Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/07
Page Numbers: 118,119,120
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Radio Control Scale

Stan Alexander [email protected]

The Nationals is a great place to get started in Scale competition

BY THE TIME you read this, many will be geared up for the AMA Nationals, which is the largest competitive modeling event in the world. RC Scale plays a part in this event each year, with both RC and CL classes held at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. This year the events will be contested August 8-10.

If you are a newer reader you might ask, "Why Muncie, Indiana, of all places?" Before the property where AMA Headquarters now resides was purchased, a study was conducted. The results showed that the largest percentage of AMA members lived within a 500-mile radius of this general area, and to my knowledge they still do.

Also included in this column:

  • Manzano Laser Works’ short kits
  • Madison Components knobs and trickler

There are Scale classes for all AMA members at the Nationals, no matter what their skill level. It’s great to see the older, more established modelers helping newcomers, and it’s much more of a family atmosphere than some competitions.

There is shopping in Muncie for the family, or your spouse could drive to nearby Indianapolis for some major shopping experiences during that weekend. Of course, your spouse might be your pit crew and you would need him or her with you, which is even better.

Not sure what class you would try your first time at the Nationals? That can be one of the easiest items to take care of after you get to Muncie and register with the competition officials. I’m not sure where the static judging will take place, but it will probably be on-site or at a nearby facility.

Fun Scale classes

Fun Scale is divided into two classes for the Nationals. The Novice class is for the first-time competitor who has little or no Scale experience. If you’re an old pro, you can enter the Open class. There are only 5 static points, and one photo of the full-scale aircraft will suffice for documentation in the color scheme you have; you just need something close. What if you don’t have the photo or whatever for the 5 points? It’s just 5 points; don’t sweat it in your first contest. Go out and try to fly the pattern and the nine maneuvers. Only nine maneuvers? Yes, that’s all.

For a non-aerobatic type of aircraft, say the Cessna Skyhawk, you would fly something similar to: Takeoff, Fly-Past, Figure Eight, Straight Flight Out, Procedure Turn, Straight Flight Back, Touch-and-Go, Landing, and Realism. The Straight Flight Out, Procedure Turn, and Straight Flight Back are flown in a series, and the Touch-and-Go counts as two maneuvers. So this simplifies the pattern you are flying for the judges and makes it much easier for you.

If you have an aerobatic type of model, try: Takeoff, Fly-Past, Figure Eight, Loop, Aileron Roll, Split-S, Touch-and-Go, Landing, and Realism. I selected the Touch-and-Go again, which could easily be replaced with a Three-Turn Spin and an Immelmann Turn or a Half Cuban Eight.

Let’s say you’re flying a warbird and need a simple flight routine that will help you get through the jitters of flying at a contest. Those maneuvers will be similar to the aerobatic types. You can include a Bomb Run, Tank Drop, Parachute Drop, or something like that. Another maneuver many military pilots use is the Military Roll, or a roll with a hump in the middle of the maneuver. There is also the Victory Roll, which is impressive with jets or high-performance aircraft. To perform this maneuver, you fly the model 10–20 feet off the ground, parallel to the flightline, then give elevator to achieve a climb rate of 30°–40°, depending on the aircraft. During the climb, complete an Aileron Roll and then either level out or keep climbing, again depending on the model's performance.

Your first Scale contest is a great place to meet people with the same interest who will understand your fascination with these models. Some modelers love the history or a specific aircraft type. Others have had family members attached to a certain branch of the service or fly commercially. Still others, including me, grew up near or around airports and were totally fascinated as children by both full-scale and model airplanes.

Remember to bring a canopy/tent and sunblock, and don't forget to bring that starter for your model. I've gotten to the point where a checklist is in order, and its use usually saves me a trip to the hobby shop or back home.

The National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) Web site has sample flight routines, scoresheets for static and flight, and information about this year's Nationals and other contests. Or you can e-mail NASA's president, Ed Terry, for more information.

New Products

While looking at an older Flying Scale Models magazine, I saw an interesting article about the British World War I F.E.8. It's a sort of odd model you don't see built often; it's a biplane, has a single seat, and is a pusher at that.

The Germans used an unkind term for this airplane and the D.H.2—"Fokker Fodder"—because they didn't make great fighters. But all sides had a version or two of that type of airplane.

Plans were included with Flying Scale Models, but there was also a listing for an American company that cuts kits for these small electric-powered models: Manzano Laser Works (MLW).

The F.E.8 has a 43-inch wingspan. The building materials are balsa, bamboo, a small amount of light plywood, covering, and wire.

MLW has several kits and short kits available for small- to midsize electric-powered models. I purchased the F.E.8 short kit, which includes all the laser-cut ribs and formers. It also provides the formed parts for the dummy engine and the nose. It's nice stuff. I hope to be working on this project soon.

The MLW kit line includes a 54-inch S.E.5a, a D.H.6, a Fokker V.III, a Fokker E.III, an Eastbourne Monoplane, a Sopwith 1½ Strutter, a Gee Bee Model Z, and several more. Most of these designs are by either Peter Rake or Robert McKellar. It's well worth a look at the kit list.

Prices vary with the size and number of parts. Most of the models are in the 36- to 50-inch range. Enjoy!

Manzano Laser Works (MLW)

MLW offers laser-cut short kits for small electric models, including the F.E.8 short kit (43-inch wingspan) with laser-cut ribs, formers, and formed dummy engine/nose parts. Typical materials: balsa, bamboo, light plywood, covering, and wire.

Contact:

Madison Components

Madison Components has a line of RC products that can help the Scale modeler in several areas.

The Lil' Trickler is a trickle-charger adapter that plugs between your chargers and your 110-volt power source. This little jewel will charge through your charger to charge your radio system, glow driver, batteries, chargers, etc. When the charge rate is finished, just flip the switch to trickle. The Lil' Trickler will keep your batteries charged and ready to go at a moment's notice.

The LEDs on your charger will either go dim (what I've seen) or go out, which is natural. The Lil' Trickler sells direct for $29.95 plus shipping.

I also like Madison Components' transmitter-stick knobs. There are three styles; two have concave surfaces and come in two different sizes. The larger concave ones have a 3/4-inch diameter and a length of 3/4 inch. The smaller concave ones are 1/2 inch in diameter by 3/4 inch in length.

The other style is a bit larger, and I really like the feel of it because I fly with thumbs and fingers. It has a diameter of 1/2 inch and a length of 1 1/4 inches. These are $18.95 per set plus shipping.

Contact:

Sources

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