Control Line: Combat
Charlie Johnson
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA will have its own version of the famous Bladder Grabber Combat meet. As with the original, the copy will be a triple‑elimination Fast Combat tournament with some big‑time prizes. The meet is scheduled for early April when the weather here is great, and all the students will be getting out for Easter break. The Whittier Narrows flying site is nice for a meet, though not much to see in the way of tourism; Disneyland and many other attractions are close by for the wife and kids (should they want to come on the vacation, too).
Prizes planned:
- $1,000 cash for first place
- Carver stereo for second place
- Hoffelt .36R for third place
The three principal organizers are Rich Lopez, Chuck Rudner, and Steve Hills, along with many local helpers. Flyers are not printed yet, but I’ll be glad to send one as soon as they’re available.
We had a very good Triple A meet a few weeks ago that featured all four Combat events flown as full double‑elimination. I was encouraged by the outstanding turnout, level of competition, and cooperation, as interest in Combat flying in general had seemed to be slumping.
Practice area — San Diego
We’ve also acquired a nice practice area here in San Diego thanks to field preparation by RC helicopter pilots. They’re usually out at the crack of dawn and pack up when the wind picks up — which is usually when we’re ready to start flying. They saw pictures of the carpet at Buckeye and raided a couple of dumpsters for some large segments. It’s just like pitting and flying in your living room.
It’s really nice to have a place to fly where you won’t get hassled or tossed out by the local police. I made up for a lot of lost time by using almost a gallon of fuel the first weekend. (This was very inexpensive fuel; I’d found it in a dumpster where a local hobby shop owner apparently tossed it because the cans looked rusty — but the fuel inside was fine.) Our flying area is located in an industrial park where noise isn’t a problem (but I still haven’t forgotten the Stealth model with muffler!).
Engine notes — Cipolla .36
One of the engines that finally got a good wringing out that weekend was the Cipolla .36 in my Slow Combat model. As I mentioned in a previous column, the engine does weigh the advertised seven ounces and required an extended nose on the plane which had been set up for a Supertigre. It wasn’t much trouble, since the original mount had cracked at the rear motor mount bolt. I bolted two hardwood bearers to the engine and then bolted them to the body using blind mounting nuts on the tank side. Technically this body configuration would be illegal in competition, but I was more worried about engine vibration. The Cipolla is very smooth, and I had no trouble with mounts coming loose.
I’d estimate the Cipolla makes power equivalent to other contenders such as the Fox and Supertigre, and hot restarts seemed more predictable and easier than with iron‑lined engines. Ken Manchester (Team Cipolla West Coast) used a Cipolla at the recent meet and seemed to have everything under control. Ken placed in Fast Combat Nationals using a Cipolla, and though his picture appeared in the magazine with a different name listed (apologies to both Ken and Bob Oge), Ken may put himself in Cipolla’s winners circle quite often next season.
Cipolla and Doc Passen product news
Doc Passen is the importer and distributor for Cipolla and passed on some of the latest news:
- The Super Combat .36 will now be a side‑exhaust ABC and will be five grams lighter than the original (under seven ounces). Introductory price: $79.95 plus $3.00 shipping per order. Doc is taking reservations and orders—cash in advance. Write to Doc Passen, P.O. Box 111, Lanesville, IN 47438.
- The Master Combat lightweight 2.5 is available after much redesign for the same price as the .36, although its regular list is almost $160. Doc says you have to pay in advance; deliveries will be made in December. Weight of the new engine is 135 grams, and it’s claimed to run extremely well on low or “no” nitro. The new engine comes close to meeting the Nelson .15 standard of performance at a much‑reduced price.
- Doc will also market alloy motor mounts for Fast and FAI. The front hole is 4‑40, and the rear is slotted for universal applications—or you can have all holes drilled for a Cipolla. Aircraft 4‑40 nuts with plastic locking collars must be used. Cost: $9.50 per pair.
- A new item is Dural Plates for Slow Combat models. Bolt one on each side of the fuselage for a more rigid mount, allowing more power and better needle settings. For those who mount engines on plywood, this may stiffen the front enough that the engine won’t be crunched through to the inboard side.
Engine mounting advice
The preferred method of mounting an engine in a profile model is by bolting it to hardwood bearers with blind mounting nuts buried in the hardwood. The plywood then covers the nuts on the inboard side and ends just behind the engine on the outboard side. The engine bearers should extend about a quarter of the way back over the wing and be locked into the wing structure as on Fast and FAI. Extra‑wide 5/8 in. (or wider) hardwood is recommended. This keeps the engine from sinking into soft plywood and prevents the blind mounting nuts from doing the same on the other side.
Before you design a monocoque nose for your Slow Combat model, be sure to read the profile fuselage definition in the AMA rule book and find out how local contest directors interpret it!
MACA newsletter
MACA, where are you? After a series of very good MACA Newsletters edited by Doc Passen, there seems to have been a lull, with no newsletter in sight for months. Doc Passen reports the last three newsletters were done on time and sent to the publisher. With over 300 active members it would be a shame to see MACA fade back into oblivion. In the past I’ve encouraged everyone to join MACA, but you might want to hold off sending your $10 until the problem is resolved. Current MACA members should get in touch with their MACA district representative and also contact the president.
Last minute tidbits
Last minute tidbits include:
- An ABC piston/liner replacement set for the Fox .36 with a very high 21% silicone content that should sell for around $40.
- Possible alloy center section with bellcrank mount and alloy motor mounts. Doc Passen will have the latest details by the time this magazine hits the street. Write him at the address listed earlier.
Charlie Johnson 3716 Ingraham St. San Diego, CA 92109
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
