My response "That can work." was made so with an open mind.
I researched NW40 on Flying Lines by reading the rules, commentary, and reviewing contest results. Then I did the same for Sportsman both by looking at NCS archive documents, and also by visiting the Brodak Fly-In web site for the same thing; rules and all 13 years of results that were posted.
Two things became obvious. First, the stated governing philosophies in each reference are for all intent and purposes identical, namely to provide an alternative to the all out competitive nature of AMA Profile Carrier for those who, for whatever reason, do not wish to compete at that level. As I understand Joe's proposal, he wants to protect that philosophy.
Second, with only a single exception a NW40 model is a Profile Carrier model. That exception is a spec .40 R/C engine that in reality does not put out any more power than an average .35, and probably less. Also, NW40 models can not have sliders.
In terms of scoring potential, a well flown NW40 will do 190 - 195 on average. That would place it in the middle of Sportsman so they would not upset the competitive balance. The attached picture is a GS(Brodak) Skyraider built by Mike Potter for NW40. He scored a 191.70, which was good for 2nd, at the recent Jim Walker meet. What's not to like.
There would have to be a way to make sure that the NW40 pilots fit into the Sportsman division, as called for by the rules. Unfortunately, apparently no one wants to fly AMA Profile Carrier in the region and it is not supported by the Northwest organization. Some other way would have to be worked out other than by using entry in AMA Profile as the deciding factor.
Finally, I saw this as an opportunity for the Navy Carrier Society to become more involved in the Northwest. It's our role as the C/L Navy Carrier SIG to promote what we like to fly. It honestly seemed pretty straightforward.