The USA 2026 FAI F4 Scale Team

Aug 12, 2025

Team USA will be traveling to Buckminster, UK, in July 2026 to participate in the FAI F4 Scale World Championships. Following a successful performance at the 2024 FAI F4 Scale World Championships in Romania, the team is eager to return to the international stage. For the 2026 event, we will be represented by a full team: four competitors in F4B Control Line Scale, three in F4C RC Scale, and three in F4H RC Standoff Scale. We are preparing to demonstrate Team USA’s capabilities to the global community.

The Scale World Championship challenges participants to build realistic model aircraft and fly them in a manner similar to their full-size counterparts. The competition consists of judging the model’s accuracy and craftsmanship, as well as its flight performance. For more details about the World Championships, please visit https://worldscale26.bmfa.uk/.

The US team participating in the Scale World Championship will be responsible for covering the majority of their costs associated with attending the event. These expenses encompass transportation for both team members and scale models to the United Kingdom, which represents a significant logistical undertaking.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all the outstanding suppliers and manufacturers whose support was instrumental in developing our models and making our participation in the World Championships possible.

F4B Control Line Scale

The 2026 F4B Control Line Scale team consists of (left to right) Mike McHenry – L4H Grasshopper, Pete Bauer – BN Islander, Pete Mazur (alternate member) – F8F-2 Bearcat, Kathy Bauer (female competitor) – Shoestring Racer, and Orin Humphries – Stearman. In 2024, the F4B team, with Mike McHenry and Pete Bauer, achieved first place, with Pete Bauer earning the title of World Champion. For 2026, Kathy Bauer joins as a female competitor, marking the first time in over 30 years that Team USA has included a female participant in F4B.

F4C RC Scale and F4H RC Standoff Scale

The 2026 F4C RC Scale and F4H RC Standoff Scale team includes (L to R) Tim Dickey – Waco Cabin (F4C), Ben Andrus – Fairchild 24 (F4C), Mike Barbee – Hawker Fury (F4H), Keith Numbers – FE8 (F4H), Jack Buckley – Aeronca Champ (F4C), and Peter Fynn – Southern Martlet (F4H). While Tim, Ben, Mike, and Jack competed with the team in 2024, Keith and Peter are new competitors, looking forward to the World Championship challenge.

The team is currently engaged in fundraising initiatives to obtain the necessary resources for participation in the upcoming competition. Support via the NASA FAI raffle (https://nasa-101007.square.site/), corporate sponsorship, and individual donations are essential in facilitating the achievement of our shared objectives.

If you would like more information regarding the team’s 2026 plans or corporate sponsorship opportunities, please contact us using the Contact Us here on this website. The team’s uniforms provide several prominent opportunities for your company name or logo to be displayed on the world stage.

Cape Coral Scale Classic 2025

Jan 16, 2025

Attention scale modelers and pilots, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the Cape Coral NASA contest for this year. First, I can’t say enough about the 200-plus club members who gave up their weekend flying for the contest. Not only do they welcome visiting pilots, but they also volunteer to judge and scorekeep. Ted Strickler is the CD and has been for the past five events. I was the CD for the first contest then Ted took over and this snowbird’s help was no longer needed. Now I fly and have fun. A little about the site: it is R/C SEA HAWK PARK. It has a 900-foot paved runway and an adjacent grass runway. The center has a very accommodating pavilion and pit areas are equipped with plane stands and tables. For those interested in car racing. They have a track and regular races weekly. Visiting pilots are welcome after a check of your AMA credentials and a check flight in front of a designated check pilot club member.

A little more about the competition. All AMA scale classes are offered. AMA rules are followed. This year a new class was offered, EDF Jets. Many club members entered this class and the youngest competitor was 10 years old. That class will be offered again next year. The weather this year was excellent, a slight rain shower Saturday morning but after it cleared it was a Chamber of Commerce type day. Sunday’s description was a perfect day.

Now a little about the winners. Jim Mc Divitt the builder and Mike Wolvin the pilot flew the beautiful Corsair race plane, to first place in the Team Class. Come out with a pilot or builder next year and give them a run for their money. The Pro-Am Division 2 had several entries. Mike Hague won the class with his Stuka. His closest competition was his son Cody flying a Corsair from Legend Hobby. The margin of victory was only .08 in the class. I squeaked by with a victory in the Pro-Am Division 1 class with my Stearman. Pro Am Sportsman another highly contested class emerging to victory with his Extra 260 was club member John Landra. One of the larger classes was the EDF Jet class. The winner was fellow snowbird and club member Dave Agee. Dave flew the new Redhawk T 7 A jet.

That’s a wrap on the competition. Come down next year and experience a great NASA contest.

Leave your long pants at home. See you next year.

Mike Barbee
NASA President

Photos from the event

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The 2023 Scale Nationals

Jul 15, 2023

The 2023 NAT’s are over and below are links to the scores and awards and some photos also.

