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Scale warbird racing is R/C pylon racing on a 2 pylon course 700ft long, where pilots stand on the pit side of the runway.    The course is set up parallel to the site runway and all flying other than takeoffs and landings takes place on the far side of the runway.  All pilots must have a caller and timing devices are not allowed during the race for the pilot or caller.  The responsibilities of the caller include launching the aircraft, providing another set of eyes for the pilot, and helping the pilot know when to turn.  All takeoffs and landings are controlled by the starter/race official to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Three classes of racing are flown; Gold, Silver and Bronze, each with their own breakout times.  The Gold breakout time is 1 minute & 30 seconds (the fastest class), the Silver class breakout time is 2 minutes, and the Bronze breakout time is 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  The bronze class is the most beginner friendly class and sometimes can be a “run with you brung (brought)” class where scale aircraft are not required, and any safe flyable plane is allowed compete.  The Silver and Gold classes require the aircraft flown resemble military or racing propeller driven aircraft.  There are also other aircraft requirements like minimum wing area (refer to the rules).  The typical Bronze class planes includes several of the foam bind-and-fly models of P-51’s, Spitfires and other warbirds.  ARF models of T34’s & Corsairs can be excellent performers as well.  The Sliver and Gold classes are typically flown with more streamlined models of the P-51 (Stregas, Miss-Ashley’s, Vendettas, etc.) that are closer to the Reno Unlimited Class race plane configurations.

The goal of the racing is to finish ten (10) laps on the course and not finish the race faster than the defined breakout time.  Races are started through a flying start with an audio countdown, where pilots must time the beginning of the race (at the start line) without jumping the start and being disqualified.  Cuts of the pylon (not going past the pole) are common and result in a penalty with 1 cut resulting in one heat point and 2 cuts result in zero points for that heat.  Points are earned in each heat with 4 points for 1st place, 3 points for 2nd place, and so on.  At the end of the event, the pilots are ranked by the number of points earned in the rounds completed.  Ties are broken using each pilots best heat time, not under the breakout time for the class.