flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

Can anyone tell me what the ruleings are as far as the RC fun scale division , does the plane you enter have to look like its full scale counterpart as far as covering and colors , or does it just have to look like the physical aspect of the full size plane, you see Im going to go to the NATS this year and Im wanting to enter my Ultimate 10-400 which is in the Chip HydeTOC version, I really dont want to have to re cover the plane , but if I have to so be it, I dont want to loose points either. Ive looked everywhere I can think of to find scale info on the real aircraft but havent been able to find it anywhere on the net , does anyone know where I can find info on it .

Stickbuilder

Heck, Just show up. They will find a class so you can get a trophy. The Nats is less than zero any longer.

Bill

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/e...ooks/Scale.pdf

Erich_F

Yeah, IIRC Fun Scale class is a stand-off judge event only. I just scanned through the rules for fun scale...says you get a 0 or a 5 for static. To get a 5, it must have a similar paint scheme as the full scale, as documented in a photo. But, Fun Scale is more about the flying, really. If you can fly in a scale manner, you should do well:

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

did they do away with the novice class or do they still have it

Hossfly

It's all at: http://www.modelaircraft.org/events/compreg.aspx

Jim Thomerson

People who fly Control Line Precision Aerobatics still hold the Nats in high regard.

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

yeah well everyone welcome to thier own opinion , but personaly I still want to compete in the nats , to me it would be fun and a chance to meet and talk with others. I use to fly with Charlie Chambers all the time , he was a very good friend and I learned allot from him, anyway back to the Nats, I think any type of competetion is good for the hobby be it the nats or anything else. Im sorry if you think the nats are less than zero, and maybe its changed since I flew in them the last time which was years ago , but after this winter pass's Im going to want to take a road trip so the Nats is on my list.

Silent-AV8R

As do Pylon, Soaring, Pattern and IMAC. Heli guys do not seem to care for the precision type of flying that the AMA and F3C classes use and so attendance is very low for helis.

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

Wow , I guess Im going to have to recover my Ultimate , 5 points is allot to loose , could mean the difference in winng and looseing

Erich_F

I've been going to the Heli Nats for the past four years...I look forward to seeing what happens this year, as the Heli Nats this year will overlap IRCHA for a day or two.

Silent-AV8R

Here are the scores from 2009: http://www.modelaircraft.org/events/...R&subevent=520

Not sure how they totaled the scores up. First place had 101.25

Here are the scores of the top 3

Fun Scale Open Aircraft Static R1 R2 R3 R4 Total Score
1. Frank Noll MB339 5.0 90.75 95.00 97.50 87.50 101.25
2. Peter Goldsmith MB339 5.0 91.00 87.75 94.00 94.25 99.125
3. Chris Hass Sea Fury 5.0 87.75 94.00 93.25 82.50 98.625

NATS News with some good photos: http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/080309.pdf

The Toolman

I enjoy the heli events


I think it takea a lot more talent to do what they can do with those helis, than an airplane takes.

Erich_F

Our style of heli flying and competition is getting pretty rare these days, in favor of the flashy, rip-stop 3D "smack flying". We are starting to see some new interest in the past year, though. We had some new faces at the Nats in Class I last year, and even had a bunch of folks try it at the IRCHA class I event where two helis were given away. With the Heli Nats combined with IRCHA, we are very encouraged.

I hope to have more competition as I try to maintain my two year Class III Championship....or do I?

Silent-AV8R

Do not misunderstand what I was saying. But the plain fact is that precision flying is a poor stepchild to 3D in the heli world. The Heli NATS got maybe 30 entries and IRCHA had over 900 I think?

I would love to see the AMA/F3C flying take hold in the US, but right now the 3D crowd has all the attention.

Erich_F

A poor step child? Interesting choice of words, I think. Preparing for and attending IRCHA is like getting ready for a party. Getting ready for the Heli Nats is like getting ready for the Olympics. Lots of practice, discipline, and hard work. To a small percentage of pilots, the rewards are worth it. It's a no-brainer why 900 people would rather go to IRCHA, than the Nats. AMA/FAI competition flying is not quite a spectator sport, so it doesn't draw people to watch. We also don't break parts on a regular basis, so we aren't the target of much marketing, either. 3D is both, and is naturally going to be more popular. In any case, this thread isn't about 3D vs FAI. I forget what it was about, actually... Oh yeah, RC Fixed Wing scale....which, by the way, had less participants than RC Helicopter at last year's Nats. So, those boys have some recruiting to do as well!

Gosh, if you look at registrations, AMA Free Flight had over 300 participants last year! Where do all these guys come from?

