Author: Jon Barnes
Edition: Model Aviation - 2014/02
Page Numbers: 37,38,39,40
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2013 U.S. Scale Masters Championships

by Jon Barnes

Background

The greater San Francisco Bay area is rich in aviation history. The region was home to many large military airbases throughout the 20th century. One of the busiest was the Alameda Naval Air Station, located on the bay between the cities of San Francisco and Oakland. This sprawling, concrete-covered megabase was once home to countless squadrons of Navy and Marine aircraft, as well as nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

Although the base has been shuttered since the end of the last century, its long runways and abundant open space have been pressed into service for a wide variety of uses, including an AMA-chartered club field. Preparations were made to host the 34th annual U.S. Scale Masters Championships at this exciting and historically rich site.

Venue change and organization

The best-laid plans are often torn asunder, however, and unforeseen events beyond the control of the U.S. Scale Masters Association (USSMA) planning committee created a sudden need for a last-minute change of venue—after nearly two and a half years of preparatory work to hold the contest at the naval base.

The club officers had wisely arranged a contingency plan. Within mere days of learning that Alameda was a no-go, the contest was moved to the Woodland-Davis Aeromodelers’ Mavis Henson Field, located 80 miles north of Alameda. Club board member Jeff Lovitt stepped forward to serve as Contest Director. All of the club members deserve commendation for diligently finalizing the arrangements within a short deadline.

USSMA mission and competition classes

USSMA’s mission is to “develop and promote an interest in Scale Aircraft Modeling, accomplishing this by bringing people together to learn about the fascinating aspects of Aviation, Scale Realism, Competition, and Sportsmanship.”

Regional qualifying events are held throughout the first nine months of the year at club fields across the U.S. Those who advance to the Scale Championships must earn their way in, meeting minimum qualification scores in any of the five classes:

  • Expert
  • Team
  • Advanced
  • ProAm/Pro
  • ProAm/Sportsman

The five classes are in place to encourage newer and less-experienced modelers and pilots to taste the excitement of Scale competition. One does not have to possess a lifetime of learned modeling and piloting skills to compete. The ProAm/Sportsman class is a great way to ease into competing.

Models and notable aircraft

The variety of models flown at the event represented nearly every genre of the hobby. An abundance of warbirds from all eras of aviation was present.

WWI-era

  • John Cole’s scratch-built de Havilland D.H.1a placed third in the Expert class. The D.H.1 was Geoffrey de Havilland’s first commercial design and featured a pusher configuration, allowing the gunner an unobstructed view. The dummy Beardmore in-line six-cylinder engine on John’s model was made from cast resin, wood, plastic, brass, and aluminum. He actuated the control surfaces using cable control loops—the exact system used on the full-scale airplane. The model looked majestic in flight.

WWII-era

  • Tom Wolf’s de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI placed first in the Expert class and looked every bit the part of the full-scale British twin-engine fighter/bomber, especially when making a low-level bomb drop.
  • Randy Warkentin’s F6F-3 Hellcat featured impressive detail.
  • Edward Becker’s Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIVc was sleek and well flown.
  • Mike Ingram flew a powerful-looking Hawker Sea Fury; unfortunately one main gear leg collapsed on landing.
  • The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was especially popular—seven P-47s flew at the competition. One pilot, nine-year-old Dylan Baltazar, flew a .60-size Hangar 9 P-47 expertly and finished third in the ProAm/Sportsman class.

Modern era (jets and turbines)

  • Turbine-powered F-100 Super Sabres were menacing in flight. Jack G. Diaz claimed second place in the Advanced class with his F model, while Rod Snyder took first flying his D model.
  • Chris Wolfe flew an electric-powered, delta-wing Dassault Mirage III S (a Jet Hangar Hobbies short kit) powered by an E-Turbax ducted-fan on 12S LiPos. Finished in a Swiss Air Force commemorative scheme, Chris placed fourth in the Advanced class.

General aviation and other entries

  • Mel Santmyers competed in the Advanced class with a 96-inch wingspan Hangar 9 Cub.
  • Mike Brewer, from Astoria, Oregon, flew a low-wing Ercoupe and placed sixth in the Expert class with a 110-inch wingspan, gas-powered 28-pound model.
  • Curtis Kitteringham (pilot) and Ron Peterka (builder) placed third in the Team class with a 98-inch wingspan, scratch-built Stinson SR-5 Reliant featuring a scale interior. The full-scale inspiration had been on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex.

Youth and veteran competitors

Many of the more mature, veteran pilots in attendance sported gray hair, but Dylan Baltazar was a notable exception. At nine years old, Dylan was the youngest competitor at the event. He and his father Armand were attending their first Scale Masters Championships. Dylan performed calmly for the judges and earned a respectable third-place finish in the ProAm/Sportsman class. He represents the youth needed to sustain the hobby.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Mel Santmyers, age 81, has attended every Scale Masters competition—34 events—since the inaugural contest in 1980. Mel has been modeling for more than 57 years. He contributed a short autobiography about his experiences and accomplishments, which is available on the USSMA website.

Personal impressions

This was the first Scale Masters event I have attended. In my 30 years of modeling, I had never felt the urge to compete. Having seen articles over the years, I perceived the contest as beyond my abilities as a self-described “Average Joe” modeler. Many of the aircraft in the competition feature extreme levels of scale detail and realism and are built and flown by some of the best pilots.

That perception was wrong. The competition is designed so that expert and novice scale modelers—and everyone in between—can participate together. The atmosphere at the Scale Masters Championships was friendly and relaxed. I am not Mel Santmyers or Dylan Baltazar, but I am a passionate modeler who loves the sight of a scale model in flight.

Will you consider joining the ranks next year? Don’t be surprised if you see me there too, making my bid to qualify in the ProAm/Sportsman class.

— Jon Barnes [email protected]

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.