Jerry Nugent’s Pitts S2A.
By Gerry Garing
The 2024 AMA RC Scale Nats is now in the books. The conditions were as good as could be hoped for. The winds were light every day, and any rain came when the contest was done for the day. The two new pavilions provided ample shade and protection from the sun and rain. The runway gets better each year, and the grass was mowed to 3/4 inch. Thanks to the planning of Contest Director John Boyko and the sportsmanship of the pilots, the entire event ran smoothly.
Let’s look at the 2024 AMA RC Scale Nats by the numbers:
- 40 airplanes were entered and flown
- 27 individuals were registered
- 8 pilots flew more than one airplane
- 21 airplanes were static judged
- 13 static-judged airplanes had a Builder of the Model (BOTM) requirement (Sport Scale Sportsman, Sport Scale Expert, and Designer Scale)
- 8 static-judged airplanes did not have a BOTM requirement (Open Scale)
- 19 airplanes were entered in Pro-Am, with no BOTM requirement
- 14 ARFs were present
Do the above numbers reflect a trend away from building? About one third of the entries were built and flown by the same person. Another third were ARFs. The remaining third were built-up airplanes, likely purchased. These numbers seem reasonable based on the observation of other contests.
A bright spot in all of this is the ease with which one can get involved in RC Scale competition. The hobby will become much more rewarding when flying with a purpose, practicing, and showcasing your skills in front of judges. It doesn’t take a mega investment to become involved in RC Scale. Need help getting started? The National Association of Scale Aeromodelers (NASA) and RCScaleBuilder are two excellent resources.
Start now to prepare for the 2025 AMA RC Scale Nats!
Note from AMA: Do you have photos from the Nats that you’d like to share? If so, email them to Clarissa Poston at clarissap@modelaircraft.org. Please include a brief description in your email, naming any individuals pictured in the photo(s), the name of the event that the photo(s) were taken during, and the name of the individual who took the photo(s). Your submission(s) might be posted on AMA’s Flickr page, which can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/albums!
Note from AMA: Do you have photos from the Nats that you’d like to share? If so, email them to Clarissa Poston at clarissap@modelaircraft.org. Please include a brief description in your email, naming any individuals pictured in the photo(s), the name of the event that the photo(s) were taken during, and the name of the individual who took the photo(s). Your submission(s) might be posted on AMA’s Flickr page, which can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/albums!