Wooden Robot Class

If this class actually takes off, might it be an idea too construct an arena for it so they actually have a chance at fighting more than once a year?

And drill weapons will finally, after all these years, be effective!

There would be little point in a wooden robot only arena as it would technically have to take the same abuse as a grade 2F arena

Frequency of events is probably a big sticking point to people taking-up the hobby. I have been messing about for a few years building and altering a combat type robot just for the fun of building. Apart from going to a couple of arena events with my kids a few years ago, have never entered a bot. I'm tempted to have a go at building a wooden bot but a couple of events a year does not really warrant the effort, especially as I would ideally need to upgrade my old 40MHz kit and invest in some decent batteries!

Hoppy

I wouldn't expect you'd need more than 5ish millimetres of polycarbonate to stop a <1kg saw blade, even going 4000rpm- the issue with the XFM & old feather arenas was usually about sealing all the cracks around the polycarbonate and having a net roof rather than sheet based roof, solve those issues and you don't really need a Class 2 arena. Of course limitations on the size and speed of the spinning mass would have to be defined but I don't expect that to be a problem in this class as high-KE based weapons are pretty much ruled out on a structural basis.

So there is potential for an arena in this class?

Only if
a) someone has the money, time and space to make one
and b) an extra arena class were added to the FRA guidelines or the event was done on separate insurance to the FRA's

I think clearly a) is the bigger issue

Gents, there is zero chance of another arena for this class. It WOULD have to be a grade 2F arena if spinning weapons are to be used. End of story

Quote:

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Spinning weaponry of any sort is not permitted in a Class 3 arena

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A quote from the rules

Quote:

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an extra arena class were added to the FRA guidelines or the event was done on separate insurance to the FRA's

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Disagree completely Gary, the only reason Class 2 is so stringent at the moment is because it's a 'catch-all' class covering the biggest of feather spinners. Change the build rules, change the arena rules.

By all means chase building another arena. I will not run any spinning weapons in an arena that i'm not happy will contain the worst case scenarios.