IMPBA 6 scale gas rule change proposal

[Wesleys Custom RC]

Way back in 88 or 89 I watched "thunder on the ohio" in Evansville IN. I ordered a fiberglass holset miss madison, rigged it, painted it and airbrushed a windshield on it not knowing you were supposed to have a "driver" figure in it. I was a newbie and didn't know ALOT! Took it to Evansville to the "little thunder" race. If the officials were to keep to "initial intent of the class where scale is king", they would have denied me entry into their "club". Instead, they welcomed me, helped me fix my dumb mistakes and I was hooked for the next 30+ years and I see that group of guys as my family.
My point is this, let's stop being "purists " and give the class some wiggle room so the new guy can get into our family without being horse whipped because a muffler sticks out 1/2" too far. This near 8th Scale rule copy allows for that wiggle room.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Just be careful Wes. I understand what you're trying to do and that's fine. The only issue I have is what I saw done by one person that, for lack of a better way to say it, exploited that "wiggle room". There was a "scale" boat that was allowed to race that looked like the cowl was made from hacked up styrofoam with a thin layer of FG and painted. Of it weren't for the paint job, you wouldn't have been able to tell which boat it was. IIRC, that boat was allowed to race that way for several years. I get the "beginners/newbie mistakes" and letting it slide but there has to be a point that those errors need to be taken care of. I know Dumas tells builders to paint the windscreen black on the instructions for the Circus Circus and also give an option for a clear windscreen. Eventually, it would be better if the painted windscreen was replaced with a clear one and a driver figure added if someone really gets into racing

 

[ChrisHerzog]

I hear what your saying Wes but like stated, you have to be carful. Look at Thunderboat and Offshore, neither class has all the boat conforming to what the intent of the class was originally set up to be. Some wiggle room is needed yes but we have to be careful not to go to far because you will have guys running in that class that don’t belong there and the guys that build the really nice Scale stuff will stop building boats and racing in that class.

 

[Fred685]

I see the pros and cons of both sides here. I agree any rules we have in place will be exploited, but when I compare 1/8 scale to 1/6 scale I don't know why we need different rules. Why should something be legal in nitro but not gas? Are we trying to hold gas to a higher standard? Common sense tells me scale is scale, no matter what engine is powering the boat. It would simplify our rule book if we used the same set of rules for both 1/8 and 1/6 scale. This would eliminate any confusion. The only difference would be the power and size of the boat.

 

[ChrisHerzog]

I see the pros and cons of both sides here. I agree any rules we have in place will be exploited, but when I compare 1/8 scale to 1/6 scale I don't know why we need different rules. Why should something be legal in nitro but not gas? Are we trying to hold gas to a higher standard? Common sense tells me scale is scale, no matter what engine is powering the boat. It would simplify our rule book if we used the same set of rules for both 1/8 and 1/6 scale. This would eliminate any confusion. The only difference would be the power and size of the boat.

I totally agree with this. No only with Scale but with everything class we run. The only differences would be the rules on the power plant used in the differ classes.

 

[KenOlson]

There are a few modern hulls being built up here at the moment. Tom Hindley comes to mind. I'll see if I can get some pics of his modern hulls. Don't forget that there is some leeway in the measurements (+/-) 10% and the dimentions of the hulls do reflect that in the registration list. I use that a lot when I'm building my round nose hulls. So you should be able to get the transom a little thicker to be able to fit almost anything except maybe that CMB pipe shown earlier. The 50% engine idea I can see going sideways with 50% of the engine sticking up in the air or something weird like that. My hulls do not conceal the pipe but it is inside the hull, and you can't see it from the side but you can see it if you look down from above. I do have a carb cover if I'm running the Merlin or Allison but it's always black or matches the fake engine color. RC Unlimiteds is pretty strict on most rules here and nobody has said a word about it to me anyway. In these pictures you can see the header flange under the dummy engine but without a full blown cowl something is going to show. I'll get a pic of the current hull and Scott mentioned he can get some pics of all of ours at the race this weekend, and i'll take some too to give you guys a reference.

 

[Marty Shallenberger]

When I wrote the Gas Scale rules for NAMBA I mirrored the 1/8 scale rules except for hull size - I don't know why IMPBA added language that was different from there 1/8 scale nitro rules..... I did work with IMPBA so that the hull size matched for both groups so we would not have different size hulls running in IMPBA and NAMBA

 

[teddyd]

Is this deck plate legal on my 1/6 scale U-13 ????

 

[ChrisHerzog]

Looks fine to me!

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I don't think anyone would complain unless you had it almost screaming for attention by using a different color or had it stupidly obvious, which you don't. Now, the ultimate call will be the officers in the club you race with. If they don't have an issue, it's all good

 

[Duke Mordja]

If a boat is realistic, (along with the other rules) it is a legal boat. Sometimes you just have to compromise to make a prototype hull work as a toy boat.
Where the exactness to scale helps is in the Concourse.
If the deck plate wasn't on the real boat, a judge for concourse may not give you as many points for scale appearance.

Please see the reminder in the latest Roostertail for what is needed to race in IMPBA. All Scale boats - Nitro and Gas need to be registered with your Scale Director or District Director.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Question in regards to scale registrations,
I live in a district with NO scale director.
plan to race at the internats this June.
Am I going to get "push back" for not having my scale registered?

 

[Duke Mordja]

Question in regards to scale registrations,
I live in a district with NO scale director.
plan to race at the internats this June.
Am I going to get "push back" for not having my scale registered?

Rick,
I would anticipate the Huntsville club will follow the rule book for 1/8th Scale just as any other class. Being registered in your district is a rule.
Gas Scale and Electric Scale also have the same registration requirement.

According to Roostertail article, you would register with your District Director. That is something not in the rules - but I would agree with that until your District Director appoints a scale Director.

There is a form in the D4 section of the IMPBA website for 2022 registration. Feel free to use it in D3 and send in to your District Director.

Duke

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

I have reached out to Mark Grannis
Thanks for the input

 

[ChrisHerzog]

If say your in district 1 and you race in both districts 1 and 2 but Dist 1 does not have a scale Director but 2 does. You can register your boat with the Dist 2 Director.

 

[Bradley Maglinger]

I have reached out to Mark Grannis
Thanks for the input

If your district doesnt have a Scale director it will then need to come from your District Director.

 

[Duke Mordja]

I think I will leave Wes's post (the rule change page this is in) alone and start a Scale Registration post soon.
We could keep an up to date registration list here on IW.

 

[ChrisHerzog]

If your district doesnt have a Scale director it will then need to come from your District Director.

According to the IMPBA National Scale Director, what I posted above is accurate.

 

[Bradley Maglinger]

According to the IMPBA National Scale Director, what I posted above is accurate.

I believe they are both accurate.

 

[teddyd]

Looks fine to me!

Thanks, I just wanted be sure before the race.