The contras are measured by performance, people try combinations of prop pitch etc, RPM is not the most important factor anymore, so if not needed why measure…

On the Adverun style (belt and gear), the rpm can be measured by removing one prop and any optical rpm meter will work. On Brenner V4 (planetary drive), you will need an rpm module on the motor and calculate the rpm using the known gear reduction ratio. These are nice to know if you are setting up a governor style esc, such as the D3Motors D3.


Gary

Hello
Some pictures of not ugly planes during vintage F3A contest which took place last weekend with the participation of the F3A world champion Paysant le Roux who is an unconditional fan of these contests and models.
claude

Others pics

Very nice models indeed. Brings me back to being 14 flying my father’s Norm Page Mach I, complete with ST X60 and Kraft retracts.

Hello

There was about 60% Curare.
CPLR had a Curare and a swept wing Chevron
Claude

I am merely a casual sport flyer who watches F3A in fascination from a distance. I have to say that this thread is illuminating in more ways than one. Very cool for a nerd like me, to learn about the rationale for the current designs. And yes, they are ugly enough to make my toes curl. And trying to resolve the two facts is quite pointless.
Thanks all.

I think some of the modern designs could use a bit of attention paid to their colour scheme to try and visually conceal some of their bulk.
Sort of like "Does my F3A plane look fat in this colour scheme?" An airframe with clean lines could be painted with a hessian sack and still look good, a bloated goldfish not so much.

I've been leaning towards springing for a Proteus bipe. In some colour schemes it looks like a lean, mean piece of kit but in others it looks like an ugly dump truck.

In the pattern/F3A community, aerodynamic designs have always followed function. Yesterday’s ballistic designs could not perform maneuvers of today’s AMA and FAI modern sequences. If one prefers the aesthetics of yesterday’s designs, then so be it. However, the current design trends outperform designs of old in every aspect of aerodynamic performance. The overall size, power-to-weight ratio, fuse and wing shapes, along with widgets such as Contra drives, SFGs, T-cans etc., enable today's designs to perform maneuver elements unthinkable by a Curare..

At the 2025 F3A WC in Muncie, it became apparent to me that the trend is Biplanes with tall fuselage side areas with large vertical fins powered with contra drives. This is required for performing current sequences, known and unknown. There was a very small minority of monoplanes and single propeller drive systems.

Personally, I have found success competing in AMA Masters with BJ Craft designs with single prop drives from 2019 to the present. The BJ designs over this period have evolved from a so-called fat body to a sleeker fuselage shape, with aggressive wing taper and increased sweep. In addition, the T-can widget wing has taken on a few shapes and sizes, too.

As for color schemes, what works for me is something fundamental. A scheme tailored more towards visible functionality than aesthetics. A 3-color contrasting combination using long lines stretched lengthwise on the fuse, wings, and stabs. Here are a few examples.

BJ Craft Invitation 2019…https://glenwatson.blogspot.com/2019...pleted-bj.html


BJ Craft Epilogue 2021…https://glenwatson.blogspot.com/search?q=epilogue

BJ Craft Anthem 2023…https://glenwatson.blogspot.com/search?q=anthem

BJ Craft Strato 2025…https://glenwatson.blogspot.com/search?q=strato