FE Oberto, it's a tick slower than his nitro Circus. We have been making the FE/Nitro mix work well in D12 since 2011 and it got the B hydros (B/P limited Hydro) and B monos (B/P mono) back on the pond as we combine them as well. Same for the Sport 20/P limited Sport and Sport 40/Q Sport classes and by doing so this year cracked the 100+ boat count at the last 2 district races, something we hadn't seen for 3 or 4 years.

Any IMPBA legal boat can run in Open classes and local events certainly can allow mixing. There is no need to start screwing around with the National level rules because a couple people want to experiment..............

 

[Tim Kish]

Don I don't want to get into a big debate on this and well I think our experiment was successful for the only reason that it got boats on the water . What we found was the heavier Fe boats had a distinct handling advantage in race water , they also had the ability to crawl around the coarse, almost always recovered from any incidents, and quite simply didn't have the inherent problems associated with engine powered models.

We did have fun and it did bring boats out of the trailer but other than making it work at small club type fun runs that it just wasn't fair .

Tim

 

[SayMikey]

Don where did you get this? Just asking.

 

[Tim Kish]

I truly believe that we are at a place in our hobby where we have been overwhelmed with options, unfortunately the number of people have not increased to support what we now have available.

This is why we are having to mix and match more and more just to make a class, sometimes less is more.

Tim

 

[Don Ferrette]

Don where did you get this? Just asking.

Mike I promised to leave names out but it came from within your district. Does it really matter? You won't know unless you give it a chance. No guarantees it will work as well for your district as it has for us so far but there is only one way to find out.....