Control Line: Combat
Charlie Johnson
HAVE YOU been flying more combat lately but enjoying it less? Does the thought of losing one of your high-performance monsters make you lose sleep at night? Well, my friends, the one-design contest just might be your answer. A group of us decided to build Voodoos for a little friendly combat. Each contestant would bring a maximum of two models and the only modifications allowed would be to wing tips and type of boom assembly. Everyone agreed to use mild fuel and engines. The result, some super 100-mph combat! Sure, the planes weren't as breathtaking as the 125-mph variety but the matches were a lot better and lasted longer. There are many advantages to such a contest, such as cheap, easy-to-construct, readily available kits, with similar performances that allow the pilot's skill to determine the winner. A round-robin series was flown rather than the usual pyramid system, because every contestant would get at least four matches. Obviously, such an event isn't something you could try on the national level, but for the local meet it is a fine way to go.
Check out the picture of the Nemesis with the adaptor plate to allow use of the plane in FAI Combat. An 18-ounce AMA plane will weigh around 16 ounces with a .15 which still allows pretty good performance. The model shown was flown by Howard Rush with good success at the FAI Trials. It used to be that you'd scale an FAI plane down from an AMA-size plane, but the most successful 360 sq. in. FAI planes are larger than the old-style AMA ship. Dan Rutherford reports that his latest AMA ship has 480 sq. in. and takes over two ounces of covering material.
I saw an interesting method of strengthening the trailing edge of any model that uses the Nemesis style TE. Get some two-part foam from Sig and mix only small quantities at a time. While holding the nose of the model straight up, pour a small amount down each trailing edge section. The foam will soak into the wood and expand forward; now use an X-acto knife to trim the foam even with the forward portion of the TE. Some kits give small pieces of foam to be glued in the TE but this method is a lot stronger since everything is bonded together as a unit. One small supply of foam will do hundreds of models.
News from MACA: True to his word, Mike Strieter announced the Top Ten Individual Categories. Below, the results:
Fast
- Bob Burch
- Marlin McGee
- Neal Rose
- Howard Rush
- Greg Hissem
Slow
- Bob Naville
- Phil Cartier
- Marlin McGee
- Mike Condon
- Dan Rutherford
Fat
- Paul Smith
- Bob Keese
- Bob Burch
- D. Hughes
- Bud Bodzioch
- Rich von Lopez
- Paul Hoffman
- Gary Stevens
- Richard Brasher
- Phil Cartier
- Mike Strieter
MACA First VP George Mattei is going hot and heavy for combat, recently naming DVP's for Districts I, V, VII, and XI. If you are interested in becoming a DVP for your district why not write George a letter? His address: 105 Franklin Rd., Hamden, CT 06517. There are over 300 MACA members and the list grows every day. If you haven't already joined, send your $6.00 to MACA Treasurer Pat Sassetti at 1443 McKinley Ave., Escondido, CA 92027.
The latest issue of the MACA Newsletter contained articles on engine reworking, contest reports, a complete directory of combat fliers throughout the U.S.A. and Europe, classified ads and specialty parts.
Control Line: Combat
Last column I talked about using a speed course to test planes and the skill of the pilot. Howard Shenton sent me a copy of a proposed course and basic rules that could be adapted for use at a contest. The basic maneuvers are as follows: 1) One acceleration lap, 2) Seven level laps at a maximum altitude of 25 feet, 3) Three inside loops with an additional half loop to inverted flight, 4) Seven level inverted laps at a maximum altitude of 25 feet, 5) Two overhead eights, 6) Refuel and restart.
Howard's system would measure all phases of performance, including engine, plane, pilot, and pit crew. The timing would include everything from the initial launch to the end of the figure-eights. Timing would again resume when the engine cut, and continue as the pit crew refueled and restarted the engine, the watch being stopped as the model was released. This is an oversimplification of what Howard had in mind, so I'm hoping that the full details will be published in the MACA Newsletter.
To test basic performance of a model it might be easier to time for 10 laps from the moment of launch and require the pilot to do three insides, three outsides, or whatever number you think proves something. Here's a chance for some of you to enter your 130-mph "work bench" in open competition.
Bill Allen's Combat Specialties is another performance company offering everything from spools of flying lines to 4-oz. syringes and Fireball plugs with the special sealant BR-22. Bill is located at 418 Fairmont Dr., DeKalb, IL 60115. Write these guys for more information if you want to get the latest trick items for your combat ships.
Richard Wilkens reports the largest crowd in history to watch a combat match. It happened in Wembley during the warmup to the British Football Championships. There were over 100,000 in attendance. The roar was deafening when that crowd called the cuts. The crowd and promoters liked the modelers better than any other act and will ask them back next year.
More excuses for us old timers: The usual excuse when a younger person beats you is that he had an unfair advantage because he was younger and hence had better reactions. A typical reaction time to a given stimulus might be 1/10th of a second (your opponent pulls in front of you, giving you a perfect shot at his streamer if you make the right decision). Even if you're 50 or 60 years old your reaction time won't be much different from an 18-year-old's, it's just how you react that matters. The older you get the more cluttered your mind becomes and the more things your brain has to analyze to make the right decision. The answer is to blank out your mind. Some people are born that way while others must learn. You don't need a Guru to help you clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Worry only about which way to turn and not about losing a plane or car payments or whether your engine will blow up.
Charlie Johnson, 3716 Ingraham St., San Diego, CA 92109.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
