Tom Wolf’s de Havilland Mosquito FBVI is powered by two O.S. .40 SF engines. The
design is from Brian Taylor/Bob Holman plans, and it weighs 19 pounds.
Ernest Harwood’s scratch-built Aviatik C.I uses a
Saito 1.20 FS and features a full cockpit that has the
RC gear in the full-scale airplane’s fuel tanks.
ON THE FRONT page of the US Scale
Masters Association’s Web site—
www.scalemasters.org—is a statement of
purpose. It reads:
“The US Scale Masters Association is
committed to the development and growth of
scale aircraft modeling, by bringing people
together to have fun while focusing on scale
realism, competition, and sportsmanship for
the enjoyment of all.”
What is not mentioned is that these are
not your grandfather’s .19-powered, handlaunched
Scale models! These magnificent
aircraft are big, fire-breathing, capable-ofsubmach-
number-speed, not-for-the-faint-ofheart
airplanes, which, by anyone’s
definition, are great-flying machines. The
2004 US Scale Masters Championships, held
September 23-26, 2004, seemed to illustrate
that in all aspects.
This was the 25th annual event, and it
was held in Gardner, Kansas, at the Gardner
Municipal Airport. The members of the R/C Barnstormers club of Hillsdale, Kansas, with
help from local volunteers from the regional
clubs, provided the manpower to do the hard
work of setting up and running the contest.
CD John Ostmeyer was probably the only
person without a permanent smile; he was
too busy working to smile very often. Pat
Hewitt, who did smile, was responsible for
the management of the contest.
However, in John’s defense, Grand
Champion and Expert winner Terry Nitsch
(who has been to more than a couple of
contests) complimented John and the R/C
Barnstormers on hosting an excellent
competition! (Of course, he might not be
totally unbiased with two trophies in his
hands.)
Gardner is a small town southwest of
Kansas City, and the citizens went all out to
make for a good contest experience. Mayor
Carol Lehman came to the Thursday-night
barbecue and made a welcoming speech to
the contestants and workers, and she noted
that all of the local merchants were expecting
to see them in their shops!
The local Holiday Inn was the official
competitors’ place to stay since it was a
convenient few minutes’ drive from the
contest site. The Saturday-night dinner and
awards ceremony were held there.
The Gardner Municipal Airport proved to
be a good place to hold the contest. A fullscale
runway was adequate for all but the
most die-hard pilots, who insist on grass
runways. That is understandable since tail
skids on a slick surface are not conducive to
directional stability on takeoff rolls.
The short grass along the far side of the
runway was more than adequate for the taildraggers’
takeoffs and landings. The average
airplane at this contest is big by normal
modeling standards, and their tires can handle
everything, including an occasional foray
into the weeds that grew farther out in the
rough.
The management/CD team seemed to
keep the contest running smoothly at all
times. Judges were in place, as were
flightline workers with radios, ready to
control the flow of contestants and airplanes
for all rounds. There were spectator
bleachers, food vendors, and everything else
necessary to make the contestants and
visitors comfortable.
Many local modelers told me that the
weather is always beautiful in Kansas, but I
have a hard time believing that since I’ve
lived in Missouri for years. However, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday were gorgeous.
Friday had high, streaming clouds against
a blue sky and great temperatures. Saturday
was nicer with a clear, blue sky, with a little
wind and slightly warmer temperatures.
Sunday morning exceeded all expectations; it
was the perfect flying day. If the contestants
needed a near-zero wind, a perfect sky, and
ideal temperatures to fly their best flights,
Sunday was their day.
Dick Hansen built his 8-pound Sopwith 11⁄2-Strutter from a Proctor Enterprises/VK
Models kit. It is powered by a Laser engine driving a 14 x 4 propeller.
Lynn Hersh built this 1⁄5-scale Stinson SR-8 from the Ikon N’wst kit, and Daryl Rolla
piloted it in Team Scale. It spans 101 inches and weighs 38 pounds.
The cockpit detail in Al Kretz’s SBD-3 Dauntless, built from a Yellow Aircraft kit. It has
retracts, flaps, and an in-flight mixture control for its Moki 1.80.
