To many aeromodelling enthusiasts the building and flying of accurate miniature copies of full-size aircraft under full control, ranks as the ultimate achievement in aeromodelling. The scope of scale modelling is limitless, ranging from re-creating, in miniature, any aircraft from the original Wright Flyer to the most modern and sophisticated jet-powered aircraft; from simple home built aircraft to multi-engined behemoths; from tiny electric powered indoor models to giant 1/3 to ½ scale replicas.
Many scale orientated aeromodellers are content to just build and fly their models without concern for the pressures and excitement of competition, just for relaxation and fun. These semi-scale models often lack the fine detail that prevents their owners from entering them in competitive events. However, just like in many other endeavours, competition is the greatest spur to development, and it is an important facet in the growth of this exciting branch of aeromodelling.
NASA is the Special Interest Group of the South African Model Aircraft Association that is involved with the development of the competitive aspects of scale aeromodelling. Locally, NASA has created the structure for regions to participate in the Series Scale Competitions in order that participants may qualify for participation in the annual SA Scale Masters event which is usually held in March of every year. Furthermore, NASA has the responsibility to ensure that a Nationals for Scale is run every year, either as a Scale Nationals, or in combination with some of the other disciplines of aeromodelling. These two competitions form the basis for the selection of a National Team to represent the country every second year at the World Championships for Scale Model Aircraft, which is organised under the auspices of the CIAM of the FAI. South Africa has a proud record at the World Championships, with top five team standings in most instances and even two second team standings in 1998 and 2000.
In South Africa, three categories of scale competitions exist, namely Sport Scale, Stand Off Scale and the international scale class, F4C. In Sport Scale no static judging is required. The only requirement for participation is that the model must be a recognisable replica of a full size aircraft. The competition consists of three rounds of flying, of which the best two scores count toward the final result.
In Stand Off Scale and F4C the competitors are required to produce documentation which is used as the basis for the determination of the static accuracy of the model. This is followed by three rounds of flying of which the best two rounds are added to the static score achieved to determine the final score. In Stand-off Scale the weight of static to flying is 1to 2, whilst in F4C static and flying are equally important.
In these two classes the documentation supplied by the competitors is used by the judges to substantiate outlines, markings, structure, surface texture, scale detail, craftsmanship and colour scheme of the subject aircraft modelled. This documentation forms a vital part of the competitor's entry and usually consists of an accurate published three-view drawing, colour data, detailed photographs and drawings. The models which match the documentation closest will obviously be awarded the highest static scores.
The flight judging comprises assessment of the performance of the model through a series of flying manoeuvres, as well as how realistically the performance of the full-size aircraft has been duplicated. The flight schedule consists of a series of mandatory manoeuvres and a selection of optional manoeuvres that should be in keeping with the performance capabilities of the full size aircraft.
The detective work required to research a specific aircraft together with the thrill of discovery of hard to find information, the joy of creating an as perfect as possible replica, combined with the excitement of competition, is what makes this branch of aeromodelling such a worth while one.
