THE RC COMBAT Nationals held in
Muncie, Indiana, is in the record book,
and we are approximately halfway through
the 2004 RC Combat Championship
Series. The idea for an RC Combat series
was the brainchild of Lou Melancon, who
is president of the Radio Control Combat
Association (RCCA) SIG.
The Championship events scheduled
for the 2004 season include the Lone Star
State Championship in Paris, Texas;
Havoc Over Hamilton in Hamilton, Ohio;
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
A Northrop A-17A is launched into the sky
on another Combat mission.
Two Open B models trailing streamers bank toward each other during the RC Combat Nats held this past July.
After its spar snapped during a midair collision, this unidentified Open B model falls
from the sky over Muncie, Indiana, during the 2004 Combat Nats.
followed by Dixie Southern Fried Combat
in Atlanta, Georgia. Next is the Great
Lakes Combat Championship held in
Lennox, Michigan.
As I write this, the Slow Survivable
Combat (SSC) extravaganza marathon in
Richmond, Indiana, and the RC Combat
Nationals were just completed, so now
should be a good time to see where we
stand in the events.
The opening event in Paris, Texas, was
huge, with 69 pilots showing up for the
meet. Open B had 53 pilots flying in
heated Combat, with most of the top
names in attendance. At the end of Open
B, it was Lee Liddle from Texas in first
place, Oklahoman Eric Wenger on his tail
in second place, and Indiana’s Mike Fuller
in third.
In Scale Combat, 20 pilots participated
at Paris. Kirk Adams came all the way
from Maryland to take first place.
Oklahoman Don Howard took second
place, and seasoned Combat veteran Mike
Fredricks from Wisconsin placed third.
Sixty-two pilots flew in the provisional
SSC event. The top two Open B pilots
switched places for SSC, with Eric Wenger
coming in ahead of Lee Liddle. Arkansas’
Danny Vaught barely beat Mike Fredricks
in a squeaker for third place, topping him
by 10 of 2,324 points!
In the second event of the series, 32
Combat fliers battled high winds and each
other both days of Havoc Over Hamilton
held in central Ohio. In Open B, Mike
Fredricks topped the field of 21 pilots, and
Michigan’s Brian Gilkey and Don Veres II
placed second and third respectively.
Scale Combat at Havoc had 14
competitors, and Kirk Adams, winner of
Scale in Paris, Texas, took top honors in
Ohio as well. Brian Gilkey placed second,
and Don Veres II took third place for the
second time that weekend.
Two dozen pilots flew in SSC, making
it the largest class flown at the meet. Chris
Quinn from Tennessee was first, with Kirk
Adams and Brian Gilkey placing second
and third.
The Dixie Southern Fried Combat meet
drew 34 fliers, and, not surprisingly, SSC
was the most popular event. In Open B
Combat, 23 pilots flew, with Californian
Michael Willcox walking away with the
lead (it was a great meet for him). Texan
Lee Liddle took second, followed by local
favorite Larry Killingsworth from Georgia
placing third.
Turnout for Scale at the Dixie meet was
somewhat thin, with only 10 pilots, but
lack of targets didn’t seem to slow down
Indiana’s Andy Panoncillo, who turned in
a respectable score for first place. Mike
Willcox took second place, and Kirk
Adams finished third in the event.
The name of the Great Lakes RC
Combat meet could have been changed to
the “Great Weather RC Combat” meet, as
Michigan’s tricky June weather smiled on
the event. Although only 10 pilots made it
to the contest, it was exciting and almost
every pilot flew in all three classes!
In Open B, Brian Gilkey clobbered the
competition, coming in more than 1,000
points ahead of fellow Michigan residents
Scott Gilkey and Rick Wise in a field of
eight. Only seven pilots flew in Scale, with
“Team Gilkey” again taking first and
second—Brian on top and Scott slightly
behind. Don Veres II placed third.
