WE ARE ROUGHLY midway through the
year, and it is going well. We have had many
new Combat fliers, and others have returned
to the activity after many years of being
absent. One of the most recent trends in RC
Combat is more interest in Slow Survivable
Combat (SSC) flown with electric-powered
models.
Since I do most of my flying in the South,
I have been watching Craig Buttery with his
electrics and how they perform. At the last
contest in Florida, he won using electricpowered
aircraft and earned a nice score.
After hearing about Craig’s win, I decided
that it would be a good
time to learn more.
When you think
electrics and Combat,
about Lee Liddle. He designed the Falcon and
Cobra Combat models, as well as the 2006
SSC Champion.
Lee wrote:
“E-SSC has come a long way in the last
four years. The cost of my first power system
(motor/electronic speed control/battery) was
about $225. The motor was heavy, the ESC
could only handle a 4-cell pack (maybe), and
the 10C Li-Poly batteries were paper-weights.
“Now things are lighter, more dependable
and much less expensive. In fact, the correct
power system is now about $90. E-SSC is
now not only possible; not only practical, but
a viable, economic alternative to internal
combustion (IC) powered SSC.
“You must be willing to go on-line for
equipment. Buying off-the-shelf items can
easily double the cost, but in four-years of
internet shopping I’ve always received
everything that I paid for and 99% of the time
I’ve received good, quick service.
“I’m currently using a Turnigy SK
outrunner motor (35-30-1100 Kv) on a 6S
2200mAh Li-Poly power pack. The system
weighs in at a whopping 3.5 ounces including
the mount and propeller adapter. The 1.5
ounce Turnigy 40a Sentry ESC can handle
the 6S battery, and since it has a switching
BEC I can still use it to power the receiver
and servos.
“I’m using a pair of Zippy Flightmax 3S
2200 mAh 20C batteries in series to make up
the 6S power pack. The system draws less
than 15 amps to spin the 8 x 3 propeller
17,500 rpm. Since I am only draining the
batteries at 6.8C, only about half the capacity
is used to fly a heat. This means that I’m not
stressing the battery, and I can recharge a pair
of batteries in about 30 minutes.
“There are other battery/motor combo
options. Some other local pilots are using the
SK 35-36-1400 Kv motor on a four-cell Li-
Poly, or 5S A123 pack at about 23 amps to
achieve the same performance. The charge
time for the 4S Li-Poly pack is longer
because more capacity is spent during each
heat.
“With the cost of IC engines and fuel on
the rise, and the availability slowly
decreasing, electric power is continuing to
improve, in both performance and price. We
now have six local pilots who have competed
in RCCA [RC Combat Association] SSC
contests with electric power and two more are
making the switch.
“To stay on top of what is happening with
E-power in Combat, check out the open
forums on the RCCA Web site.”
There are many big contests throughout the
year. Besides the Nats, a popular event is the
Lone Star Nationals. It’s getting bigger every
year, and people travel from across the
country to compete in Combat in the great
state of Texas.
Ed Kettler, a former RCCA president,
attended the event and sent me some
information.
“The Lone Star Nationals (LSN) was held
March 27-29, 2009 at Fort Worth Greater
Southwest Aeromodelers’ field, and
continued its track record for being one of the
premier Combat meets in the country.
Twenty two pilots battled it out over three
days and four events, including the first
contest with SSC as an AMA Rule Book
event.
“This year’s contest had a challenging
economic situation as well as highly
unpredictable weather, high humidity, rain
and wind on Friday, high winds on Saturday,
but concluded with absolutely perfect weather
on Sunday.
“Friday’s plan called for Scale 2548
followed by Scale 3696. We had nine pilots
flying ‘all up’ making for some very exciting
flying. Most airplanes lost streamers due to
humidity in Round 1, so forestry tape was
used mostly for the rest of the event.
“Dane McGee was back in action and
didn’t look like he’d lost much after a long
AWOL. RCCA’s Bob ‘Long Haul’ Loescher
from Ohio fielded his new P-40 which was
lighter than previous versions and flew well.
“Tom Neff from Colorado flew a mix of
Il-2 and Zero models, while Lee Liddle
campaigned electric powered Skyraiders.
There were a couple of spectacular spinnerto-
spinner mid-airs, both involving Dane
McGee; the first with Cash Hargett’s Zero,
and in the next round with Ed Kettler’s P-
51D.
“It rained during lunch, but we were able
to start flying again after about an hour. After
seven of the eight scheduled rounds, we
decided to call the contest due to poor
lighting and rapidly rising wind, and to try
3696 later in the contest.
“Tom Neff took first place, followed by
Lee Liddle and Ed Kettler.
“Saturday dawned to be cold and windy;
really windy, like 24+ mph with gusts above
30 mph. Club members Bob Leone and Lee
Liddle, with CD Ed Kettler, discussed
rearranging the field to accommodate the
wind, but opted instead to move the pilots a
further 30-feet back and the launch point
further out to allow an extra margin of safety.
