122 M ODEL AVIATION
CONTROL LINE SCALE
Bill Boss, 77-06 269th St., New Hyde Park NY 11040
pages allowed for your model documentation.
This information is important for the judges,
because it tells them who is entering the
model and its basic particulars.
At some contests, you may be asked to
fill out this section prior to presenting your
model for static judging.
The “Static Judging” section of the
form provides you with an idea of what
IN SePTeMBeR I attended the George L.
Gaydos Memorial All-Scale Contest,
sponsored by the Garden State Circle Burners
(GSCB) of New Jersey. It was a great
opportunity to see the Scale models up close,
get some good photos, and see the aircraft
documentation presented by the entrants.
The models looked great and the picturetaking
went well, but I was disappointed in
some of the documentation presented with
the models for static judging.
I found deficiencies in the areas of
color-and-markings data and photo
presentation of the prototype aircraft.
Some folders didn’t have the name of the
contestant, and there was and little, if any,
information about the model.
All models had the required three-view
drawing, but some presentations contained
the “4.6 Declaration” of parts not made by
the contestant, which was eliminated from
the Sport Scale rules in the 1996-1997 AMA
Competition Regulations.
A reminder is needed about the
importance of providing sufficient and
appropriate documentation for models
entered in a competition.
I am revisiting the subject of
documentation, not only for those who
consider themselves experienced Scale
modelers, but also for those who are
considering participating in Control Line
(CL) Scale competition for the first time.
The documentation you present can
make the difference in how you place at
a competition.
I’ll have more about the GSCB contest
later in the column.
Jack Patrolia’s 8.6-pound Pitts S-2A has a SuperTigre .61 engine, standard three-line
system, and 50-inch wingspan. It’s covered with silk and is painted with Sig dope.
Mel Mondschein’s Chance Vought F4U-1 Corsair has O.S. .46 engine, weighs 41⁄2
pounds, has 21st Century Flat Clear covering, and is painted with Sig dope.
The Top Gun plaque was awarded to Jack
Patrolia for his Pitts S-2A. Text has
information about the source of the award.
The first thing a Scale newcomer
should do (and some old-timers, as well) is
obtain the newest AMA Competition
Regulations (rule book) and thoroughly
read the rules of the event you intend to
enter. Keeping up with the rules changes is
a must for anyone entering a contest.
The following is directed toward the
CL Sport Scale rules, but they also apply
to the Profile event.
A good place to start understanding what is
required for model documentation is the “CL
Sport Scale Worksheet (Part 1)” on page 139
of the Competition Regulations. The judges
will use this sheet to static-judge your model.
The upper half of the form contains items
you should detail on the eight 81⁄2 x 11-inch
documentation is required for your model
to be properly judged.
The “Proof of Scale” can be in the
form of an accurate three-view drawing, a
series of photos, or a plastic model; this is
required for scoring accuracy of outline
for items five, six, and seven.
If you’re going to use a series of photos or
a plastic model, be sure to read carefully and
follow the details in the CL Sport Scale rules
on page 137 of the Competition Regulations,
under “Proof of Scale,” 4.2 b or c.
The “Proof of Color Scheme” can be
photos of the prototype, a color painting or
drawing, or written documentation from a
reliable source if photos or a color painting
or drawing can’t be found. A black-andwhite
three-view drawing showing details
of color and placement of the markings on
the model is acceptable.
For a complete understanding of what is
required for “Proof of Color Scheme,” refer
to page 138, 4.3 of the Sport Scale rules.
“Authenticity of Degree of Gloss” and
“Color and Markings” for the finish of the
model are items eight and nine.
The degree of gloss is important, because
it should reflect what was used on the
prototype. If your model is of an airplane
used in a war zone and was painted in
camouflage colors, you wouldn’t expect it to
have a high-gloss finish. Be sure the finish on
your model is the same as the one on the
prototype.
