Author: Mark Lanterman
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/04
Page Numbers: 38,39,40,41,42,43,44,46,48,50
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Scale Masters 2003

by Mark Lanterman

Fall had settled in, the weather was turning colder, and the leaves were turning brilliant shades of yellow and red. Most of us were starting to look fondly back on a summer’s worth of flying packed with contests, fun-flys, and the like. Airplanes, radios, and engines were being nestled back into storage, and plans were being made for what to build during the winter. But at this time of year the best of the best in radio-control scale get together for one more big bash to find out who has the right stuff to be that year’s Scale Masters champion.

More than 20 years ago the Scale Masters program was conceived to bring people together to enjoy each other’s scale models and each other’s company. Since its inception the program has grown to more than 22 regional qualifiers in the U.S., Canada, and even Puerto Rico. Each fall the top 30% of the winners from the regional qualifiers come together in one place to compete to find out, in a friendly way, who will be the best.

In 2003 the Scale Masters was held in Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, September 24 through Sunday, September 28, which coincided perfectly with the year-long Centennial of Flight celebrations held throughout the region. Not only was it held in the birthplace of aviation, but it was held at one of the more significant aviation sites in the United States: the U.S. Air Force Museum, which is part of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The event was well attended, with 73 entries from across the United States and as far away as Brazil. As diverse as the pilots’ homes were, the aircraft entered were even more so. Almost every period of flight was represented, including biplane fighters of World War I, racers of the Golden Age, fighters and bombers of World War II, and Korean and Vietnam War veterans, even up to the most modern fighters and civilian aircraft.

As is typical of a scale event, static judging took place first and lasted for two days (Wednesday and Thursday). Given the number of entries and the high level of building, it takes quite a while to get through them all. At this level of competition, three things are judged simultaneously by three different judges: outline and finish/color/markings are judged at a distance of 15 feet, and craftsmanship is judged at as close as four feet from the model. Although it made for a couple of very long days, the trio of judges—Bob Banka, Rich Roberts, and Chauncey Dance—evaluated every model, ensuring consistency.

The next three days were devoted to flying. Pilots were supposed to have flown five rounds, but because of a powerful little cold front that rained out Friday afternoon and a bit of Saturday morning, only four rounds were flown. A bit of wind was around almost every day but was normally right down the runway, so it didn’t affect the pilots too much. With four flightlines going, there was always something in the air and activity on the runway.

Mike Leonard and Mike Sanderson were the two line bosses and had the thankless job of trying to keep more than 70 pilots, their callers, and their models on schedule while maintaining safety at the same time. The line bosses implemented a series of hand signals for the callers, which included gestures for landing, fly-past, overshoot, and landing. Although it took a few flights for the bugs to be worked out, this system worked quite well. This was jokingly referred to as the “Mike and Mike Show.”

Only a handful of models were lost during the event, and of those losses only a few were beyond repair. Losing an airplane at any time is painful, but it had to be even more so for Mark Frankel. After his F4D-1 Skyray was judged in static, Mark and his pilot David Malchione went over to the flying site to put in a few practice flights. On the third flight they believe they were hit with a battery failure; the airplane was a complete loss and they were unable to compete.

The Airplanes: With limited space, I picked a cross-section of four models to highlight: one for its “wow factor,” one for outstanding scale details, one with interesting building challenges, and one that is unique.