This worked well, and we had no launch
related incidents.
“Given the adverse conditions, flying was
very challenging and the scoring was lower
than normal, but the majority of the pilots
hung in tenaciously and fought for every
available cut. After eight grueling rounds,
Evan Wenger solidified his North Texas
dominance in SSC. He was followed by Gil
Hernandez and Dane McGee.
“After flight operations closed down, a lot
of the pilots celebrated their hard won
streamers at a local Mexican restaurant.
“What a difference a day makes; Sunday
was clear and calm, at least until the roar of
tuned pipes and mousse cans drowned out the
morning calm. About half the pilots
campaigned Avenger type aircraft, now
supplied by Air Scharnell. Frank III (dad),
Frank ‘Quad’ IV, and Richard ‘Rhyno,’ drove
down from Colorado again and were a great
crew to hang out around.
“Also back was Eric Wenger, whose busy
schedule only allows the occasional Open-B
contest, but the rust quickly disappeared from
his thumbs and he flew quite well. Ed Kettler
was back in Open-B after five years
developing his flying skills in SSC and 2548.
“Ed and Scott Stockwell own Texas
Flugwerks who sponsored LSN this year.
They produce type 3696, SSC, 2548 and
Open-B kits, which they flew throughout the
weekend. The flying was awesome in the still
air, and after eight rounds, Evan Wenger was
in first place, followed by Tom Neff and Lee
Liddle.
“We put in four quick rounds of 3696 to
finish the contest. Tom Neff had a couple of
$50 balsa ARF Spitfires that looked good and
flew well, but did not survive the harsh
Combat environment. Lester Haury flew a
couple of his own design IAR 80 models, Lee
flew his Mustang while Ed Kettler and Dane
McGee flew Texas Flugwerks aircraft.
“After the snarl of high-revving, highspeed
Open-B, the electrics were a great
relief to the ears, but some of the most
challenging flying was due to the rising wind
and small wing spans. Lee Liddle took first,
followed by Lester Haury and Dane McGee.
“Thanks to all of the pilots and volunteers
who helped make LSN 2009 a big success.
Special thanks to Scott Stockwell, Lee
Liddle, Bob Leone, and CD Ed Kettler for
running this classic contest.” MA
Sources:
RCCA
(586) 255-8038
www.rccombat.com
E-SSC power system resource
(800) 607-5803
www.hobbycity.com
Texas Flugwerks
(469) 734-0377
www.texasflugwerks.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 118,119
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/07
Page Numbers: 118,119
WE ARE ROUGHLY midway through the
year, and it is going well. We have had many
new Combat fliers, and others have returned
to the activity after many years of being
absent. One of the most recent trends in RC
Combat is more interest in Slow Survivable
Combat (SSC) flown with electric-powered
models.
Since I do most of my flying in the South,
I have been watching Craig Buttery with his
electrics and how they perform. At the last
contest in Florida, he won using electricpowered
aircraft and earned a nice score.
After hearing about Craig’s win, I decided
that it would be a good
time to learn more.
When you think
electrics and Combat,
about Lee Liddle. He designed the Falcon and
Cobra Combat models, as well as the 2006
SSC Champion.
Lee wrote:
“E-SSC has come a long way in the last
four years. The cost of my first power system
(motor/electronic speed control/battery) was
about $225. The motor was heavy, the ESC
could only handle a 4-cell pack (maybe), and
the 10C Li-Poly batteries were paper-weights.
“Now things are lighter, more dependable
and much less expensive. In fact, the correct
power system is now about $90. E-SSC is
now not only possible; not only practical, but
a viable, economic alternative to internal
combustion (IC) powered SSC.
“You must be willing to go on-line for
equipment. Buying off-the-shelf items can
easily double the cost, but in four-years of
internet shopping I’ve always received
everything that I paid for and 99% of the time
I’ve received good, quick service.
“I’m currently using a Turnigy SK
outrunner motor (35-30-1100 Kv) on a 6S
2200mAh Li-Poly power pack. The system
weighs in at a whopping 3.5 ounces including
the mount and propeller adapter. The 1.5
ounce Turnigy 40a Sentry ESC can handle
the 6S battery, and since it has a switching
BEC I can still use it to power the receiver
and servos.
“I’m using a pair of Zippy Flightmax 3S
2200 mAh 20C batteries in series to make up
the 6S power pack. The system draws less
than 15 amps to spin the 8 x 3 propeller
17,500 rpm. Since I am only draining the
batteries at 6.8C, only about half the capacity
is used to fly a heat. This means that I’m not
stressing the battery, and I can recharge a pair
of batteries in about 30 minutes.
“There are other battery/motor combo
options. Some other local pilots are using the
SK 35-36-1400 Kv motor on a four-cell Li-
Poly, or 5S A123 pack at about 23 amps to
achieve the same performance. The charge
time for the 4S Li-Poly pack is longer
because more capacity is spent during each
heat.
