The RC Geek Blog

By: Chris Wolfe

All Hail Scale!

Obviously, I’m a scale nut!  I think it seriously runs in my blood.  I actually cut myself once and started bleeding Federal Standard color chips!😉   In all seriousness, the big scale projects I build, I’m always building with scale contests in mind…it’s kind of a sickness.  When I found out that the US Scale Master’s (USSM) championships are once again being hosted by the Woodland-Davis Aeromodelers this year, I knew that this year was a contest year for me!  You see, I had attended the championships in 2013 at Woodland-Davis and had an absolute blast and have been hoping for a chance to go back and fly with them again!

April 23-24, the Gilman Springs RC flyers hosted the USSM Western Regional Qualifier.  This is a new home for this event as years previously it had been hosted by the Hemet Model Masters.  The Gilman Springs venue is great for flying since it’s on private land and has minimal limitations for airspace and aircraft type that can fly out there (rare for sites in SoCal these days).  The runway was in pretty rough shape this year which did wreak a little havoc on some of the aircraft (mine especially), but with a nice new slurry, this venue has the potential to be one of the best available in the area.  There was a nice showing of aircraft at the event with a total of 22 pilots overall.

qualifier_panoramic If you’ve never tried a scale contest, it’s worth a try!  With the different categories available, it’s really open to any number of aircraft whether foam, ARF, composite, built up, etc.  The camaraderie in this friendly competition is what really makes it fun and there’s always some beautiful airplanes to watch fly.   Here’s a quick summary of the categories to give an idea.

  • Pro-Am Sportsman — Category for entry level competition pilots that focuses most of the points on the flying scores.  Aircraft don’t require full documentation, only proof of the aircraft for a maximum of 5 static points allowing for virtually any type of aircraft to be entered.
  • Pro-Am Pro –Category for more experienced competition pilots that focuses most of the points on the flying scores.  Aircraft don’t require full documentation, only proof of the aircraft for a maximum of 5 static points allowing for virtually any type of aircraft to be entered.
  • Advanced — Category for pilots who’ve not built their aircraft (ARF’s or purchased, etc.) or is part of a team.  The aircraft is provides full documentation for static judging the same as the team and expert categories.
  • Team — Category for a team of builder and pilot.  The builder provides full documentation for static judging and the pilot flies the aircraft in competition.
  • Expert — Category for the builder and pilot who both builds and flies the aircraft in competition.

So, here are a few pics and videos of some of the airplanes at the contest.  I competed with my recently repaired Mirage IIIRS (long story short, I crashed it…so had to fix it…).  In the process of the repairs, I had ended up swapping out the E-Turbax fan with a JetFan 120 with a Neu 1917/1y motor on 12 cells (both fan systems are available from jethangar.com ).  I’m happy to report that the JF120 system not only provided a slight increase in performance but also increased my flight time significantly (lower current draw from the previous system) which really helps a ton in the competition realm.  I had one flight requiring over 5+ minutes and only had to recharge 4500 mah into a 6000 mah pack.  Overall I was very happy with my performance (finished 3rd in expert with a high static score of 99), but unfortunately the runway caused some damage to the airplane (more repairs…yay…) which made the 3rd round flight difficult.  I’m happy to say though that I did qualify and will be heading to the Championships in Davis.  I can’t wait!

 

1st Place Expert – PT-19 (This is the nicest PT-19 I’ve seen.  A well deserved 1st place!)

 

2nd Place Expert – F6F Hellcat (My favorite airplane at the event.  It was sweet!)

 

3rd Place Expert – Mirage IIIRS (The vid and pictures were taken at my home field shortly after I finished repairing the airplane.  Turn up the sound, it’s EDF but the airplane sounds like it’s turbine powered! :))

 

1st Place Team – Sopwith Pup (Museum scale doesn’t event describe it.  Even the prop was laminated and carved by the builder by hand!)

 

Pro-Am – T-6 Texan (Built from an old Midwest kit think.  From what I understand the model was over 20 years old.  You’d never have known to look at it, it was really nice!)

 

Pro-Am – Messerschmitt Bf-110 (this was a re-finished Dynam foam airplane.  The repaint really made the airplane stand out and looked great!)

 

Fokker DR.1 Triplane (This triplane was flown after hours and was a blast to watch.  We can only imagine if the Red Baron had this kind of power in WWI!  I’m not sure he’d be doing 3D like this one though.)

 

Oh, and to kick off the event on Saturday, there we were all treated to a couple passes from a full scale Midget Mustang.  The passes were insane!  The pilot came in LOW and HOT!!

The RC Geek Blog is your place to learn about all aspects of the RC hobby. Learn to build, design, drive or fly that RC project you’ve always wanted to build, but have been intimidated to try. This blog is here to help you on your journey and provide tips and tricks as you go! My hope is to inspire builders both experienced and new! So, welcome, please look around, it’s an exciting beginning!  I’m currently documenting my latest competition scale RC jet build, a Mark Frankel F4D Skyray, along with some other fun tips and videos. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on this front page, click on any of the categories to the right and it will show just posts related to those categories. Please feel free to add comments and/or contact me directly if you have questions, I’m here to help! And don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel, I post new videos every week!

