By Dave Rees
Photos by the author, except as noted
As seen in the July 2001 issue of Model Aviation.
It has been 25 years since I hung up my control-line handle after the 1976 AMA Nationals (Nats) and switched to Free Flight (FF) Scale. Now I am writing this review of what has become a large chunk of my life.
I do not plan any more changes of direction; I have found my place in the hobby.
I have competed in each Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nationals meet from 1978 to the present, a number of AMA Nats, and a host of local club meets too numerous to remember.
FF Scale has provided my 15 minutes of fame, and it defines who I am. I have acquired a large group of modeling friends from each state in the union and Canada.
I am telling you this because many of you don't know me, and I must establish my credibility for writing an article such as this. I am a passionate, reasonably successful proponent of FF Scale modeling. The opinions expressed are my own.
History: I'm not sure when flying scale actually started. There has always been a need for scale models as proof of concept prototypes before full-scale airframes were built. Samuel Langley and the Wright brothers built scale models of their famous aircraft.
Each time I try to pin down exactly when Scale models were first flown in their own event, I find an even older photograph showing guys flying scale models. Perhaps this is a good subject for a research article, but it is divergent from my purposes.
There is a deep psychological interest in what I will call the "urge to miniaturize." Other hobbies, such as model railroads, race cars, and boats, also grow from this inexplicable human intrigue with miniaturized versions of full-scale things.
There have always been scale models; people just like them.
Even though the earlier scale models were being built and flown, we can safely say that recognized events for Scale models began, as most modeling events did, in the 1930s. That is when fliers such as Earl Stahl, Henry Struck, and Walt Eggert were flying their now-famous designs.
Thumb through the pages of magazines from that period and you will see many designs for FF Scale._
In the beginning, there were AMA rules and none other. The FAC's history is relatively short in comparison.
The FAC movement was laid out by Dave Stott and Bob Thompson in the Connecticut area in the mid- l 960s, using the name from a magazine published in the 1930s.
When we see Dave or Bob, we should tip our hats to them and thank them for what they have created for us all to enjoy. Their genius in laying out the basic rules rapidly increased the popularity of the FAC style of flying.
By the time I began flying Scale models of Lacys in 1976, AMA and FAC rules were in use, and you had to inquire about which set was going to be used before arriving at a meet. There was a period when I tried building two sets of models because the two sets of rules were so different.
The first FAC Nats was held in 1978. I entered because it was close to home-at the Johnsville Naval Air Station, which had been the old Brewster plant in World War II-just north of Philadelphia PA.
The meet was a resounding success. Famous modelers came from every part of the country, and the flights were so spectacular that I remember each one vividly to this day.
I think this was the turning point, when the FAC began to assert itself in FF flying Scale. It proved to everyone that the FAC system of events and rules were more fun and easier to use.
I competed in AMA and FAC Nats for the next few years (FAC Nats are held every two years), and AMA attendance dropped to a third of that at the FAC events.
I flew in my last AMA Nats in 1988 at Fentress VA. We took off from the entrance road to the Radio Control (RC) parking area, by stopping traffic long enough for our airplanes to get safely above the cars.
Attendance was down to eight or 10 in each class. That was it; I switched entirely to FAC flying.
I did attend an AMA Nats at Muncie IN in 1998, because I was in town for another reason. The same handful per event were present.
The Rules: These define the events. They indirectly determine what types of airplanes will be flown, how popular the events will become, and how long they will last.
I will go into some detail, hoping to bring to light the advantages and disadvantages of all the rules used today for FF Scale. To a newcomer, these are the rules you will be up against in the sport.
The AMA rule book (Competition Regulations) lists three events for FF Scale: Peanut Scale—501, 505; Rubber Flying Scale—503, 507; and Outdoor Gas Flying Scale—504.
The alternate numbers are for the Indoor and Outdoor events, which are otherwise the same. A printed score sheet defines the way scoring is done, and the general rules for each event are listed by each event category in the rule book.
Rule books may be purchased from AMA; they cover each event flown in this great hobby.
The size of a Peanut Scale model is defined by a maximum 13-inch wingspan or a maximum nine-inch fuselage length.
A total of nine flights are permitted, and each attempt is counted as an official flight. The two best flights are averaged, and that becomes the flight score. You get a 10-second bonus if your model can rise off ground (ROG).
