Author: S. Alexander
Edition: Model Aviation - 1997/04
Page Numbers: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
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'96 Scale Masters: Garland Hamilton Takes Top Honors in Mesa, Arizona

Stan Alexander

Event Overview

Qualification for the US Scale Masters Championships is a thrill for many scale competitors. This year there were 19 Masters Qualifiers from Alberta, Canada to Long Island to Dallas to King Orange in Florida, the Mint Julep in Kentucky, and Mile Square Park in California.

The 1996 Championships were held October 31–November 3 in Mesa, Arizona, hosted by the Arizona Model Aviators at the Spook Hills flying site. The ramrods of the event were veteran Manager Roy Pratt and Contest Director Jeff Demming. The Spook Hills facility, with a 600-foot paved runway, covered pit area, and safety barriers on all flightlines, is another flying site threatened by encroaching urban development.

Static Judging

Static judging was held at the Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum at Falcon Field (one of the best aviation museums in the US, with many rare aircraft and accurate replicas). Judging inside the WWI hangar started promptly Thursday morning and continued all day.

Of the 49 competitors at the Championships, 40 received a static score of at least 90 points. A modeler can enter a kit-built model, a model built from plans, or a scratch-built model and receive good results in the static circle.

Nick Ziroli Jr. took top honors in static (99.50) with his Grumman TBM Avenger. The large torpedo plane was scratch-built by Nick. Features of the 50-pound model include folding wings, Robart retracts, flaps, operating bomb-bay doors and torpedo drop, disc brakes, and an operating tail hook. The full-scale aircraft operated from the Bunker Hill in WWII.

Not far behind in the static portion were the jets kitted by Bob Violett Models and built by Garland Hamilton (99.00) and Shailesh Patel (98.00). These were two of only four jets entered in the competition.

Entries and Aircraft Mix

There was a surprising lack of WWII "heavy metal" in the mix. Absent were many familiar WWII types such as P-51s, Corsairs, Fw 190s, Me 109s, Zeros, and several others. There were two Republic P-47s (entered by Scott Foster and Hank Cavasso) and a Ki-61 by Ed Newman. After Nick Ziroli Jr.'s TBM finished sixth overall, you have to drop to 17th place to find another heavy fighter, a Spitfire Mk IX.

WWI and golden-era aircraft were present in larger numbers:

  • Art Johnson — Republic P-35
  • Ernie Harwood — S.E.5a
  • Dave Lovitt — Northrop Gamma
  • Mike Winter — Sopwith Pup
  • Chuck Collier — Beech Staggerwing
  • Ed Terry — Fleet Biplane
  • Charles Baker — PT-26
  • Victor Larson — Comper Swift
  • Skip Mast — J-3 Cub

The entries were split into Prop and Jet classes this year, with the overall winner being the highest scorer from both classes. Almost everyone liked this idea. There have been suggestions for additional divisions (biplanes, monoplanes, and jets), but there were only four jets—fewer than in recent years.

Entry totals:

  • 18 biplanes
  • 27 monoplanes
  • 4 jets

Additional notes:

  • Two Fokker Triplanes were entered.
  • One jet was turbine-powered.
  • One ducted fan crashed.
  • Three of the four jet models finished in the top five.
  • All four jets were BVM kits.

Weather, Rule Change, and Safety

The wind at Spook Hills is usually across the runway; this was true for about half the Masters. To make a more level playing field for all types, the Scale Masters Committee made a rule change this year: a pilot could replace takeoff and landing with other scored maneuvers. The pilot is given an extra minute for each maneuver replaced. For WWI aircraft in particular, this rule can be a godsend. Several pilots used the option; some did not.

Of a possible 245 flights, there were only five crashes, and some of these weren't serious.

