US F2D Team Trials
by Rich Lopez <REDACTED>
Early in July 2013, the F2D Team Trials were held at the AMA flying site in Muncie, Indiana. Of the 34 pilots who entered the competition, four were Juniors. That is the most Juniors we've had in some time and all of them are either the sons or daughters of competitive modelers, although not all Combat fliers.
Rylan Ritch represented the USA in Bulgaria in 2012. His father, Randy Ritch, is a proficient RC Pylon racer and the maker of Ritch's Brew fuels that many of us use. Randy deserves a huge thank-you for providing the official contest fuel.
Alexandra "Sasha" Nadein will be the Junior representative for the 2014 World Championships in Poland. She is the daughter of two-time USA team pilot Andrey Nadein. Braden Parker is the son of Eric Parker, who once traveled to the World Championships as a Junior competitor.
The fourth Junior entrant was Austin Minor, son of Andy Minor, who finished in the first alternate spot. Andy was also a mechanic for his brother, Cary, in Bulgaria. These youngsters should be able to give us graying, gray-haired, or bald senior citizen Combat pilots a run for our money in the future.
The contest's organization was well thought out and coordinated. The AMA staff provided a flying site with two newly laid concrete center circles. Bobby Mears and the rest of the Mears clan, along with team selection chairman, Phil Cartier, did much preparation to get the mandatory pre-contest meeting site booked in the AMA conference room. They also arranged for a catered dinner at the meeting.
Having the meeting at AMA Headquarters allowed the contestants to set up equipment and test all day Friday so they would be ready to do battle Saturday morning.
Before the general pilots' meeting, the organizers met with the judges and event director, Lance "Air Boss" Matassa. Lance has been running F2D contests in Phoenix for many years and was a great choice. He brought Jeff Hanauer to serve as the circle marshal for the entire contest. Operational issues were addressed and the judges were coordinated before the first flight.
The organizers used a computerized program developed by Alex Prokofiev to draw the matches. I heard some complain that the draw was not completely random because it grouped people according to states.
The concern was that pilots from large states would not have to fly against each other. A completely random draw means that occasionally you will be drawn against your teammates. This issue may need careful scrutiny by the Team Selection Committee.
Arlene Pyle and Jan Mears did a tremendous amount of work keeping the two circles full of contestants at all times and checking lines, fuel shutoff devices, line lengths, venturi, muffler-opening sizes, and seeing that the pull tests were properly done. Arlene ran the computer and was able to post the itemized score immediately after each match.
There is not much new to report in the equipment area. The dominant engine is the FORA of all vintages. There were some AKM power plants in use, most notably by Andrey Nadein and Greg Hill. The FORA is easily obtainable and reasonably priced at roughly $225. The FORA engines are reliable and produce enough power to be competitive. Allen DeVeuve and Lester Haury scratch-build all of their models. Lester offers his design, the Streamer Shuttle, as a kit to anyone who wishes to purchase it. Howard Williams builds them and loves the way they fly. Allen is one of the finest craftsmen/builders in our discipline. He builds clean and light and thinks of details.
Former world champion Mike Willcox did not appear to have lost any of his flying skills. One of his understudies, Josh Ellison, finally made a breakthrough to earn the top spot on the 2014 USA team. Josh had been knocking on the door to make the team for several years. He finally decided to stop waiting and kick in the door.
Mark Rudner, the 1994 Junior World Champion and perennial Team USA mechanic, flew some awesome matches, including a semifinal against his father, to make the team.
For those of you who are now senior citizens, there is still hope of making the team as was demonstrated by "The Elder Statesman of Combat," Richard Stubblefield. Richard has been on more World Championship teams as a pilot than any other person in the US. He is crafty and knowledgeable with regard to tactics.
Congratulations to Sasha, Josh, Mark, and Richard. I know they will prepare well and represent the US at the highest level.
CL Combat
Rich Lopez
World Championships Funding
The AMA has been supportive of World Championships teams in the past through its payment of entry fees, lodging, meal expenses, and partial travel reimbursement. Team members have always had to pay for their excess baggage charges, auto rentals, fuel costs, extra days of lodging, and air fare costs beyond the AMA allowance.
The current formula requires that teams perform to earn podium positions individually, as a team, or have a minimum number of participants at the team trials. The number of entries at the 2013 F2D team trials earned the Combat pilots 50% funding. We were only two entries short of 100% funding.
If you have any philanthropic-minded friends, any donation through the AMA for the 2014 F2D team would most certainly be appreciated. It is tax deductible.
A Shared Combat Column
I recently realized that I had been writing this column since 1993—more than 20 years! Although I have always enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you, the time has arrived to share this column with someone who is as passionate as I am about CL Combat.
I discussed my feelings with a person whom I have known since he was still a baby bump. Mark Rudner is a thinker, innovator, competitor, and writer. He speaks several languages including one that is understood by only Ph.Ds of quantum physics. We have agreed, with the knowledge of the Model Aviation editors, to write the "CL Combat" column on an alternating basis.
The next time you see this column, Mark will have written it. Perhaps he will give us some insights into the 2013 Danish World Cup contest, or on his electric-powered Combat model experiments.
SOURCES:
Lester Harry <REDACTED>
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA) www.maca.hobby-site.com:3535
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