The static judging was held in the local
Commemorative Air Force hangar. An AT-6
and a PT-19 parked inside made a good backdrop and set the mood for the judging.
But when Robert Benson brought his PT-19
to the Scale Masters, he probably didn’t
expect to see a full-scale version sitting next
to the judges’ tables!
Judging took place all day Thursday.
Each contestant was given a time slot during
which to present his airplane for scoring. An
overview of the results indicates that all of
the models’ final static scores were close.
(Each model had to qualify in a regional
contest to make it to the Scale Masters,
resulting in most of the best Scale models
being presented to the judges.)
The close static scores meant that flight
scores would be critical in determining the
final outcome. That is reasonable since I am
referring to airplanes. They are designed to
fly—not sit around on the ground.
Larry Folk built his 141-inch-span PA-18-180 Super Cub from a
Balsa USA kit. It is powered by a D&B 3.7 gas engine.
Howard D. Schlange brought one of two Spacewalkers to the
contest. His weighs 25 pounds. Both were built from the Sig kit.
Jeremy Arvin flew this 32-pound, 108-inch-span North American
SNJ-5 that Dale Arvin built from a Yellow Aircraft kit.
Dick Heininge built this Fleet Model 1 from his factory drawings,
and Gary Parker flew it to fourth place in Team Scale.
Claude McCullough built this Trella T-106 from his plans. An O.S.
320 pulled its 33 pounds around realistically.
Steve Wilson built this Nieuport 28 from a Proctor kit, and Paul
Hayes piloted it. The smoke is from the Laser 200 engine.
Terry Nitsch’s 40-pound BVM F-100F is shown in the landing configuration, with slats,
flaps, and speed brake deployed; lights on; and landing gear down.
The Thursday-evening barbecue was
also held in the Commemorative Air Force
hangar, where contestants, contest workers,
and the rest of us who had bought tickets
gathered. The setting and companionship
was great.
My wife Bonnie and I met many nice
people, but Evelyn and Craig Williams (one
of the Scale judges) made us feel totally
welcome. During the next days, Evelyn gave
us homemade cinnamon bread, chocolate
drop cookies, banana bread, and her
friendship.
Friday morning started with a color-guard
flag presentation at the field, followed by a
pilots’ meeting. There was a great deal of
room on the paved area between the
spectators’ fence and the runway, to allow
pilots and airplanes to move about. A
taxiway led out to the runway and connected
to the paved area.
The models were staged on the taxiway,
which was divided into four lanes for the
corresponding four judging stations. After
the pilot had discussed his upcoming flight
with the judges, he started his aircraft and
taxied it out to the runway. After receiving
clearance, the flight commenced.
This worked great, with several models
in the staging areas at all times, except when
Terry Nitsch’s turbine was started. The area
behind the hot exhaust gas was cleared out
well in advance, and a blast diverter was
employed.
The judges deserve a special
commendation for their work. Although
they have the best seats in the house, and
even though the models are being flown just
for them, they must try to be consistent,
impartial, and accurate during three days of
flying and five flight rounds.
With the runway orientation, the judges
faced the sun for a large part of the time.
That made the task of scoring extremely
difficult, but at least the great weather
prevented anyone from getting heat stroke.
While watching the flying, I immediately
came to the conclusion that the pilots and
The Steward brothers—builder Jack and pilot Jay—brought this scratch-built Nieuport
28 C-1. Jack built it from his plans and powered it with a Saito 150.
Brian O’Meara flew James Hammond Jr.’s 1⁄5-scale Ki-61 “Tony” in Team Scale, and the
pair won. The 20-pound model is powered by an O.S. 1.60 engine.
The Saturday-night barbecue in the Commemorative Air Force
hangar brought modelers, workers, the press, and Gardner,
Kansas, mayor Carol Lehman together in an ideal setting.
Frank Banks built his nicely finished P-38 from Ziroli plans, and
John Mota piloted it. The model weighs 50 pounds and is
powered by two Zenoah engines.
models were indeed representative of the best
of the RC Scale modeler’s art and craft. With
only a few exceptions, each takeoff and
landing was straight down the runway, and
the pilots adequately handled the small side
wind.