And here is the hook: no flight time plus the bonus may exceed the total Scale score. If you get a low Scale score, no amount of fantastic flying will save you.
The Scale judging forms have blocks for workmanship, color-and-markings, details and accessories, flying surfaces, covering, landing-gear length, dihedral angle, outlines of flying surfaces, bonus points for type of aircraft, and minus points for any deviations from scale. A total of 10 categories are evaluated, but there's more.
You add the second through the ninth scores, subtract the minus points, and multiply by the workmanship points. That figure is added to the flight score described above, for a total score.
Each flier must submit a data pack, to aid in the above evaluation by the judges. The competitor must list the scale to which the model was built, provide a list of the things he or she did not make (wheels, propeller, etc.), include a photo—preferably color—and supply an accurate, approved three-view drawing of the model to be judged.
Reference is made to the Scale General chapter in the rule book, which covers all the definitions and procedures in great detail, and reads like my last year's income-tax forms.
More speed in scoring would come with proficiency, but imagine yourself as a judge facing a table with 50 smiling Peanut entries on it.
These rules favor certain types of models if you are to be successful—even if your workmanship is above average.
The profile of a winning subject must have long landing gear, fly well with scale wing dihedral, fly controllably with no stabilizer or rudder enlargement, have few details so they can be shown to be "all there," and have as high a handicap as possible.
The handicap awards points for such things as multimotors, multiwings, seaplanes, and other items that would make the airplane harder to fly. There are a few airplanes out there like the preceding, but not many.
The Rubber Flying Scale rules are less intense. There are seven categories to be judged: wing shape, indicated structure, and dihedral; tail surfaces; fuselage, cowling, and engine; landing gear, struts, and rigging; static details and accessories; finish and color-andmarkings; and workmanship. When totaled, these categories equal 100 points.
All flights must ROG, except for biplanes, seaplanes, and autogiros—all of which may be hand-launched. Flying consists of four flights; the best two are averaged, up to a maximum of 90 seconds. The total point figure is the sum of the flight and Scale scores.
A data pack similar to that for Peanut Scale must be submitted for judging, but the maximum number of 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheets is limited to six. The same Scale General section of the rules is referenced.
A better balance of building and flying exists in Rubber Flying Scale; there.is a 100- point max for Scale and a 90-point max for flying.
A wider choice of airplane type is present, because there is no handicap rule—even though you are rewarded by not having to ROG a more-complex airplane type. More normal models have a chance in this event.
A well-executed high-wing monoplane can do well, provided it can achieve the 90- second maximum flight times needed. A great deal of work must go into any model for this event, for such things as indicated structure, surface finish, opacity, engine details, and rigging.
The Gas Flying Scale event has roots deep in modeling history. Hardly anyone flies gaspowered models anymore. Can you picture wiping off a fully detailed Scale model covered with oil? (My apologies to my good friend Fernando Ramos, who does very well with diesel-powered models.)
Most fliers use electric or CO2 motors for power-neither of which were around when this event was started.
Gas Flying Scale comes under the Unified Scale Judging Regulations for scoring, which are the same as those used by Control Line (CL) and RC Precision Scale events. It has eight categories and a maximum of 450 points, including points for your drawing presentation, photo presentation, and written description. You feel like you are in one of those high-dollar RC Scale meets.
The engine run is not limited, and the flights are not timed. Flight scoring is by judging-how realistic your takeoff, flight, and landing approach (not touchdown) are compared to that of the full-scale aircraft.
Thirty points are awarded each of those areas, with a total of 60 flight points maximum. The best flight score of four attempts is multiplied by five and added to the Scale score. It must really feel good when your score is in numbers that large.
No particular type of airplane is favored by these rules, but several major difficulties become apparent. This event would be fun if it was held on a lovely, calm day. Trying to evaluate flight characteristics on a windy day is asking a lot from any judge.
All entries face the same weather, so it's the luck of the draw when it's your turn to fly. In 1998 at Muncie we flew in the rain with a squirrely crosswind. My airplane took off with a scale rendition of an airplane trying to avoid a car at the end of the runway, only to be whisked out of visual range once it gained altitude.
As for Scale judging, it is overkill for a model light enough to be FF. It's time to review this one.
The FAC rule book lists the following categories.
