152 MODEL AVIATION
THE QUESTION many Combat
enthusiasts are thinking about and asking
is, “What does the future hold for the
event?”. To answer this question or give
an informed speculative opinion, I will
take a few moments to look at the history
and evolution of CL Combat.
I have been engaged in this event since I
was a teen-ager and have only taken short
periods of time away from any
participation, including during my
preoccupation with finishing university
studies and later moving to the Los
Angeles, California, area to start my
career in education. During that time
Combat has evolved in terms of equipment
and participation.
Some of the contests I attended in the
early 1960s had a huge number of entries.
My introduction to competitive model
flying was through the Western
Associated Modelers (WAM): a regional
organization based in Northern California. It
What does the future hold for CL Combat?
Also included in this column:
• Mike Willcox’s exciting
Combat video
[[email protected]]
Control Line Combat Rich Lopez
Steve Stewart tunes the engine while his brother Dave Stewart
attaches the streamer to this backup model.
Bobby Mears of Lubbock, Texas, does battle with Californian
Greg Hill. Greg is a mechanic for the 2006 US Combat Team.
Two different launching styles. Nick Mears (L) launches straight up and Mike Willcox
uses a high-level European launch. Helmets are required in F2D Combat.
09sig5.QXD 7/26/06 9:00 AM Page 152had its own insurance and offered a yearly
schedule of 10-14 contests within a
morning’s drive from San Francisco.
Event directors were appointed for the
year, so I knew what to expect at every
contest. The host club was responsible for
field preparation, concessions, combat
streamers, and trophies. The contests could
not start in the morning until the “Star
Spangled Banner” was played.
I would be remiss if I did not mention
Myrtle B. Coad: WAM secretary and the
heart and soul of the organization.
WAM is still active and has an
abbreviated contest calendar. The big item of
concern to me is that the organization has not
had Combat events for quite sometime. The
once powerful system of bringing Combat
pilots through skill classifications of
Beginner, Advanced, and Expert is now just
a memory. All the flying sites that were
available within the San Francisco city limits
are also just a memory.
My attendance at AMA Nationals
competitions did not begin until 1974, but I
did read about the huge number of entries at
those events prior to that year. My first Nats,
in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was quite
impressive, with a huge number of Combat
entries. Subsequent Nats continued with
large numbers of participants, and the
number of contests across the country that
offered Combat was unbelievable.
In 1974 I went to a WAM contest one
weekend, traveled to Kent, Washington, the
following weekend, flew in a WAM contest
the week after that, immediately drove to
Lake Charles for the Nats, and then attended
the Cleveland [Ohio] National Junior Air
Races the weekend after that.
That was followed by a trip to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Eastern
States Championships. Then on the way back
to California I attended the Sig contest in
Montezuma, Iowa, and was back in the San
Francisco Bay area to attend the next WAM
contest.
During those months I attended eight
consecutive weekends of contests. As I look
through MA today I am hard-pressed even to
find Combat events in the “Contest
Calendar” section.
That was a look at the past, but the question
I asked at the beginning of this column was
about the future. This is where all of us who
love the event can have an impact by
introducing our hobby/sport to anyone who
is interested.
We can offer a helping hand or offer to
call the prospective flier and support him or
her with equipment checks and adjustments.
I have been selling some of my extra
equipment to fliers who show interest and
ask me where they can purchase models and
engines. It is much easier for them to get
involved if they can buy a unit that is ready
to fly, including the lines and handle.
This is a small effort on my part to try to
draw some new blood to the flying field.
Only the most persistent of new pilots will
September 2006 153
take the time to search all the Web sites to
find the exact products they need to get their
models into the air.
Something as simple as handing the
newcomer a bladder and then showing him
or her how to use it can provide you with an
additional flying partner or someone to
launch a model for a practice match.
Much of what we Combat fliers do is by
feel. We try to feel for a “bump” once the
engine is primed and turned over by hand.
We set the needle valve by listening to the
engine and then briefly pinching the fuel
line to see if the engine rpm increases or
falls off.
The preceding is subjective. Although it
may seem second nature to us now, we
spend years developing our sense of feel. If
the new enthusiast is there beside you and
you are taking the time to describe the
sensations that lead to developing a feel, you
may have a shot at imparting this
knowledge. This will shorten the learning
curve and lead to a more proficient flying
partner sooner.
The availability of good equipment is far
better now than it was in the past. The
problem is knowing where to find it. If you
want the best Fast Combat engine on the
planet, you have to seek out Henry Nelson.
This is not too hard if you belong to AMA
and read the MA ads.
To get the best FAI F2D Combat engines
on the planet is another story. I recently
purchased a number of Fora .15s, but I came
into their possession through an indirect
contact.
The new CL Combat pilot must ask
many questions, surf the World Wide Web,
go to contests, take lots of notes, and find
out who is winning and what equipment the
winners are using. Our hobby/sport is
relatively inexpensive when compared to
other forms of motor sports or even other
hobbies, especially if you have the facts
before you buy.
