RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Greg Rose 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond, OK 73003
ASDA: American Scale Dogfighters Association
The biggest news in 1/4-Scale Radio Control (RC) Combat isn't a new kit or a rules change; it's the creation of our Special Interest Group (SIG): the American Scale Dogfighters Association (ASDA). This group was formed for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that, as with other SIGs, people who are involved in the event can use their experience to promote and direct its future. Direction from those who understand 1/4-Scale Combat and the impact that changes have on it is important to ensure continued growth.
As a SIG member, you can:
- Be involved in running the organization.
- Propose and vote on potential rule changes.
- Have access to the "Members" section of the ASDA web site.
- Receive the SIG newsletter.
Even 1/4 RC Combat pilots who are not SIG members will benefit from the ASDA by having more sanctioned events in which to fly. The events will be run more uniformly with ever-better safety goals than those in place for 1/4 events today.
Information about the SIG and SIG membership can be obtained by writing to: ASDA Membership Department 20300 Lochmoor, Harper Woods, MI 48225
Or contact the ASDA via the Internet at: http://mtnet/~ims/Combat/combat.htm and download a membership application (and some other neat stuff).
Event Coverage
I've received great photos from a couple of the fall's 1/4-Scale Combat events.
The first packet of pictures was from the First Annual Blackfoot, Idaho Combat Championship held on September 20. Despite "miserable" weather that offered only cold, strong winds, more than 75 spectators showed up to watch 10 pilots battle it out.
The Idaho pilots are famous for the variety of airplanes they fly, and many of the models are scratch-built. The crowd was treated to Oscars, Fiats, and Martin-Bakers battling it out with Mustangs, Messerschmitts, and Spitfires. Contest Director (CD) Wayne Van Orden wowed the crowd when he gave a lunchtime flight display with his Me 262 powered by twin .10s!
When the dust settled (or blew away), Colby Hone and his scratch-built Martin Baker MB-3 came away with top honors.
Twenty-four hours later, 1,475 miles away, the Suburban Aero Club of Chicago held its Second Annual Midwest Open for 1/4-Scale Combat fliers. Chicago skies were "beautiful" with "little to no wind." It was a far cry from the Idaho event, but everything else was similar, with good crowds, 11 pilots, and hot action in the skies.
The pilots came from five states and the event pitted some of the most experienced Combat fliers in the U.S. against each other.
Mike Fredricks of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, took everyone by surprise when his infamous Zigg Zero got four cuts in the first five minutes of the round. In the last two minutes he put the Zero crabbing sluggishly and managed to remain with two extra ribbons draped over the wings. Up against five other pilots looking for revenge, it was an easy kill. To the crowd's amazement and the other pilots' dismay, Mike showed what the Zero could do and avoided being cut for the remainder of the round. The final round was flown by the six top-scoring pilots from the qualifying rounds.
Final standings:
- Mike Fredricks — Zigg Zero, first
- Bill Ponsiego, Country Club Hills, MI — Progressive Miniature Aviation P-51 Mustang, second
- Don Veres, Michigan — Meyrs F4U Corsair, third
- Mark McCool, Wisconsin Squadron — Fw 190, fourth
- George Partlowe, Lafayette, IN — PMA P-51 Mustang, fifth
- Scott Anderson, Eden Prairie, MN — sixth
Upcoming Events
Don't forget about the big summer events, such as the Second Annual Scale RC Combat Western National Championship, to be held July 11–12 in Montana. This is the biggest money event of RC Combat with more than $4,000 in cash and prizes. The contest is limited to 50 entries, so call contest CD Doug Haacke for details at (406) 252-7210, or you can download an entry form from the 1/4 web site, which is maintained by Doug's volunteer services. (Thank you, Doug.) Even if you're not planning to fly in the event, it's worth the drive to watch; high-ticket prizes make this one of the most hotly contested events around.
Another "don't miss" event of the summer is the "Greatest Des Moines Aviation Expo" in Ankeny, Iowa. (As of this writing, the exact date is not confirmed, but it should be mid- to late July.) This unique exposition combines full-scale aircraft and RC models in a carefully orchestrated fashion, and will include a Midwest Invitational 1/4 Event. If you can make it to either of these events, you may be rewarded by a great show!
Scratch-Built Beauty
The Scratch-Built Beauty for this issue is the P-38 Lightning built by Jon Christenson of Windom, Minnesota. Jon modified Model Airplane News plans for an electric-powered Lightning to correct the dimensions to 1/12-scale, increasing the span to 52 inches and widening the pods and boom to more appropriate thicknesses. Jon covered the model with Sig Supercoat and installed a HiTec 535 radio with three microservos and a 270 mA battery. Powered by two Cox Tee Dee .09 RC engines, the Lightning weighs just less than 2.5 pounds, making it 1/4 "legal" for Combat.
Does Jon fly the Lightning in Combat? You bet! He took first place with it at The Second Battle for Jordan in Jordan, Minnesota. The model gained a reputation as being "fast" ("It could keep up with an RJJ-powered Fw 190"), "powerful" ("accelerates in the takeoff climb"), and "lucky." The lucky part stems from an incident in which Jon lost sight of the model and it flew—at full throttle—into the ground. Expecting the worst, the recovery crew was surprised to find the model wedged between two small trees, without a scratch on it.
Jon also reported that to his surprise (and delight), the P-38's single-engine flight is "great," requiring power reduction only to about 3/4 throttle to maintain complete control.
That's all for this installment. Until next time, build straight, fly safely, and be sure to check your six!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
