How "Scale" is Scale

[Greg Hahn]

Coming from scale aircraft competition to scale boats for me has been quite a relief!!! I like the idea of getting it "CLOSE", what I call "Believable Scale"on looks and paint and throwing it in the frey!! Rivet counting and color chips after a while gets to be a drag. I would hate to see the rules or expectations get to the point it took a year or two to complete a project. It's nice to be able to put up a new boat every season if you want. Adds interest to the game, new challenges, new set-ups, adds to the enjoyment!! Heck, if there's enough boat left to get a second season out of it, you didn't drive it hard enough to begin with!!

As Don F. said, the Dumas boats have introduced many to the sport including my self. Even though not really accurate they get the job done, look good and can be made reasonably fast.

A couple years ago after finishing my first Scale Boat (88 Miller, Dumas kit) I had it displayed in my pit area at the Top Gun Invitational in Lakeland Florida. I hadn't had it out more than a few minutes when a couple guys came up and said they run boats and are NAMBA members. They proceded to pick my boat apart explaining all the inaccurate things about it and that It would not be legal to run buy their rules. After listening to all that stuff I thought to myself, oh no, high hassle/low enjoyment, just exactly the thing I'm trying to get away from. Lucky for me it hasn't turned out that way, I was able to run that boat with IMPBA no problems and have had a blast running boats. Easily the most FUN I've had in R/C in several years.

What I'm getting at here is: we never want to let this become dominated by a rule book like so many other entities are. It's simple now and let's keep it that way! Build it believable and throw er in!!!

Let's go racin boys!! (and girls)

gh

 

[Don Ferrette]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

 

[Greg Hahn]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

 

[Don Ferrette]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

Hmmmm, how about "Any parts that fall off the boat shall result in last place points awarded regardless of place of finish. Only except will be if parts lost are the result of a blowover or altercation with a buoy and/or another boat."
Just remembering how a number of years back I got cut off really bad passing inside for first on the last lap and it was either hit the offending boat or buoy 2. Smacked the buoy and was able to keep going and won the heat but the buoy strike jarred the cowl loose and it came off. The offending boat was given a lap penalty.

 

[Douglas P Shepherd]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

Hmmmm, how about "Any parts that fall off the boat shall result in last place points awarded regardless of place of finish. Only except will be if parts lost are the result of a blowover or altercation with a buoy and/or another boat."
Just remembering how a number of years back I got cut off really bad passing inside for first on the last lap and it was either hit the offending boat or buoy 2. Smacked the buoy and was able to keep going and won the heat but the buoy strike jarred the cowl loose and it came off. The offending boat was given a lap penalty.

No Bert, I already have my old T4 Stripped and getting ready to paint like the 04 LLumar!!! To the IMPBA rule book this is a Go.

 

[Greg Hahn]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

Hmmmm, how about "Any parts that fall off the boat shall result in last place points awarded regardless of place of finish. Only except will be if parts lost are the result of a blowover or altercation with a buoy and/or another boat."
Just remembering how a number of years back I got cut off really bad passing inside for first on the last lap and it was either hit the offending boat or buoy 2. Smacked the buoy and was able to keep going and won the heat but the buoy strike jarred the cowl loose and it came off. The offending boat was given a lap penalty.

You're right, an offending boat does come into play? all food for thought! Steve B. should weight in here, I know he has some OP's on the subject. In fact I think he brought it up a couple times last season.

Sorry for getting off track here, this discussion started on the subject of outline.

all good points on all subjects

gh

 

[Andy Greene]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Scale static judging for aircraft is unreal Don, I have seen Greg's aircrafts at Top-Gun and they are works of art-

then you get to fly that 3 year plus project

Okay, back to boats now- sorry.......

Andy

 

[P THOMAS]

Couple of questions, on the boat I'm building the RCU MHR has the depth at 2'-3" plus 10% = 3.7125 inches. The Newton Plans have the depth of 4.125 inches. So technically speaking the hull is illegal. Also the APL is 17' on Namba MHR and 19' on the RCU MHR. APL works for RCU but would be too long in Namba????? What to do????? B) B)

What is the depth measurement? How do you measure it? and where?

At the sponson transom, bottom of ride pad to deck. Is this right????? B) B)

Thanks

Sounds like you have the boat on a flat table and lay a straight edge on top of the hull and at the trailing edge of the front sponson pads. Nice to know but in IMPBA it is not required measurment.

 

[T.S.Davis]

Scale is not my wheelhouse but doesn't it make sense to ask the question "Are we building race boats or trailer queens?" If scale is more important than getting them on the water then go nuts checking every detail. If the goal is to race em then get close enough to be believable and call it a day.

Give the guy that put forth the extra effort to be absolutely accurate extra credit by giving him a concourse award.

Alright, back in my cage.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Scale static judging for aircraft is unreal Don, I have seen Greg's aircrafts at Top-Gun and they are works of art-

then you get to fly that 3 year plus project

Okay, back to boats now- sorry.......

