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- Last Updated: 01 August 2023
- Published: 23 December 2011
2023 F5J Trophy #5
10th - 12th November 2023 at the AB field West Wyalong.
For full details and an entry form, click on the "Australian F5J Trophy" link in the side menu.
For the SSL 5oth International F5J results held at Milang March 2023 click here.
EMF Magazine Launch including ERES and F5J Postal Results.
A new AEFA magazine , edited by Mel Gillott, has been launced for your information and enjoyment. It stands on the shoulders of the EGFA Magazine previously edited by Peter Pine. Mel also runs the ERES and F5J Postal competitions. You can navigate to these items from the Main Menu EMF Magazine tab at the left.
Read President Robert's Latest Report
Are You Interested In A Low-Key Electric Glider Event?
E-RES has taken the world by storm! And extremely popular in Australia - 30 entrants in that event at LSF Tournament Jerliderie. This is the height-limited event for 2-metre E-gliders and represents a low-key approach to flying an event together with friends.
It is time to have an E-RES weekend - and one is scheduled for the Tamworth club field at Somerton 10 - 11 September 2022. For full details and the flier Click Here.
LEG has been added to the program because there are some fliers with larger models, and they may not have a height device. So, see the LEG details on the flier and enter both!
The event is scheduled to coincide with Slopefest, so visit both! See you there to have some fun.
Read the rules in the rules library (arranged alphabetically) - click here.
F5J and ERS postal rules for 2023.
Read the rules in the rules library (arranged alphabetically). Click here
Proposed 3 metre F5J Rules
The AEFA committee listened to many pilots out there. You told us that many of you (not currently flying F5J contests) wanted to fly in contests but were deterred by the cost of the moulded models.
In order to address this concern, the AEFA committee has framed rules for a simpler and smaller plane specification that have better performance than a 2 metre model, but at a cost substantially less than moulded gliders.
You can read the rules in the rules section, but the rules limit the wing to 3 metres (or less) and constructed predominantly of wood. Additionally the power train is limited to motors without gearboxes. We think that these two important restrictions will hold costs down.
We are publishing the rules so pilots can start to build or organise their planes.
Within a few months, there will be a suitable model available from Performance Planes , a local kit supplier.
From Hyperflight, the Introduction and Inside are suitable planes, as is the Yellow Jacket from the US.
Pulsars and AVAs will be eligible if the wings are shortened.
On line, plans for the Bird of Time and the Bubble Dancer or available, and with an electric conversion are suitable and competitive planes.
Have a read of the rules and start building. We hope to organise the first contest (in conjunction with an F5J event) in October.
For details click on the Rules Library at the left.
Regards
Robert Budniak
President
Looking For Something About Electric Flight In Australia?
You've Found It. AEFA, An Australian Organisation Fostering And Promoting Aeromodelling Using Electric Power.
The AEFA began in the mid ‘90s. In those early days, meetings, rallies and newsletters were the only methods we had to share our knowledge and passion. While times have changed we believe it’s important to continue sharing our experience, problems and solutions to mastering electric flight. This website is one of the main avenues for doing that and here you'll find things to help you enjoy electric powered models.
In our ‘Resources’ section we have compiled information that can be classified as electric flight 'know how'. For many, understanding the technology, or selecting components for an electric model, is a daunting prospect. We want to help. Our focus is on those matters that are pertinent to electric flight and some of the differences from the IC world. We will try to point you in the right direction, present as broad a view as possible, and maintain brand independence.
Getting together as electric modelers is another way we can pass on what we have learned. Our ‘Events, Competitions and Rules’ section provides information about where and when electric events are planned and the competitions that might be run at them. It’s also a section where new ideas about events and rules are published along with those for regularly flown contests.
The section ‘ About the AEFA’ is just that. It explains our origins, recognizes some of the key individuals that have pioneered electric flight in Australia and provides information about how we are organized and operate. Because we want to stay in step with current and emerging practices for connecting and collaborating with each other, we now concentrate on communicating via this website plus a network of ‘focus’ email groups. News and information is circulated for each categories depicted in the graphic at the top of this page, namely:
- electric gliding,
- Electric Old Timers,
- general news and rally information.
Details on becoming an AEFA member (membership is free) are in our 'How to Join' page (here).
Solutions Update
A couple of updates to our Solutions Via Rule of Thumb page have been made, namely Mike O'Reilly's guide to Trimming a model, and Marcus Stent's thermalling notes now live here.
- Details
- Last Updated: 29 July 2021
- Published: 24 April 2014
President’s Message
by Robert Budniak - The Accidental President.
Behind the scenes it’s been an interesting quarter for the executive of AEFA. At the
national Electric Flight Rally, we had our AGM. I stood for the position of Vice President and was successfully elected. Our previous president Ralph Dephoff was unable to attend AEFR and the AGM due to Covid 19, but was elected as President. Shortly after the AGM, Ralph decided that his personal circumstances would not allow him to carry out the position of President and he resigned.
At a subsequent committee meeting, the committee decided to elect myself as the President. I must say that this was somewhat a leap of faith, both for the committee and myself. Being new to the AEFA committee, I considered that I was somewhat
unprepared to take on the role. However I had encouragement from a number of committee members who said they would support me where necessary, and here I am.
I will leave it to the next magazine to give you a full introduction to myself. What I would like to say in the few column inches I have is my vision for AEFA. Firstly I am encouraged by the interest and take up by pilots of eRES. The previous committee has
provided an tremendous set of rules for gliders that both new and old flyers can take up. By and large the rules, as currently published, are the right mix, enabling a cheap entry into glider competition, and yet challenging enough that the top flyers are not
scoring perfect scores all the time. There will be slight tweaks to the rules for implementation next year and the rules will hopefully remain stable for some time.
Secondly, as the SIG for Electric Gliders, AEFA has the right to conduct the selection for the F5J World Championships. Whilst its not official, I understand that there will be no F5J WC next year. I will work with the committee and competitors in order to
frame a selection system which selects the BEST flyers Australia has to represent our country.
Thirdly, I want to see more electric gliding competitions. It seems that other flying disciplines using electric power are well catered for either by SIGs or local interest. Due to the need to gain height clearances for fields, glider competitions are harder
to organise.
And finally, I want to encourage electric flying in disciplines not covered by other groups. This includes old timer flying (the planes not the pilots, though the pilots are also encouraged to participate) and occasional contests for some of the planes we may have in our sheds.
I think that’s enough for my first column. I need to leave something for next time.
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