John Rist’s Do 335: 1/2A Scale models seem to represent different aircraft that are not typically built for Sport Scale. One such model is the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil that saw limited production during World War II.
John Rist scratch-built this model and installed a shaft to drive the rear propeller as was on the full-scale airplane. Because plans for this model are uncommon, John used MS Visio to enlarge the three-view to create templates.
The rear engine is a TD .049 and the front engine is a Noral AMD .061. The balloon fuel tanks are on the right side of the fuselage and the rear engine is on the left side of the fuselage. John designed the shaft and Jim Lee of Lee Machine Shop machined it. He used a universal joint and a bearing for its design.
Having the correct color information can make a difference in the static score. John found documentation that showed the camouflage pattern and RLM color numbers. The model is painted with Klass Kote, which offers premixed paint for the RLM color numbers.
He got the scale documentation, based on photos of the full-scale aircraft at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, from Bob’s Aircraft Documentation.
1/2A Scale Rules
Because 1/2A Scale is not an AMA event, contests are run under club rules. This event brings out the child in everyone because at one point each of us has flown or done something with these small motors. They can be frustrating and challenging, but it seems to draw smiles and good memories.
1/2A Scale is currently flown at the Circlemasters CL club in Milwaukee; the Brodak Fly-In in Pennsylvania; the AMA Nats and Fellowship of Christian Modelers (FCM) contests in Muncie, Indiana; the Lafayette Esquadrille CL club in St. Louis; the Cholla Choppers CL club in Tucson, Arizona; and the Central Arizona CL club in Phoenix.
The rules vary between contests. Some require .061 or smaller engines and encourage multiengine models. Verify the maximum engine size allowed before attending any contest.
Brodak established a set of rules that allows for single or multiengine models. Bonus points are given for multiengine models and static judging is done for outline, color, finish, markings, and craftsmanship. Then you have to start all of the engines, take off, and fly 10 level laps.
The model can be full-body or profile fuselage, but the full-body fuselage models do not have a scoring advantage. Building a model such as this is a nice break from building larger, detailed models typically found in Sport Scale.
The Cholla Choppers club has a different set of rules with two categories. Limited is similar to the Brodak rules, but it offers bonus points if you have multiple wings. The Unlimited category allows pilots to use throttle control and you choose three options during the flight.
The club has full details on its website for the contest and the rules.
Tucson 1/2A Scale Contest
The Cholla Choppers held its annual 1/2A Scale contest in October 2013. Lou Wolgast took first place in Limited with his three-engine de Havilland D.H.66 Hercules. He had two Cox Tee Dee .049s and a Cox .049 Black Widow in the nose.
Bonus points can make a difference in this event. All of the entries in the Limited category were multiengine and only two were biplanes.
The Unlimited category had five entries. Leroy Black, flying his Norvel .061-powered Heinkel He 219, finished in first place. Keith Trostle flew his German Mistel to a second-place finish. The Mistel is a Junkers Ju 88 with the cockpit removed and replaced with an explosive warhead. He loads a Messerschmitt Bf 109 on top and the pilot in the Bf 109 “controls” the composite aircraft from there.
Keith has a Cox Tee Dee .049 in the Bf 109 and a pair of Norvel .061s in the Ju 88. He added flexible pushrod from the Ju 88 that came through the bottom of the Bf 109 using three-line throttle control.
Another model worth noting was Al Culver’s Convair Model 48 Charger that took fifth place in Unlimited. He had 2.4 GHz controls for the throttle and retractable landing gear.
1/2A Scale Contests in 2014
The Circlemasters CL club in Milwaukee holds its annual contest in June. The Brodak Fly-In is also in June. The AMA Nats are in July at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie. The FCM contest is held in late August at the IAC.
The Treetown Modelaires club is adding 1/2A Scale to its annual September event in Sugar Grove, Illinois, and the Broken Arrow Scale contest is held in St. Louis in September. The Cholla Choppers holds its annual contest in October in Tucson. The Central Arizona CL Club has added 1/2A Scale to its traditional Scale contest in late October.
Look in the AMA Contest Calendar or contact the sponsoring organization to verify the contest dates. Brodak rules are used at the Circlemasters contest, at the Brodak Fly-In, the Nats, and the FCM contest. The Cholla Choppers rules are used at the Tucson and Phoenix contests and the Broken Arrow contest has its own set of rules.
Call the CD before going to a contest to verify which rules are being used. Contact me for rules and information regarding the Broken Arrow Scale contest.
1/2A Scale Racing
Jim Roselle is running a Postal 1/2A Scale Speed contest. The goal is to build a Stand-Off Scale 1/2A-powered model (.049 maximum) and fly as fast as possible for 10 laps. There is no static judging and the model has to be based on a full-scale aircraft.
Because this is a Postal contest, you fly the model at your own flying field and then send the results to Jim. Look on the website for the details and rules. By the time you read this, the registration will be closed, but you can start building a model for next year.
Three-Views and Books
Locating a good three-view for your next project can sometimes be a challenge. I have found three-views in books, magazines, and a variety of other sources. Squadron sells books about aircraft that you don’t typically find in other stores. Bob Banka has the largest collection of three-views and sells walk-around pictures of full-scale aircraft.
When you choose a three-view for your next project, first determine the event in which you will be flying. Use a detailed three-view for Sport Scale and a simple three-view for Fun Scale. Make sure the three-view does not have any errors and shows the aircraft version you are building.
I welcome contest reports, pictures, and any projects you are building and flying.
The deadline to send in your entry for the 2014 CL Scale Nats is June 15, so that AMA has enough time to order the awards. Entries sent in after the deadline will not be included in the head count to determine how many awards are required.
Land softly!
