RADIO CONTROL: COMBAT
Greg Rose 3429 Elmy, Orion, MI 48359
Feedback
This month's column is a milestone for me. Because there is a three-month delay between submission and publication, this is the first column in which I can report the feedback I received. I thank everyone who wrote and offered best wishes. I will do my best to represent the views of all corresponding modelers and to promote the exciting sport of RC Combat, both scale and nonscale.
Your letters reinforced my belief that the vast majority of modelers interested in RC Combat understand safety must always come first. Although not everyone agrees on the exact measures, we all agree safety must be built into RC Combat events, into the rules governing those events, and into the planes flown.
I am compiling the published rules from a variety of local events. If you fly in RC Combat events, please send a copy of your rules to the address at the head of this column. This should be a good first step in reviewing differences and possibly finding a common, workable set of rules.
1/4 Scale Combat
As you read this it is summer and events are in full swing. At the time I wrote this only a few early-spring events had been held, but a lot of activity has been taking place on building tables and at kit manufacturers.
When the 1/4 event was starting out, few kits were available and the choice often came down to which Mustang or Me 109 we wanted to build. Now there are more than 50 different kits or plans from which to choose. You can get a complete list by sending an SASE to the address listed at the head of this column.
#### Manufacturers and new kits
- Progressive Miniature Aviation (PMA)
214 North Goldenrod Rd., Orlando, FL 32807 Tel: (407) 382-8646 PMA has redesigned the airfoils on its Me 109 design to improve flight characteristics. The new Progressive airfoil gradually changes from fully symmetrical at the root to a higher-lift section at the wingtips. PMA has added three new 1/4-scale kits: the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Supermarine Spitfire, and the Bell P-63 Kingcobra, doubling its current 1/4 product line. Progressive is also planning another construction article; two designs will be featured in an upcoming issue.
- Ziggs Originals
3822 Hoover Dr., #4, Madison, WI 53714 Tel: (608) 249-4480 Ziggs has introduced the famous Focke-Wulf Fw 190A as a fifth design in its product line. Like previous Ziggs kits, the new Fw 190A is built from high-density cut foam. These foam kits are lightweight, built-up, and even the large Vought F4U Corsair kit has been reported as fairly easy to keep under the 2.2-pound 1/4 weight limit.
- RC Research Designs
P.O. Box 2551, Liverpool, NY 13089 Tel: (315) 652-3710 RC Research is introducing a new line of kits that feature extensive vacuum-forming in the fuselage and foam-core wings. The Grumman F8F Bearcat and the Lavochkin La-5 are first; they will be followed by the Fokker D.XXI and the Bolton-Paul Defiant. Contact RC Research for details and introduction dates.
- Custom Cutters
4302 N 750 W, Ligonier, IN 46767 Tel: (219) 894-3370 Custom Cutters debuted its first 1/4 kit, an Me 109G, at the Toledo show. The kit features cut foam wings and a simple balsa fuselage. They have since introduced two more 1/4 designs—the Italian Macchi MC-202 and its radial-powered predecessor, the MC-200—and plan more designs for later this year.
It's good to see such diversity in kit offerings for 1/4-scale events.
Nonscale RC Combat
Nonscale RC Combat events have gained immense popularity.
- Capstone RC
562 West Schrock Rd., Westerville, OH 43081 Tel: (614) 899-6313 Capstone sent photos of the Pattern Bat mentioned in the first RC Combat column. Combat events using that kit have a strong following in several clubs across the Columbus-to-Cleveland corridor. The Fairfield Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (FORKS) built an IMAA giant version for display. At the Weak Signals Toledo trade show, a large 60-plus-inch wing was used as a billboard so thousands of modelers could see it.
- Central Massachusetts RC Modelers
This club favors the Gremlin flying wing design, which was featured in a construction article in the December 1992 RCM. The Gremlin has proven to be an excellent flying model, though not a beginner design. To support the Gremlin Combat event, RA Cores now produces wing cores, short kits, and complete kits for the Gremlin. RA Cores, P.O. Box 863, Southbridge, MA 01550 Tel: (508) 765-9998
Resources & Events
- For up-to-date information on 1/4-scale events, check the Contest Calendar each month in this magazine.
- Send rules from your local events if you want them reviewed or included in the compilation.
- To receive a complete list of available kits and plans, send an SASE to the address at the head of this column.
Until next time — remember to check your six!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