Mass Launch Events: World War I Scale, World War II Scale, Modern Military 1945-up, Bendix Race, Shell Speed Dash, Golden Age Military, Thompson Race, Greve Race, AT-6 One Design, Fairchild 24 One Design, Aero) Race, Goodyear Midget Racers, Modern Civilian 1945-up, and Flying Horde.
Timed and Judged Events: FAC Rubber Scale, Pioneer Scale, FAC Peanut Scale, FAC Power Scale (one engine), FAC Power Scale (multiengine), Powder Puff Derby (for women), High Wing Peanut Scale, Golden Age Civilian, Jumbo Scale, Giant Scale, Dime Scale, and No-Cal Profile Scale.
There are more possibilities, but these events have stood the test of time. Still more are listed in the rule book, such as Old-Time Commercial Rubber and Jimmie Allen, but I omitted them for this article; they are not Scale models.
Immediately evident is not only the vast number of events available, but that a new category of events has been added: the Mass Launch. A stroke of pure genius by the FAC founders, it has really brought the fun back into Scale modeling.
Instead of battling the elements on your own and comparing scores afterward, you are competing with those fliers standing next to you.
The only judging is a look-over by the event director as the pilots file out to fly, assuring that the models are all 45 points or better. More about scoring in a moment.
The models are given two minutes to wind, then all are flown at once from a line spacing fliers at six-foot intervals. Nothing has stimulated crowd appeal like the masslaunch events!
If there are more than roughly 10 entrants, they are split into heats that are flown separately, and combined for the final round.
The basic rule is that no repairs are allowed—rubber included—and the last competitor down is the winner. Two, three, or more fliers may be designated out per round in the early stages of elimination, to decrease the time required to select the winner.
When the winner is chosen, the event is finished and everybody goes back to get another model to fly. Mass Launches are routinely flown with as many as 50 airplanes. Talk about heart-pounding excitement! (I'm old—I pound easily!)
Not so apparent are the Kanones, or "top guns" in WW I lingo. Each time you score a victory (first place), your score is recorded at FAC-GHQ. Every FAC flier in the country has a tally, and you are promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, etc., all the way to Air Marshall.
At 16 Victories, you are awarded the coveted Blue Max Medal—sometimes with an elaborate ceremony.
Each flier may enter two airplanes in the judged events. This helps greatly when you enter a good wind flier and a good airplane for calm. However, only one score counts.
As in AMA events, the "builder of the model" rule applies. Neither undercambered wings nor folding propellers are allowed. All flights are hand-launched and landing gear may be represented in the retracted position, although some events, such as Golden Age, specify that gear must be extended.
Scale points and handicap are added from the following categories: Handicap—varies with configuration—0-45 points; Construction Details, 0-30 points; Color and Markings, 0-20 points; and Workmanship, 0-12.5 points.
That's all there is: three things to look at, and to look up the handicap. I have seen good judges do this in as little as five minutes per airplane. It can take longer to bring the airplanes to the judges than it takes to complete the judging, so runners are frequently employed at larger meets, to fetch and return the models.
Three official flights exceeding 20 seconds duration are allowed. Only the highest counts. Maximum flight time is two minutes, but the flight points are counted in an ingenious way; you don't get one point per second for the whole two minutes.
Flight times and flight scores are: 0-60 seconds—one point per second; 61-90 seconds— 1/2 point per second; 91-120 seconds—1/4 point per second; and twominute max—82-1/2 points max.
All Rubber Scale events are judged using the same system, so there is maximum commonality.
The Power Scale rules have been changed in recent years, because it is so easy for this class of models to make maximum flight times. The handicap points were added to the flight time before flight points were calculated, and complexity points equal to handicap divided by 10 were also added, to further eliminate ties.
There are some detail limits, such as wingspan, in many of the events, so don't start building without looking through the rule book-no matter which rules you prefer.
We have looked at both sets of rules in detail, and the rules tell the story; FAC is where the action is today in FF Scale.
The Skills: A friend told me that you have to be proficient in 65 skills to build one FF Scale model. Although that is an exaggeration, he was not far off the mark.
However, it should be challenging if you are to stay interested. People stay with things in which they have invested personal effort. I'm not trying to scare you off-quite the contrary-but it will take some work to learn the skills.
There are no ARFs here, and not much cash is required; just learn things one at a time, while relaxing and enjoying yourself. That is what a hobby is all about.
No one wakes up in the morning and says, 'Tm going to be National Champ in Free Flight Scale." You are drawn into it gradually by an interest in realistic-looking models that fly by themselves.
