Family health issues have required me to give up stunt flying, so I've turned my attention to scale. I've only built one pseudo-serious C/L scale model, a red box Top Flite P-51 back in the late 1970s. I flew it at the 1982 NATS in Sport Scale; don't recall where it placed, but probably in the middle of the pack. I lived in Illinois in the late 1980s and 1990s and flew it in Chicago area contests and at Milwaukee. It did pretty well, mostly due to its "fly-ability" rather than fidelity to scale.
An OS FSR .61 flew it with authority (despite its 8.5 pound weight) and in wind conditions that would ground many other scale models. Flaps were coupled to the elevator as on a stunt ship and used to drop Vortac plastic "bombs". The photo is from 1983. I am the younger one with hair. The guy with his finger on the prop is my uncle, the late Col. R.H. Gaver (USAF). He flew gliders in WW II and later C-124s and was also a modeler.
Lately I've been toying with a project that may never be completed, but has been an interesting and fun diversion so far. Producing anything flyable could take years, but its fun to tinker. Its the Cessna T-50 Bobcat from Tom Morse plans. I bought these on eBay in "Nobler size" (50" wing span). The seller also lists them in what was probably the original 66" span and some larger sizes.
Plan A is to use two FP .25s and hope that's enough power. Just playing around with hardware, the 3-line bell crank, 2 engines, tanks, nacelles and my perceived need for a very strong (i.e. heavy) wing center section, I project a final weight that could easily top 5 pounds. I don't expect it to stunt, although an occasional loop would be nice, but do want it to be easily flyable and fun to fly, not under powered and not a "rock on a string".
Actual construction has not started yet, except for the stab and elevator. I don't like the result and will probably do another set. They look too small and a little too thick. I'll probably "fudge" and make a set about 15 to 20% larger; maybe with a slightly thinner airfoil.
The goal is to produce a "Bush League Scale" model that looks halfway decent and is very flyable, even if I never get to fly it. If flown in a contest it would be the Fun or Sport classes, not Authentic Scale. I am no longer set up to paint anything, so the finish will be mostly Monokote, possibly with painted nacelles. Some cockpit detail may get painted. I'd have to brush it or use spray cans.
A few questions: If I pick a color scheme and the closest Monokote color is off a shade or two, do I get zero points for color and markings or just docked a couple of points for the shade difference? One color scheme I like is shown in the attached photo. There are no numbers or insignia. So, do I get zero for markings because there are none, or full points because I was true to the scale documentation and did not add any undocumented graffiti? Are AMA numbers required on a scale model?
I did build a "mock up" of the inboard wing panel to play with installation of the bell crank, throttle control, nacelle construction, engine mounting, tank box and cowl. The actual model, if ever built, will have many changes, based on what I learned from this mock-up. It weights 1.5 pounds and is not even a whole wing panel !! No wood parts from this mock-up will go into an actual model. I built it for "tinkering" only.
I see others are building C/L versions of the T-50. It would be encouraging to see one get finished and hopefully fly well.