A very simple rule of the game....
First of all, it is all about slope flying, i. e. the RC glider uses the dynamic lift created by the wind hitting the slope. The "game" consists in being timed over a distance of 1000 m between 2 bases (planes) spaced 100 meters apart (5 round trips and 9 turns) after a gain of altitude of 30 seconds maximum. The pilots fly one after the other, thus avoiding any risk of collision. The competitor is placed in the center of two "bases" spaced 100 m apart and is not allowed any assistance other than to throw the glider. A judge at each base gives a "beep" to the glider's passage indicating that it has crossed that base. This "beep" is connected to a stopwatch which, in addition to managing the altitude rise time limit, counts the number of round trips and stops automatically at the end of the "run". The flight of all pilots constitutes a "round". The best time gets 1000 points and a rule of three gives the points of the other competitors. Then, as many rounds as the weather conditions allow. The sum of the points of each driver's rounds makes it possible to establish a general ranking. The gliders used in competition are real Formula 1 airplanes, sharpened to generate as little drag as possible, built/molded entirely of composite materials and using massive amounts of carbon for greater rigidity. The empty weight of these machines is around 2 to 2.4 kg, but it is possible to double the weight of the glider by adding ballast (brass, lead, or even tungsten) to increase the wing load to the authorized limit of 75 g/dm2, and fly even faster when the wind is very strong. Landing is not part of the event itself, but often remains a delicate moment when the glider is fully loaded.
A category full of interest !
Many model aircraft pilots think, at first glance, that this is a boring category, and that is where they are seriously mistaken. F3F is a real art of extracting energy from the wind on the terrain to convert it into speed. To be convinced, you only have to see a flight on a 4 meters high cliff by the sea with 25 m/s of wind (90 km/h), where no one would imagine flying, and yet see pilots flying on these tiny cliffs and around average speeds of 120 km/h with 9 turns. The F3F is a perpetual search for a clever balance: to have a glider that climbs as high as possible within 30 seconds and then is fast during the timed race, which means having stable trajectories in straight lines and turns without losing speed. Moreover, knowing how to anticipate a turn to "tangent" the base but especially without "cutting" the turn allows you to gain precious seconds that can make a difference. And what about the adrenaline rush when your machine is constantly accelerating, a sign of a thermal crossing or perfect control of the flight path and when your turns, anticipated to the maximum, trigger the coveted "beep", sometimes on the way back. The F3F is also the concern to better understand the aerology of a slope, its performance, whether to fly far or near the ridge, etc. without forgetting the aerodynamics of the glider, profile optimization, finding the best settings, using radio mixes to expand the flight envelop. Certainly before reaching this level, it is necessary to go through a multitude of equally interesting and addictive steps. When you start in the discipline, you start by fighting against yourself. You have to know how to fly when your turn comes, finish the race, place your turns, tame the glider and bring it back from the landing in full. Then comes the competition within the competition where you compete against other drivers of the same level by doing your best to be in front of them. Then finally, with experience, we get closer to the podium and confront the best. There is something for everyone.
Some history with the article below
