Hey Darren,
Great video. Thanks for sharing and showing that RVs can fly the lower category sequences no sweat. I think you'll have a great time at the contest.
Have you had the opportunity to receive any ground critiquing? I know IACer's are few and far between in Canada. Hope you don't mind a few honestly constructive comments on the Primary sequence based on things I've learned over the last few years at the contests I've flown, Primary through Intermediate. I think you'll do a great job with it.
First, don't forget to wing wag before starting! (3 wags). Practice this every time, and consider it your first maneuver. Get your head in the game right away and do them assertively (at least 45 degrees) and with precision. Get the judges' attention and show them right away that you know what you're doing! Don't get called for a "weak" wing wag. You'll take a small point deduction if you don't do them or if the judges can't see them. Always bank toward the judges doing wing-wags and use them to help get a good view of your position in the box before pulling for the first figure.
45 lines up and down are a crapshoot as far as how judges grade them, so just get some critiquing. Do you have inverted systems? If not, then you're doing very well as is. If so, then you're still doing well, but you can definitely take more advantage of the inverted systems.
Figure 1, 45 upline - At the top of the upline, I'd push over more decisively to your level line. Just presents the separate lines better. You're floating for a very long time slowing down for the spin. Could cause problems with box position or cause you to go out. Cap off the 45 line at a slower speed by drawing a longer line or entering slower. Unless you need it for box position, you should draw a short level line before entering the spin. Two ways to cap off the 45 - select an airspeed to push over while simultaneously pulling the power to idle, or wait until your are a few MPH above stall speed on your 45 upline, leave in full power and pushover to level flight. The second method should leave you slightly slower than your 1G power-off stall speed. Then just pull the power off, which will cause the plane to immediately stall. Add full rudder immediately followed by full aft stick as soon as it stalls and you're spinning. This method allows very precise control of your line before the spin.
Figure 2, Spin - It's OK to climb very slightly into your spin entry. It helps you slow down slightly faster, the judges won't see it, and it can help with a cleaner entry. But definitely be careful to avoid any sinking. Your first entry was the cleanest. You didn't force it into the spin, which is good. Always make sure it stalls FIRST before applying rudder, but be spring-loaded to apply it. Ideally, you want simultaneous movement in all three axes - nose drop, yaw, and roll. Any deviation could get you downgraded for "forced entry". Hold a slight amount of rudder in the direction you want to spin to ensure it breaks in the direction you intend without wallowing for a second the wrong way. Looks like you don't have trouble coming out on heading, but you are positive on your downline after the spin. It takes a pretty healthy pushover to set a vertical downline after stopping a 1-turn spin. If you don't have inverted systems, you may be hesitant to push over. Briefly look at your wingtip as the spin stops and you pushover to check your attitude. I know it goes against the grain when you're pointing straight down and accelerating fast.
Figure 3, Half Cuban - You maintained your heading well during the looping and rolling portions, but the top of the loop appears it was pinched (not round). Need to float the top just as if you were doing a round loop without the roll. It appears your 45 inverted line is a little shallow, and that you're rolling as soon as you set your pitch. You might be doing this due to lack of inverted systems, but be aware the judges may take points off for "no line before the roll". Same thing with your line after. Though if you're drawing a very short line before, you'll want to draw a short line after as well. In general, you should spend half again as long on the line before the roll to keep your line lengths equal, since your speed is building. For example - do a quick 3-count before the roll, and a quick 2-count after the roll before pulling level.
Figure 4, Loop - This is the hardest one to self-critique. You really need a lot of help from the ground to get a feel for what it takes to get it truly round. But I can tell by your pitch rate throughout the loop, that you're likely pinching it a good bit (looks like a cursive lower-case "L"). You need to increase your pull slightly past vertical up, and then relax it a good bit about 30 degrees before inverted level in the second quarter of the loop. Then be patient floating over the top before steadily increasing your pull from about 30 degrees nose down. Think about pitch rate. For example, if you enter and exit the loop at 160 and you're at 80 over the top, then your pitch rate at the top should be half that of your rate at the bottom if you're to have any chance at making it round. Forget wind correction for now. Looks like your pitch rate starting, and especially during the last quarter is lower than the pitch rate at the top. Again, takes a good bit of help from the ground, not to mention practice.
Figure 5, 180 Turn - Pretty straightforward, couldn't see any obvious issues. Just make sure you set your bank angle (min. 60 degrees) BEFORE letting the nose move into the turn. The reverse for stopping it - stop the turn with elevator and opposite rudder, hold the nose on a point before rolling level.
Figure 6, Roll - You're doing it pretty well, especially if you're cheating slightly due to lack of inverted systems. Don't see any heading issues. Looks like you're ending the roll slightly nose low, but then that could be part of the cheat. But it does appear that you might be subconsciously relaxing aileron pressure passing through inverted. It appears the roll rate on most of them slows down around the inverted stage. Just make sure you've got full deflection. The judges are looking for constant roll rate, among other things. You'll learn there are other things to consider in controlling roll rate, such as the fact that the roll rate will increase a little as you add top rudder during the last quarter of the roll, requiring a slight reduction in aileron to keep the roll rate constant.
Again, I think you're doing a great job and will do well. Hope you take my comments purely constructively. NOBODY has a chance at doing well at a contest without experienced help from the ground. You could probably tighten up most of this on practice day, which everybody will be glad to help you with. Good luck, don't take this contest stuff too seriously, and most importantly HAVE FUN!