In SSC, nine pilots competed. Brian
Gilkey placed first, sweeping the Great
Lakes event with first place in all three
categories. Jay Fromm from Ohio placed
second in SSC, and local Rick Wise came
in third.
As of this writing, SSC is still
provisional. A special event had to be
arranged to fly the class in coordination
with the Nats. The Richmond, Indiana,
Propbusters—in many ways the premier
RC Combat club in the United States—
hosted the special one-day SSC contest the
day before the Nats. Twenty-eight fliers
participated in the event.
Chris Quinn took first place in a
squeaker that left Kirk Adams in second
place, only 48 points—less than half a
cut’s worth—behind Chris’s 3,540 points.
Lee Liddle placed third, only three cuts
away from Kirk’s first-place finish.
Less than 24 hours and 70 miles away,
the RC Combat Nats began. In Open B,
with 33 competitors, Eric Wenger took first
place. The newly married A.J. Seaholm
from Missouri placed a close second after
10 rounds. Third place was taken by
veteran Mike Fredricks.
In Scale Combat, 17 fliers battled it out
with Lee Liddle taking top honors. Brian
Gilkey placed second, exactly 100 points
or one cut behind. With just one more cut
from Brian or one less for Lee—but I don’t
think Lee would go for that—we could
have had the first tie for first place in the
Championship Series! In third place, Don
Howard came in less than one cut away
from the competition.
It’s been an exciting Championship
Series so far. At this point we have three
more 2004 events to go. Next is the
Midwest Championships at a site in
Waverly, Nebraska—most famous for Lake
Fredricks that dominates the flying field.
After that, Texas will host its second
meet of the series at Jetero Field near
Houston, Texas. (The Jetero field has no
water hazard, but it is famous for the bees
that dominate the field. The use of honey
as sticky stuff is strictly banned at the site.)
The final meet of the season will be
held in Palomar, California, at the Pearl
Harbor Classic. In all, it looks as though
the 2004 Championship Series will be a
great success!
That’s all for this issue. Until next time,
build straight, fly Combat, and be sure to
check your six! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 121,122
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 121,122
THE RC COMBAT Nationals held in
Muncie, Indiana, is in the record book,
and we are approximately halfway through
the 2004 RC Combat Championship
Series. The idea for an RC Combat series
was the brainchild of Lou Melancon, who
is president of the Radio Control Combat
Association (RCCA) SIG.
The Championship events scheduled
for the 2004 season include the Lone Star
State Championship in Paris, Texas;
Havoc Over Hamilton in Hamilton, Ohio;
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
A Northrop A-17A is launched into the sky
on another Combat mission.
Two Open B models trailing streamers bank toward each other during the RC Combat Nats held this past July.
After its spar snapped during a midair collision, this unidentified Open B model falls
from the sky over Muncie, Indiana, during the 2004 Combat Nats.
followed by Dixie Southern Fried Combat
in Atlanta, Georgia. Next is the Great
Lakes Combat Championship held in
Lennox, Michigan.
As I write this, the Slow Survivable
Combat (SSC) extravaganza marathon in
Richmond, Indiana, and the RC Combat
Nationals were just completed, so now
should be a good time to see where we
stand in the events.
The opening event in Paris, Texas, was
huge, with 69 pilots showing up for the
meet. Open B had 53 pilots flying in
heated Combat, with most of the top
names in attendance. At the end of Open
B, it was Lee Liddle from Texas in first
place, Oklahoman Eric Wenger on his tail
in second place, and Indiana’s Mike Fuller
in third.
In Scale Combat, 20 pilots participated
at Paris. Kirk Adams came all the way
from Maryland to take first place.
Oklahoman Don Howard took second
place, and seasoned Combat veteran Mike
Fredricks from Wisconsin placed third.
Sixty-two pilots flew in the provisional
SSC event. The top two Open B pilots
switched places for SSC, with Eric Wenger
coming in ahead of Lee Liddle. Arkansas’
Danny Vaught barely beat Mike Fredricks
in a squeaker for third place, topping him
by 10 of 2,324 points!