Andy

Hey there "Rocket Man"

No comments needed from you

 

[Don Ferrette]

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Scale static judging for aircraft is unreal Don, I have seen Greg's aircrafts at Top-Gun and they are works of art-

then you get to fly that 3 year plus project

Okay, back to boats now- sorry.......

Andy

Hey there "Rocket Man"

No comments needed from you

LMAO!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

How is that space shuttle project progressing anyways?

 

[rctinman]

Olly Douglas has taken the time to write up a very good proposal for just this very issue. I'd like to present it to the Board this next meeting.

Thanks,

Steve Ball

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

 

[P THOMAS]

Olly Douglas has taken the time to write up a very good proposal for just this very issue. I'd like to present it to the Board this next meeting.
Thanks,

Steve Ball

Rivet counting??? :huh: Geeeeeez!!

Yea, I know

can you imagine an entire four oz. bottle of glue, laid out one drop at a time??? been there/ done that

Back to the rules thing though, there's one thing I would change with IMPBA rules. "A Scale boat should have to finish the race with all the parts it started the race with". I watched a boat last year pickup at least 5 mph when it shed the cowling! That shouldn't be allowed to happen. my two

gh

Good idea about penalty for loose parts. Loose parts are a hazard to all boats. I would say penalty unless you really get run over and damaged. If you lose a part because of a hit bouy or blow off and keep going, the part wasnt attached well enough and it is your fault.

 

[Wesleys Custom RC]

gh

Hmmmm, how about "Any parts that fall off the boat shall result in last place points awarded regardless of place of finish. Only except will be if parts lost are the result of a blowover or altercation with a buoy and/or another boat."
I think that's a great idea!!! Every time i have lost a cowl I got flighty and blew over and got a dnf. Last place sounds much better. The only guy I ever saw faster without a cowl was Ryan Hobby and he was screaming BEFORE he lost his cowl.

 

[Andy Greene]

Although I could find nothing in print in the NAMBA rule book, it seems to me I recall hearing CD's at races tell the drivers if they hit said floating cowl it would be a DQ ?? The rule book obviously states hitting a called dead boat- but not specifically a cowl. Is that the case ??

Andy

 

[Don Ferrette]

Good idea about penalty for loose parts. Loose parts are a hazard to all boats. I would say penalty unless you really get run over and damaged. If you lose a part because of a hit bouy or blow off and keep going, the part wasnt attached well enough and it is your fault.

I don't think so Phil, this is one point I guess you & I disagree. In the instance I referred to it was the large chunk of buoy that knocked my cowl off.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Hmmmm, how about "Any parts that fall off the boat shall result in last place points awarded regardless of place of finish. Only except will be if parts lost are the result of a blowover or altercation with a buoy and/or another boat."
I think that's a great idea!!! Every time i have lost a cowl I got flighty and blew over and got a dnf. Last place sounds much better. The only guy I ever saw faster without a cowl was Ryan Hobby and he was screaming BEFORE he lost his cowl.

Wes the key words here are place of finish. If you blow over and don't finish it's still a DNF @ 25 points.

 

[Grimracer]

I would like to see.. If parts fall off not resulting in a crash with another boat its a DQ from the heat. It parts are falling off from a buoy hit it’s a DQ.

I know it sounds harsh but…….. I don’t want to have to drive my boat around a bunch of parts that just “happen to” fall off..

Grim

 

[Don Ferrette]

I would like to see.. If parts fall off not resulting in a crash with another boat its a DQ from the heat. It parts are falling off from a buoy hit it’s a DQ.
I know it sounds harsh but…….. I don’t want to have to drive my boat around a bunch of parts that just “happen to” fall off..

Grim

Now I know you wouldn't rather see two boats smack together instead of one taking a nasty buoy hit to avoid it, right?
And I'm not talking about just "bumping" a buoy, when it happened to me they had to replace the buoy because there was nothing left of it. :blink:

In certain situations, like many others we see racing it, at the very least, must be a discretionary call on the part of the CD. Don't get me wrong, I build my parts to stay on, but as we like to say, "stuff" happens.

 

[Larry K]

Couple of questions, on the boat I'm building the RCU MHR has the depth at 2'-3" plus 10% = 3.7125 inches. The Newton Plans have the depth of 4.125 inches. So technically speaking the hull is illegal. Also the APL is 17' on Namba MHR and 19' on the RCU MHR. APL works for RCU but would be too long in Namba????? What to do????? B) B)

Hi Ray! You may have noticed that hull depth isn't always listed & in fact may be only a good guess in some instances. The use of hd dimensions in the R/CU & UNW hull rosters was intended to give builders as much info as possible. It is simple to measure on a set of plans, difficult to measure on a built model & almost impossible to measure on a proto-type. If you look at the side view of your plans, the last 6 to 12" of the bottom is flat & presumably level. Hull depth is measured from there to the highest point of the curvature of the deck. See if that works for your boat. As far as running in different sanctions, I guess it would have to be the modeler's resposibility to make sure he has a hull that will satisfy all requirements. I hope I don't seem callous, but my club experience has been that legal boats are easy to design and build and, in every case so far, illegal boats are no accident. Above all else, I hope you enjoy the process!

Larry K