RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
The Nationals is not only a showcase for modelers but for model manufacturers as well. The 2002 Radio Control (RC) Combat Nationals, held at the AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, was no exception: manufacturers came out to show their wares and several new designs were presented.
Open Class B Combat seemed to be the happening place, outpacing not only new Scale kit development but new releases in all other Open-class sizes combined, including the new Class C Combat.
Skull Bandit (Eagle Press)
Eagle Press (1880 Enterprise Dr. N.E., Suite D, Buford GA 30518; Tel.: 404-557-2521)
The Skull Bandit is a profile-type design notable for its one-piece, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fuselage cut with a CNC router. The single-piece fuselage forms an integral engine mount, serves as the servo tray for throttle and elevator servos, and forces correct incidence in the wing and tail.
- Wing: high-load foam with a Selig 8036 airfoil, 64-inch span.
- Leading edge: 1/4-inch polypropylene rod for impact resistance.
- Tail: Coroplast tail fits into slots in the fuselage for quick removal and field repair.
- Flight characteristics: balanced for convenient hand launch and easy to fly.
- Notes: Skull Bandits performed well at the Nationals and are becoming increasingly common.
Predator X and Terminator (TufFlight)
TufFlight (5376 Amalfi Dr., Clay NY 13041; Tel.: 315-698-8103)
TufFlight’s Predator has evolved from the original 48-inch span through several updates to the Predator X (version 5.0). The Predator X stretches the span to 72 inches, giving it the longest streamer-grabbing span of any design at the Nationals.
- Power options: kit can be built as a single-engine (.25) or twin-engine (two .15 engines).
- Wing: durable EPS wing with 888 square inches of area and unique side-by-side ailerons to avoid binding as the wing flexes.
- Weight: roughly 3–3.5 pounds despite the large span (flying-wing design with no fuselage).
- Notes: Although only Open Class B (.30 maximum displacement and 3.5 pounds maximum weight) was flown at the Nationals, TufFlight also introduced kits aimed at the new Class C (.47 maximum displacement and 5 pounds maximum weight). One such kit, the Terminator, resembles a larger Predator with a 56-inch span and 765 square inches of wing area, designed for .40–.46 engines and weighing about 3.5–4 pounds.
Talon (Plastic Concept Planes)
Plastic Concept Planes (452 Bluff City Blvd., Elgin IL 60120; Tel.: 847-697-9220; Web: plasticconceptplanes.com)
The Talon is billed as a Class C Combat aircraft, a club racer, or a sport design. Constructed in the conventional SPAD manner, it uses Coroplast wings and tail and a PVC downspout for the fuselage. What sets it apart is a sporty, forward-swept wing.
- Wing: 46-inch span with wingtips swept forward 11 inches.
- Power: designed for .40–.46 engines.
- Construction: integral Coroplast wing and tail assembly—an example of "Corogami" applied to Combat designs.
Ki-64 Rob (Warbirds Ltd.)
Warbirds Ltd. (11111 E. 67th St., Tulsa OK 74133; Tel.: 918-740-1243; Web: www.warbirdsltd.com)
Warbirds Ltd. showcased its new Ki-64 Rob by sponsoring A.J. Seaholm in Scale Combat. The Rob spans 50 inches and proved very competitive.
- Fuselage: seamless Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass fuselage and engine cowl.
- Wings: balsa-sheeted foam.
- Tail: laminated balsa tail with internal braced elevator controls.
- Durability: survived several midair collisions during the Nationals.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk HF.VII and Northrop A-17A (Lawless' Kombat Craft)
Lawless' Kombat Craft (5117 Bayside Dr., Troy MI 48098; Tel.: 248-641-7768; Email: lawlesskombatcraft@worldnet.att.net)
Lawless' introduced a new Supermarine Spitfire Mk HF.VII, noted for its extended, pointed wingtips. The kit uses a ripstop-covered, cut-foam fuselage and balsa-sheeted foam-core wings.
- Scale allowances: taking advantage of the 10% allowed in excess of 1/2 scale in the Scale Combat rules, the Spitfire spans 44 inches.
- Weight: 2.5–2.75 pounds depending on engine and radio equipment.
- Kit features: PETG-formed canopy and cowl.
The Northrop A-17A was shown in prototype form and is now available. The A-17A shares many lines with the Douglas SBD Dauntless and is enlarged 10% beyond 1/2 scale, giving its three-piece wing a 52-inch span. It uses the same construction methods as the Spitfire. Lawless' Kombat Craft has additional designs in development.
That's all for now. Until next time, build, build, build, and when you're flying be sure to check your six!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
