Okay, here goes...
First, I'd start with the AMA website. The rules for AMA Scale Competition are listed there in PDF format for easy download. This governs how AMA scale contests from Expert/Team/Sportsman Sport Scale are flown and judged. It also outlines the rules for the Fun Scale events often seen.

Events run under the Scale Masters name are part of a series of events that qualify entrants to participate at the Championships which will be in Kansas City this year, as you may well know. For rules on these events, see www.scalemasters.org. These rules are designed to overlay the AMA rules- that is the SM rules supercede. They are not greatly different.

To answer your question, I would say that there is nothing in either rule book that will allow you to take liberties with your models outline such as you describe without penalty. In practice, SM is a little tougher as the Craftsmanship portion of the static judging is done at a distance of 4 feet. Not having flown in an AMA event in a while, this may have been changed to match SM. Top Gun is zero distance- highest level of difficulty.

You should analyze your documentation and build the best model you can to it. If this means that your three view and photos show some offset/exposed hinging, you should make every effort to duplicate it. Efforts at hinging that look like model hinges will not receive full craftsmanship points. Efforts at hinging that deviate from the actual hinge line, missing offset points etc can be downgraded in outline judging. Control linkages are the same. Where hidden, they should be hidden in similar manner. Many models this is very difficult and it is not uncommon at these contests to see models where aileron linkages are showing, but usually a deduction does occur. In reality, you can do whatever you want and you should do whatever is best for the model to make it safe and accurate. Be aware that when it comes to scale fidelity you will be held to a high standard.

Jeff Lovitt
Davis, Ca