Subscribe To Our Blog Now

By Chris Wolfe 19 Sep, 2023
The B-58 Hustler Saga - From Triumph to Tragedy
By Chris Wolfe 13 Mar, 2023
Preparing for Battle: The ULTIMATE Guide to Scale Documentation Maybe you've heard about RC Scale Aircraft competitions, but the thought it sounded intimidating, or the process of it all seemed daunting and discouraging. Well, fear not! I am here to encourage you and dispel any myths you may have heard if any. Scale competition is a fun and challenging segment of the hobby that will undoubtedly make you a better pilot! So, in light of this, I've started a new "Preparing for Battle" live series and in my first episode, "Preparing for Battle: The ULTIMATE Guide to Scale Documentation," we talk about the AMA Scale Nats with special guest Joe Vermilion from Balsa USA and peel back the layers of scale competition and provide information on what it's all about! As an experienced RC Scale Aircraft competitor and two time US Scale Masters National Champion, my hope is to share whatever knowledge and practical advice I can for newcomers and seasoned competitors alike.
By Chris Wolfe 14 Feb, 2023
Are You Ready to Take Your RC Flying to the Next Level?? Then you’re in luck, because we’re giving away an FMS 1400mm F4U Corsair and an FMS 1100mm PC-21 ! But first, let's address the elephant in the room...it's been quite a while since my last blog post. With the move to TN and everything going on trying to get The RC Geek up and running full time, it's been difficult to sit down and set aside time to write. My goal is to change that going forward, so here's hoping! (check the vid below for even more details about everything mentioned here!)
By Chris Wolfe 25 Jan, 2022
Flight of the Flir Cat…The Sequel!! I tell you what, it has been quite the journey getting here! As a project, this Freewing F-14 Tomcat refinish took much longer than I had originally planned based on all of the other distractions that have come through the shop, but I'm so happy with how this model turned out in the end. It did take a few flights to get tuned and I have made a few small modifications in the process since our last installment, but otherwise I'm happy to report that the Tomcat is flying quite well. The F-14 Tomcat has such a great look and presence in the air, you just can't beat it!
By Chris 10 Jan, 2022
10 channels of power…and 1 receiver to rule them all! I personally love having the option for more channels, especially when building my own scale aircraft. While not always necessary, having channel options available is almost always helpful and it opens up opportunities to add scale functions and/or customize the controls more to your liking. And that's not to mention having individual servo setup across the same functions. So, I was excited to finally see the AR103060T and AR10100T 10 channel receivers released from Spektrum. It opens of channel options in a lighter weight package while also supports all of their new technology. Having been flying the NX10 for some time it is nice to finally be able to utilize all of those 10 radio channels.
By Chris 10 Jan, 2022
Good times and Warbird Flying are back! Needless to say, the last year and a half plus has been hard on all of us. With so many of our normal routines and activities disrupted, it has only brought that many more challenges it seems. This hobby is not just about the airplanes and flying, it is about the friends and comradery that can be enjoyed together with others as well. So, when the Scale Squadron's Warbirds & Classics came up again this year after being cancelled in 2020, I was beyond excited to go; it had been almost 2 years since the last event I went to!
By Chris 24 Nov, 2021
Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 4 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Low-Viz Navy Weathering How low can you go?…a little low-viz Tomcat weathering. Finishing up the refinish work on the Freewing F-14 Tomcat, it’s time to apply some characteristic low-viz Navy weathering. The Flir Cat paint scheme is from the mid 90’s at a time when the Tomcats in service were painted primarily in Dark Ghost Grey (FS36320) with variations thereof. They were high maintenance workhorses at this time and the aircraft got extremely dirty during operation. This opens up lots of opportunities to apply different weathering techniques on the airplane to simulate those years of service on the carrier.
By Chris 24 Nov, 2021
Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 3 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Paint, Markings, & Panel Lines
By Chris 27 Sep, 2021
Refinish A Foam Jet Ep 2 - Freewing F-14 Tomcat Cockpit 3D Printing, Painting and Moving Pilots
By Chris 27 Sep, 2021
Fill…sand…poly…sand…primer…sand…aaaannnnddd repeat… You've probably figured out by now, I have many favorite aircraft. ;) However, if I was to put together my top 5 favorite aircraft of all time, the F-14 Tomcat would probably be at or near the top of that list. The airplane was one of brute force, but packaged in an elegant and distinct looking airframe that truly personified its name, Tomcat. And that's not to mention, it was an extremely capable fighter that filled many roles through the years that operated from the early/mid 70's into the mid 2000s.
More Posts
Share by: