Control Line: Combat
Byline
Charlie Johnson
Control line newsletters are filled with gripes about how manufacturers and hobby shops have forgotten our particular interests. Having once taken a course in economics in college, I consider myself an expert in the area and will agree that there is a problem for both parties. I've always been in favor of supporting local hobby shops, but we've come to a point where we cannot expect local hobby dealers to stock specialty items.
Bear Model Products (Bear Necessities catalog, 1986)
Enter the 1986 version of the Bear Necessities catalog put out by — who else but — Bear Model Products, 2709 Turtlecreek Dr., Hazel Crest, IL 60429; phone (312) 798-4381. This is a quality 16-page catalog of all the goodies you've been looking for. Examples include:
- "Bear Kits" for FAI Combat — $18.50
- V/A kits — $14.50
- Fast Combat model — $22.50
- MacKey Tradewind Combat Kit — $24.95
- Goldberg line kits and many other hard-to-find items
All the models are based on Rich Lopez's Sly Sir design and contain everything except engine, prop, fuel tank, and covering. There are so many items listed that you must write or call for a catalog. Be sure to send the "Bear" a dollar along with your name and address to speed delivery.
J&J Sales (Sunnyside, WA)
Another real find for highly specialized items is J&J Sales, 709 Crescent, Sunnyside, WA 98944; phone (509) 837-5983. They have a huge assortment of glass-fibre and carbon-fibre props for many applications. The best part is that if you have a real trick prop you'd like duplicated in glass, you can send them the prop and they'll make a mold of it and supply high-quality props for your use only.
They offer many items such as bulk lines, TD parts, and the Instant Replay kits by "Liebig" Sales Co. Examples from their catalog:
- Fast Combat model — $15.50 (replacement wings — $6.00)
- 1/2A Avenger Combat kit — $12.50
There isn't a price listed on their catalog, but with any operation like this it's best to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a few shillings.
Cipolla .15 Combat engine
The Cipolla .15 Combat engine is available from Doc Passen, P.O. Box 111, Jasonville, IN 47438. This engine is similar to the version seen at the Team Trials but is side-exhaust AAC and weighs 5.6 ounces. Doc Passen was kind enough to send a disassembled engine, as you can see by the picture of the head assembly. The claimed weight and actual weight, as verified by the scale down at the local market, were the same.
For those accustomed to the slim dimensions of the Nelson engine, you may call this engine by the nickname "Fattie," which Doc hung on it. As Peter Chinn used to say in his engine reviews, the crankcase is of "robust" design — but the weight is still in the ballpark. The best thing about this new engine is the list price of $79.95 and a special introductory price of $59.95 through Doc Passen. The engine sent me is still in a disassembled state but will soon see the usual torture-test inflicted on anything falling into my possession.
Cipolla .36 Combat Special
The comment in the previous piece about the Cipolla .15's claimed/actual weight is the critical bit concerning the Cipolla .36 Combat Special. Its claimed weight is a mere 195 grams (6.96 ounces), a couple of ounces lighter than comparable Fox, Supertigre, or Hoffelt engines. Doc has the first two in the country and he sent a sketch of the rear-exhaust, front-intake featherweight.
List prices will be $89.95 (as with the .15); there is a special introductory price of $69.95 on the first batch. Like the .15, it features a chromed aluminum liner, a solid crank with quality bearings, and a venturi setup similar to the G-21 Tigre. I'm not an expert in machine work, but I'd say that the .15 looked well made.
It is possible the use of lighter and more compact designs that still have the same wing loading as the current monsters will yield better acceleration out of the turns. Let's hold our breaths and hope the Cipolla does for Fast and Slow Combat what the Nelson .15 did for FAI — but at much less cost. Write Doc today to place a reservation on an engine in the first batch.
MACA Newsletter and Doc Passen
This column might turn out to be a Doc & Bear benefit, but Doc Passen deserves more credit — and this time as new editor of the MACA Newsletter. The December 1985 issue was one of the nicest newsletters in circulation in modeling or any other activity. It was professionally done, well-printed, contained pictures, model designs, lots of gossip, and the inside line on the latest high-tech items available.
Newsletter pricing (includes MACA membership):
- 1 year — $10
- 2 years — $18
- 3 years — $25
Bob and Jerry Bearden are the newsletter publishers. Contact MACA NEWS at 17400 S. Harlem, Tinley Park, IL 60477. Doc Passen can be reached at his P.O. box or at 608 West Main St., Jasonville, IN 47438.
Streamer-cutting devices and foam models
What, no lectures this month? Talked me into it! Let's talk about those intentional-streamer-cutting devices mentioned in the AMA rules. There's an eight- or nine-inch device commonly known as the propeller and a four-foot device commonly known as the foam "killer" or "snagger." Probably the greatest advantage to using foam is the foam killer, which, in the early days of foam model design, was a "secret." I was warned not to spread this information about the string leader getting snagged by the foam leading edge.
Local clubs have either banned foam streamers from Fast Combat events or require taping the leading edge of foamers. Ever wonder why some guys use the cheapest plastic coverings on their foam models rather than the more durable FasCal or equivalent? It's not for the weight or price — it's because FasCal doesn't cut through as easily as the very soft plastics. To my knowledge, no one has protested the legality of the foam streamer-snagger. It may become a focal point if the Cipolla .36 works out and many people return to early-design wood models, which would have similar wing loadings to the current crop of quarter-scale Combat designs.
Contact / Author address
Charlie Johnson 3716 Ingraham St. San Diego, CA 92109
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