  • Wow factor: Shailesh Patel — North American F-86 Sabre (Designer Scale)
  • Shailesh’s model earned the Pilots’ Choice trophy. It was enormous—wingspan 95.25 inches, weight 45.5 pounds, and the top of the vertical fin would be right at your belt line if you stood next to it. Power was an AMT Olympus turbine; control was by a JR radio system using eight servos and a gyro on the nose gear to help with high-speed taxiing. Covering was Coverite’s Presto metal finish with PPG automotive paint for color. Wheels and tires were custom made with Glennis Aircraft’s help. The model featured flaps, speed brakes, and a sliding canopy. Shailesh finished second in Designer Scale, just 0.667 point behind David Hayes. He also teamed with his son Nil to finish eighth in Team Scale with a Bob Violett Models F-4 Phantom. Nil was the youngest pilot at the event and did a great job with his first turbine.
  • Outstanding scale details: David Hayes — Rockwell Thrush (Designer Scale / Grand Champion)
  • At first glance the Thrush didn’t look like a standout, but most of the good stuff was hidden underneath. The full-scale Thrush is a crop duster with a wealth of pipes, fittings, and other systems under the wing. David estimated he had an excess of 800 hours in the model, which includes a fully functional crop-spraying system (not running at the event, but planned). A Saito 180 four-stroke engine powered the model, everything was controlled via a JR radio system, the model weighed 21 pounds, and with plug-in wings installed it had a 108-inch wingspan. David tied Shailesh for the highest static score in Designer Scale; it was his flying that made the difference. His optional maneuvers included low passes and low wingovers that perfectly emulated full-scale crop-duster work.
  • Building challenges: Doug Crumley — Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Expert Scale)
  • Doug scratch-built the aircraft from Bob Holman plans using conventional wood construction. Power was an O.S. 91 four-stroke and the radio was Airtronics. The Storch’s greenhouse cockpit presented special construction challenges for hiding servos, pushrods, receiver, batteries, and wiring. Doug installed those items forward of the cockpit or under the cockpit floor. The greenhouse also precluded carry-through spars for the wing structure, so the wing struts were both to-scale and structurally essential. There were no external nonscale control horns or exposed pushrods; the external pull-pull rudder system duplicated the full-scale configuration. Service points for fueling, charging, the on/off switch, and the glow connector were hidden in inconspicuous locations. Unusual features included articulated scale main landing gear and a scale flap system with mixed droop aileron functioning; full deployment/retraction of the flaps was time-delayed to about 10 seconds for smooth transitions.
  • Unique subject: Dorin Luck (pilot) and Gary Allen (builder) — Bücker Bü.133 Jungmeister (Team Scale)
  • A good-size model at 1/3 scale with an 86-inch wingspan, powered by a Zenoah G-62. The Jungmeister doesn’t have lots of flashy mechanical options, but the closer you look the more scale detail appears: rib stitching, cockpit detail, fenders over the wheels, functional wing-bracing wires, and a brilliant yellow color scheme gave it a clean, realistic look.

Behind the Scenes

Regardless of whether you attend a football game, an automobile race, or a model-airplane contest, many factors surrounding the event give it flavor. One of those is the people, many of whom have been shown in modeling magazines from around the world. Visiting with old friends and meeting competitors is almost as much fun as checking out the airplanes.

  • The husband-and-wife team of Eduardo and Ana Esteves traveled farther than any other competitors. They campaigned their Spacewalker in Team Scale and had to come all the way from Brazil. In spite of the jet lag, they placed third.
  • Bob Patton and Tina DuPriest are another great couple I’ve come to know; I met them at the Scale Nationals this past year.
  • Caller and flightline stories: During one round I stood between the first and second flightlines. Bob was flying his T-28C on Flightline 1 and needed a flyby and then to set up for landing. Meanwhile a competitor on Flightline 2 with a World War I biplane had trouble starting and then, once airborne, timed his maneuvers such that he interfered with Bob’s attempts. The timing made it appear the flightline crew were favoring the Albatros pilot, unaware of how it affected Bob.
  • Dennis and Linda Crooks: Dennis campaigns a twin-engine P-38 and has done quite well, including a win in Expert class at the 2003 Scale Nationals. At Scale Masters this year two of his flights ended prematurely because of engine problems—one engine went out during a flight and another came loose inside the nacelle. Linda’s calm, clear calling—requesting an emergency landing and reassuring Dennis to “be smooth”—was a huge part of why he was able to bring the model back safely both times. I overheard one judge tell Linda, “Boy, I wish I had a coach like you.”
  • In conversation with Gary Parenti, Hal Parenti, Nick Ziroli Sr. (of Nick Ziroli Plans), and Bob Walker (of Robart Manufacturing) walked up and we chatted for quite some time. At one point they joked and compared driver’s licenses—an amusing scene among elder statesmen of the hobby.

What an event!

It was a nicely run show. Contest Director Mike Barbee and the Westerville Model Aeronautics Association (WMAA) did a great job putting everything together. My congratulations to all competitors for building and flying well enough to qualify for this year’s Scale Masters, regardless of where they placed. It was a great event, and I’m looking forward to next year’s competition in Gardner, Kansas, September 23–26. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get the chance to meet you there.

