RC SCALE
FLIGHT CALL SHEETS
By Stan Alexander | onawing4602@att.net
IT LOOKS AS THOUGH it’s a good time to be a builder! There is plenty of time for many of us to build models and work on updating, fixing, and refinishing past projects. I am looking forward to upcoming contests this spring and summer, some of which were canceled or rescheduled in 2020.
Have you thought about the flight routine that you plan to fly with your model? It’s always good to practice your Scale flight routines when you fly—with whatever you fly that day.
If your model has retracts, flaps, and/or a bomb drop, think about where you will put these maneuvers in the flight. Make the flight flow from one maneuver to the next. You might perform a maneuver such as an Immelmann turn, and on the next pass, perform a Split-S. While performing the first maneuver, you are then setting up your altitude to do the next maneuver. The Split-S could be followed by a flyby.
Little things can make the flight flow from one maneuver to the next and help you with your scores if you are flying in competition, or it can just make you look like a better pilot at a fly-in. It not only makes the flight flow better, it can also limit your time while being judged on your flight maneuvers. Try it.
Check out the flight diagrams on the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) website. You can print these descriptions and use them as a general guide.
A detailed call sheet for your caller or spotter at the flightline is required in some instances and highly recommended as a safety procedure. For a smart Scale competitor or modeler who wants to really put on a great show for spectators, having a caller is a must. It helps keep you oriented as to where you are
in the flight program. Besides safety, a caller or spotter reminds you of what maneuver you plan to do next and where you need to be in the air, as well as whether you need flaps, gear down, gear up, or if there is another airplane in your aircraft’s general area.
It really helps if you can have the same caller all of the time. Your spouse or a friend with whom you regularly fly are great recommendations. Terry and Sheila Nitsch are probably one of the best teams with a call sheet that I’ve ever seen.
Terry flies the jet, but Sheila always tells him what to do next, where he is in the program, and who is around him, in the air and especially on the ground. I’ve seen Sheila use a legal pad with the flight program all written out and notes that state when to deploy the flaps, speed brakes, landing gear, the maneuver to drop the tanks, and more.
Terry and Sheila have won multiple times at the Nats, the Top Gun Invitational, and the U.S. Scale Masters.
Walt Moucha’s Piper Brave
In the September 2020 issue of Model Aviation, I featured Walt Moucha’s Piper Brave. With a 144-inch wingspan and a length of 99 inches, it has a three-piece wing with two 65-inch panels. The all-up flying weight without fuel for this big crop duster is 48-1/2 pounds.
At that time, the model was still not covered and finished. Walt has finished the Giant Scale model with a great color scheme. He covered it with Polyspan fabric and painted it with Poly-Brush and Poly-Spray paint. I love the way Walt finished the interior of the model and the instrument panel.
RC Scale Calendar
This year’s Red Stick Classic will be held April 9-11, 2021, at Kissner Field in Erwinville,
Sources:
Walt Moucha
(772) 460-6436
waltmoucha@yahoo.com
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co.
(877) 477-7823
www.aircraftspruce.com
Baton Rouge Radio Control Club
www.batonrougerc.com
Frank Tiano Enterprises
Top Gun Invitational
www.franktiano.com/events
Louisiana. The Baton Rouge Radio Control Club has a great grass field with dry camping available. It’s a great time for all who can attend.
As with any event, check with the local club to see if restrictions are in place. There will be Designer Scale, Expert Scale, Sportsman Scale, Open Scale, Team Scale, and two Fun Scale classes. Check the club’s website for more information.
The Top Gun Invitational is scheduled for April 28 to May 2, 2021, at Paradise Field, next to Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida. Check out the Top Gun website for updates. It’s a great place to go and watch some of the best Scale modelers put on a show. Vendor booths are set up, chairs are provided in the spectator area, and food vendors are present.