“With the cost of IC engines and fuel on
the rise, and the availability slowly
decreasing, electric power is continuing to
improve, in both performance and price. We
now have six local pilots who have competed
in RCCA [RC Combat Association] SSC
contests with electric power and two more are
making the switch.
“To stay on top of what is happening with
E-power in Combat, check out the open
forums on the RCCA Web site.”
There are many big contests throughout the
year. Besides the Nats, a popular event is the
Lone Star Nationals. It’s getting bigger every
year, and people travel from across the
country to compete in Combat in the great
state of Texas.
Ed Kettler, a former RCCA president,
attended the event and sent me some
information.
“The Lone Star Nationals (LSN) was held
March 27-29, 2009 at Fort Worth Greater
Southwest Aeromodelers’ field, and
continued its track record for being one of the
premier Combat meets in the country.
Twenty two pilots battled it out over three
days and four events, including the first
contest with SSC as an AMA Rule Book
event.
“This year’s contest had a challenging
economic situation as well as highly
unpredictable weather, high humidity, rain
and wind on Friday, high winds on Saturday,
but concluded with absolutely perfect weather
on Sunday.
“Friday’s plan called for Scale 2548
followed by Scale 3696. We had nine pilots
flying ‘all up’ making for some very exciting
flying. Most airplanes lost streamers due to
humidity in Round 1, so forestry tape was
used mostly for the rest of the event.
“Dane McGee was back in action and
didn’t look like he’d lost much after a long
AWOL. RCCA’s Bob ‘Long Haul’ Loescher
from Ohio fielded his new P-40 which was
lighter than previous versions and flew well.
“Tom Neff from Colorado flew a mix of
Il-2 and Zero models, while Lee Liddle
campaigned electric powered Skyraiders.
There were a couple of spectacular spinnerto-
spinner mid-airs, both involving Dane
McGee; the first with Cash Hargett’s Zero,
and in the next round with Ed Kettler’s P-
51D.
“It rained during lunch, but we were able
to start flying again after about an hour. After
seven of the eight scheduled rounds, we
decided to call the contest due to poor
lighting and rapidly rising wind, and to try
3696 later in the contest.
“Tom Neff took first place, followed by
Lee Liddle and Ed Kettler.
“Saturday dawned to be cold and windy;
really windy, like 24+ mph with gusts above
30 mph. Club members Bob Leone and Lee
Liddle, with CD Ed Kettler, discussed
rearranging the field to accommodate the
wind, but opted instead to move the pilots a
further 30-feet back and the launch point
further out to allow an extra margin of safety.
This worked well, and we had no launch
related incidents.
“Given the adverse conditions, flying was
very challenging and the scoring was lower
than normal, but the majority of the pilots
hung in tenaciously and fought for every
available cut. After eight grueling rounds,
Evan Wenger solidified his North Texas
dominance in SSC. He was followed by Gil
Hernandez and Dane McGee.
“After flight operations closed down, a lot
of the pilots celebrated their hard won
streamers at a local Mexican restaurant.
“What a difference a day makes; Sunday
was clear and calm, at least until the roar of
tuned pipes and mousse cans drowned out the
morning calm. About half the pilots
campaigned Avenger type aircraft, now
supplied by Air Scharnell. Frank III (dad),
Frank ‘Quad’ IV, and Richard ‘Rhyno,’ drove
down from Colorado again and were a great
crew to hang out around.
“Also back was Eric Wenger, whose busy
schedule only allows the occasional Open-B
contest, but the rust quickly disappeared from
his thumbs and he flew quite well. Ed Kettler
was back in Open-B after five years
developing his flying skills in SSC and 2548.
“Ed and Scott Stockwell own Texas
Flugwerks who sponsored LSN this year.
They produce type 3696, SSC, 2548 and
Open-B kits, which they flew throughout the
weekend. The flying was awesome in the still
air, and after eight rounds, Evan Wenger was
in first place, followed by Tom Neff and Lee
Liddle.
“We put in four quick rounds of 3696 to
finish the contest. Tom Neff had a couple of
$50 balsa ARF Spitfires that looked good and
flew well, but did not survive the harsh
Combat environment. Lester Haury flew a
couple of his own design IAR 80 models, Lee
flew his Mustang while Ed Kettler and Dane
McGee flew Texas Flugwerks aircraft.
“After the snarl of high-revving, highspeed
Open-B, the electrics were a great
relief to the ears, but some of the most
challenging flying was due to the rising wind
and small wing spans. Lee Liddle took first,
followed by Lester Haury and Dane McGee.
“Thanks to all of the pilots and volunteers
who helped make LSN 2009 a big success.
Special thanks to Scott Stockwell, Lee
Liddle, Bob Leone, and CD Ed Kettler for
running this classic contest.” MA
Sources:
RCCA
(586) 255-8038
www.rccombat.com
E-SSC power system resource
(800) 607-5803
www.hobbycity.com
Texas Flugwerks
(469) 734-0377
www.texasflugwerks.com