Hey all,
Can I kick in here? I thought that perhaps getting some info from the "Horse's Mouth" so to speak might shed a little light on this thread. Let's see, in no particular order, here are some facts. Scale Model "Builders" are a dieing breed. Fact is, the average age of a "builder" has risen to a mighty 55 years old, results gained from years of data from Top Gun and Florida Jets. As the older guys retire and move to a condo, they haveno more buildoing space, so they assemble ARFs.Or, as they get older their eyesight and dexterity wanes, so they stop using an Xacto and switch over to ARFs where they don't have to use many tools. Worst of all is that as the older modelers fade away, we have very fewyoung "builders" to take their place.
As far as Top Gun, we DO NOT allow ARFs in any class except Pro-Am, which is another word for FUN SCALE, and then, ONLY if the entire airframe has been painted, finished etc. by the modeler. NO Stock ARFs are allowed. Now, let's define an ARF by Top Gun standards. An ARF is a model that is fully constructed, but not assembled. Is is completely Painted as well. The only duties for the builder is that he must install radio, engine, linkages and fly. A competition worthy BVM F-100, by example, takes a minimum of 300 hours to build, an AirWorld FW-190 takes about 200 hours to complete to the degree of the one that Dino flew at TG in the past. These might be called Almost Ready to Fly, but believe me they are certainly NOT!! The builder still must cut parts to fit, do considerable sanding and filling, apply rivets in areas that were not in the preformed skins , prime and paint. Give 10 different guys a BVM F-100 and 6 months to build it, and you'll fine out something. One, they will all have differeent degrees of Perfection, and 2, some of them won't be done in time!
Next, some misconceptions that should be cleared up. First, there is NO Document that must be signed that states the modeler built the model himself. At any AMA event, only a safety declaration is signed. The Builder of the Model rule is implied, but not signed.
One last thought. TIME is NOT something that is judged, or rewarded for. Whether the modeler took 4 hours to do something or 4 minutes is no concern to any judge. The "Effect" of what he has done is all that counts. Models with Composite parts do have great skin texture but that's where it stops. The builder still has to massage the seams, fill the voids, add the bulkheads, landing gear mounts, scale details beyond the stock kit and a host of other chores. But that particular modeler chooses how far to take the project. He is NOT rewarded for it or penalized for lack of it. BUT, the final score may reflect some relationship to the amount of detail he has performed. At TG, we also award a maximum of 10 points for "Realism" in the Static Score, meaning, does the model resemble the full scale counterpart, or does it look like a plastic model airplane?
Anyway, that's the details. I'm happy to answer any legitimate questions, but keep in mind that when somebody said that TG is a "private" venture, they were correct. It has its own Rule Book and standards. If someone gets an invitation but disapproves of the rules, he simply declines to participate. Just like ANY other sport! Rules are Rules. Don't like them, start another event that uses different rules. That's what I did!
As always, thanks for the opportunity to speak.
FT