AMA Nats Lincoln '79: RC Scale
With places on two RC Scale teams at stake for the Ottawa, Canada Scale World Championships in 1980, the Nats became a highly contested proving ground for team selection. First, second and third place would constitute the Precision and Sport Scale teams. The finishes were extremely close: two‑tenths of a point (out of 733 total) separated third and fourth in Precision Scale, and six‑tenths of a point decided third and fourth in Sport Scale. The closeness of the finish kept everyone gathered around the score charts until all tabulations had been individually checked for accuracy.
Temperatures were in the high nineties, often over 100°F each day. Overheated engines and electronics cut some flights short and led to accidents. The extreme heat even caused one canopy adhesive to fail mid‑air without affecting the plane’s handling.
Team Selection and Results
- Precision Scale team:
- Bob Wischer (Piel Beryl)
- George Rose (Curtiss Hawk P-6E)
- Bob Underwood (Sorrell Hiperbipe)
- Sport Scale team:
- George Buso (Piper Navajo)
- Ralph Jackson (Windecker Eagle)
- Hal Parenti (Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat)
Precision Scale
Only six Precision Scale planes appeared, but their static quality was uniformly high and the final outcome had to be decided in flying. All six entries were scratch-built.
- Bob Wischer — Piel Beryl
- The Piel Beryl, previously used by Wischer in two Nats and two World Championships, captured first place and a team slot. On its final flight the canopy adhesive failed in the heat and the canopy shattered in mid‑air; the plane continued without noticeable effect on flight.
- George Rose — Curtiss Hawk P-6E (64‑in. span, Super Tigre powered)
- A repeated contender at Nats. The model is very stable; hatches above and forward of the cylinder provide access and cooling while remaining attached to conform with the rule against removed parts. George carefully simulated scalloped music‑wire wing trailing edges to match the Air Force Museum prototype. His documentation was unusually complete and voluminous.
- Bob Underwood — Sorrell Hiperbipe
- Previously used at the Woodvale World Championships. Additional refinements were made (e.g., improved windshield molding). High temperatures appeared to reduce engine performance and maneuverability. Underwood also entered a Petlyakov twin‑engined bomber in Sport Scale that lost power on one engine, spiraled in and was severely damaged. During the post‑Nats airshow, Underwood’s Hiperbipe was totally destroyed by suspected malicious interference, along with two other scale models; the monitor in use indicated frequencies being switched.
Other notable Precision entries:
- Earl Thompson — Focke‑Wulf Fw 44J "Stieglitz"
- A new entry at the Nats with many unusual features: steel‑tube fuselage with authentic metal plates, rolled steel flying wires, concealed O.S. .60 FS‑R engine venting cooling air through the front cockpit, balsa wings covered with Coverite and finished in acrylic enamel, working shock‑landing gear with wheels from an MRC motorcycle kit. Overheating cut its first flight short.
- Steve Sauger — Lockheed Orion
- A super‑scale model that was made to fly. Earlier foam wing replaced with a built‑up balsa wing covered with Skyloft material; balsa‑planked fuselage covered with one‑ounce fiberglass cloth and polyester resin, primed with Ditzler automotive primer and finished with Sig butyrate dope. The 10.5‑lb model carried about 0.5 lb of nose ballast. Canopy and windows formed from .030 Plexiglas. Wing fillets built up from balsa blocks and feathered with 1/64" plywood. Fox wheels used; realistic gear doors and prototype‑style gear retraction. Sauger received the Sterling award and $100 for top static points, plus the Association of Scale Aeromodelers flight achievement award.
Sport Scale
Sport Scale had a larger field and very high static scores at the top (100, 100, and 99.3). Roughly half of Sport competitors entered kit planes, with military types predominating. The top seven in Sport Scale were scratch airplanes.
- George Buso — Piper Navajo (83.5‑in. span, 15 lb)
- Received a perfect static score of 100 and the highest flight score in Sport to win the event. Powered by a pair of Webra Black Head .60 engines and lacking retracts. Because the plane exceeds typical FAI international restrictions (15 lb and no retracts; Ottawa limits are 13 lb and .90 cu.in. total displacement), George will likely build a new plane for the international meet. George may also act as team manager at Ottawa.