The color, size, shape, and placement of
the insignia and/or markings should also be
the same as those on the full-scale aircraft.
The judges use the top half of the score
sheet and the first four items of the “Static
Judging” section as a checklist, to make
sure you have provided appropriate
documentation for Outline Accuracy,
Finish, and Craftsmanship (listed in items
five through nine), and to make sure you
have kept your documentation within the
maximum of eight pages.
If something is missing from your
documentation, you won’t be scored on
that item and it might be the few missing
points that would bring your model to the
winner’s circle.
A most important thing to remember is
that, “proof of what has been done on the
model is the responsibility of the contestant,”
and the judges are not required to know
everything about all airplanes.
Your airplane is judged on the basis of the
data you present. A three-view drawing for
airplane “XYZ” won’t do if the model
presented is for prototype “ABC.” Be sure
your data is for the right model.
I have given you a basic outline of what is
required for your model’s documentation, but
read the rules in the AMA Competition
Regulations thoroughly. Knowing the rules—
and what is required of you—is more than
half the battle at any contest.
I’ll come back to documentation in a
future column and explore what might be
required as a minimum of data for the eight
pages allowed for your presentation.
Need Documentation? If you’re a newcomer
to Scale modeling and are in need of threeviews,
photos, or other data, join the National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA).
In addition to a great newsletter, a decal, and
a patch, you’ll receive a copy of the NASA Scale
Resource Guide. It provides you with a listing
of agencies, museums, libraries, books,
periodicals, journals, and services that can
provide you with the documentation you need.
NASA membership is $15 in the US,
$17 in Canada, and $22 overseas. To join,
send your name, address, and a check to
Bonnie Rediske, 128 Darnley Dr., Moon
Township PA 15108.
The GScB’s 23rd Annual All-Scale
Meet—which has been renamed the
“George L. Gaydos Memorial”—took place
September 17 in Lyndhurst NJ.
The contest site was the newly paved
parking lot of a commercial building, and it
was large enough for two flying circles.
Contest Director Bill Reynolds reported
that 31 airplanes were on hand—28 were
entered in competition, and the remaining
three were on static display. It was a great
turnout for a local contest.
Events offered were Precision Scale,
Sport Scale, and Profile Scale, GSCB’s Fun
and Team Scale, and—for the first time—
FAI (Federation Aeronautique
Internationale) F4B CL Scale.
The day was cool and sunny, with the
wind at a steady 20-25 mph. Entrants in
the Precision and F4B events elected not
to fly, and were given scores on the basis
of static judging.
Bill noted that there were four entries in
the F4B event, that he encountered no
problems with the model processing or
judging, and that plans are to offer the event
again at next year’s meet.
The GSCB Top Gun award—given for
the high static score, the best
documentation, and the best flight—went
to Jack Patrolia (Marshfield MA) for his
outstanding Pitts S-2A. Jack entered this
airplane in the 2000 Scale World
Championships.
The George L. Gaydos Perpetual
Competitor award went to Mel
Mondschein (Wharton NJ). Mel
accumulated the most points for placings
in the six events he entered.
The Gaydos Junior/Senior Competitor
award went to Scott LeFevre (Dover NJ) for
placing in three events.
The awards given at this meet are from
the “Warbird” series of plaques, available
from Awards of Accomplishment. The
distinctive awards feature a three-view of
the P-51 Mustang, and are printed with
event, place, and club name information.
The GSCB club obtained sponsors for the
awards given to the first three places in each
of the six events. Award sponsorship certainly
helps make local meets financially successful.
If your club is interested in more
information about the variety of awards offered
by Awards of Accomplishment, write to the
company at PMB 328, 1113 Murfreesboro Rd.,
Suite 106, Franklin TN 37064, or call (615)
591-1015 for a free catalog.
Please send ideas, notice of upcoming CL
Scale events, contest reports, and photos of
CL Scale activity to me at the address at the
top of this column. MA
