Premier Race Gates

Written by Randall Campbell Digital exclusive A few years ago, Model Aviation magazine previewed a company called Premier Kites. At the time, the business had introduced technology that allowed kites to be flown with no strings attached. For the first time, young and old alike were able to fly a kite with or without wind and with few restrictions. This new technology was centered around a vector propulsion system. It was, essentially, a brushless motor on a gimbal controlled by servos that allowed a pilot to direct thrust where needed to maintain forward motion and stay airborne. Less significant at that time, but of more importance today, was that it introduced Premier Kites to the world of RC aircraft and the people who fly them. More on that later. Premier Kites has been building fabric kites for more than 27 years. The company works with roughly 20 master kite designers worldwide to produce kite creations and flying accessories. Kites range from simple beginner delta and diamond kites to giant display kites that are more than 60 feet long. You can see some of the company’s kites at www.premierkites.com.

When Premier Kites introduced and later patented the Vector Propulsion System in 2008, it exposed the company to a new audience: RC enthusiasts. Although the RC crowd was new to Premier, their values were similar to those in the kiting world. Both activities are friend and family oriented. Premier Kites realized that it could combine its kite fabrication with recent breakthroughs in RC propulsion and control to reach a new audience. PremierRC was born. PremierRC is still committed to producing the best kite designs on the planet—both electric powered and air powered—as well as branching out into another area of RC: FPV drone racing. Although the company doesn’t make the actual multirotors, it does make the accessories that contribute to the fun and competition of the sport by producing a line of race gates, large and small arches, keyholes, jump overs, slalom flags, course markers, and more.

One of the kite designers working with PremierRC, Wayne Brunjes, was also an FPV pilot. Wayne had flown courses with homemade PVC pipe gates and found them lacking. After talking with other pilots in his flying group about what they felt were the “must haves,” In addition to durability, the pilots all seemed to agree on one thing: visibility. After all, they said, “You can’t hit what you can’t see.” Wayne began putting together his plan. Using the pilots’ input and his background in kite fabrication, Wayne began creating a couple of prototype gates. After some preliminary field testing, he presented the prototypes to Val Deale and Albert Lim of PremierRC and pitched his idea. Val and Albert immediately saw the connection. Although they weren’t familiar with FPV or drone racing, they recognized the opportunity. All of the materials were already in stock and on the shelves at their factory, and they could start as soon as the designs were finalized. In a matter of weeks, the first components were put to the test by top pilots in the sport of drone racing including members of the Mini Quad Club (MQC) and Conrad “Furadi” Miller. Nick Miller, MQC founder and team captain, said, “The key to getting better at flying FPV is practice—pure and simple. Whether you’re into racing or freestyle flight, your skill level is dependent on being able to fly your airframe around or through obstacles at high rates of speed. “Premier Race Gates [provide] pilots with the highest-quality racing gates and flags available in the marketplace today. Their tough construction and choice of materials ensures that you’ll be using them season after season, even if you spend more time crashing into them [than] going around them.”

To make the racing gates durable, PremierRC relied on its kite fabrication knowledge. The kite fabric and framing needed to embody many of the same characteristics as a race gate, such as standing up to wind, weather, stress, and impact. The fabric selected for the the various field components is heavy, weather-resistant Suntex and is both fade and propeller resistant. It’s designed take a hit and absorbs the impact while limiting damage to the aircraft. The arch and keyhole designs incorporate strategically placed portholes to allow airflow through the fabric swatches to better withstand wind, with minimal sway.

The supports are constructed from durable heavy-wall 9.5mm and 12.5mm fiberglass tubing. The frames are joined with heavy aluminum and stainless steel ferrules. The included ground stakes—molded from heavy ABS plastic—are easy to drive into most terrain and keep markers and gates securely in place. The ground stakes are hollow to accept the fiberglass frame rods, so for most components, there is no need for additional tie-downs that could impede flyways, snag propellers, and decapitate video transmitter antennas. PremierRC decided to offer its components in three highly visible color variations: yellow and white, red and white, and black and white. When discussing the importance of color choices, Val and Wayne had a similar response. “We could’ve opted for a huge company logo and splashy multicolored graphics, but we both felt that took away from the primary purpose of the components,” Val said. Wayne added, “From a pilot’s perspective, the splashy graphics can sometimes blend into the background and almost act as camouflage. Coming out of [a] turn, you just don’t have time to search for the next gate.” PremierRC took into account other important factors: setup and teardown. Spending more time setting up than flying is no fun, so PremierRC designed its components for easy setup and fast teardown. Arches, for instance (there are two sizes), are simple to assemble. To set up, drive in one ABS ground stake, put together the fiberglass rods, and thread the double-stitched loops over the rods. Insert one end into the ground stake, stretch out the arch as far as the included cord will allow, and drive in the other stake. Insert the other end of the rod and you’re done. Each gate, marker, and marker set comes packaged in a labeled carrying bag for easy identification and portability. The sport of multirotor racing will likely get bigger and better. If you fly for fun, PremierRC race gates and markers could help give you and/or your club a professional presence and add to the excitement of racing and freestyle FPV flying. If you are a serious competitor, PremierRC components can help you create the same type of flying environment that you’ll experience on race day. -Randall Campbell