- Ralph Jackson — Windecker Eagle and Piper Comanche 180
- Jackson entered both Precision and Sport, plus Pattern. His Windecker Eagle received a perfect 100 static score and finished second, earning a team slot. His Comanche (used in the 1974 Lakehurst World Championships, where it placed third) uses Goldberg retracts; the Eagle has fixed gear. Both are balsa construction, finished in silk and dope with acrylic lacquer.
- Hal Parenti — Grumman F8F‑2 Bearcat
- A well detailed and realistic Bearcat that flew fast enough to remain smooth without serious loss of realism points. Finish used K&B Superpoxy with a flattener added to reduce gloss. The Perry‑ported Super Tigre .60 sat beneath a cowl with plumbing to bring exhaust outlets to scale locations. Visible details (e.g., forged tail‑wheel fork) were faultlessly reproduced. Hal received the Air Force Association special award for best military model at the Nats.
Near misses and other Sport Scale highlights:
- Bob Karlsson — Ryan PT‑22 (quarter‑scale, ~1¼ lb)
- Finished fourth, six‑tenths of a point out of the team. The model flew very slowly and appeared scale‑like but was troubled in strong winds. Powered by a direct‑drive O.S. .90 engine with 15‑5 prop. Construction included 1/64" plywood fuselage covering, one‑piece 96‑in. span balsa wing covered with dress‑shop material, detailed dummy engines and cowl work, piano‑wire landing gear, and elastic flying/landing wires.
- Bob Violett — A‑4 Skyhawk
- Displayed excellent finish and detail.
Other Notable Planes and Events
- Bud Atkinson — T‑34C turboprop Beechcraft
- Ideal proportions for modeling: long nose and generous control surfaces.
- Dick Graham — Piper Pawnee crop duster
- Sprayed talcum powder from its hopper at low altitude (dust was fortunately carried away from the judges). Static score of 98.7 was one of the highest.
- Hank Pohlman — Cessna 172
- An exact copy of his full‑size transport plane; intended for kitting soon.
- Bob Thacker — Turner Special racer
- Surprisingly stable; classic racers are seldom seen in scale contests but the Turner’s proportions allowed successful flight.
- Mike Gretz — Zlin Akrobat (converted from Control‑Line)
- A successful CL Scale flier who converted his Zlin Akrobat to RC and won first place in CL Scale with a similar model.
- Larry D'Attilio — Fokker D‑23 push‑pull twin
- Debuted a 70‑in., 15‑lb push‑pull twin using two Webra 60s. Adverse yaw was difficult to overcome and prop blast over the elevator caused severe flutter; the flutter was solved by adding a second pushrod and elevator horn to stiffen the control linkage.
Accidents and mechanical troubles:
- Tom Cook — Messerschmitt Me‑262 A
- 17½‑lb, 84‑in. span ducted‑fan jet suffered engine surge and crashed during a stalled turn.
- Mike Grady — A‑4E Israeli Skyhawk (ducted fan)
- Met a similar fate as other ducted‑fan entries.
- Garland Hamilton — F4U Corsair
- Badly damaged after its throttle suddenly opened while taxiing; it lifted off and collided with the crowd barrier fence.
- Vandalism incident
- During the post‑Nats airshow, several models were deliberately interfered with (including Bob Underwood’s Hiperbipe). The monitor indicated unauthorized frequency switching.
Awards and Recognition
- Sterling award and $100 for top static points — Steve Sauger (Lockheed Orion)
- Association of Scale Aeromodelers flight achievement award — Steve Sauger
- Scale Association flight achievement award — Bob Karlsson (for his fifth‑place fast‑flight performance)
- Air Force Association special award for best military model — Hal Parenti (Bearcat)
Officials and Judges
- RC Scale officials: Dick Carson, John Preston, Dale Arvin
- Precision Scale static judges: LeRoy Weber, Jr., Bill Knepp, Bob Karlsson
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
