RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
IT WAS the worst carnage that I had ever seen. Not one model had escaped some sort of damage. Everywhere I looked I saw split MonoKote, broken wings, snapped tails, and crushed fuselages. Most were reparable, but a few would never see the sky again.
Was it the shattered blood, guts, and balsa from the most vicious Combat meet ever? No, it was the sad surprise in each box I unpacked from the 1,000-mile move from Michigan to Oklahoma. Oh well, I needed to build some new airplanes anyway. The only real survivors were the few models that I drove down, and not even all of those escaped the fearsome dose of hangar rash.
I've moved to a suburb of Oklahoma City and have already found out why people here call it "The Real Windy City." I've joined a nice club with a great field only a few miles from my house. (Honest, I did not know that when we bought the house, and please, never suggest otherwise to my wife.)
After that journey, the only suggestions I have for modelers on the move are "Don't move," or maybe "Sell everything and start over." If you decide to move with your models, step on them first; that way the suspense won't bother you.
New kits and manufacturers
If you want to build new kits, there are many out there from which to choose:
Air Kill Products (14 Shady Lane Ct., Sacramento CA 95834; Tel.: [916] 425-9933)
Air Kill is introducing a full line of complete kits to replace most of their short kits for Gus Morfis designs that they offered earlier. Their new line of Combat full kits are available, including:
- P-51 Mustang (razorback version available)
- P-47 Thunderbolt
- P-40 Warhawk
- P-36 Hawk
- F6F Hellcat
- F4U Corsair
- Hawker Sea Fury
- Typhoon
- Hurricane
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Messerschmitt Me 109
- Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony
- Macchi MC.202 Folgore
- MC.200 Saetta
Air Kill kits feature laser- or machine-cut balsa (depending on the kit—call Air Kill for details), vacuum-formed canopies, vacuum-formed cowls for some kits (the Typhoon and all of the radial designs), hardware, and vacuum-formed details described as "the scoops, bumps, and blisters that make them look good."
The company offers a "sport conversion package" for sport fliers that provides the hardware to convert to a four-channel design and includes prebent landing gear for the kit. The less popular designs will still be offered as short kits with precut ribs and formers and all of the vacuum-formed parts, but you must supply the materials for spars, planking, etc. One thing I like about the Air Kill product line is that it offers the only razorback version of the Mustang that I've ever seen for Scale Combat. It builds into a sharp-looking model.
House of Balsa (10101 Yucca Rd., Adelanto CA 92301; Tel.: [760] 246-6462)
House of Balsa has reintroduced its Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and P-47 Thunderbolt kits. Along with the Me 109 and P-51 Mustang already available from HOB, I would expect to see many of the new kits at Combat meets.
The designs feature balsa construction with built-up wings, capped off with a "nose to tail" vacuum-formed top that allows you to build a good-looking airplane very quickly. A word of caution, however: these kits were originally designed for 1/2A power, and some modifications to beef up the structure at key points might be prudent before you shoehorn a .15, or even a .20, into the model.
Quad Model Designs (2510 119th Avenue Ct. West, Milan IL 61264)
Quad Model Designs produces plans and short kits for:
- P-51 Mustang
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- F4U Corsair
- Grumman F8F Bearcat
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Hawker Hurricane
- Hawker Sea Fury
- Hawker Tempest
Plans feature a classic crutch design, where top and bottom formers are built to the top and bottom shells for the fuselage, then added to the middle fuselage "box." The wings are built up and sheeted on all designs, and use a 2415 airfoil that has been modified to be built more easily on a flat building table. Rather than using a custom vacuum-formed canopy, all of the plans use a readily available Sig seven-inch canopy that's cut to fit the design.
For modelers who would like a little help getting started, Quad offers a short kit with pre-sanded ribs and formers plus a copy of the plans.
WarZone Models (2442 East 200, South Anderson IN 46017; Tel.: [765] 642-3779)
WarZone Models offers kits for:
- P-47D Thunderbolt
- Nakajima Ki-84 Frank
- Grumman F8F Bearcat
WarZone kits utilize hot-wire-cut foam wings and fuselages with balsa tails and vacuum-formed canopies. Only the P-47 features a fiberglass cowl at present, but WarZone plans to replace the vacuum-formed cowls for the Ki-43 and the Bearcat with fiberglass versions. Although it takes a little getting used to, the cut-foam construction method pioneered by Zigg's Originals can be built into a good-looking, light model with less effort than full balsa construction.
1/12-Scale Combat SIG
Several Combat fliers from across the U.S. have embarked on a very difficult project—organizing a SIG (Special Interest Group) for 1/12-scale RC Combat. It looks simple in theory, with everyone involved wanting to construct a uniform set of rules and an active SIG with a good newsletter and web page for its members. But, as someone once said, "the devil is in the details." What structure? What budget? What dues? How many newsletters? How many pages in each? How many dots per inch for the printing?
There is a diverse group of pilots in this hobby and many different talents to call upon for assistance. By the time this column is printed, the ad hoc committee organized to form the ASDA (the American Scale Dogfighters Association) SIG may have resolved some of the questions being faced as I write this. Judging from some of the unexpected problems, I can't tell you exactly when, but I can tell you that a Scale Combat SIG is coming to a flying field near you.
Scratch-built beauty
This month's scratch-built beauty is Joe Mason's (Bristol, TN) immaculate P-51 Mustang built from Gus Morfis plans. Joe's Mustang is powered with an O.S. .15 FP and is controlled by an Airtronics mini-receiver with three mini servos. To get the right look, Joe sheeted the wing and finished the model complete with invasion stripes—using UltraCote. If it flies as good as it looks, he's got a winner on his hands!
Until next time, build straight, fly safe, and be sure to check your six!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
