CONTROL LINE COMBAT
Rich von Lopez 8334 Colegio Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045
1996 Top Gun — Tucson, Arizona
The 1996 combat season got off to a good start in Tucson, Arizona, with the annual Top Gun Triple-Elimination Fast Combat Contest. Thirty-five competitors from around the country vied for the number-one spot.
The big difference this year was that fuel shutoffs or fuel dumps were required. Some pilots were still trying to sort out bugs in their systems. All pilots were required to demonstrate their shutoff devices to officials; this occurred during the warmup period just before the one-minute countdown. These procedures do not add substantially to the time it takes to run a contest.
The crew in Tucson — including Gary Capuano, Gary Perkins, Mike and Tom Thomson, Steve Mills, and many others (and their wives) — does a great job of organizing Top Gun. They had hats and T-shirts for sale and provided a low-cost homemade lunch. The trophies were clever: blue-anodized Fox Combat Special engines mounted on plaques. Other awards included a $1,000 first-place prize and a variety of useful goodies ranging from a Mark 7 Fox Combat Special to bottles of cyanoacrylate adhesive.
If you want to have a good time and fly some good matches, plan on attending the 1997 Top Gun, May 18–19.
Fuel shutoffs and dumps
Some of the most effective shutoffs are the units manufactured by Stels; the Bellcrank Bullet produced by Clay Parker (543 East 27th St., Box A, South Tucson, AZ 85713; Tel: (520) 798-0848); and homemade devices built by Ron Cash. The October 1995 issue of Model Aviation showed photographs of the Bellcrank Bullet and how it is used with an external control system. Jerry Capuano sent a drawing of how the Bellcrank Bullet can be adapted for use in an internal-control model; it is reproduced in the February/March 1996 issue of the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA) newsletter.
All of these shutoff systems stop fuel flow and kill the engine. Some of the models using these systems attempted flyaways; in each case the device did its job and shut off the engine.
Roy Heppenstall used fuel dumps on his Nelson-powered models. One of his models was cut away; it climbed straight up for approximately 100 feet, then reversed direction and headed straight down. Approximately 30 feet from the ground the fuel dump finished dumping fuel and the engine died. I did not examine the device after the crash, but I suspect it needs a larger-diameter fuel-dump outlet — something to consider when selecting the type of device for your own models.
A rule mandating fuel shutoffs can't be far away. I will give such a rule 100% support.
Word has it that Tomas Mejzlik will soon be producing refined versions of the first and second Stels units. The second batch incorporates a needle valve. Early Russian-made devices had problems: spring-tension music-wire solder-joint issues caused metal fatigue in the arm, which led to flyoffs about halfway down the arm; solder joints sometimes came undone, and in one case the needle-valve shot out its knob. Springs have had tension problems or have broken. Chuck Rudner has reworked shutoffs and made new springs. 0.020-inch music wire has replaced pressed-in pins; tiny model-railroad nuts and bolts solve related problems. These shutoffs are correctable, and we expect Tomas will take care of them.
New models
Tomas' latest catalog features a new 200mm Fast Combat model. Chuck Rudner has been test-flying one of these using a Nelson for power. I have had one ride on it, and it flies very well. If you have limited building time, you may wish to give this model a try.
Engine notes
In the April 1996 column, I mentioned that Ian MacIntosh had visited from Spain. On that trip Ian had two off-brand Russian engines for sale; they were AAC-type engines with mufflers. I purchased both and started testing.
The first developed a black film in the oil residue. I took it apart and thoroughly cleaned it, hoping any stray bits of metal had been removed. I took it back out the next weekend, only to have the black oil residue return, and the lower end of the connecting rod turned its once-round hole into a much larger, egg-shaped one. I thought, "That was a waste of $130; let's try the second one, and see if we can get it to self-destruct as well."
The second engine has turned out to be quite good. It shows good power and very easy starting characteristics. I take this engine out almost every weekend and give it several runs. It just keeps getting faster and shows no signs of self-destructing. This engine weighs 124 grams (minus the muffler), a bit high for an engine with an AAC piston-and-liner setup. The extra weight could result from the fact that it features three ball bearings instead of two: two small ball bearings at the front end plus the usual rear bearing. I have been using this engine as my number-one practice engine. You may want to get an engine like this just for practice.
Top Gun results and competitors
This may be the first time brothers took first and second place. Andy Minor (the older brother) beat Cary Minor twice in the finals to take home the top cash prize. Their Broken Arrow design flies well; it showed no signs of irregular behavior until the Top-20 final match. For some unexpected reason, Cary's model crashed on the upwind side of the circle. Dad Gary complimented his pit work and diplomacy and asked him if he wanted to win; the boy grinned.
Roy Heppenstall has shown great improvement in both equipment and flying ability. Roy, a moldmaker/machinist, is constantly coming up with new gadgets for his models. Pete Athans managed a fourth-place finish thanks to his skillful pit crew. Fifth place went to the ever-dangerous Richard Stubblefield.
The 1996 Las Vegas Dust Devils will be hosting Ground Zero Fast Combat, Vegas Style — the first of what is hoped will become a long-running annual event. Fuel shutoffs will be mandatory for the event. Contact Fred Reese at (702) 876-4718 or Doug Ellis at (702) 368-6328 for contest information.
The Bladder Grabber contest will see a revival June 29–30 at Harvey Field, Snohomish, WA. Call Howard Rush at (206) 746-5997 for information.
Team USA and World Championships
We have started serious practice with Mark Rudner, the defending Junior World Champion who earned a spot on the American team. Every weekend we have been flying matches, and we will continue until we depart for Sweden. Equipment-wise, Mark is ready: all of his models are tested and de-warped, and all of his front-line engines are running very well.
The original team consisted of Don Cranfill, Mark Rudner, and Richard Stubblefield. Don has since dropped out, and Joe McKenzie has taken his place.
Another change is that Mark Rudner will be going as the defending Junior World Champion and not as a regular team member. Should his final record be better than that of a regular team member, it will count toward the overall team standings. The second alternate, Mitchell Cleveland, will now be traveling with the team. Mitch has one of the best possible tutors: his father George.
This year's World Championships promise to be one of the best in recent times. This venue has been kind to the United States; it was the site where our only Combat World Champion, Tom Fluker, won in 1982. I was there to witness this joyful moment and to share in the elation of all our team members.
Mitchell was there in 1982 as a young boy, full of playful mischief. He has carried on the family tradition. George and Mitchell Cleveland recall that their hotel room overlooked the Hotel Ankarat entrance. When the Russian (then Soviet) team arrived, Mitch was at the window eating peanuts — he proceeded to throw them at the unsuspecting Russians! (He never did get caught.)
MACA and membership
I mentioned MACA earlier; the organization has a new treasurer. Send your $15 annual dues to:
- Gene Berry
4610 9th St. Lubbock, TX 79424
MACA Top Twenty final results for 1995
- Andy Mears
- Mark Henry
- Chuck Rudner
- Andy Minor
- Mark Rudner
- Mike Willcox
- Cary Minor
- Steve Knott
- Larry Driskill
- Neil Simpson
- Tommy Thompson
- Joe McKenzie
- Ron Marcion
- Rich von Lopez
- Louis Lopez
- Mike Evans
- Bob Burch
- Bob Mears
- Mike Urban
- Jordy Segal
Congratulations to all of you!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
