Control Line: Scale
Bill Boss 77-06 269th Street New Hyde Park, NY 11040
RULES CHANGES affecting CL Scale events for the 1990–91 competition period were minimal. Only one of the three proposals that could have affected the CL rules passed the Final Vote and will appear in the new rule book due out by January 1990. It appears we finally have reached some stability: the 1990–91 rules effectivity will give us a four-year period in which only one significant rules change took place.
Rules changes
One significant change passed the Scale Board under proposal SC-90-30. This change eliminates the need to measure models entered in Precision Scale events. It does away with the requirement for the contestant to provide the special ruler for static judges to determine the model's size in inches when applied to the three-view drawings presented as proof of scale.
Please note: effective 1990, contestants are no longer required to provide a special ruler in RC and CL Precision Scale events.
Judges will still perform close-up examinations. The elimination of the ruler does not change the requirement that judges look for the fine detail that separates Precision from Sport models.
Why this rules change?
Reasons given by Dave Platt, Scale Contest Board chairman:
- Reduce the amount of time and effort required for static judging of Precision models.
- The rulers previously presented often did not accurately interpret the three-view drawings used as proof of scale.
- Eliminating the ruler and its related problems might encourage greater participation in the Precision Scale events.
Other proposals — defeated
- SC-90-27: Would have prohibited intentional entry of FAI and Precision models in CL and RC Sport Scale events. Defeated by a narrow margin (6–5). While the concept was viewed positively, administration and control were seen as major problems.
- SC-90-46: Would have allowed engine size and weight limit changes. Defeated 10–1. A concern was that, because Proposals SC-90-33 and SC-90-35 raised the RC Giant Scale upper weight limit to 55 lb (previously 40 lb), passing SC-90-46 could have allowed CL Scale models to weigh up to 55 lb — a weight range felt to be unsafe and difficult to handle for CL models.
Dave also noted that little input was received by Scale Contest Board members from across the country. Rules-change interest appears to be driven primarily by those submitting proposals, leaving board members to act based on their own judgment. If you agree or disagree with recent rule outcomes, please be more responsive in future cycles.
Hobby helpers (suggested by Carl Dugan, Orbiting Eagles of Omaha)
- Black & Decker Hobby Center: A small swivel-base vice useful for several jobs. It can be fitted with metal jaw pads for soldering tasks or rubber pads to hold wood without marking it. The swivel action allows many working positions.
- Black & Decker Benchtop Workmate: A larger, vise-like device that clamps to a workbench or table. Approximate size: 15 in. deep × 17 in. wide × 7 in. high. Metal-faced jaws can hold up to 1 in. stock. One jaw is adjustable via two cam screws; the other has an adjustable steel-reinforced jaw guide.
- Homemade magnet-on-a-pole: Glue a small magnet to the end of a 36 in. wood stick to retrieve dropped 4-40 nuts, bolts, or metal chips from under benches or chairs.
Mighty Lite plywood (Frank Tiano Enterprises / House of Balsa)
Mighty Lite is a premium-grade plywood now available in the U.S. Features include light weight, a smooth-grain finish, and a laminating process claimed to reduce splitting, warping, and flaking. The ultra-smooth finish allows faster finishing and easier cutting (an X-Acto knife works well on thin sheets).
Available sizes and suggested prices:
- 3/32 × 6 × 12 in. — $2.50
- 1/8 × 12 × 24 in. — $3.25
- 1/8 × 12 × 48 in. — $5.50
Mighty Lite is claimed to be far lighter than standard plywood yet to provide comparable strength for model construction.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
