Curtis Switzer and Chad Costamire fueling Chad’s L-29.
By Jessy Symmes
Friday delivered more than anyone expected. The plan called for one round of competition flying in the afternoon, which is the tradition at the Scale Nats. Instead, the weather held, the flightlines kept moving, and the contest got two full rounds in the books before the day was done. The timing could not have been better. Rain arrived within fifteen minutes of the last flight of the day, which meant the contest beat the weather by a matter of minutes.
Contest Director John Boyko was pleased with how it played out. “Today was a great day. We had really good weather up until about four o’clock,” he said. “Normally we only get to fly one round on Friday afternoon, but we were able to fly two rounds today, which is really advantageous for us for weather and potentially to add more flying for the competitors.”
Getting a round in the bank early is no small thing at Muncie, where an afternoon of wind or a passing storm can erase a day. It also gives Boyko options later in the week, which is worth understanding if you are following the scores from home. The sheets show four rounds, but the contest can run as many as six. “We have four rounds showing, that is typically what we’ve done traditionally,” Boyko explained. “We have that flexibility to add additional rounds into the competition. So, what will happen is if we fly five rounds, we will take the top two rounds for your final score. If we do six, we’ll still only take the best two rounds.” That is why a pilot’s standing can jump on a single strong flight, and why nobody is out of it after a rough one.
Boyko had nothing but good things to say about the field. “I think that the pilots did an excellent job overall,” he said. “Number one, keeping the contest moving. Everybody was ready, they were on cue. And then the flying has always gotten better and better over the last ten years of scale competition. Equipment’s better, the airplanes are better, the motors are better. So it’s really fun to come watch an air show with RC airplanes.”
Asked for a standout, Boyko did not hesitate. “The T-33, that’s been great. The two-tone gray camo,” he said. “From what I saw, that was probably the best flying that I’ve seen off the top of my head so far today.” He was talking about Jeff Thomas and his CT-133, the Canadian variant of the T-33, which is currently sitting on top of Open Scale.
Here is where things stand after two rounds. Remember that placement reflects a pilot’s best single round to this point, so the numbers below are the score that is currently carrying each competitor.
Pro-Am Sport
Oliver Lei leads the class with a 93.50 flying his T-28 Trojan, a remarkable start for an eleven-year-old flying his first competition ever. Greg Vollmer sits second at 87.00 with an Extra 300, Patrick Dunlap third at 86.25 with a T-28 Trojan, James Miller fourth at 65.75 with an Extra 300, and Bill Spencer fifth at 50.00 with an MB339.
Pro-Am Pro Division 1
Will Berninger holds first at 100.75 with a J3 Cub. Curtis Switzer and Tom Bean are tied for second at 100.25, Switzer flying a Stearman and Bean a Fairchild PT-26. Steve Petrotto is fourth at 99.50 with an FX3 Cub, Mark Radcliff fifth at 99.00 with a Cherokee, Chad Cotsamire sixth at 98.75 with a Nieuport 17, David Marenberg seventh at 98.25 with an FX3 Cub, Art Shelton eighth at 97.25 with a Jeannin Taube, Phil Tallman ninth at 94.75 with an Ercoupe, and Larry Folk tenth at 79.00 with a J3 Cub.
Pro-Am Pro Division 2
Kaleb Spencer took over the top spot with a 100.50 in round two flying a Viper. Curtis Switzer is second at 100.25 with his WW Racer, Jeff Thomas third at 100.00 with an A-10 Warthog, Phil Tallman fourth at 99.00 with a P-47D, Chad Cotsamire fifth at 97.75 with an L-29, Steve Petrotto sixth at 97.25 with a T-45 Goshawk, Juan Cruz seventh at 97.00 with a T-28 Trojan, Larry Folk eighth at 94.25 with a Super Chipmunk, and Brian Taylor ninth at 92.00 with a Super Chipmunk.
Open Scale
That CT-133 of Jeff Thomas leads at 181.75, built on an 88.50 static score. Jerry Nugent is second at 157.50 with a P-47, and Frank Sarantidis is third with a Stearman.
Expert Sportsman
David Hayes leads at 187.25 with his Turbo Thrush, built on a 95.50 static score.
Designer Scale
David Hayes also leads this class at 179.00 with his Thrush, which carried a 98.00 static score, the highest static number on the field so far.
Saturday brings a full day. “Tomorrow we’re looking forward to a 9 a.m. pilots’ meeting, wheels up at 9:30,” Boyko said. “We’re gonna fly a minimum of two rounds, depending upon weather. And then we’ll be having our banquet at 7 p.m. with all of our awards.” Check back tomorrow for scores and a report from the field.
