1. Terry Niche did a beautiful job on his F86 and the manner in which he
controlled it.
2. Very few of the aircraft flew what I would consider to be close to scale
speeds.
3. Judging scale flying, as I have been made to understand, will duplicate
the attitudes and maneuvers the full size aircraft will normally fly.
Some of the scores given did not reflect this.
4. Wind is a big factor, and the heavier the wing loading, the more
controllable the model is in adverse conditions. Therefore, Jets and
WWII have a distinct advantage.
5. Static judging is, in theory, based on the proof of scale that the
builder provides the judges for the particular/specific aircraft. This
includes markings, color, outline, and details that can be observed
from a distance of four feet. There were some questionable static scores
at this contest, but that's life.
6. WWI planes are at a distinct disadvantage for take off and landing if the
wind is cross (ref. #4)
7. In a perfect world, judges would be cognizant of the differences and
difficulties of flying WWI aircraft, but (as the vote turns out) this is
not a perfect world.
8. I would be hard pressed to accept that the judges are aware of how most
of the full scale aircraft would fly. These guys are, for the most part
modelers, and this is their reference (ref. #7).
9. If winning is the sole reason to attend a contest such as this, then it
makes sense to fly what is in vogue until such time as the rules may be
ammended to take into account extreme flight realism.
10.I now remember why I got out of competition 25 years ago. It started to
become a job and the fun went away. I intend to compete in the future
ONLY to sharpen my personal skills and for my own enjoyment in
vicariously piloting a WWI aircraft. If I should come home with some sort
of prize, great. If not, and the model is in one piece,great!
As far as a Western Front type thing, I would like to see this as a fun fly
only, with perhaps a prize or award given to a "pilots choice" scale model
aircraft, based on scale authenticity and craftmanship. And I see no reason
to exclude our non-flying buddies. I'd love to see some of their work and
chit chat about details, markings, etc. I'm not so young, but I can be
taught. And I love to learn!
Bob Pickwoad
Phoenix