ORIGINAL: tstotts
A master builder has to know and understand a lot more than how to assemble a pretty looking model. To be considered a master he has to understand the principles of flight. The difference in how a model plane flys compared to a full scale and why. He must nderstand incidence, dihedral, engine thrust, airfoils, MAC, CG, radio systems, control linkage concepts, engines, prop theory and on and on, to long a list to post like this. Sorry to differ with mode 1 but if one is a master builder he KNOWS he his. The problem is there are to many that claims the level of expertise he does not possess. A couple of ones pointed to in previous post here would certianly rank right up there.
I mention in a post earlier that one of my friends can scratch build the most wonderful scale ships. He never gave a rat's pattootey for the incedence or the thrust line or tank heigth, etc. They were quite often real basket cases . Is was always up to one of the neighbors to fly them and help dial them in. But I never thought any less of his building for it. We could always dial that in later and he knew it. I think his ships were some of the nicest I have seen and for sure the nicest I have flown.
My friend is also quite modest about his skills. As far as he is concerned, everyone from Clevland that is his age should be able to do it. He makes it sound as if it were very commonplace when he was young.
I think these guys are pretty rare.