You can argue that Masters is a destination class, but in reality it is not. Anyone with the skill level to compete in F3A does so. If they don't have the skill level or the drive they fly Masters. That is why I chose to fly Masters instead of continuing in F3A. I no longer have the skills/drive/desire to take on the difficult schedules and the unknown pattern. Check the list of those flying Masters at the Nats and you'll find basically two types. Older pilots not wanting to go up against the younger ones in F3A and the up-and-coming younger ones hoping to eventually fly F3A. I have no pretenses that winning Masters at the Nats is the same level of achievement as winning F3A. But I still love to fly and compete in pattern!

There is very little reason to keep the AMA weight limits the same as F3A, especially when the F3A limits are not equitable. I say the 2-meter rule is appropriate, as that is the rule that all the airframes developed will follow. Please look at the list of those who flew at the Nats and what they flew. Did anyone in the Masters finals fly their own design? I'll bet there were very few who even built their own plane! Designs for a 5.5kg take-off weight, 2-meter size model are not going to come flying off the boards and dominate the AMA classes. It just isn't going to happen. You can talk hypothetical but then there is reality.

Those choosing to move on to F3A will have enough drive and desire to acquire whatever airframe they need for it. Making everyone meet an expensive limitation for those moving through is detrimental to participation.

Increasing power is not necessary for a 2-meter model. I saw no lack of power with both the electric models and IC models I watched at the Nats. 3,500 watt models would be way overkill. And if power loading and wing loading were the only thing being judged, then the results of the Nats would have been a lot different then they have been.

You can talk about smaller then 2-meter models all you want, it is not the way people are going to fly the event. When Tipo's and Phoenix's were the planes to fly, that was what everyone flew. Even though we all knew a well-trimmed Kaos flown a lot was just as competitive in Sportsman and Intermediate, practically no one went that route. I'm sure a Wind 110 in Intermediate could be just as well flown as the Integral that won this year, but they are not going to be seen at the Nats. Again, reality bites.

I am certainly a fan of electric and I believe it is a great way to fly. But the World's have this nasty habit of showing that IC is still a very viable way of winning. Maybe launching at over 11 pounds instead of under 11 is an advantage? Who's to say!

I know for a fact that in my case at the Nats that the weight limit increased my cost to participate. I had to buy a new ESC and two battery packs that I wouldn't have needed except for the weight limit. And the battery packs aren't going to last flying Masters. I'd be willing to bet that there were a lot of others out there that had to do something similar. I know of several, even one in Intermediate. Also, please refer to my earlier post, a legal 5050 gram electric F3A model using a 4300 maH pack won't work in Masters.

The AMA aircraft limitations have been blindly following the F3A forever. I say, how has that worked out for us? The event has been in decline for a long time. I say it is time for an attempt to revive it.