Ed Mason’s Constellation with four glow engines.
By Fred Cronenwett
The AMA rule book has lots of events that you can participate in, based upon your interest and experience level. Control Line Fun Scale has 10 static points and 100 flight points, so it allows you to enter an event without the “builder of the model” rule and the increased level of requirements for the static judging. Profile, Sport, Team, 1/2A, and Authentic all require the pilot be the builder of the model and require more documentation compared to Fun Scale. Fun Scale allows you enter an ARF, while the other AMA events do not allow ARFs.
All of the AMA events were static judged today, and then we started flying round 1 of the four possible flights. However, the winds started to pick up when we started, which made flying more difficult than normal. Fun, Sport, and Profile classes were flown, but we were unable to fly the 1/2A, Team, or Authentic events.
While flying my Douglas SBD Dauntless in Fun Scale and the Van’s RV-4 in Sport Scale, trying to make a smooth landing was more difficult than normal. Other pilots had physical damage to the models due to the wind conditions. Because of this, it was decided to halt the flying for the day and see what conditions present themselves on Saturday morning.
You are judged on how level you can fly the model. With these gusty winds, trying to keep it level required constant adjustments with the elevator.
The Control Line Scale flight is not the same for each person because 6 of the 10 maneuvers are options that the pilot decides to use based upon what the full-size aircraft is capable of doing. For example, if you are flying an aerobatic Extra 300 and want to do inverted flight as an option, that would be a valid option to pick. However, if the full-size was not capable of inverted flight (such as a B-17 bomber) then that would not be a valid option to pick. So, as you watch each person fly their flight, they will not fly the same maneuvers.
The only class that flies the same maneuvers is 1/2A Scale, where the flight consists of takeoff, level laps, and then landing. It sounds easy, but the smaller models flown with the 1/2A engines can be a challenge to fly…especially in the wind. The other challenge with 1/2A Scale is getting the smaller engines started and running. Electric power and throttle control are not allowed in 1/2A Scale.
The plan is to be ready to fly on Saturday morning. We will see what the weather is doing and decide from there. It is not uncommon to have this type of weather here at Muncie, so the pilots who have flown here before are used to this kind of adjustment.