In the second event of the series, 32
Combat fliers battled high winds and each
other both days of Havoc Over Hamilton
held in central Ohio. In Open B, Mike
Fredricks topped the field of 21 pilots, and
Michigan’s Brian Gilkey and Don Veres II
placed second and third respectively.
Scale Combat at Havoc had 14
competitors, and Kirk Adams, winner of
Scale in Paris, Texas, took top honors in
Ohio as well. Brian Gilkey placed second,
and Don Veres II took third place for the
second time that weekend.
Two dozen pilots flew in SSC, making
it the largest class flown at the meet. Chris
Quinn from Tennessee was first, with Kirk
Adams and Brian Gilkey placing second
and third.
The Dixie Southern Fried Combat meet
drew 34 fliers, and, not surprisingly, SSC
was the most popular event. In Open B
Combat, 23 pilots flew, with Californian
Michael Willcox walking away with the
lead (it was a great meet for him). Texan
Lee Liddle took second, followed by local
favorite Larry Killingsworth from Georgia
placing third.
Turnout for Scale at the Dixie meet was
somewhat thin, with only 10 pilots, but
lack of targets didn’t seem to slow down
Indiana’s Andy Panoncillo, who turned in
a respectable score for first place. Mike
Willcox took second place, and Kirk
Adams finished third in the event.
The name of the Great Lakes RC
Combat meet could have been changed to
the “Great Weather RC Combat” meet, as
Michigan’s tricky June weather smiled on
the event. Although only 10 pilots made it
to the contest, it was exciting and almost
every pilot flew in all three classes!
In Open B, Brian Gilkey clobbered the
competition, coming in more than 1,000
points ahead of fellow Michigan residents
Scott Gilkey and Rick Wise in a field of
eight. Only seven pilots flew in Scale, with
“Team Gilkey” again taking first and
second—Brian on top and Scott slightly
behind. Don Veres II placed third.
In SSC, nine pilots competed. Brian
Gilkey placed first, sweeping the Great
Lakes event with first place in all three
categories. Jay Fromm from Ohio placed
second in SSC, and local Rick Wise came
in third.
As of this writing, SSC is still
provisional. A special event had to be
arranged to fly the class in coordination
with the Nats. The Richmond, Indiana,
Propbusters—in many ways the premier
RC Combat club in the United States—
hosted the special one-day SSC contest the
day before the Nats. Twenty-eight fliers
participated in the event.
Chris Quinn took first place in a
squeaker that left Kirk Adams in second
place, only 48 points—less than half a
cut’s worth—behind Chris’s 3,540 points.
Lee Liddle placed third, only three cuts
away from Kirk’s first-place finish.
Less than 24 hours and 70 miles away,
the RC Combat Nats began. In Open B,
with 33 competitors, Eric Wenger took first
place. The newly married A.J. Seaholm
from Missouri placed a close second after
10 rounds. Third place was taken by
veteran Mike Fredricks.
In Scale Combat, 17 fliers battled it out
with Lee Liddle taking top honors. Brian
Gilkey placed second, exactly 100 points
or one cut behind. With just one more cut
from Brian or one less for Lee—but I don’t
think Lee would go for that—we could
have had the first tie for first place in the
Championship Series! In third place, Don
Howard came in less than one cut away
from the competition.
It’s been an exciting Championship
Series so far. At this point we have three
more 2004 events to go. Next is the
Midwest Championships at a site in
Waverly, Nebraska—most famous for Lake
Fredricks that dominates the flying field.
After that, Texas will host its second
meet of the series at Jetero Field near
Houston, Texas. (The Jetero field has no
water hazard, but it is famous for the bees
that dominate the field. The use of honey
as sticky stuff is strictly banned at the site.)
The final meet of the season will be
held in Palomar, California, at the Pearl
Harbor Classic. In all, it looks as though
the 2004 Championship Series will be a
great success!
That’s all for this issue. Until next time,
build straight, fly Combat, and be sure to
check your six! MA