File: 12cronenwett.lt1.doc
[Headline: CL Scale Nats]
This year’s Nats was one for the record books. There was a large number of entries and it was the first Nats to qualify pilots for October’s National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) Scale Classic.
There was a surge of 1/2A Scale models flown and the number of entries was up in every event except Team Scale. Because the new CL Scale rules have been adopted, 1/2A Scale will become an official event in 2015.
We started off with great weather on Friday for the static judging and everyone hoped it would last, but the weather was not in our favor and we were only able to get one round of flying in on Saturday morning. The 1/2A Scale competitors had to finish their flights on Sunday morning under marginal conditions. The skies were dark, and although it never rained, it was windy on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
1/2A Scale
With 10 pilots in 1/2A Scale, there was some serious competition. Bob Whitney, who placed first at the Brodak contest with his 0.61-powered Pond Racer (see my October 2014 column), flew the same model to a first-place finish at the Nats. Bob’s Pond Racer flew 10 level laps and handled the wind well.
Ron Duly brought his Heinkel He 111Z that has no less than five .049 engines. Ron took second place. This model was first flown in 1976 at a 1/2A contest in California. The top six static scores ranged from 68 to 70.5 points, which meant the flight score determined the winner. Bill Avera placed third and earned the high static award.
F4B
F4B, which will be replaced with Authentic Scale when the new CL Scale rules are adopted in 2015, was contested for the last time. Dave Platt flew an impressive electric-powered OV-1D Mohawk and earned the top static score (958.50 points) and first place.
Ed Mason flew his 77-inch wingspan B-17, built from a Royal kit, to a second-place finish. Charlie Bauer was third with his Bristol M.1 Monoplane Scout.
Frank Beatty, with 951.15 static points, was close to the top in static and earned fourth place. Another new model flown was Allen Goff’s C-182, with a fifth-place finish.
Sport Scale
Sport Scale had 10 entries and eight of the 10 scored a 94 or higher in static judging. The level of detail and craftsmanship was raised in preparation for the NASA Scale Classic. Three of the models with high static scores had technical difficulties and did not fly on Saturday morning. With only a four-point difference between the remaining five models with high static scores, the flight score determined who would place first.
John Brodak, with a 97.0 static score and a 90.25 flight score, was the winner. Ed Mason took second place with his Kyosho DC-6 aircraft, powered with O.S. 25 glow engines and three-line control. Jim Fruit took the top static award with 98.0 points and placed third with his electric-powered Rearwin Speedster 6000.
The Nats typically averages the two best flights, which means you can throw out the two lower flight scores. This often changes the final standings at the end of the contest. If we had been able to fly the other three rounds, the results would likely be different, and pilots with technical difficulties would have a gotten in a flight.
Profile
Profile Scale also had an increase in entries, with nine models. Six models scored between 90.0 and 94.0 static points, and again there was a race to see who could get in the best flight scores.
Harry Crespo and I were tied with a static score of 94.0 points, which meant that the individual judge’s score was used to break the tie. I took top static with my B-29.
Bill Avera got the best flight score in Profile Scale and earned first place with 182.75 points. I placed second with 182.0 points, and Harry was third with180.75 points. It was a close race with only a two-point difference between first and third.
Final Thoughts
People like to see multiengine models, and with at least seven at this year’s contest, the spectators were not disappointed. If there had been an award for the number of multiengine models one pilot entered, it would have gone to Ed Mason.
Ed brought three multiengine models and flew his B-17 in F4B. The larger DC-6 was built from a Kyosho kit and he flew it in Sport Scale. His smaller DC-6, flown in Fun Scale, was built from a Dare kit.
The system of choice is becoming the 2.4 GHz system. If you already have electronics installed in the model, you can easily replace the down-the-line receiver with a 2.4 GHz receiver and use uncoated, braided lines. Every type of throttle control system is still in use, including three-line, down-the-line electronics, and single channel.
I welcome contest reports, upcoming contest flyers, pictures, and any projects you are building and flying. Now that we are in the colder months, it’s time to be in the workshop building for the warmer months ahead.
Look at the new rules with the new line diameters. There are some changes that will increase the line diameters for next year.
Land softly!
SOURCES:
NASA
www.nasascale.org
NASA Scale Classic
www.nasascale.org/calendar/nasascaleclassic.htm
Nats
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats.aspx
New rules
www.modelaircraft.org/events/ruleproposals/finalvoteresults.aspx