Since all of the airplanes were big (the old
saying that “bigger flies better” was
substantiated), each flew and handled with
smoothness and grace. There were a few
accidents, but in general I have never seen
better flying at any Scale contest. As an
indication of how well the modern Scale
modeler has mastered his equipment, I saw
only three engine-out landings in the three
days of flying.
A variety of aircraft was present, spanning
the years from the World War I Nieuports to
the turbine-powered F-100Fs. The larger
models allowed under the current rules made
it possible for the pilots to present their
airplanes’ flights through the air at scale
speeds, which enhanced the visual effect.
World War II fighters were faster than
civilian sport airplanes, as they should be.
When the two extremes of model speeds were in the air at the same time, it was
entertaining and educational. I was amused
by watching Roland Worsfold’s J-3 Cub
chug around while it was in a holding pattern
because of activity on the ground. He made
one circuit of the field in the same amount of
time it took Terry Nitsch to fly his F-100F
through an entire flight.
The photos accompanying this article
present a range of airplanes to which I was
drawn. With 49 contestants, it is impossible
to show photos of all the models, although all
are deserving of a spot. I have set aside an
Internet site so you can see them all. It
includes some of the many photos I took at
the contest, and I will add more as time
permits. If you would like to visit the site,
please get in touch with me at benlanter
[email protected].
I spent most of my time at the
competition just behind the judges’ line, to
try to give the reader the best view of the
airplane in its element. The only unfortunate
thing was that the runway was running east
and west with the judges stationed on the
north side, resulting in the sun being in the
contestants’ eyes, the judges’ eyes, and the
camera’s lens. The pilots and judges didn’t
seem to notice the sun as the flight paths
tracked through the sunlit sky, but the camera
did not care for it.
I suggest that a new maneuver be added
to the present required sequence: a show
flyby. This is nothing more than a segment of
a horizontal circle with the airplane banked at
45°, which is equivalent to a 2 g maneuver.
It is well within any pilot’s and airplane’s
capabilities, but this maneuver should be
adjusted to the airplane type. If the contestant
was uncomfortable with it, he or she could
substitute the present straight (ho-hum)
flight.
Bob Heikell built his Bellanca Series J-Long Distance Special from a modified Jerry
Bates plans set. It is a model of the first trans-Pacific airplane.
David Pinegar piloted this Chinese AEW airplane as modeled by George Maiorana. It’s
powered by four MaxCim NE electric motors driving 13 x 9 propellers.
Steve Ort’s scratch-built B-25 had a midair with a J-3 Cub, and the Cub won! The B-25’s
outer wing panel sheared off, resulting in impact with the ground.
Scott Russell did the piloting chores for Wayne Siewert’s P-47 Thunderbolt from an
Aerotech kit. The rivet detail is molded into the model’s panels.
Kent Walters’ SBD-3 Dauntless drops its
ordnance after a long dive. Deployed
speed brakes keep the speed down, as
they did on the full-scale airplane.
impressive flyby could set the tone for the
rest of the performance. Judges are, after all,
human. Imagine how the F-100F would look
performing this maneuver.
Who Won What? The accompanying charts
include the results. (There are no losers at
this level of competition.) Each contestant
richly deserved his scores, and the placings
were not decided until the last day’s flying.
That kept the suspense high.
Not too many years ago, an aircraft such
Kelly Tippetts built this Curtiss Robin from his plans and
powered it with an O.S. 1.08. John Urton did piloting duties.
Terry and Sheila Nitsch with Expert and Grand Champion awards—
results of smooth flying, a great helper, and an awesome jet.
Greg Hahn dropped a parachute from his Ziroli-designed Douglas
C-47A. The release mechanism worked flawlessly each time.
Lee Rice’s big 1⁄5-scale F4U Corsair releases its
centerline tank. He built the 32-pound model from a
Ziroli kit.
Zach Spychalla (L) attaches the propeller and spinner to his 92-inchwingspan
Spitfire before static judging.
Mitch Buckley’s 28-pound P-47D Thunderbolt was built from a
Yellow Aircraft kit and powered with a Zenoah G-45.