Your goal—stated as simply as I can put it—is to strive to make the best-looking model you can, fly for as long as it can.
The first step in learning the skills is to get plugged into what others are doing; you learn from others.
You should also join AMA you need the liability insurance coverage to fly in most meets. You can order the AMA rule book at the same time.
I recommend that you spend some money. Buy yourself a good weighing scale. You can still find the older mechanical type at yard sales, but the newer digital electronic scales are the best. They usually cost $100 to $200.
I prefer a scale that is readable to 1/10 gram and will weigh a total of 400 grams. You can weigh the smallest components, and be able to weigh the whole model when it's completed.
With a good scale, you can start developing an "awareness of weight." Weigh everything in sight. You need an innate sense of how much things weigh. It takes time to acquire, but FF is very much a weight game. Without this sense, your models will be too heavy or too weak and heavy (the "weak rock" effect).
Another skill you need is wood selection. The simple "pounds per cubic foot" charts are readily available and are a good start, but it won't take long to realize that all parts of a balsa sheet are not the same density. One end of a stick is not the same as the other.
Stiffness or strength is even more subtle to learn. For a given density, you want the greatest strength from the wood fibers. You must know which parts of an airframe need which strengths. Most plans won't tell these things; they leave them up to the modeler to determine.
Once you get a good grasp of wood selection, your models will fly longer and take the punishment of competition.
Covering is a major skill to learn if you are to be successful in FF Scale. It can be much easier if you have a mentor. You can only get so far by reading about it or by talking on the telephone. I am still learning covering tricks.·
Tissue is the main scale surface used; the plastics are far too heavy, and they look fake for this event. However, tissue can be very frustrating.
The FAC has many squadrons throughout the United States and Canada. Call someone, and ask him or her over for dinner and some "handson" covering. It will save time and get you pointed in the right direction.
There are several popular covering methods in use at the moment: dope, white glue, and glue stick.
Once you get the airplane built and covered, you'll want to paint it. Colored tissue is permitted in FAC events, so it is not mandatory to paint all your models. Rubbedon chalk colors are a new system that is gaining popularity, but paint will be needed -somewhere-for lettering, stripes, camouflage, or even the clear coating.
The best way to paint these models is with an airbrush. Something else to buy, right?
There are several good airbrushes on the market; some are more controllable than others, but all are better than brushing.
Brushed finishes are not good enough for today's Scale models. Clear dope is too heavy when brushed on; the dope soaks in. With an airbrush, only the outer fibers of the tissue are coated or colored.
Get an airbrush and a compressor, and learn how to use it if you want good-looking Scale models.
Since the rules give points for construction details, the last skill to learn is how to put on details that don't weigh anything. Two hundred feet of inked panel lines weigh nothing, but the effect on your Scale score can be dramatic.
It's wise to start with simpler airplanes, so you are not faced with too many details at first. Put on panel lines and rivets with Rapidograph drafting pens or indelible markers.
Wire rigging on biplanes, registration numbers, and engine details are necessary if you want a good Scale score. This is where the top modelers really shine; they create flying masterpieces.
Pilot figures are not scored, but they communicate subliminally to the viewer that "I have things so much under control, I have time to waste carving.and painting a pilot"!
Did you know that building the framework is the easiest part of a Scale model? You are only 1/4 finished at that point, with covering, painting, and detailing phases to go.
Are you still with me? I hope I didn't scare anyone off with this section.
Please remember that list of mass-launch events-they aren't even judged, which partially explains their popularity. There is a place in FF Scale for airplanes with less intensive detailing.
I left out the skills needed to fly the electric- and CO2-powered events. They carry a whole separate set of abilities regarding the power systems, and are too much to cover here.
When you get a little further into the craftsmanship, volunteer as a Scale judge at a local meet. It will make your models better-I promise. Not only will you learn how judging works, but you will see up close what other fliers are building and how they present things. You will realize how a judge thinks and how decisions are made.
Judges are not the enemy; they are fellow modelers.
And never protest a score. It's just not done in the FAC.
The Tactics: An entry-level modeler can have fun almost immediately in FAC flying. Once the modeler can fly an airplane for roughly one-minute duration, he or she can enter mass-launch events.
These events can be quite intoxicating while the modeler's craftsmanship develops sufficiently to allow entry into the hard-core Scale events, where judging is more intense.
