Unfortunately, it appears as though there's not a great deal of scale CL modelers. Any reason for that.
I like scale. Scale is good.
CB
Back to this topic and not any painting stuff.
As one that has been more interested in the politics of rule making, I have this concept;
Scale CL has become just two much an event for those that want to win, who make rules through the Contest Boards (same people personalities) that restrict the every day scale lover and weekend Scale flier. Having a nice airplane that flies using only 2 lines and a bellcrank is totally at the bottom of the rung for scale competition of any kind.
IMO of some 60 years as a competitor - more a sport competitor than a
must win personality and one who flew many events in CL and FF, before the RC bug caught me in the early '70s, I have considerable experience in the rule-making processes from the observer's view. As the top notch competitors will always rule the events through the Contest Boards, they need a number of items to make the competition stiffer for between themselves and to the Devil with the newbee wanna'bees.
An example is the requirement for a CL Scale model to sit alone at idle with no helper required. Right there is the requirement for a throttle control, not something a sport flier would probably have. In addition there has to be some method to be sure the airplane will be able to sit still on at minimum idle. Not easy for the sport flier. Heck many RCers cannot get their models to sit still on pavement, grass-not a problem but pavement is another story.
For Fun Scale, etc, the TO should be from a helper's release and smooth TO. THERE IS NO EVENT DESIGNED TO MOTIVATE THE SPORT FLIER TO COME TO COMPETITION EVENTS. With no motivation, there is nothing other than strict HOBBY to get the sport-flier to become a part of the overall event. Thank You Contest Boards.
I have heard a contestant claim that a judge had no idea about realism of flight. As CD, I informed him that judge flew P-47s and P-51's in WWII. After some "hurt" he was transferred to B-17s. Then, after the War, he was transferred to the Ferry Command where he flew everything in the Army Air Force for a couple years. Guess who I decided knew very little about Realism of flight.
Realism of Flight is an asinine item, brought into play many years ago by Dave Platt when he was Chairman of the Scale Contest Board. There is very little similarity between a toy model airplane and the real machine. While I read over the rules, I find that a number of the requirements were founded by those that have little understanding of realism as it pertains to those differences.
Now all this strict rule making designed, IMO, for the hard core competitors keeps the hobby-sport fliers out of the picture. As long as the hobby-sport fliers don't compete even at the local level, there will not be any events at the local levels. Without local interests, there will be very little new blood at the BIG EVENTs.
That is the reason that there is almost no interests in Scale. Now one more item: Look at CL Stunt. That event has its following. It gets the recognition. No big ground equipment to just go fly and fly and fly. While there are bigger and bigger planes to accommodate those selling bigger and bigger engines, there is very little advancement in the aerodynamics of the machine, almost none exist.
As it was back in the late '50s through early '70s there were many "originals" yet when closely observed, a Nobler was a Nobler, if "ya git muh drift thar Ol Pard".
Oh yes there are advancements in materials and paint schemes but very little in significant aerodynamics of the breed.
Reference the Realism question, Do I have the right to express such an opinion? Maybe not, but I did spend some time in full size aircraft. Can I name a few? Yes, I can. T-37, T-33 (Instructor), T-38(Instructor), T-29, C-123, B-47, and Boeing 727, B-737, Douglas DC-8 and DC-10, and a Cherokee 140. I quit counting hours early on as the USAF recorded time and UAL kept the pay time very well. I estimate some 20,000 hours total.
Edited to add my favorite: Got my original ATP in a Lear 23. HA!