Notable Models and Results

  • Nick Ziroli Jr. — Grumman TBM Avenger (Static 99.50). Scratch-built, 50 lb., folding wings, operating bomb bay and torpedo, etc. Finished sixth overall.
  • Garland Hamilton — BVM T-33 Sea Star. Powered by a propane-burning JPX turbine; features flaps, speed brakes, retracts, and wheel brakes. The turbine idles at about 40,000 rpm and has a throttle restrictor that limits it to 12,000 rpm. Garland planned maneuvers carefully, especially landings, and won the overall championship.
  • Shailesh Patel (Eureka, CA) — F-4 Phantom II (BVM). Twin .91 power, 26 lb., finished second in Jet Class and second overall. Features retracts, flaps, brakes, drogue chute, and droppable fuel tanks. Finished in a Vietnam-era color scheme.
  • Bob Violett Models kits (built by Garland Hamilton and Shailesh Patel) placed highly in static judging.
  • Eugene Job — Hawker Sea Fury modeled after the Reno racer "Baby Gorilla." Wingspan 90 inches, powered by a 4.2 twin-cylinder Desert Aircraft 3W German-built engine. Built from Vailly Aviation plans. Took first place in the Prop class and third overall, with an excellent static score and consistent flight scores.
  • Randy Hansen — Cessna A-188 Agwagon. Qualified at the 49er Qualifier and finished second in the Prop class and fourth overall. This impressive model has a wingspan of 123 inches, is powered by a G-62, and weighs 38 pounds. Randy added detail from New Zealand Aero Products: working hopper, rotating spray pump, landing lights, and an incredibly detailed cockpit. The model is controlled by a JR radio with 1/4-scale servos and flying surfaces covered with corrugated aluminum. Randy also took the coveted Pilot's Choice Award (voted by the pilots). For information on plans (drawn by Warren Russell) contact Northwest AG Aircraft, (503) 458-6686.
  • John Cole (Peoria, AZ) — de Havilland D.H.4a powered by a PAW .60 diesel. 82-inch wingspan WWI pusher biplane built from his own plans with a dummy engine copied from an original at the Champlin Fighter Museum. Finished seventh overall and fourth in the prop class.
  • Chuck Fuller (California) — own-design WACO Taperwing powered by a Zenoah G38, 72-inch wingspan. The full-scale aircraft won the L.A.-to-New York Air Race in 1929.
  • John Ostmeyer — Pica WACO modified to a 1992 Classic WACO F-5 in a local paint scheme. Built with increasing detail throughout construction.
  • Mike Brewer (Astoria, OR) — Aeronca LC. Built from plans of the 1930s low-wing cabin sport aircraft (full-scale example in the EAA Museum at Oshkosh). 109-inch span, powered by an O.S. .120 FS engine; finished 24th.
  • Hank Cavasso — Yellow Aircraft P-47 Razorback, "Spirit of Atlantic City." Powered by a Webra Bully engine, 24 pounds. His first warbird; still working out engine and retract issues.
  • Gary Parker — Albatros D.Va (Proctor Enterprises kit). Meticulous research from the Smithsonian; scale plywood panels applied to the model’s sides as on the prototype. Powered by an Enya .240 V-twin, 89-inch span, 22 pounds. Finished 14th overall and 11th in the prop class. Engine detail is outstanding.

Public Outreach and Media

A halftime air show and walk-around for spectators was offered each day. Attendees were allowed to walk around the models while owners answered questions and discussed future projects.

The author met a couple from Germany at the hotel who were so impressed by the competition that they spent the day at the field. Local television news crews and newspapers also covered the Championships.

Judges

  • Chief Judge: Kent Walters
  • Assistant Chief Judge: Bill DeVera
  • Static Judges: Darlene Frederick, Larry Stephens
  • Flight Judges: Bob Morris, Rick Powers, Bob Frey, Mike Hatfield, Bill Glover, Tommy Weemes, Vernon Altamirano, Dave Schwirian, John Richardson, Stan Alexander

Sponsors

  • Aerolot Designs
  • Airtronics
  • Barton Machining
  • Bob Violett Models
  • Byron Originals
  • Carl Goldberg Models
  • Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum
  • Du-Bro Products
  • Enviro Fuel & Lubricants Intl.
  • Fox Manufacturing
  • Futaba
  • Hansen Video
  • Hitec RCD
  • Hobby Shack
  • Horizon Hobby Dist.
  • Innovative Model Products
  • Meister Scale
  • Nick Ziroli Plans
  • Northeast Scale Modeler
  • Scale Plans & Photo Service
  • Proctor Enterprises
  • Propwash Video
  • RC Modeler
  • RAM
  • Robart Products
  • RT Aerospace
  • Scale Model Research
  • Scale RC Modeler
  • Sheldon's Hobbies
  • Sig Mfg.
  • Slimline Mfg.
  • Vailly Aviation

Acknowledgments

Those who attended the event would like to thank everyone from the local club who worked the flightlines, pit area, concessions (the ribs were great), parking, and the 100 other jobs necessary to make an event of this type happen.

Stan Alexander 3709 Valley Ridge Dr. Nashville, TN 37211

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.