Control Line: Combat
Charlie Johnson 3716 Ingraham St. San Diego, CA 92109
Cuts 'N' Kills (Vacaville, Labor Day weekend)
THE CUTS 'N' KILLS contest was held in Vacaville, California over the Labor Day weekend and featured a first-place prize of $1,000.
- Winner: Howard "The Colonel" Rush — flying a familiar Rushpuppy design with Fox power and carbon-fiber props. (Nitro content of Howard's fuel is unknown — it's always 10% more than in your fuel.)
- Runner-up: Paul Baluch — Money Nats winner; flew models similar to the "Chuck's Dangerous" design with Fox power and some of the new APC props.
- Third place: Bill Maywald — Fox-powered Arrowplanes; looked unbeatable during most of the contest but faltered at the end.
- Fourth place: Steve Kott — used an immaculate model with a Nelson .36 and APC props.
Highlights:
- This meet was one of the first times many saw the Nelson .36 in action. Greg Hill also had an impressive Nelson-mounted Arrowplane spinning a custom Hoffelt carbon prop; after the meet many pilots wanted to test that model/engine combination.
- Best exhibition flight: Bob Carver flew Greg Hill's plane very low and tight, thrilling the crowd (many yelled "lower!" during U-turns just inches above the turf). The Nelson .36 looks to be a real powerhouse and a contender for future speed events.
Launch problems and tactics
There were several disqualifications and losses due to poor launches:
- Some pilots took off straight up and were disqualified.
- A few models were lost mid-air during the launch.
Tactics:
- If you are well ahead, start high and watch for the second plane coming up; take evasive action rather than attempting to fly through him.
- If the launch is simultaneous and you are trailing, go high to avoid catching the first model.
- Combat fliers would benefit from flying a racing event or two to practice launches and evasive maneuvers.
Hoffelt Group Top Speed Challenge (Money Nats)
The Hoffelt Group Top Speed Challenge will be held at the Money Nats (out in Los Angeles) on May 2–3, 1992.
- Requirements: minimum 370‑in. model with legal-size engines, lines, etc. (there will be a height pole).
- Practice tips: practice flying level down around the ten-foot mark and learn to dial in engines without needing a dozen tune-up flights.
Combat / Johnson
Top-speed notes and past results
The object of the Top Speed event is to get official times on real Combat models. Bring a serious airplane — cheater airplanes get laughed at. Although entry is free, pilots ought to contribute if they consume contest time and cannot break target speeds.
- The 120 mph barrier took effort to reach; early runs required several flights before breaking 100 mph.
- Past measured speeds: fastest Fox ~114 mph; Glen Dye engine ~124 mph; Hoffelt 36R won with something over 129 mph.
- The Nelson crowd is eager to push the envelope — $200 to go 130 mph is a tempting challenge.
European Championships trip (Czechoslovakia / Poland)
Late July I traveled to Czechoslovakia/Poland for the European Championships. A few travel notes and impressions:
- Travel: Nearly every flight was booked; LOT Airlines (Poland's national carrier) offered reasonable fares.
- Car rental: Reliable and relatively large cars were available.
- Lodging: Found a motel near the 1980 World Championships flying site. I paid 490,000 Zlotys per night; at ~12,000 Zlotys to the U.S. dollar the price was reasonable. I kept a 50 Zloty note as a souvenir (worth about a third of a penny). Ten-Zloty coins make excellent wing weights.
European scene and equipment
The Europeans stay sharp by flying major meets frequently. Observations from the championships:
- Permanent facilities: Speed and Teamrace circles are permanent; there were dedicated workshops for national teams. Scale used the circles and Stunt had its own area. Combat was flown in the stadium.
- Team strength: Besides the Soviets, the British group is very strong. Teams often go several rounds before taking losses.
- Equipment availability: Models and engines are available locally. Some teams (e.g., Spain) source lightweight Soviet engines and Belaiev-style models. One Belgian used a 100-gram Sverdlovsk rocket-style engine with an all-wood model weighing about 170 grams, reinforced with Kevlar to survive impacts and entanglements.
- Marketplace: These meets are a great place to find exotic Speed, Racing, and Combat engines and components — world-class items but priced accordingly.
Results and notes:
- Combat winner: Igor Zolnekevich (1st), Slava Belaiev (2nd), John James (Great Britain) (3rd).
- John James had the fastest model I timed: 24.6 seconds for 10 laps.
- Team Romania attended with vintage-style models (silk covering and diesels) worth seeing.
GRW / Glenn Wells
I spoke with Glenn Wells, owner of GRW Company:
- Contact: GRW Company, P.O. Box 1011, White Oak, Texas 75693; phone 903/759-3942.
- Offerings: kits of the Don Cranfill model (recent Nationals winners), adjustable aluminum motor mounts, lines, engines, special glow plugs, carbon fiber, Graphic Plastiform covering, and other combat materials.
- Service: Glenn promises same-day service on most items; he’s sending samples for review.
Soviet participation and Money Nats plans
Despite upheavals in the Soviet Union, it looks likely that several Soviet fliers will attend the Money Nats next May:
- Expected attendees include current World Champion Slava Belaiev and 1986 World Champion Nicholai Necheukhin; I brought back some of Nicholai's personal team engines and props which sold quickly.
- Possible attendees: Igor Zolnekevich (current European Champion) and 1988 Champion Boris Faizov.
Money Nats plans:
- In addition to the regular triple-elimination Fast Combat meet, there will be a one-airplane FAI contest on Friday (practice day) with no minus points for downtime — a chance to fly FAI against some World Champions.
- We hope to organize a swap-meet-style party so visiting teams, including the Soviets, can sell or trade gear. Save your pennies.
APC props and miscellaneous gear
APC carbon-fiber props are popular and practical:
- Performance: APC props have performed as well as many special carbon props in Combat.
- Durability and cost: They’re not much more expensive than wood props and are less likely to break if you drag a blade on landing. At about four dollars apiece, they’re hard to beat.
- Development: We had some APC props for .15s, but they were a little too large in diameter and pitch; the factory is responsive and will modify the prop for our needs.
- Promotion: Every entrant at the Cuts & Kills received an $18 carbon-fiber prop from APC just for entering.
Final note: Support suppliers who support the sport — APC is helping, and the community should consider supporting them in return.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