Bob Patton built this 1⁄3-scale Cessna 150 Aerobat from his plans. He powered the 130-
inch-wingspan aircraft with a 3W-85 twin-cylinder engine.
Since the flyby would bank the airplane
toward the judges and the crowd, I imagine it
would become the one time during a
sequence when everyone would turn to
watch. Done early in the flight routine, and
2004 U.S. Scale Masters Championships Results
Expert
Place Builder Aircraft Static Flight Total
1. Terry Nitsch North American F-100-F 99.750 94.000 193.750
2. Kent Walters Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless 99.750 92.750 192.500
3. Zach Spychalla Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XVIVE 99.750 91.666 191.416
4. Lee Rice Chance Vought F4U Corsair 99.750 91.333 191.083
5. Tom Wolf de Havilland Mosquito FBVI 99.750 91.167 190.917
6. Leo T. Spychalla Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIVE 98.750 91.917 190.667
7. Bob Patton Cessna 150 Aerobat 99.750 89.583 189.333
8. Larry Folk Piper PA-18-180 Super Cub 99.500 89.417 188.917
9. Dick Konkle Aeronca 7AC Champ 99.750 89.166 188.916
10. David Pinegar Beechcraft T-34A Mentor 98.250 90.583 188.833
11. Al Kretz Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless 99.250 89.417 188.667
12. Steve Forrest Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 99.250 88.833 188.083
13. Mitch Buckley Republic P-47 D Thunderbolt 97.000 90.917 187.917
14. Greg Hahn Douglas C-47A 99.500 88.333 187.833
15. Dick Hansen Sopwith 11⁄2-Strutter 99.750 88.000 187.750
16. Howard D. Schlange Spacewalker 99.500 88.083 187.583
17. Doug Crumley Piper PA-18 Super Cub 99.500 86.750 186.250
18. Max Ficken Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 99.500 86.667 186.167
19. Bob Heikell Bellanca Series J-Long Distance 98.000 88.083 186.083
20. Jack Buckley de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth 99.750 85.750 185.500
21. Michael R. Smith Piper L-4 99.250 85.833 185.083
22. Roland Worsfold Piper J-3 Cub 97.750 87.250 185.000
23. Gene LaFond Extra 300 95.750 88.917 184.667
24. William Wheeler Piper J-3 Cub 96.250 88.417 184.667
25. Larry Sutherland Beechcraft T-34A Mentor 99.500 82.917 182.417
26. Tim Lovett Spacewalker II 98.750 82.083 180.833
27. Robert Benson Fairchild PT-19 99.750 78.667 178.417
28. Wayne Frederick Fokker D.VIII 99.500 77.833 177.333
29. Steve Ort North American B-25 Mitchell 99.750 47.750 147.500
30. Ernest Harwood Aviatik C.I 99.500 16.583 116.083
31. Lawrence Harville Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat 99.500 2.500 102.000
Te a m
Place Pilot Builder Aircraft Static Flight Total
1. Brian O’Meara James Hammond Jr. Kawasaki Ki-61 “Tony” 99.500 93.667 193.167
2. Jay Steward Jack Steward Nieuport 28 C-1 99.750 90.917 190.667
3. David Pinegar George Maiorana Chinese AEW 99.500 91.083 190.583
4. Gary Parker Dick Heininge Fleet Model 1 99.750 89.000 188.750
5. Jeremy Arvin Dale Arvin North American SNJ-5 99.500 88.667 188.167
6. John Urton Kelly Tippetts Curtiss Robin 99.250 88.917 188.167
7. Scott Russell Wayne Siewert Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 99.500 88.583 188.083
8. John Mota Frank R. Banks Lockheed P-38L 99.250 88.333 187.583
9. Curtis Kitteringham Ron Peterka Stinson SR-9 Gullwing 99.500 87.083 186.583
10. Paul Haynes Steve Wilson Nieuport 28 C-1 99.500 86.167 185.667
11. Jack Buckley Robert Rullie North American P-51 Mustang 99.250 85.583 184.833
12. Bob Frey Dave Gianakos Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 99.750 84.250 184.000
13. Gene LaFond Robert C. Patterson Gee Bee Ascender 96.750 87.250 184.000
14. Daryl Rolla Lynn Hersh Stinson SR-8 96.000 87.083 183.083
15. Duane Pisciotta Sam Pisciotta Nieuport 28 C-1 98.500 83.667 182.167
16. L.J. Hollingworth Rob Talbot-Jones Ercoupe 415-D 98.250 83.416 181.666
17. Wayne Frederick Vernon Altamirano Cessna 182 99.500 57.167 156.667
18. Mike Gretz Claude McCullough Trella T-106 99.750 4.917 104.667
as Terry Nitsch’s F-100F was something
most of us modelers just daydreamed about
as we built our small, glow-powered
airplanes. Some of us even held plastic
models over our heads and made jet sounds
as we flew in front of a set of imaginary
judges and reveled in the silent applause of
our peers.