Mark Lanterman 5655 David Pl. Fairfield, OH 45014 [email protected]

Scale Masters sponsors

  • Pacer Technology
  • Tom Raper RV
  • Airtronics
  • Barbee Concrete and Construction
  • Dinneen Excavation Company
  • Bob's Aircraft Documentation
  • Bob Smith Industries
  • Great Planes Manufacturing
  • Proctor Enterprises
  • Robart Manufacturing
  • US Scale Masters Association
  • Wing Manufacturing
  • Bob Holman Plans
  • Handibond
  • Hansen Scale Aviation Video
  • Nelson Hobby Specialties
  • Ace Hobby Distributors
  • Arizona Model Pilots Society
  • Arizona Radio Control Society
  • R/C Excellence Magazine
  • SR Batteries
  • Sky Knights R/C Club
  • Nick Ziroli Plans

2003 Scale Masters Best-of Awards

  • Best Biplane — Kelly Christ — Jeremy Fursman — de Havilland D.H.82A
  • Best Built Up Kit — Marv Wade — Zach Spychalla — Supermarine Spitfire FR.Mk XIVE
  • Best Civilian — RC Hobbies — David Hayes — Rockwell Thrush
  • Best Documentation — Bob Holman Plans — Al Kretz — Douglas Dauntless SBD-3
  • Best Golden Age — Sanderson & Associates — Charles T. Nelson — WACO YKS-7
  • Best Jet — Robart Manufacturing — Shailesh Patel — North American F-86 Sabre
  • Best Markings — Planes Plus — Dave Wigley — Hawker Tempest Mk V
  • Best Military — Marv Wade — Shailesh Patel — North American F-86 Sabre
  • Best Mission Award — Expert — Airtronics Radio Systems — David Hayes — Rockwell Thrush
  • Best Mission Award — Team — Airtronics Radio Systems — Curtis Kitteringham — Stinson SR-9 "Gullwing"
  • Best Scratch Built Aircraft — Capstone Hobbies — David Hayes — Rockwell Thrush
  • Best WW I — Proctor Enterprise — Dave Johnson — Siemens-Schuckert D.III
  • Best WW II — Vel-Tye LLC — Reg Dell-Aquila — Lockheed P-38L Lightning
  • Engineering Achievement — Southern Alameda County R/Cers — Dave Pinegar — Tupolev Tu-4 AEW
  • Harris Lee Lifetime Achievement — Scale Masters Association — Mike Winter — Sopwith Pup
  • High Flight — One Eighth Air Force — Dave Pinegar — Tupolev Tu-4 AEW
  • High Static — WMAA — David Hayes / Shailesh Patel — Rockwell Thrush / F-86 Sabre
  • Most Realistic Flight — Expert — Airtronics Radio Systems — William Wheeler — Piper J-3 Cub
  • Most Realistic Flight — Team — Airtronics Radio Systems — Curtis Kitteringham — Stinson SR-9 "Gullwing"
  • Pilots' Choice — One Eighth Air Force — Shailesh Patel — North American F-86 Sabre

2003 Scale Masters Results

Grand Champion

  • David Hayes (Roanoke Rapids, NC) — Rockwell Thrush

Designer Scale

  1. David Hayes (Roanoke Rapids, NC) — Rockwell Thrush — Static: 97.25; Top Three Average: 92.417; Total: 189.667
  2. Shailesh Patel (Eureka, CA) — North American F-86 Sabre — Static: 97.25; Top Three Average: 91.750; Total: 189.000
  3. Jeff Foley (Roanoke Rapids, NC) — Messerschmitt Bf 109E — Static: 96.50; Top Three Average: 92.500; Total: 189.000
  4. Bob Patton (Saint Joseph, IL) — North American T-28C — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 91.750; Total: 186.750
  5. Charles T. Nelson (Berlin, MA) — WACO YKS-7 — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 91.250; Total: 186.250
  6. Hal Parenti (Westchester, IL) — Ryan Fireball FR-1 — Static: 96.25; Top Three Average: 89.250; Total: 185.500
  7. Wayne Frederick (Santa Rosa, CA) — Fokker D.VIII — Static: 96.00; Top Three Average: 86.000; Total: 182.000
  8. Tom Polapink (Centereach, NY) — Pfalz D.IIIa — Static: 95.25; Top Three Average: 86.500; Total: 181.750
  9. Charles Baker (Union, MO) — Rawdon T-1 — Static: 96.50; Top Three Average: 84.500; Total: 181.000
  10. Dave Johnson (Vernon, CT) — Siemens-Schuckert D.III — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 84.417; Total: 179.417
  11. Nick Ziroli Sr. (Little Falls, NY) — Stearman PT-17 — Static: 94.00; Top Three Average: 78.583; Total: 172.583

