Competition Newsletter
FAI/CIAM Meeting Approves World Champs; New Rules
John Worth AMA Executive Director
The April FAI/CIAM meetings in Paris approved a number of aeromodeling rules changes and announced the 1989 RC World Championships schedule.
Highlights:
- AerOlympics II is coming in 1989. The U.S. will host a four-in-one championships for RC Aerobatics, RC Soaring, RC Pylon Racing, and RC Helicopter. Site and date will be announced later. (AerOlympics I was hosted by the U.S. at Lakehurst, NJ, in 1974.)
- The RC Electric World Championships will be held in the St. Louis area in 1988.
- Control Line Scale World Championships will be held in Kiev, USSR, in 1988.
Rules changes:
- Builder-of-the-model rule deleted for RC Pylon Racing (it had previously been deleted for RC Aerobatics and RC Soaring).
- RC Scale changes approved for the 1988 RC Scale World Championships (Italy):
- Maximum weight (less fuel): 7 kg (15.4 lb).
- No engine size limits.
- External silencers to be downgraded.
- Maximum surface area increased from 150 sq. dm to 250 sq. dm (3,875 sq. in.).
- Large RC Scale provisional rules approved:
- Maximum weight (less fuel): 25 kg (55 lb).
Coming: More Assigned RC Frequencies at Future Nats
Vince Mankowski Nats Manager
The 1978 National Model Airplane Championships (Nats) assigned frequencies to the Radio Control Pattern event. That change proved beneficial because flying by class reduced the number of contest days per contestant while increasing overall flying time.
Plans and timeline:
- By 1991, when all 50 of the new RC channels are expected to be available in the U.S., all RC events at the Nats will have assigned frequencies.
- Assigned frequencies will allow most of the contest (except possibly Indoor) to be held on a single site. By 1991, Soaring and Helicopter will join Pylon Racing and Pattern on the same site; events may be run at the same time and place.
- RC Pylon Racing frequency assignments will begin in 1988 to avoid 3IM (third-order intermodulation) problems. The Nats Pylon Racing frequency-assignment plan for 1988 will be announced after the 1987 Nats to give racers a full year to make any necessary frequency changes.
- Soaring and Helicopter frequency assignments for the Nats will be published in early January or February 1988, giving competitors about 3½ years to adjust.
Benefits:
- Competitors and spectators can enjoy more events without traveling between remote or auxiliary sites.
- Site selection will be simplified because fewer separate locations will be required.
Background:
- The Nats has grown complex since the 1920s–30s (then only three to five Free Flight events). In recent years each Nats included nearly 80 events, complicating single-site organization and site selection.
NATS News Subscriptions
- NATS News is a daily publication at the Nats with event results, news, and stories—an essential souvenir.
- AMA members may pre-order all 9 issues (three more than normal) in advance using the subscription coupon.
- The ninth and final issue is only available via subscription; it is published after the Nats and contains the final results and a Nats summary.
Junior and Senior Trophies
Good news for young fliers:
- All Juniors and Seniors will receive a special 1987 NATS participation award.
- All Junior/Senior events will be guaranteed trophies to at least third place; additional trophies depend on event entry.
- Juniors and Seniors pay no late fees.
Special Nights During NATS Week
CLOUD 9 NIGHT — Tuesday, July 14, 1987
- Cloud 9 is a nostalgia society of AMA museum patrons with a quarterly newsletter of modeling anecdotes written by notable modelers.
- Cloud 9 Night at the Nats invites Cloud 9 members and all AMA members to gather, hear modeling stories, and meet well-known figures. Bring a camera and tape recorder.
AMA MEMBERSHIP MEETING — Wednesday, July 15, 1987
- The 1987 Annual Meeting of the AMA will be held in Lincoln. All members are encouraged to attend to meet AMA leaders and ask questions.
LEE RENAUD MEMORIAL CONTEST — July 12, 1987
- Held at Oak Creek Park.
- No entry fee.
- Prize opportunity: a complete Airtronics radio from the sponsor, Airtronics Incorporated.
ELECTROFLIGHT
- Events:
- 7-cell precision duration (Event 2.5B): 45-second motor run.
- Up to 30 cells (Event 2.6A): 30-second motor run.
- Target time and landing bonus for both events: 7 minutes (details to be announced).
- Location/time: At the Soaring site on July 18 after F3B flying.
- Contest Director: Cal Ettel, CD.
Academy of Model Aeronautics Note
Technical Director: Bob Underwood CompuServe: 76117,167
The day following the April 25 Executive Council meeting, headquarters reviewed several items that will require rule book and membership manual updates. These changes concern the Safety Code and other material to make clearer what can and cannot be done when flying models.
