Archived Indoor Article:    [The Indoor Scene 1 (Oct 03)]

Indoor Scene 2

 

The festive season is over, I hope you all had a good time and that Santa brought all that your hearts desired.  Now it is the start of a new season of model making and flying.  The next on the indoor scene will be the SCALE champs.  The final date is to be confirmed, but

The Scale competitions that RAFMAA run are for the following classes:

 

peanut_currie_wot_III.jpg (33497 bytes)Peanut Scale:  This is a rubber powered duration comp with the model being built togipsy_moth.jpg (46721 bytes) either 13in wingspan or 9in fuselage length.  (Not including the propeller, which means a larger wingspan is possible or a longer motor can be used)

 

   

Open Scale:  This covers models powered by rubber, electric, or Co2 motors with a maximum all up weight gloster_javelin.jpg (50567 bytes) of 150grams (5 1/4oz) or a wing loading of 15grms per sq decimetre (10 x 10 cm).

If you have never tried indoor scale and fancy having a go, then the easiest solution would be to purchase a kit.  Sams Models is probably the easiest way to get these and there is a link on the RAFMAA web site to Sams web pages.  Of course, you couldopen_gloster_gladiator.jpg (34848 bytes) always build from plans and many have been published in the model mags.  Just about all of the Aerographic kits will lend themselves to Open mentioned above.  Sams Models have many Peanut kits to choose from and literally hundreds of plans.

 

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Do not try to build anything too detailed if this is to be your first time out.  You really do not have to be a high-class craftsman to do well in scale comps.  A well-made model with a reasonable finish and goodhacker_j3_cub.jpg (34666 bytes) flight trim is all that is required.  To prove the point, I was persuaded last year by Dick Mottram to enter my sport scale model of the Hacker Piper J3 Cub (Sport scale kit built straight out of the box) because my competition twin cub model was not being too consistent. Dick lent me some documentation and although the model did not score high static points, its flight performance was excellent and the model won the comp.  If you happen to have an accurate highly detailed model that consistently fly’s on rails, well!!

 

Documentation requirements for both classes are:

  wagner_twin_cub.jpg (89182 bytes)

  1. 3 view drawing – 1/72nd scale minimum size.

  1. 3 full photographs of type – at least 1 of the actual aircraft modelled.

  1. Proof of colour i.e. colour photograph or 3 view, written text etc.

  

bonzo.jpg (25230 bytes) open_currie_wot_III.jpg (53019 bytes) triplane.jpg (37718 bytes) dart_kitten.jpg (37585 bytes)

I hope that this might wet your appetites to have a go at indoor scale, please contact me if you would like some guidance or help in producing a winner.  If I do not have an answer to your query, I have access to some very knowledgeable national champions to fall back on to get it.

 

Don’t forget, Indoor 2 is another opportunity to improve on your duration scores from Indoor 1, or if you didn’t get any then, now’s your chance to shine.  I can still supply a starter pack for duration classes: EZB, Helicopter, Hand Launch Glider and Co2 Duration.  There is always help on hand for any novice or anyone having difficulties at the indoor meets.  Come and join in and see.

 

 

Phil Morgan

Indoor Comp Sec.

email: rafmaa-indoor@rafmaa.co.uk

 

 

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Having read thus far, why not learn more about this fascinating world of minature? 

link to: > Indoor Scene 3 -  CO2 Motors >>>>>>