R/C Scale Nationals Information, Scores, and Awards
You can read all the details in the Nat’s news articles below for Scale R/C
Day 1 – July 6th R/C Scale Nats News
Day 2 – July 7th R/C Scale Nats News
Day 3 – July 8th R/C Scale Nats News
Day 4 – July 9th R/C Scale Nats News – Scores and Awards

C/L Scale Nationals Information, Scores, and Awards
You can read all the details in the Nat’s news articles below for Scale R/C
Day 1 – July 6th C/L Scale Nats News
Day 2 – July 7th C/L Scale Nats News
Day 3 – July 8th C/L Scale Nats News
Day 4 – July 9th C/L Scale Nats News – Scores and Awards

R/C Scale Photos
Photos courtesy of Stan Alexander and Gerry Garling

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C/L Scale Photos Coming Soon

F4H & F4B Documentation Thoughts by Stan Alexander

Nov 15, 2022

Any competition rules generally tell you the minimum requirements to compete in that competition. Some also give you maximums of what you can use in the competition also. F4B & F4H in some cases give you both. But realize the minimum may only get you into the competition, not a high finish. 5 photographs are the maximum you can use in your documentation packet to submit to the judges. Have you read the rules yet? If not go to this link in your web browser that should pull up the download for all classes in FAI scale. This will list F4B,C,H, and other scale classes, but we are only interested in F4H and B at this point. I suggest printing the Entire Sporting Code (have plenty of paper it’s about 175 pages.

You have a maximum of only 5 photos for your documentation, choose them wisely and it’s highly suggested to have all of these be the same aircraft. Most of the top 10 finishers at this year’s competition either are close to the full-scale aircraft or have access to THE aircraft they are modeling in a museum.

Judges only have 15min. to judge your model so keep the packet simple, and organized and have at least 3 sets of documentation with you for static judging. Why? Simple, this allows the judges to examine the documentation quicker and get you off the static table quicker. Our subject aircraft here did that very thing. He finished 6^th overall in F4H this year, a young man who had a great airplane, a simple airplane a very well finished airplane by Tom Schonwetter Jr.

In 2024 both F4B and F4H will use the same static rules, exactly the same.

Start with a great set of scale drawings (3-views) if you need to make alterations to the particular aircraft you are modeling, do so and document why and where the differences are. We can get the changes signed off at AMA and stamped with the AMA stamp there before the team selection. But don’t try and do it any other way, it won’t be accepted. Many of the higher-placing aircraft have to do this as there can be many changes in an airframe, especially an old one, or as the sub model changes.

Under 6.1.9. Documentation note that proof of scale is the responsibility of the competitor, not the judges or anyone else.

The scale of the model must be listed on the Flight Score Sheets.

You must have a minimum of 3 photos of the prototype, including at least one of the actual subject aircraft being modeled are required. (this is one of those where it tells you what the minimum is to have to compete but not to place or win).

Go down through the documentation requirements including photographic evidence, scale drawings, proof of color, aircraft speed, and the competitor’s declaration. The declaration is a must as are the other points if you want to make an International Scale Team.

*Note for an international competition the Declaration MUST be signed by the Competitor’s NAC (in our case AMA) to be valid. (accepted)

Note how this documentation is presented for the judges in a simple easy way to make the comparisons as quickly as possible. Don’t use ¼ views of the full scale for documentation in this class, straight-on side views, top view (he used a drone to get this one), and end view. Photo 1. Color documentation, 2 right sides, 3 left sides, 4 end view, 5 top views. Ok, that’s it. He also used sections of the scale drawings to relate to the photos which only goes to help him.

Show the entire aircraft in each photo if at all possible. Required no. But there again, the minimum only gets you into the competition, not the top 10 or higher. The minimum is one photo of the entire aircraft with 5 photos maximum.

“Under 6.9.6. b) There are no prescribed penalties for missing or inadequate documentation, but judges can only award marks on the basis of the documentation available. Poor documentation will be reflected in reduced scores and any item of static judging for which there is no documentation will result in a Zero score for that item.”

Read the rules for static for F4H and F4B and think about what you are reading and ask questions. Saying I’m building an aircraft that isn’t easily documented and I only have 2 photos of it will not make any difference in static judging. Pick something you have 100 photos of and if at all possible be able to get to it. Color documentation, color photos, or documented color chips that match only. Some say that the Federal FS color chips are now $35 each and that’s a high price. But when you put 1000 hours in a model that you intend to take to a World Championships it’s a very small price.

Next time, we will talk about flight presentation and placement.

Cheers, Stan

The 2022 N.A.S.A. Scale Classic

Oct 21, 2022

September 16- 18 2022 was a beautiful weekend in Southwestern PA for the Scale Classic. Pictured below are the Spectator’s Choice winner, Mike Fearing’s F7F Cougar coming in for a low pass, Tim Dickey’s Fairchild PT 19 voted Best Military and Pilot’s Choice, and Tom Lowrie’s Acro Sport II awarded best Civilian. Watch for more information in the next newsletter!