Expert Scale

  1. Jeremy Fursman (Snoqualmie, WA) — de Havilland D.H.82A — Static: 95.50; Top Three Average: 93.583; Total: 189.083
  2. Kim Foster (Mansfield, OH) — de Havilland D.H.94 Moth Minor — Static: 97.00; Top Three Average: 91.417; Total: 188.417
  3. Kent Walters (Scottsdale, AZ) — Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless — Static: 96.25; Top Three Average: 90.833; Total: 187.083
  4. Joe Rafalowski (Fayetteville, GA) — Lockheed T-33 — Static: 94.50; Top Three Average: 92.083; Total: 186.583
  5. Dave Wigley (Smithtown, NY) — Hawker Tempest Mk V — Static: 96.00; Top Three Average: 88.750; Total: 184.750
  6. Steve Ott (Seymour, IN) — North American B-25 Mitchell — Static: 94.75; Top Three Average: 89.333; Total: 184.083
  7. Sean M. Cassidy (Champaign, IL) — Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat — Static: 95.75; Top Three Average: 88.000; Total: 183.750
  8. Jeff Lovitt (Davis, CA) — Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony — Static: 93.75; Top Three Average: 89.583; Total: 183.333
  9. Dave Pinegar (Warren, MI) — Beechcraft T-34A Mentor — Static: 90.25; Top Three Average: 92.917; Total: 183.167
  10. Leo Spychalla (Watertown, WI) — Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV — Static: 92.00; Top Three Average: 90.000; Total: 182.000
  11. Dennis Crooks (Greencastle, IN) — Lockheed P-38 — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 86.917; Total: 181.917
  12. William Wheeler (Inola, OK) — Piper J-3 Cub — Static: 91.50; Top Three Average: 90.417; Total: 181.917
  13. Glenn Reilly (Austin, TX) — Focke-Wulf Fw 190A8 — Static: 95.25; Top Three Average: 86.083; Total: 181.333
  14. Steve Forrest (Sturgeon, MO) — Republic P-47 — Static: 91.00; Top Three Average: 90.250; Total: 181.250
  15. Doug Crumley (Wichita, KS) — Fieseler Storch — Static: 94.25; Top Three Average: 86.750; Total: 181.000
  16. Ward Emigh (Scottsdale, AZ) — Fairchild PT-23 — Static: 92.50; Top Three Average: 88.333; Total: 180.833
  17. Al Kretz (Woodville, AL) — Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless — Static: 94.75; Top Three Average: 85.833; Total: 180.583
  18. Zach Spychalla (Watertown, WI) — Supermarine Spitfire FR.Mk XIVE — Static: 92.25; Top Three Average: 88.167; Total: 180.417
  19. Dave Lovitt (Willits, CA) — Yakovlev Yak-18P — Static: 89.75; Top Three Average: 90.583; Total: 180.333
  20. Jack Buckley (Marlborough, MA) — Chance Vought F4U-1A Corsair — Static: 90.25; Top Three Average: 89.667; Total: 179.917
  21. Bill McCallie (Tampa, FL) — Focke-Wulf Fw 190 — Static: 89.75; Top Three Average: 90.000; Total: 179.750
  22. Mike Winter (Sarasota, FL) — Sopwith Pup — Static: 92.50; Top Three Average: 86.933; Total: 179.433
  23. Bob Wonitoy (Edmonton, Alberta) — Focke-Wulf 190A-8 — Static: 93.75; Top Three Average: 85.583; Total: 179.333
  24. Paul Cain (New Albany, IN) — CAP 231 EX — Static: 89.50; Top Three Average: 89.250; Total: 178.750
  25. Dick Hansen (Portland, OR) — Albatros D.Va — Static: 92.00; Top Three Average: 86.250; Total: 178.250
  26. Bob Gillespie (Twin Falls, ID) — Nieuport 28C — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 83.167; Total: 178.167
  27. Bud Roane (Melbourne, FL) — Condor Shoestring — Static: 90.50; Top Three Average: 87.500; Total: 178.000
  28. Scott Foster (Middlebury, VT) — Republic P-47 Thunderbolt — Static: 90.00; Top Three Average: 87.250; Total: 177.250
  29. Richard Crupi (Crofton, KY) — Piper J-3 Cub — Static: 88.00; Top Three Average: 89.000; Total: 177.000
  30. Larry Sutherland (Prather, CA) — Beechcraft T-34A Mentor — Static: 95.50; Top Three Average: 81.333; Total: 176.833
  31. Skip Mast (Royal Oak, MI) — Piper J-3 Cub — Static: 90.25; Top Three Average: 86.500; Total: 176.750
  32. Chip Greene (Tampa, FL) — Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat — Static: 88.75; Top Three Average: 87.916; Total: 176.666
  33. Ray Davis (East Falmouth, MA) — McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle — Static: 89.75; Top Three Average: 86.500; Total: 176.250
  34. Jeffrey Pike (Baton Rouge, LA) — U-1A Otter — Static: 88.00; Top Three Average: 88.167; Total: 176.167
  35. Jeremy Arvin (Jeffersonville, IN) — CAP 21 — Static: 88.25; Top Three Average: 87.667; Total: 175.917
  36. Mel Santmyers (Beaumont, CA) — Citabria Pro — Static: 91.00; Top Three Average: 81.583; Total: 172.583
  37. Randy Smithhisler (Edgewood, WA) — Piper J-4 Cub Coupé — Static: 87.75; Top Three Average: 83.500; Total: 171.250
  38. Larry Shepard (Paradise, CA) — Sopwith 1½-Strutter — Static: 89.75; Top Three Average: 80.667; Total: 170.417
  39. John Ostmeyer (Overland Park, KS) — WACO UPF-5 Classic — Static: 90.25; Top Three Average: 75.667; Total: 165.917
  40. Gary Parenti (Westchester, IL) — Benes-Mráz Be.50 Beta-Minor — Static: 89.75; Top Three Average: 68.500; Total: 158.250
  41. Lee Rice (Keller, TX) — Chance Vought F4U-1D Corsair — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 31.000; Total: 126.000
  42. Bruce Bender (Edmonton, Alberta) — Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIVE — Static: 93.75; Top Three Average: 26.333; Total: 120.083
  43. Steve Sauger (Troy, MI) — Fairchild Ranger — Static: 92.75; Top Three Average: 16.083; Total: 108.833
  44. Stan Clark (Hurricane, WV) — Cessna L-19 Bird Dog — Static: 88.75; Top Three Average: 5.083; Total: 93.833

