Author: Stan Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/03
Page Numbers: 107,108,110
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Upcoming Scale National Championships

Stan Alexander [email protected]

THIS YEAR'S Scale National Championships will be held July 31–August 2 at the AMA's International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. It will be hosted by the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA), which is AMA's Scale SIG. For more information and details about hotels, fees, etc., visit the NASA web site.

The Scale Nats features classes for modelers of almost every skill level. You don't have to qualify to participate, nor do you have to be invited. But if you think you do, you are hereby invited.

As long as you are a current AMA member and have some sort of Scale model, there is a class for you. It might be Fun Scale, which consists of two divisions: one for Novice pilots and the other for Expert or Designer modelers who want to fly more at the national event.

You might say, "But I didn't build my model; I bought it from a friend." That's okay in Fun Scale; there is no builder-of-the-model rule. But to receive the 5 static points, you must have a photo or something showing the authenticity of your model's color scheme compared to that of the full-scale airplane.

After having your model static-judged on the first day of competition (Friday), you have four rounds of flying to complete on Saturday and Sunday. You fly nine maneuvers, which are simple for the most part.

Let's say you want to fly a nonaerobatic airplane such as the Piper J-3 Cub; there are plenty of maneuvers for that model. Or you might want to fly a de Havilland DHC Chipmunk, which is aerobatic; there are plenty of maneuvers for you too. Following are sample flight routines for each.

Nonaerobatic (Piper J-3 Cub)

  1. Takeoff
  2. Fly-Past
  3. Horizontal Figure Eight
  4. Straight Flight Out
  5. Procedure Turn
  6. Straight Flight Back
  7. Touch-and-Go
  8. Landing
  9. Realism in Flight

Aerobatic (DHC Chipmunk)

  1. Takeoff
  2. Fly-Past
  3. Horizontal Figure Eight
  4. Stall Turn
  5. Immelmann Turn
  6. Split-S
  7. Aileron Roll
  8. Inside Loop
  9. Landing / Realism in Flight

The Takeoff, Fly-Past, Figure Eight, Landing, and Realism in Flight are the five required maneuvers for any AMA RC Scale contest. The preceding schedules are fairly simple except for the Horizontal Figure Eight. This is one of the most difficult maneuvers for a Scale model to fly—especially in wind. There are plenty of maneuvers to substitute for the options that are numbers 4 through 8 on each list.

If it's a windy day—and it seems like at contests everywhere it's always a windy day, and most of the time it's a crosswind—you might want to change some of the maneuvers. For the nonaerobatic schedule, you could substitute a Chandelle, 360 Degree Descending Circle, Slow Speed Inspection Pass, Straight Ahead Stall, and an Overshoot. Aerobatic alternatives could include a Stall Turn, Slow Speed Inspection Pass, 1/2 Reverse Cuban Eight, Flaps, and Spot Landing. Those are just examples. There are other maneuvers, but if you bring one to the judges that isn't in the rule book, be sure to share your documentation with them on what it is and how you plan to do it.

The best bet at most local and regional events is to stick with the maneuvers in the rule book. If you need any help, please e-mail me and I'll try to assist you. The NASA web site gives you access to a great bunch of people who are ready to help newcomers get into Scale modeling. For more information, contact NASA President Ed Terry. You can download AMA Scale rules from the AMA web site; go to the competition section.

Piper PA-11

Judging from the e-mail I have received in the last couple months, numerous modelers are interested in Piper aircraft as well as the PA-11 Piper Cub Special. Jim Hiller, John Linke, Wilfred Schmidt, and others have sent in documentation and construction tips for different-size Cubs and the PA-11 version. All much appreciated. Thanks, guys!

Piper changed several design aspects of the J-3 when it built the PA-11; one was the rake of the windshield and another was moving the fuel tank. With the tank mounted in the port wing panel, the pilot is moved to the front seat in the PA-11 and has a little more leg room.

