It really IS in the eye of the beholder. The memory is working a little again. The two main categories omitted were REALISM and ORIGINALITY.... ...Sure there are still a few-very few- who still enjoy that part of the hobby....
Dave
Dave, this is an excellent point.. It comes back to motivation and what you enjoy. If you are going after the Walker Cup, and that is a perfectly fine goal and what we are really about - then yes, you have to go all out on the finish.
Brett's point is well made about that often being the deciding factor as to who is in the top 20 let alone top 5.
There is a formula here that works for that. I'm going to use this term, and it is going to sound pejorative, but I don't mean it that way, and say it tongue in cheek:
- Build a "McStunter." - Preferably composite for strength/aerodynamic accuracy. Mace Shark comes to mind, or Igor's Max-Bee, which is think is prettier, IMO
- Power it with a BA 3515/710 or PA-75,
- Make it pretty and shiny so it can get in the front row.
But fly it like you stole it. Win the Concours and you start to get to worried about dings.
- See the plane as a tool to win, a stunt weapon. Nothing more.
This is what works..
Matte, scale like finishes are cool, but that isn't the formula.. There is an event for that too where that approach is rewarded. But it isn't stunt. Yes, Paul flew and won with his B-17, and Billy flew and won with his P-47. And yes, Todd Lee won 2nd this year with an outstanding P-51 (a shiny one, btw), but again, I think those circumstances are going to be fewer and fewer in between.
But Orestes won, and placed 2nd at the worlds. What did the Chinese fly? What did Marco Valliera fly? It looks a lot like a Mace Shark, to me..
The hobby has refined to the point where all of the non-essentials and less effective ways have been boiled out. The "creative" designs of Old Time Stunt are gone, because there was a formula that was more competitive.. Just like full size Aircraft.. The technology has changed, and tightened the margins of the competition.. And the competition has driven the technology change.
And then go practice your arm off, putting in hundreds or thousands of flights.
And you will have a shot at the top 20, 10 or five, and maybe win the whole thing.
At the last Nats I'm guessing but it seemed to me that Orestes, Paul, David, Todd, Derek, etc, must have flown 20 practice flights each day.. They were there from the time the sun came up to the time it was nearly too dark to fly.
If you want to win, that is how you have to play this game. That's going to be the only way to get past Paul, David and Orestes.. Who have won, what 30 Nats between them?
But if you are at the Nats knowing you have no chance to win, but just love being there for the camaraderie, being "in the game", helping out so that those who are in the hunt can have a well run event, flying your plane the best you can even if you end up in the bottom 20..
And there is nothing wrong with that either: "just love being there for the camaraderie, being "in the game".
Then build whatever you feel like building.. Paint it, detail it so that it makes YOU happy. You put all of that effort, and cost, and time into the thing, You're the one who is going to have to look at it every day hanging on your wall, you are the one who is going to fly the plane and either look forward to it, and feel like you are 15 again, or end up detesting it and wishing you had done something else with the precious, fleeting time you spent (wasted?) on it.
Yes, it's nice to have the appearance judges validate your efforts.. But if their opinion is the final one and that determines your satisfaction with the product of your efforts then I think you need to re-evaluate, not intending to be unkind, but except for the engine run times, etc, this is a VERY subjective event, and you will drive yourself crazy that way.
Mark
Topic: Matte flat finishes. (Read 3541 times)