[Gary Maker]

Originally Posted by Bryan Mailloux

Mines similar with a tinted visor, You can still make out facial features. It looks huge in terms of scale. It really fills the cockpit.
Whats next, were going to get bonus points for a purple spinner

Well in that case, I stand corrected, I have personally not seen a Helmet Head with anything but the blacked out face shield!

Considering what you get with the ones I have seen, I think what they charge for them is absolutely rediculous! I'd much rather spend the few extra dollars for a pilot figure like the one Mike Clemmens has, complete with a couple of beautiful realistic features. AND, the face is pretty too!....

Check em out! http://www.litepilots.com/

Now these are what realistic pilot figures should look like!

[scaleguy]

Red Aero RC make some nice lite pilots with helmuts.

You can do Gary's Favourite, , or the newer style Helmut head with "visor" up or down.

I bought an unpainted one and will post pics once I have assembled and painted.

http://www.redaerorc.com/index.html

[Ray]

Some of them pilot figures “with couple of realistic features “as you called it, look like people whose business gone wrong in their previous life and now trying out a new profession.

[Gary Maker]

Originally Posted by Ray

Some of them pilot figures “with couple of realistic features “as you called it, look like people whose business gone wrong in their previous life and now trying out a new profession.

Well, maybe so, but they look a whole lot more realistic than most of the ones I've seen sitting in the cockpits of IMAC planes getting passed off as 'realistic pilot figure' required by the rules!

Just my opinion but, if a contest director is going to dock points because a plane does NOT have a pilot figure, then those that do have them should indeed have realistic looking pilot busts/figures, in all fairness! And I still don't think a Helmet Head with a full blacked out face shield is realistic in an aerobatic competition airplane.

I've watched, as you probably have, many of the full sized competitions on video, and I dare say again, that you would honestly have to say that you've NEVER seen a pilot wearing such a head gear in any of the full sized competitions you've viewed!

Personally, if and when it was to become an issue with me, I'll take the point hit. As has been said, it's usually insignificant anyway and is a heck of a lot cheeper than having to fork over something like $89.95 USD plus tax, exchange, shipping & custom's fees for a decent realistic looking pilot bust!

Or I'll carve my own pilot figure out of a chunk of balsa block! When someone tries to draw attention to it as not looking good, I'll simply say "He was in a terrible crash awhile back and was badly disfigured in the resulting fire and explosion....but he's still one heck of a pilot!"

[scaleguy]

Originally Posted by Bryan Mailloux

Whats next, were going to get bonus points for a purple spinner

ONLY on a Yak!

[scaleguy]

Originally Posted by Gary Maker

Or I'll carve my own pilot figure out of a chunk of balsa block! When someone tries to draw attention to it as not looking good, I'll simply say "He was in a terrible crash awhile back and was badly disfigured in the resulting fire and explosion....but he's still one heck of a pilot!"

OR

You could just say it's a SELF portrait!

Sorry Gary but you left yourself wide open on that one!

[samsrc]

Originally Posted by Gary Maker

Well, maybe so, but they look a whole lot more realistic than most of the ones I've seen sitting in the cockpits of IMAC planes getting passed off as 'realistic pilot figure' required by the rules!

Just my opinion but, if a contest director is going to dock points because a plane does NOT have a pilot figure, then those that do have them should indeed have realistic looking pilot busts/figures, in all fairness! And I still don't think a Helmet Head with a full blacked out face shield is realistic in an aerobatic competition airplane.

I've watched, as you probably have, many of the full sized competitions on video, and I dare say again, that you would honestly have to say that you've NEVER seen a pilot wearing such a head gear in any of the full sized competitions you've viewed!

Personally, if and when it was to become an issue with me, I'll take the point hit. As has been said, it's usually insignificant anyway and is a heck of a lot cheeper than having to fork over something like $89.95 USD plus tax, exchange, shipping & custom's fees for a decent realistic looking pilot bust!

Or I'll carve my own pilot figure out of a chunk of balsa block! When someone tries to draw attention to it as not looking good, I'll simply say "He was in a terrible crash awhile back and was badly disfigured in the resulting fire and explosion....but he's still one heck of a pilot!"

Gary,

I don't think the criteria judging on a pilot are based on how detailed or realistic the pilot bust is in a scale sense. It's not Top Gun, but IMAC and in IMAC most guys are more concerned on what is the lightest bust that is acceptable, instead of how realistic the pilot is.
I use foam pilots that Aircraft International sells, and mainly because they are light.

Here is the link:
http://www.aircraftinternational.com...hing.htm#pilot

They even now make helmet heads in foam that weigh next to nothing.

I remember at one contest Dave Dietrich lost his pilot bust and in a pinch, he took a piece of paper, drew a stick man on it, and then taped it into the cockpit area...lol! Needless to say, it didn't work, and the judges/CD didn't go for it...The point being is that although it is rather a grey area, there is some sort of criteria, and for most CD's as long as it is a 3 dimensional bust, and is of the right scale/size for a particular model, then it is generally acceptable. This would also include helmet heads of the proper size.

Sam

[Randy Brown]

Hey Sam if u need a good looking pilot i can send u a pic of myself

sorry couldnt help myself LOL

RB