By far the most important tactics to learn are the use of propellers and rubber. Notice that I placed this in "The Tactics" section rather than in the one for building skills. This includes all motor sizing, propeller sizing, and winding approaches.
The fliers who apply these items well are the most likely to win in a mass-launch event. I have seen incorrectly trimmed or overweight airplanes come out on top just because the flier got the propeller and rubber right for the conditions.
When you walk up to that launch line, you have made a group of decisions. Is it windy? Is it light air with thermals or a cold, downer day'? How good are the fliers standing on either side of you, nonchalantly trying to hide the fact that they are having an adrenalin rush?
Then as the rounds go by and you are still in the race, how many winds will be enough to outlast the others and not break the motor while you are winding?
This is great stuff! I love it!
It takes experience. A good plan will list some of this, such as propeller size and rubber specifications. Charts are available for how many winds a given size and length of rubber will take. This is a good starting point. Your mentor is a big help, too.
After that, watch what other fliers are doing and network your ideas. Once you get a model working, build on the data. A certain combination worked for this airplane; it should be close for similar models.
Another tactic to acquire is flight trimming; this is the fun/work part. Get yourself out to the flying field and fly until it's dark. Fly as many times as you can without getting divorced.
You will need calm weather the first few times on a new airplane. Wind will only confuse you when you're making the initial adjustments.
Build as many adjustable things into the airplane as you can; downthrust, sidethrust, elevators, and rudder should be tweakable. Clay can be added for ballast. Fly time after time, until you get things dialed in.
After that, try different motors and propellers until you get the most from your airplane. Give it a try on a breezy day, so you won't get any nasty surprises in the wind. It is always windy on meet days—you can count on it.
Begin a record-keeping system. After I've flown approximately 30 flights on different airplanes I can't even remember where I parked the car, let alone how many winds to stuff into that angry motor.
Date log entries, listing the atmospheric conditions, listing lengths, width, and weights of the rubber motor, propeller size, pitch, and all surface settings, with resulting flight times.
Write down anything that helps you recreate a previous setting, in case you have to get an airplane down from a tree or build another one after a fly-away. I have accumulated records from many years of flying, which help me design new subjects with predictable results.
An item to bring along is a partner. In my case, it is my devotee! wife. You need a flying buddy or a new modeler who wants to learn the ropes, who can work very closely with you during the meets.
There are loads of things that need to be done, such as winding, timing, spotting where the airplane comes down, and making sure the timing slips are turned in-all while the pilot is flying and retrieving. Time disappears quickly when you are trying to complete 40 flights during a weekend meet.
To win a high-point award, be prepared for a lot of work at home in your studio, at the trim field, and during the actual meet. Roughly 12 to 15 events must be carefully built for, and the models must be test-flown until they are reliable.
The 2000 FAC Nats (at Geneseo NY) had 34 events during the three days of flying. There is little time for sitting and talking. My wife says you must be single and out of work to carry off a championship.
I strongly recommend that you stay in shape; contest flying requires a great deal of walking. Multiplying 40 to 50 flights by 1/4 mile per flight (if it is not windy) equals 10 to 12 miles traveled. That's not difficult if you are young, but it's a lot of exercise as age creeps up on us!
The weather is usually hot, which only makes things worse. I walk two miles each day, beginning when the winter weather breaks. You don't want to be on a winning streak in the air, and not be able to continue because you have run out of gas.
The Future: Where we are going with FF Scale?
I say more of the same.
More people are joining the FAC club, and attendance is on the rise at Geneseo and at local meets. A strong group of talented younger fliers in the 30-40 age group has come into the club, so the future of this type of flying is assured.
However, there will be a bump down the road because so many fliers are in the older age groups, but it will go on.
Lately I have seen very successful entries by several fliers who come from the ranks of the-professional artists. Their mastery of the various graphic techniques required to make a championship Scale model is superb.
As a group, artists have a very high personal standard of excellence that makes them hard to beat. The visual arts and Scale models seem to share a common psychological background. Craftsmanship continues to increase in quality after 25 years of the FAC movement.
You owe it to yourself to come to Geneseo the Thursday night before a Nats. You won't be disappointed.
We are in what I believe to be the Golden Age of FF Scale. We are building better and flying longer than ever before. Flying Scale models is very much a "now" thing rather than a nostalgia event, and I am glad I am here to be a part of it.
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