Silent-AV8R

I guess I keep using poor choices of words, but it is indisputable that 3D is FAR more popular than F3C style flying. Personally I prefer F3C and if I got back into helis that is what I would do. Just as in airplanes I fly either pattern or IMAC and do very little 3D flying.

Those 300 Free Flight entries were just that, entries, not individuals. Just as in soaring, overall they had over 200 entries, but something like 125 individuals. Pattern had nearly 100 unique participants and IMAC had around 60 or so.

The thread was about the NATS, and in particular the Fun Scale event. WHich looking at the winners the past two years (several of whom I know personally) it is in no way a casual event. Peter Goldsmith and Frank Noll are two of the best know pilots around and are consummate builders.

I believe it was Stickbuilder who made the derogatory remark about the NATS being trivial, etc. Well, since it is such an easy thing why not show up next year and kick everyone's behind???

Stickbuilder

It is trivial. I'll be too busy doing non trivial things to waste the drive to some hick town in Indiana. The reason I trivialize the Nats is simply because someone who never flew before the week prior to the Nats can research, find the correct event, enter and win the Nats in that class. That's not a derogatory remark. It's the absolute unvarnished truth. There are just no pre-qualifications for being there. There should be qualifying events around the country in order to qualify to be a participant. Then the Nats would have some meaning. As of now, it's really nothing more than a large version of a local event. Why would you not support making it something that one would have to qualify for?


Bill

Woody218

My Feedback: (24)

Having gone to the NATS before, I assure you it is not as easy to win there as you make it sound. I used to fly control line racing events in addition to rc. The control line events were/are VERY competitive! You had to fly making no mistakes, your pit people had to be perfect or someone would readily eat your lunch.

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Bill , Im guessing you really have never been to the Nats before or maybe you have and didnt have a good experiance, And please tell me why there should be conditions or pre -qualifications in a open contest, sounds to me like your wanting the Nats to be a best of the best contest, and thats not what the Nats were ever intended to be. I wont bother to waste your time (seeing's How your far to Busy doing Non Trivial Things) to go into explaining what the Nats is about , If you cant tell by the scores and the names that compete , chances are its more of being toscared to show up to test your flying skills against some of the best. Now while I do allot of 3D flying at the local feild and Ive been around all the so called 3D gods at some of the less Trivial contest,before I could fly 3D or learned to fly 3D I had always thought it was hard to do , when in fact its easyer to 3D than it is to fly straight and level, While 3D is impressive to watch once learned it loose's a bit of the luster, and to tell you the truth some of those 3D gods out there couldnt fly a precise maneuver if they Had to. And Just try asking a question to some of these 3D gods out there and see what you get , compaired to asking anyone at the Nats, and Bill thats the best way I can explain what the Nats are about, and Sir I respectfully ask you this , If your so busy doing non trivial things, why the heck are you answering trivial postings. I would think a busy guy like you would have more important things to do.

Silent-AV8R

I can absolutely guarantee you that this is not the case in soaring, pattern, IMAC, helicopters, or pylon. And I very strongly suspect it is not the case in scale. For instance, in the Fun Scale category as I said, I know the top two guys from this year. Both have extensive flying experience, including top finishes at National and International contests, and are very talented builders.

Can you point to an example of what you say is the case? Somebody who never flew until the week before the NATS, picked an event, and showed up and won it??

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

Yeah Bill , Please if YOURNOTTOBUSY answer the mans Question.

Woody218

My Feedback: (24)

This is NOT what the NATS are about, nor what they have ever been about. The NATS have great meaning. It gives the opportunity for any AMA member to come and compete against anyone else in that event. It's not about being like TOC where you have to be invited to participate. By the fact that someone is a member of AMA, they are already qualified to be there!


Please tell us what NATS you have attended, and what events have you competed in? I'm curious...

flying16150

My Feedback: (2)

I agree 100% ,with you , and I just found out you have to be very carefull about who's toes you step on here , boy I thought the rules of engagement were the same for everyone here, Its like this I was only asking a question about the rulling and the way the nats are doing things to find out if I had to change my fun scale untimate to make it look like a real one, I didnt ask anyones opinion on the nats or could even care less about that opinion, And seeing how you cant express ones thoughts on here with out being labeled confrontational this will be the last post I post thank you for all your answers reguarding the nats , Im sure the ones that care about them and truly understand what they are indeed about will be there and the ones that dont wont , which by the way makes that all the better for the ones that do. and if you find that statement to be confrontational then hey you need help take care, good flying, and by all means watch waht you say, dont say what you think

stuntflyr

There are only a couple of full sized Ultimate 10-400's that were built. Maybe just one. I used to be able to find a website of the history of Gordon Price and the Ultimate but I couldn't find it tonight. If I do I'll post.
Good luck,
Chris...