CL Combat - 2012/03

136 Model Aviation MARCH 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
cl combat
Alex has been fl ying CL Combat seriously for roughly fi ve years and is starting to
show up on the podium. I am glad he has stuck it out through the learning phase
and the mistakes everyone makes in his or her early competition years.
The people who attend serious F2D contests don’t cut a beginner any slack because
they want to keep novices motivated. Those who know Richard Stubblefi eld, George
Cleveland, Andy and Bobby Mears, James McKinney, or me know that we don’t hold
back. We share information and fl ying tips before the start of the match and after it is
over; however, we go all out during the four-minute match.
Sixteen pilots attended this last contest of the year
before the cold, rainy season begins. Roughly 12 pilots were
entered in the F2D Fast Rules warm-up held on Friday. Bill
Maywald had been on a hiatus for a number of months, but
won the contest showing no loss of fl ying skill.
I am not so sure that fl ying for kills the day before an
F2D contest is good for the brain/muscle memory. A kill in
F2D competition usually results in a loss for the pilot who
got the kill. The best the pilot can hope for is a rematch.
Ask Chuck Rudner and Howard Williams about this
possibility. They were ready to have a fourth attempt because they each took kills
when Howard fi nally cried “no más,” and intentionally stepped out of the circle.
Bobby and Andy Mears are always tough competitors who are used to fl ying in all
sorts of weather conditions. Rumor has
it that they even fl ew in the Lubbock,
Texas, dust storms that passed through
in the fall of 2011. Both were sharp and
ended the contest in a tie for second
place. They chose not to fl y it off to
avoid creating sibling rivalry. I captured
fourth place.
Chris Jensen accompanied his dad,
Don, on this trip and showed he still
has a great deal of ability. I committed
a pitting foul that got him disqualifi ed
and put him out of the contest. I hope to
make this right at his next competition.
Leonardo Silva stopped harvesting
avocados in Mexico and enjoyed fl ying
models for the weekend.
The equipment has changed little in
the past several years. There are newer
versions of standard engines, but nothing
has come along that is markedly better
than others.
The 2012 FORA seems the same
as previous models. Most pilots have
settled on either FORA or AKM
engines. The AKM is diffi cult to obtain
and costs roughly twice as much as a
FORA. Andrey Nadien, a 2012 USA
Team member, uses AKMs. I suppose his
Russian background helps him get the
engines and parts from the AKM works
in Moscow.
Many thanks to all of the Red Flag
offi cials—Leonard Rennick, Steve
Stewart, Jeff Hanauer, Lance Matassa,
and Sergio Garza. Thanks also to the
ladies from Lubbock, Jan Mears and
Arlene Pyle, who used their computer
skills to formulate the matches and keep
track of all the wins and losses.
Lance Matassa is one of the main
contest organizers in Phoenix and has
been talking up a series of contests in the
southwestern United States. He is hoping
to implement this idea soon and would
like input from pilots living in that area.
Lance is also organizing the VooDoo
Combat Team and has many different
T-shirts and hats with the original
VooDoo logo made famous by Riley
Wooten. Look in the “Sources” section to
contact Lance via email.
Miniature Aircraft Combat
Association
I spoke with James McKinney at the
Phoenix Red Flag contest about the
Ineed to correct an error that was in my November 2011 column. I
misnamed the winner of the Los Angeles F2D Fast Rules contest.
The winner’s correct name is Alex Rennick, not Kevin Rennick.
Kevin Hebestreit is Alex’s fl ying partner.
Alex won the Phoenix Red Flag F2D contest in November 2011, and
it is only fair that his name is correctly listed.
Red Flag F2D
contest in Phoenix
by Rich Lopez
[email protected]
PLUS:
> Miniature Aircraft
Combat Association
> MS engines
> Securing the
muffl er
The new MS engine is mounted on a ViKo F2D model.status of the Miniature Aircraft Combat
Association (MACA). James is the
webmaster who is keeping the MACA
website up-to-date. It has been several
years since we last had a hard-copy
newsletter and an editor to organize
it. In 2012, the organization will make
a concerted effort to increase the
membership, organize competitions, and
keep people informed about all aspects
of CL Combat.
MACA began as the brain child of
Howard Rush and Bosta designer Neal
White in 1974. The idea was to unify all
of the Combat fl iers across the country
and promote this aspect of the hobby.
For the past several years, MACA
has not charged dues; however, it has
become imperative to reinstate the
dues policy. The $15 annual dues
check can be sent to Gene Berry, the
MACA treasurer, at the address listed in
“Sources.”
MS Engines
A new engine called the MS is
available. It looks similar to the original
FORA; however, the case seems to
have been redesigned, incorporating
strengthening webs around the bottom.
Chuck Rudner and I have each
purchased a couple of MS engines to
test and play with in the winter months.
The MS mounts the same as a FORA orZALP using the same mounts.
Vasyl Yuvenko in the Ukraine and
Alberto Parra in Spain are offering
the MS for sale. It lists for $215 from
Yuvenko, plus a $35 shipping charge
and the cost of Western Union’s money
transferring services.
Securing the Muffl er
Keeping muffl ers tight on engines
can be a problem. Specially designed
muffl er supports attach to the rear of
the engine mount where it attaches to
the model. The incorporated streamer
hooks are common and are used by
most Combat pilots.
These units weigh roughly 7.5 grams.
I tie the muffl er to the engine using
string. This method works well and
initially it is lightweight; however, string
becomes heavier as it absorbs oil from
the exhaust. This method keeps the
top of the wing clear of extra stuff that
can interfere with a shutoff device. I
made streamer hooks that attach to the
bottom of the model.
Keep an eye on the rubber muffl er
bushing that fi ts over the engine exhaust
spigot and inside the muffl er inlet. It
tends to become hard and brittle withage and repeated exposure to heat
followed by cool downs. Bits of the
rubber bushing can break off and lodge
in the 6mm exhaust openings, resulting
in erratic engine runs.
You may not notice a piece of broken
bushing at fi rst, because it will fall to
the bottom of the muffl er. I had started
to take an engine apart when a bit of
the bushing fell out as I removed the
muffl er. The engine was fi ne and themystery was solved.