Consider what Terry Nitsch has achieved.
His jet is of sufficient scale fidelity to place
at or near the top in any static Scale
competition in the world, its flying
characteristics are so nice that the flight in
the air is as good, if not better than, any
model in the world, and it is powered by a
self-starting, realistic-sounding turbojet
engine that needs a blast shield to protect
those behind it. The F-100F has also won
first-place trophies in other contests, so it is
not a delicate prima donna; it is everything a
steady, reliable-flying model should be.
James Hammond Jr. built the World War
II fighter model of the Ki-61 Tony, and Brian
O’Meara piloted it. Its winning Team Scale
score was second only to the F-100F overall
and was established by an awesome flight
performance.
The full-scale Tony was designed for
speed and maneuverability with a powerful
in-line, liquid-cooled engine, and the same
aerodynamics make for a nice-flying model.
I first saw the Ki-61 as I was walking into the
static-judging area and was struck by the
canopy detail and the great scale pilot sitting
on the wing.
I had never been close to Kent Walters
while he was flying. He delivered a
monologue to the judges as he went through
his in-flight preparation to make a divebombing
run. Many of us have trouble flying
and talking at the same time, much less
delivering a pertinent series of words to a set
of judges.
Pointing the big Dauntless toward the
ground from a great altitude and diving it
until bomb release left me speechless except
for the sigh of relief as it all worked. Kent
and his airplane are impressive and have
been at the top of Scale events for many
years.
I love everything that flies (I am a retired
aero engineer and a lifelong modeler) and am
especially fond of old biplanes. After seeing
many olive drab military finishes during the
contest, Ernest Harwood’s slow, beautiful
Aviatik C.I was a refreshing change. The
wings’ TEs were real wire, and the covering
was expertly pulled over them.
When Ernest had the wing off later, I
looked inside the fuselage and didn’t see
anything that shouldn’t have been there.
There were wicker seats and control cables
connecting the stick and rudders, etc. After a
few minutes of appreciating Ernest’s model,
I finally had to ask him the obvious question:
“Where is the radio gear?” I couldn’t see any
wires or servos.
He pointed out that in the full-scale
aircraft, two fuel tanks ran along the inside of
the fuselage sides. He hid everything inside
them and camouflaged the connections to the
rudder and elevator enough so that nothing
could be seen.
Steve Ort suffered one of the most
heartbreaking and strangest events at the
Scale Masters. His terrific B-25 had two
engines roaring and was covered in olive drab
with a black-and-white invasion-stripe color
scheme. Fully detailed cockpits and other
features made it eye-catching on the ground
and in flight. It was one of my favorites.
I photographed the B-25 on takeoff for its
last flight and turned to get a photo of another
model in the air, when I heard an impact and
groans. I turned to see dust and debris coming
from the ground in the flyover area.
According to my witness, a Piper J-3 Cub
collided with the B-25. You might think the
B-25 would come out the better of such a
collision, but there were some huge J-3s at the
Scale Masters. One of the Cub’s wing struts
had sliced through the B-25’s outer wing
panel like a knife. (I would assume that the
strut was not made from balsa!) At that point,
the big B-25 lost controlled flight and crashed.
To add misery to insult, the once-beautiful
bomber’s remains had to stay out in the field
for all to see until all flights in that round were
finished. Those had to be some long minutes
for Steve.