The trends we must contend with include
an aging group of pilots who are rapidly
making an exit to their rocking chairs and
retirement. There are also very few
youngsters who are following in their
footsteps to pick up the slack. I have not yet
mentioned this, but too many Combat events
and too few contests for each event might
play a role in the declining participation rate.
There are now two versions of 1/2A
Combat: Tee Dee .049/.051 (flown on 35-
foot lines) and Cyclon/Fora highperformance
.049 (flown on 42-foot lines).
F2D––the international class––has a strong
following around the world. Those who used
to fly that event in the days of stinky diesel
engines try to relive the past with a diesel
event on 52-foot lines.
The Fast Combat crowd stills loves
unlimited nitromethane running through the
cylinder of a well-built Nelson .36 engine,
producing enough power to send you to the
orthopedic surgeon for shoulder-tendon
reattachment. Dr. Chuck Rudner has been
observed performing this operation right on
the field; this gives new meaning to the term
“field repairs.”
A slower, friendlier version of the event is
75 or 80 mph Combat. This can be flown
with the same models as Fast Combat, except
with detuned engines. Fast Combat and 75 or
80 mph Combat are flown on 60-foot lines.
Slow Combat may still be on the books, but it
has passed away because of apathy and
neglect.
With all these classes available, it is hard
for the competitor to stay focused and keep
up with the new trends in each discipline. I go
through cycles of playing with strictly Tee
Dee engines and then switching to Cyclonpowered
1/2As. Right now I am in an F2D
phase, trying to keep Chuck Rudner sharp for
the upcoming World Championships.
Recently a number of Americans have
been traveling to Europe to participate in
international competitions. The most recent
pilot to distinguish himself, with a secondplace
finish in Paris, France, was Tom
Siegler of Texas. He accomplished this in
late May 2006.
I’ve seen clips of the most fascinating F2D
Combat video; it is being produced by Mike
Willcox ([email protected]). The
footage is from the World Cup Contest held
in late May 2006 in Houston, Texas. Many
of the country’s best pilots were in
attendance. For $22 you can buy one of these
videos and watch it as many times as you
want.
Mike used a tall pole to mount a camera
to give the viewer a whole new perspective of
the flying action. This would be an excellent
item to share at a club meeting, and it just
might be what is needed to motivate
perspective Combat pilots. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 152,153
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 152,153
152 MODEL AVIATION
THE QUESTION many Combat
enthusiasts are thinking about and asking
is, “What does the future hold for the
event?”. To answer this question or give
an informed speculative opinion, I will
take a few moments to look at the history
and evolution of CL Combat.
I have been engaged in this event since I
was a teen-ager and have only taken short
periods of time away from any
participation, including during my
preoccupation with finishing university
studies and later moving to the Los
Angeles, California, area to start my
career in education. During that time
Combat has evolved in terms of equipment
and participation.
Some of the contests I attended in the
early 1960s had a huge number of entries.
My introduction to competitive model
flying was through the Western
Associated Modelers (WAM): a regional
organization based in Northern California. It
What does the future hold for CL Combat?
Also included in this column:
• Mike Willcox’s exciting
Combat video
[[email protected]]
Control Line Combat Rich Lopez
Steve Stewart tunes the engine while his brother Dave Stewart
attaches the streamer to this backup model.
Bobby Mears of Lubbock, Texas, does battle with Californian
Greg Hill. Greg is a mechanic for the 2006 US Combat Team.
Two different launching styles. Nick Mears (L) launches straight up and Mike Willcox
uses a high-level European launch. Helmets are required in F2D Combat.
09sig5.QXD 7/26/06 9:00 AM Page 152had its own insurance and offered a yearly
schedule of 10-14 contests within a
morning’s drive from San Francisco.
Event directors were appointed for the
year, so I knew what to expect at every
contest. The host club was responsible for
field preparation, concessions, combat
streamers, and trophies. The contests could
not start in the morning until the “Star
Spangled Banner” was played.
I would be remiss if I did not mention
Myrtle B. Coad: WAM secretary and the
heart and soul of the organization.
WAM is still active and has an
abbreviated contest calendar. The big item of
concern to me is that the organization has not
had Combat events for quite sometime. The
once powerful system of bringing Combat
pilots through skill classifications of
Beginner, Advanced, and Expert is now just
a memory. All the flying sites that were
available within the San Francisco city limits
are also just a memory.
My attendance at AMA Nationals
competitions did not begin until 1974, but I
did read about the huge number of entries at
those events prior to that year. My first Nats,
in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was quite
impressive, with a huge number of Combat
entries. Subsequent Nats continued with
large numbers of participants, and the
number of contests across the country that
offered Combat was unbelievable.