For covering, I selected a product I've used with good results: Solartex. It's available from several retailers, but I got mine from Balsa USA. Solartex comes either prepainted or in a natural color, with which this model will be painted. I selected the natural and started covering with the tail surfaces, which will be hinged after the painting is complete.

I have cut holes in the LEs and TEs for the Robart pinpoint hinges, which will be added later.

I like the Solartex covering because it works well with either a sealing iron or a heat gun. Is it cheap? Nope, it's close to $20 a roll. But this material works well on the corners, and if you goof and make a crease in the covering, you can remove it by reheating and stretching.

Leave approximately an inch of excess material that you can grip to pull the covering around corners and anywhere, to make sure that it is clean and properly adhered.

Next month I'll look at finishing the PA-11's covering and the cowling, added details, and paint.

New Products

Proctor Enterprises isn't a new company, but it is one of the few that has been around for a long time with a mostly scale lineup of kits. You have to actually build these models, and their construction techniques are similar to those used in full-scale construction.

The company's kit listings include the VK line of smaller scale models such as the Fokker Dr.I that has a 47-inch wingspan. The Proctor Antic series has been around for many years and offers a Nieuport 11, Sopwith Camel, and Sopwith 1 1/2-Strutter.

Proctor's Museum Scale series will make the Scale expert drool. Scale ribs and construction methods borrowed from full-scale aircraft are this kit line's hallmarks. The Fokker Eindecker E.III spans 100 inches, and the Fokker D.VII spans 88 inches. The Albatros D.Va has an 89-inch wingspan, the Curtiss Jenny has an 87.25-inch wingspan, and the Nieuport 28 spans 80 inches.

If you have the desire to build a beautiful model using many full-scale construction features and with all the flying wires and turnbuckles you can imagine, try one of these. Even if you are interested in building your own designs, Proctor Enterprises is a great source for hardware to use on different sizes of models; it has turnbuckles, cables, wires, fittings, control horns, pulleys, strut fittings, wheels, and cockpit accessories.

This company also carries many photo packs for its World War I kit line. Every scale kit company should have these available for the kits it sells.

Another exclusive product line that Proctor sells is the British Laser four-stroke engines that range in size from .70 cu. in. to the huge 360 V-Twin. The 360 powers many of the 1/3-scale World War I models you see in World Championships Scale competition. These power plants are extremely reliable and built to last.

As with any Scale model, a reliable engine is much preferred to the most powerful but somewhat temperamental engine. An added perk for Scale modelers is that the Lasers have a low height profile. Each engine is test-run by the manufacturer in England before it is shipped.

On the Web

Pro-Mark Graphics has been in business for several years. If you have a Scale model to which you want to add rivets, markings, or nomenclature such as "NO STEP" wording, you might need to visit this company's web site.

In addition to offering many of the markings you see on Scale models today, Pro-Mark also does custom work on different types of markings such as nose art. Check out the company's prices and products.

Upcoming Events

The dates for the One Eighth Air Force Scale Model Fly-In have been confirmed for March 20–22. This 65th edition of the event will be held at the Sun Valley Flyers' Cave Buttes Park site at Cave Creek and Jomax roads in Phoenix, Arizona.

CD Tom Guca and Commander Austin Goodwin, along with Al Casey and the crew, are working to have one of the best Scale fly-ins in recent history. Any Scale model, ARF, and others are welcome.

The organizers usually start things off with a Friday-night mixer featuring a hearty helping of pizza, wings, and assorted beverages. On Saturday, you have the opportunity to fly your model and see other Scale models fly all day and attend that night's traditional steak dinner. More flying takes place on Sunday, and awards are presented that afternoon.

Al Casey is working to have the largest club auction in One Eighth Air Force history, and he's taking donations. Want to contribute? Send him hobby items that are in your way, something hobby related, or just great auction stuff.

Fair skies and tailwinds. MA

Sources

  • Al Casey
  • Address: 13148 N. 21st Ave., Phoenix AZ 85029

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