Author: Bill Boss


Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 135,136
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Control Line Scale - 2012/02

By Bill Boss [[email protected]]

FCM contest results

Allen Goff, from the Fellowship of Christian Modelers (FCM), provided a report about the organization’s control-line contest held at the AMA National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana, Saturday and Sunday, August 27–28, 2011.

The contest included Stunt, Carrier, and Scale events. Allen noted that the biggest surprise of the contest was the 22 airplanes entered in the Scale events. This was probably the largest number entered in a Scale contest, aside from entries at the Nats, in the past several years.

It took all day Saturday to run the Scale events. Static judging took considerable time, as did the 40-plus flights. At the end of the day there were many tired judges and pilots.

Results:

  • Fun: 1st — Kenny Stevens (Yak), 103.25; 2nd — John Rist, 92.25; 3rd — Fred Cronenwett, 91.75.
  • Sport Scale: 1st — Grant Hiestand (1/3-scale Spacewalker), 186.5; 2nd — Richard Schneider, 181.0; 3rd — Fred Cronenwett, 171.5.
  • Profile Scale: 1st — Richard Schneider (Art Chester Jeep), 179.5; 2nd — Chuck Snyder, 177.5; 3rd — Harry Crespo, 172.5.

Scoring was close in all three events. It was great to see that Grant Hiestand and Fred Cronenwett are once again on the contest scene.

Allen credited the judges for helping make the contest a great success. Judges included Steve Couch (2010 US Scale team member), Jack Sheeks (frequent Scale team member), Will Hinton (Ohio — will be head judge for the 2012 Nats), and Bob Furr (Nebraska). Tabulators were Shirley Sheeks and Allen’s wife, Jan Goff.

The FCM organization is based in Muncie and was founded in 1995 at a Sig Manufacturing CL contest in Iowa. The FCM has more than 1,000 members who fly RC, CL, FF, soaring, and helicopters in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries. Tentative dates for the 2012 FCM contest are August 25–26 at the AMA National Flying Site.

1/2A Scale event at the 2012 Nationals

Allen Goff reports there will be a 1/2A Scale event at the 2012 Nats. The purpose is to encourage the building and flying of small 1/2A Scale models. The event’s rules promote the building and flying of relatively simple, primarily profile Scale models. Although full-fuselage models are eligible to compete, they will have no advantage in Static judging. Partially or fully cowled engines are also permitted, but they will have no static scoring advantage.

Following are the official rules that will be used at the 2012 Nats:

  1. A model of any manned, heavier-than-air aircraft is eligible. Profile models are encouraged and will not be downgraded in Static judging.
  2. Models of jet- or rocket-powered aircraft are permitted. They may use conventional model propellers.
  3. Engines shall not exceed .061 in³ (1 cc) per engine.
  4. Seaplanes may use non-scale devices to assist in takeoff and landing with no scoring downgrades.
  5. No mechanical operations, such as throttle control or flap deployment, shall be permitted.
  6. Flight Judging:
  • Three attempts to make two official flights each day of the contest will be allowed.
  • An official flight is one that has progressed through at least one lap of level flight.
  • The final flight score will be the sum of the two best flights.
  • Flights will be judged and scored on:
  • Realism and smoothness of the flight, 10 laps of level flight, and the landing: 0–40 points.
  • One point for each level lap, with all engines running, up to 10 laps, immediately after takeoff: 0–10 points.
  • Five bonus points for any multiengine model, provided the additional engine(s) run during the majority of the flight (excluding landing): 5 points.
  • The takeoff includes the first airborne lap after the model leaves the ground.
  • The landing will be accomplished with at least one engine not running.
  1. Static Judging:
  • Static judging and scoring will be based on the documentation furnished by the entrant and will be done at a minimum distance of five feet from the model.
  • Documentation must be sufficient to allow the judge to easily and quickly determine the accuracy of the model regarding scale outline, color, finish, and markings relative to the full-scale aircraft modeled.
  • Documentation will typically consist of one or more accurate three-view drawings of the full-scale aircraft for judging the scale outline of the model, and colored photographs and/or published color illustrations, or written descriptions, for judging color, finish, and markings.
  • It is not the intent to require extensive research or voluminous documentation. A maximum of four pages in standard report size and format will be sufficient and is all that will be allowed.
  • Models will be static-judged and scored on:
  • Scale outline — side view: 0–20 points, plans view: 0–15 points, end view: 0–5 points.
  • Accuracy of color: 0–10 points.
  • Finish: 0–10 points.
  • Markings: 0–10 points.
  • Craftsmanship: 0–10 points.
  1. The final score shall be the sum of the Static score and the final flight score.
  2. A proxy pilot is permitted if the builder of the model is present, is the entrant, and is physically unable to fly the model.
  3. The pull test will be 10 times the weight of the model.
  4. All AMA general safety rules will apply.

The side-, plans-, and end-view scores decrease in importance respectively. That reflects a profile model’s ability to match the full-scale airplane outline in these views. That should help equalize profiles with non-profiles, although judges are supposed to overlook the differences.

I wanted to share the information and rules of this new 1/2A Scale event for the 2012 Nats competition. I wish Allen Goff and his crew the very best with this endeavor and hope the turnout for this new event exceeds their greatest expectations.

Check the AMA or the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers’ websites for the event dates — none were available at the time of this writing.

Please send ideas, notice of upcoming CL Scale events, contest reports, and especially photos of CL Scale activity to me at the email address at the beginning of this column. MA

Sources

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