In 1974 I went to a WAM contest one
weekend, traveled to Kent, Washington, the
following weekend, flew in a WAM contest
the week after that, immediately drove to
Lake Charles for the Nats, and then attended
the Cleveland [Ohio] National Junior Air
Races the weekend after that.
That was followed by a trip to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Eastern
States Championships. Then on the way back
to California I attended the Sig contest in
Montezuma, Iowa, and was back in the San
Francisco Bay area to attend the next WAM
contest.
During those months I attended eight
consecutive weekends of contests. As I look
through MA today I am hard-pressed even to
find Combat events in the “Contest
Calendar” section.
That was a look at the past, but the question
I asked at the beginning of this column was
about the future. This is where all of us who
love the event can have an impact by
introducing our hobby/sport to anyone who
is interested.
We can offer a helping hand or offer to
call the prospective flier and support him or
her with equipment checks and adjustments.
I have been selling some of my extra
equipment to fliers who show interest and
ask me where they can purchase models and
engines. It is much easier for them to get
involved if they can buy a unit that is ready
to fly, including the lines and handle.
This is a small effort on my part to try to
draw some new blood to the flying field.
Only the most persistent of new pilots will
September 2006 153
take the time to search all the Web sites to
find the exact products they need to get their
models into the air.
Something as simple as handing the
newcomer a bladder and then showing him
or her how to use it can provide you with an
additional flying partner or someone to
launch a model for a practice match.
Much of what we Combat fliers do is by
feel. We try to feel for a “bump” once the
engine is primed and turned over by hand.
We set the needle valve by listening to the
engine and then briefly pinching the fuel
line to see if the engine rpm increases or
falls off.
The preceding is subjective. Although it
may seem second nature to us now, we
spend years developing our sense of feel. If
the new enthusiast is there beside you and
you are taking the time to describe the
sensations that lead to developing a feel, you
may have a shot at imparting this
knowledge. This will shorten the learning
curve and lead to a more proficient flying
partner sooner.
The availability of good equipment is far
better now than it was in the past. The
problem is knowing where to find it. If you
want the best Fast Combat engine on the
planet, you have to seek out Henry Nelson.
This is not too hard if you belong to AMA
and read the MA ads.
To get the best FAI F2D Combat engines
on the planet is another story. I recently
purchased a number of Fora .15s, but I came
into their possession through an indirect
contact.
The new CL Combat pilot must ask
many questions, surf the World Wide Web,
go to contests, take lots of notes, and find
out who is winning and what equipment the
winners are using. Our hobby/sport is
relatively inexpensive when compared to
other forms of motor sports or even other
hobbies, especially if you have the facts
before you buy.
The trends we must contend with include
an aging group of pilots who are rapidly
making an exit to their rocking chairs and
retirement. There are also very few
youngsters who are following in their
footsteps to pick up the slack. I have not yet
mentioned this, but too many Combat events
and too few contests for each event might
play a role in the declining participation rate.
There are now two versions of 1/2A
Combat: Tee Dee .049/.051 (flown on 35-
foot lines) and Cyclon/Fora highperformance
.049 (flown on 42-foot lines).
F2D––the international class––has a strong
following around the world. Those who used
to fly that event in the days of stinky diesel
engines try to relive the past with a diesel
event on 52-foot lines.
The Fast Combat crowd stills loves
unlimited nitromethane running through the
cylinder of a well-built Nelson .36 engine,
producing enough power to send you to the
orthopedic surgeon for shoulder-tendon
reattachment. Dr. Chuck Rudner has been
observed performing this operation right on
the field; this gives new meaning to the term
“field repairs.”
A slower, friendlier version of the event is
75 or 80 mph Combat. This can be flown
with the same models as Fast Combat, except
with detuned engines. Fast Combat and 75 or
80 mph Combat are flown on 60-foot lines.
Slow Combat may still be on the books, but it
has passed away because of apathy and
neglect.
With all these classes available, it is hard
for the competitor to stay focused and keep
up with the new trends in each discipline. I go
through cycles of playing with strictly Tee
Dee engines and then switching to Cyclonpowered
1/2As. Right now I am in an F2D
phase, trying to keep Chuck Rudner sharp for
the upcoming World Championships.
Recently a number of Americans have
been traveling to Europe to participate in
international competitions. The most recent
pilot to distinguish himself, with a secondplace
finish in Paris, France, was Tom
Siegler of Texas. He accomplished this in
late May 2006.
I’ve seen clips of the most fascinating F2D
Combat video; it is being produced by Mike
Willcox ([email protected]). The
footage is from the World Cup Contest held
in late May 2006 in Houston, Texas. Many
of the country’s best pilots were in
attendance. For $22 you can buy one of these
videos and watch it as many times as you
want.
Mike used a tall pole to mount a camera
to give the viewer a whole new perspective of
the flying action. This would be an excellent
item to share at a club meeting, and it just
might be what is needed to motivate
perspective Combat pilots. MA