Key points:
- Interpretations of rules, especially the Safety Code, require careful deliberation and consultation with the Executive Council and insurance representatives.
- The Academy supports innovative modeling approaches but must balance innovation with overall safety and legal considerations.
- Concern was raised about persons inclined to continue using the old RC frequencies beyond December 20, 1987, the date on which those frequencies became illegal under FCC action.
- Using illegal frequencies could raise insurance and liability concerns; the Safety Code is expected to prohibit use of frequencies other than those authorized by U.S. law, including frequencies permitted in other countries but not in the U.S., and operation on six-meter ("ham band") frequencies without the proper FCC license.
Sanctioning procedure and rule-book clarity:
- Confusion exists over sanction requests and use of common terms (for example, "Giant Scale" vs. the specific rule-book event number 514).
- Work is underway to:
- Remove ambiguous material from the rule book.
- Recommend that the Executive Council break the sanctioning process into logical parts (rule-book competition events, non-rule-book competition events, noncompetitive/nonflying events).
- Improve explanations via a "Contest Director's Guide."
FCC Part 95 wording:
- The Academy had prepared material to request a rule-making change to clarify Part 95’s language concerning RC frequency usage for aircraft and surface models. Some supporting material used earlier was found incorrect; the Academy's attorney, Jeremiah Courtney, is preparing corrected wording with the FCC. When finalized, the material will be published.
Clarification — CL Speed Team-Selection Program
Walt Perkins, chairman, CL Speed team-selection committee
Due to a last-minute date change, an aspect of the CL Speed team-selection program was omitted from the official announcement in Model Aviation (May 1, 1987, page 125). Program participants voted in October 1986 (vote 12) to allow participation in both East Coast and West Coast contests provided official times were obtained. Under this rule:
- If a competitor enters the latter contest, the earlier contest is forfeited.
- The entry fee paid for the first contest would be transferable to the second contest.
- Cliff Norman was the sole dissenting vote.
Lee Renaud Memorial Contest Update
- RC models powered by the Cox .049 Black Widow engine qualify for the contest.
- The activity is sponsored by Airtronics, Inc.
- For details on awards and information, contact:
Airtronics, Inc. 11 Autry, Irvine, CA 92718
- There is no charge for information.
1987 U.S. RC Pylon Racing Team
- The U.S. swept the 1987 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Results:
- 1st: Dave Shadell — 131.95
- 2nd: Brian Richmond — 131.87
- 3rd: Dub Jett — 130.82
- Australia finished second as a nation; New Zealand third. Twenty contestants from nine nations participated. Defending World Champion Milos Malina (Czechoslovakia) did not compete; the Czechs did enter a team.
- FAI scoring system: a contestant's time in seconds for 10 laps has 200 subtracted; the resulting number is the score for that race. The highest total score across races wins. Three races were flown; each contestant was allowed one throwaway round.
- Close finishes: Richmond was 0.08 points (0.8 seconds equivalent on total) behind Shadell; Jett was 1.05 seconds behind Richmond. Fourth-place G. Matthews (Australia) was 2.0 seconds back.
Listing and Ad Information for the Contest Calendar
Normal Listing
- When an AMA sanction is issued for an event, it will be automatically listed in the "Calendar of Events" section with date, place, event name, competition events, flying sites, and Contest Director name and address.
- Use of Supplementary (paid) Ad space is suggested to describe unusual events, give directions, or highlight significant aspects.
Supplementary Ads
- Larger ads can be inserted in the "Calendar of Events" section for AMA-sanctioned events by paying a fee.
Ad Fee
- Ad sizes accepted (submitted size; ads are reduced 50% when published):
- 3¾ in. wide × 1½ in. high: $8 per issue (AMA-chartered clubs pay half).
- 3¾ in. wide × 3 in. high: $16 per issue (AMA-chartered clubs pay half).
- 3¾ in. wide × 4½ in. high: $24 per issue (AMA-chartered clubs pay half).
- Fees payable in advance.
Ad Preparation
- Advertiser must prepare the ad. Ads not camera-ready in black on white background will not reproduce well.
- It is recommended to make the ad on heavy paper or lightweight cardboard.
- Avoid small lettering or fine details that will be unreadable after reduction.
Submittal Deadline
- Ads received by the 22nd of the month can be included in the issue reaching readers approximately six weeks after the following month.
- Ads are published on a space-available basis only.
Send ads to: AMA HQ, Attention: Competition Dept.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