Saturday night, after the fourth round of
flying, a banquet was held at the Holiday Inn.
The company was excellent, the food was
great, and those present seemed to enjoy
themselves. After the banquet, “Amelia
Earhart” presented some selected memories of
her life. It was a polished and entertaining
show, and it was pertinent to a Scale airplanemodeling
crowd.
Afterward, various officials and volunteers
of the Masters organization and the
Barnstormers were recognized for their fine
work and given thank-you gifts. The evening
was finished off by the presentation of the
“Best of” awards. These winners are featured
in an accompanying chart. Each person who
won one of the plaques deserved it, and the
photos should be up on the Scale Masters
Web site by the time you read this.
This was my second trip to the Scale Masters
as a spectator, and I fully enjoyed the
experience. Although I enjoy flying a Pattern
airplane (don’t throw rocks at me for what I
am about to write), watching a Pattern contest
is an exercise in boredom. Streamlined
airplane after airplane that all look the same
(there seemingly isn’t much difference
between the top designs) do the same
maneuvers again and again—all with equally
good precision.
At a contest such as the Scale Masters, you
see a wide variety of aircraft designs, each
flying different patterns in a scalelike manner.
You can watch all of one flight round and not
see the same thing twice.
The Scale-model builders and pilots are a
great bunch (not that the Pattern fliers aren’t)
and will take the time to talk to spectators and
press. If you are ever close enough to a Scale
event, be sure to visit. These airplanes are
worth seeing.
Thanks again to the R/C Barnstormers and
the members of the Scale Masters
organization for their kindness to me and my
wife during our visit. I hope to see you again
next year.
Go to the US Scale Masters Association
(USSMA) Official Web site at www.scale
masters.org/ for more information about this
segment of the hobby. You can also find
information about Scale on the Academy of
Model Aeronautics Web site at
http://modelaircraft.org/ and in this
magazine. MA
Ben Lanterman
3432 Covington Pkwy.
Saint Charles MO 63301
2004 U.S. Scale Masters Championships Awards
Award Sponsored By Aircraft Recipient(s)
Best Biplane R/C Barnstormers Aviatik C.I Ernest Harwood
Best Multi Engine McLean Auto & Truck, Inc. Douglas C-47A Greg Hahn
Best Golden Age Roger and Carolynne Weeks Bellanca Series J-Long Distance Bob Heikell
Best Civilian Dennis and Nancy Meyer Bellanca Series J-Long Distance Bob Heikell
Best Military Jensen Designs, Inc./Josie and Earl Aune Lockheed P-38 Lightning Frank R. Banks (pilot John Mota)
Best Jet CNC Machine & Manufacturing North American F-100F Terry Nitsch
Best Markings ReMax Equity Group North American F-100F Terry Nitsch
Best Documentation Portland Area Model Aircraft Association Bellanca Series J-Long Distance Bob Heikell
Best WW I Proctor Enterprises Nieuport 28 C-1 Jack Steward
Best WW II CAF Commemorative Air Force de Havilland Mosquito FBVI Tom Wolf
Best Built Up Kit Gary and Gloria Norton Piper PA-18-180 Super Cub Larry Folk
Best Scratch Built Aircraft EAA Chapter 868 Cessna 150 Aerobat Bob Patton
Engineering Achievement Kelly Martin Insurance Ascender Robert Patterson
High Static Shawnee Mission R/C Club North American F-100F Terry Nitsch
Pilots’ Choice Miami County Airport Association Cessna 150 Aerobat Bob Patton
Harris Lee Lifetime Achievement Scale Masters Association Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat Austin Goodwin
High Flight (tied score) KC Aviation Technicians Association F4U Corsair, Kawasaki Ki-61“Tony” Lee Rice, Brian O’Meara
Most Realistic Flight—Team Airtronics Radio Systems Stinson SR-9 Gullwing pilot Curtis Kitteringham, Ron Peterka
Most Realistic Flight—Expert Airtronics Radio Systems 1937 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth Jack Buckley
Best Mission Award—Team Airtronics Radio Systems Chinese AEW pilot David Pinegar, George Maiorana