Scale World Championships
HISTORIC LeBOURGET Airport and the Paris Musee de L'Air was the scene of the Eighth Scale World Championships for Radio Control and Control Line airplanes. Models were displayed inside the old terminal building, of the late 1930 era, that had seen no airline activity since all traffic was diverted to Charles De Gaulle and Orly Airports. The building is presently being renovated to receive aircraft of the museum that will be transferred from Chalais-Meudon within the next year. Concrete dust, stirred by thousands of visitors' feet, coated models constantly during the week of our stay.
Radio Control: Scale
SCALE ELECTRICS: An Electric Spitfire Mk 1a, seen at Toledo, served notice that we can expect more Electric Scale to appear in our competitions. The 61-in.-wingspan Spitfire, by Keith Shaw, featured retracts, an AFI Cobalt 25 geared motor, and Jomar SC-2 speed control. The distinctive difference between this model and all others at Toledo was its weight: a mere 25 ounces, without batteries! Total weight, ready to fly, is 80 ounces. At present, Electric Scale airplanes are judged along with all others, but this may be changing.
Radio Control: Scale
FLIGHT QUALITY: In our May 1984 column, we discussed subject selection (the steps taken in finding a model type that will fly well enough to insure scalelike flight). The contest modeler needs no urging to seek a quality of flight that is at least equal to the quality of his aircraft. The non-contestant disciplines himself to fly in a scalelike manner for his own personal satisfaction, and because he is aware that fellow fliers expect it of a Scale subject. Quality of models has escalated far beyond what was thought possible, and flight quality has now begun to catch up.
Radio Control: Scale
ON-BOARD IGNITION. A high percentage of Scale models need weight, added in the nose, to counterbalance a tail-heavy condition. Don't feel bad about having to add nose weight-it's needed on some full-size aircraft, too. The DC-4 had about three-quarters of a ton of ballast in its nose. Nevertheless, adding weight to an already-burdened Scale model always seems like a gross waste. A convenient (and useful) five-oz. nose weight is a 4 amp Ni-Cd D-cell that can be used for on-board glow ignition. Reliable engine idling and positive throttle response under all conditions are benefits of using the cell. All D-cells are not alike. The common, inexpensive variety found in electronic retail stores is much lighter, is rated at 1 1/4 amps, and is really a C-cell in a D case. Most glow plugs will draw three amps, which results in a very short useful life between charges if the 1 1/4-amp D or C cell is used in place of the four-amp cell. We use the GE 1.25V, 4 Ah, model HD 1000.
Radio Control: Scale
MANEUVERABILITY. We have been asked whether our semi-aerobatic Scale models will do a Lomcevak, and the answer is "No," of course. In order to do these and other violent maneuvers, a model requires an excess amount of control surface travel. There isn't any question that the model's controls could be set up for extreme aerobatics, but this would inevitably result in a super-sensitive airplane in which tiny movements of the transmitter controls would alter the flight path visibly. Scale flight illusion would be destroyed, even under the guidance of an expert pilot.
