NATS '78: RC Scale
Mike Gretz
Overview
The RC Scale events at Lake Charles were as spectacular as any ever seen. As usual, all classes of scale models were on display in the scale judging area during the early part of the week. The constant gathering of viewers and admirers in the scale area evidenced the great appeal of scale models. More spectators and other-event NATS contestants gathered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to watch the Precision and Sport Scale models fly than for any other event.
The aircraft subjects modeled ranged from ducted-fan jets to a huge Twin Mustang, from a 1929 Bird biplane to a 1/2A Phantom. The true aviation-history buffs could drift back in time with the sleek Hughes H-1, Bevo Howard’s Bücker Jungmeister, or the nostalgic Pitcairn Mailwing. Military subjects accounted for 50% of the total field, and seven of the top ten places in Sport Scale were military subjects — showing that there was a style to suit everyone’s fancy.
Thirty-nine airplanes were judged in Sport Scale, with four Precision Scale class entries. Both events were down slightly compared with the last two years, due mainly to the NATS location. Lake Charles has never drawn the number of scale entries typical in some other parts of the country, but this year surely had the cream of the crop quality. Precision Scale also missed the presence of Bob Wischer, Bob Underwood and Steve Sauger, who were representing U.S. Scale at the World Championships in England at the same time.
Precision Scale
NATS’ biggest prize in RC Scale went to Dave Platt for his superior Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless. Dave came first in Precision Scale and scored the combination of highest static score (432) and highest flight score (357) for the event. For top static points at NATS, Dave was awarded the prestigious Sterling Award, given each year in memory of its founder, the late Ed Manulkin, president of Sterling Models.
Dave’s model duplicates the Dauntless operational on the carrier Enterprise in 1942. Built to scale, it uses an OS Schnuerle 60 engine fully concealed within the cowl behind molded dummy engine cylinders. The model engine exhaust exits through scale exhaust pipes. The Dauntless weighs 9 lb. 2 oz. Retracts were scratch-built using some Rom-Air parts. Scale wheels required custom-turned metal hubs and molded rubber tires for full authenticity. The custom fiberglass cowl, two-piece cast prop hub, hand-carved pilots, and thousands of rivets, fasteners and panel lines are just a clue to the magnitude of the scale model — caliber far beyond static points.
Claude McCullough’s Shinn 2150-A presents an interesting study. Sitting next to the Dauntless, they seem to represent two different schools of thought in Precision Scale: the Dauntless uses the worn, weathered look Dave pioneered, while the Shinn appears factory-fresh — the trademark McCullough finish. The Shinn, powered by a Webra 61, won the Testors Best Finish Award at NATS and weighs 13 pounds.
A sleeper in Precision Scale was Tom Stark’s cream-and-red 1929 Brunner Winkle Bird biplane — 1/5-scale, 51" wingspan, weighing 5 pounds and powered by an OS Schnuerle 60. Tom’s good flight scores lifted him to fourth. Vito Tomeo scored 380 static points with an excellent Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Scratch-built and powered by a Webra 91, the Fw 190 showed outstanding craftsmanship and scale detail on its first trip to NATS; only flight problems kept Vito from placing higher.
Sport Scale
Only five points separated the top five finishers in the hotly contested Sport Scale event.
- Ralph White — 1st place
Ralph flew a Fliteglass P-51D Mustang and was also awarded a special plaque from the U.S. Air Force for best overall performance by a military subject.
- Bob Violett — 2nd place
Bob placed second with a fantastic ducted-fan A-4E. On the flight line he scored a phenomenal 92, 93, 92 out of a possible 100 in three flights.
- Art Johnson — 3rd place
Art’s spectacular F-82G Twin Mustang night fighter took home third place. The original-design, 91" span model weighs 18 lbs., and uses two O.S. 60 engines. Rom-Air retracts with Hydra-Locks and a Robart retract tailwheel powered by a Sonic cylinder handle the ground load.
- William McCallie — 4th place
William’s Fw 190 was a consistent performer.
- Tom Czikk — 5th place
Tom’s P-40D was also a consistent performer.
A Pitcairn Mailwing by Al Kretz scored top static points in Sport Scale, but had takeoff problems on the concrete runway because of its tail-skid landing gear. Eric Waterman flew a beautiful scratch-built Stinson for the best Junior performance. Perennial NATS scale contestant Bud Atkinson entered a well-camouflaged trimotored Savoia-Marchetti SM.79.
1/4-Scale and Other Highlights
The 1/4-scale movement was well represented in Sport Scale this year.
- Dave Platt and Ernie Kraft both flew Webra 91–powered Bücker Bu133 Jungmeisters.
- David Noll entered a Nosen-kit Citabria Decathlon with a Profi 76 engine.
- Mario Yederinlic caught the crowd’s attention with a super-realistic, slow-flying Piper J-3 Cub powered by a Damo 2-cylinder engine.
- Don Downing entered a Cox .051–powered F-4 Phantom.
- John Pagan flew a House of Balsa 1/2A Chipmunk.
When the results were in, both Don Downing and John Pagan had beaten out nearly half of the field. It’s nice to see such variety at the NATS.
Notable Entry
Col. Bob Thacker entered a model of the Hughes H-1, the aircraft designed, built and flown by Howard Hughes in 1936 for the world speed record of 352 mph.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