Team Scale

  1. Dave Pinegar (Warren, MI), George Maiorana — Tupolev Tu-4 AEW — Static: 97.00; Top Three Average: 90.000; Total: 187.000
  2. Scott Russell (Woodbury, MN), Wayne Siewert — Republic P-47D Thunderbolt — Static: 95.75; Top Three Average: 89.167; Total: 184.917
  3. Eduardo D. Esteves (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Ronaldo Salles — Spacewalker — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 89.833; Total: 184.833
  4. Jay Steward (Phoenix, AZ), Jack Steward — Nieuport 28C — Static: 95.25; Top Three Average: 88.417; Total: 183.667
  5. Paul Haynes (Redmond, OR), Steve Wilson — Nieuport — Static: 95.25; Top Three Average: 84.584; Total: 179.834
  6. Curtis Kitteringham (Escondido, CA), Ron Peterka — Stinson SR-9 "Gullwing" — Static: 91.75; Top Three Average: 88.083; Total: 179.833
  7. Brian O'Meara (Denver, CO), James Hammond Jr. — Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony — Static: 93.00; Top Three Average: 86.750; Total: 179.750
  8. Nil Patel (Eureka, CA), Shailesh Patel — McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom — Static: 95.75; Top Three Average: 83.417; Total: 179.167
  9. Wayne Frederick (Santa Rosa, CA), Vernon Altamirano — Cessna 182 Skylane — Static: 95.00; Top Three Average: 83.583; Total: 178.583
  10. Mike Gross (Mastic Beach, NY), Tony Kirshenko — Stearman PT-17 — Static: 92.25; Top Three Average: 85.750; Total: 178.000
  11. Mike Barbee (Delaware, OH), Earl Muenze — Fairchild M-62 — Static: 91.50; Top Three Average: 85.917; Total: 177.417
  12. Dorin Luck (Henderson, KY), Gary Allen — Bücker Bü.133 Jungmeister — Static: 92.25; Top Three Average: 84.417; Total: 176.667
  13. Reg Dell-Aquila (Palo Alto, CA), Frank R. Banks — Lockheed P-38L Lightning — Static: 92.50; Top Three Average: 82.417; Total: 174.917
  14. Steve Ort (Seymour, IN), John Colby — Consolidated B-24 Liberator — Static: 90.50; Top Three Average: 81.250; Total: 171.750
  15. Dale Arvin (Jeffersonville, IN), Earl Dever Sr. — Cessna 182 — Static: 85.25; Top Three Average: 85.667; Total: 170.917
  16. Jeremy Arvin (Jeffersonville, IN), Earl Dever Jr. — Stinson DR-9 — Static: 84.50; Top Three Average: 85.333; Total: 169.833
  17. Wayne Knight (Boca Raton, FL), Bob Walter — North American P-51 Mustang — Static: 86.75; Top Three Average: 68.333; Total: 155.083
  18. David Malchione (Kennett Square, PA), Mark Frankel — Douglas F4D-1 Skyray — Static: 92.50; Top Three Average: —; Total: —

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