MANY OF THE regular competitors in the Southern California area are getting ready for another round of the famous Bladder Grabber contest in Snohomish. Washington. Many of the pilots have been testing new shutoff devices and unwarping their contest fleet. This is best done when you have extra time on your hands, since unwarping can take several tries before the model is straight and true. For many years Chuck Rudner has brought out his portable gasoline-powered generator so that there would be electrical power for heating irons and hot-air guns. Having electrical power at the flying field beats the heck out of running back to the workshop to try to straighten a model. It is possible to bend a foam model to take out a warp, but it is much better to heat the covering while bending the model at the same time. The Ready-to-Fly (RTF) models often require minor adjustments so that they will fly straight and respond when you give them the appropriate control. I do not like surprises, especially when a model goes flying across the circle because it is warped. The unwarping process often takes several tries before it is completed. Most of the pilots around here use only a small amount of fuel the first time they fly a model. This is done to avoid an extended flight with a warped aircraft. I start by flying the model straight and level at a height of eight to 10 feet. I look very carefully at the airplane, trying to notice if it is flying wing high or wing low. Wing high means that you can see the top of the inboard and outboard wing. Wing low means that you can see the bottom of the inboard and outboard wing panels. Ideally, you want to see only the profile of the model when looking at it from the inboard tip. After that, I fly the model inverted and try to notice if it is flying wing high or wing low. If the model was warped right-side up, it should be warped inverted as well. If the model was wing high in level flight, it should be wing low in inverted flight. The way to correct a warp is to first sight along the trailing edge of the model from directly behind the stabilator. Sometimes you will see an obvious warp in the inboard or outboard panels. Sometimes I will place the model, engine facing down, between my feet with the leading edge resting on my feet and the wing panels supported by my shins. This allows me to view the model from the rear. If the model was flying wing high, chances are good that the inboard panel is bent slightly up or the outboard wing is bent slightly down. If the model was flying wing low, the inboard panel is probably bent slightly down and/or the outboard wing is bent slightly up. It is imperative that you fly the model straight and level and inverted since there can be another cause of a model flying wing high or wing low; it has to do with the amount of tip weight an aircraft has. Not enough will cause a model to fly wing-high in level flight and in inverted flight. Too much tip weight will cause a wing-low condition in level and inverted flight. Many of the RTF models could stand a bit more tip weight. A model that is slightly wing high in both directions does not bother me. Wind conditions may require that additional weight be taped to the outboard wing. The top-of-the-line European pilots can be seen with an assortment of coins they use to trim models depending on the wind conditions. Experiment with various amounts of weight to see how a model will react. Make certain that you take good notes on how each model reacted with each amount of weight. The Coyote Valley Bellcrankcrs of Morgan Hill, California, had a triple-elimination 80 mph contest in late April that drew pilots from as far away as Washington and Texas in addition to all the Northern and Southern California regulars. Jeff Rein finished first. Greg Hill earned second place. Pat Willcox finished third, and Ken Burdick was fourth. This event is growing in popularity across the country. That's probably because the pilots can use whatever equipment they like as long as it does not go taster than 80 mph. We have seen everything from a. 15 to a .36 engine used at this contest, along with every type of model. This is the entry-level event of the future, and it's the event that will keep Combat alive and well. You may want to try it in your area as a club contest. We had a couple of local contests at Whittier Narrows in South EI Monte. California, in the past few months. The 80 mph contest in May as part of the Knights of the Round Circle Joust had 11 entrants and was flown as a triple-elimination event. Greg Hill of San Diego. California, was able to get the upper hand on the rest of the competition and finish on top. earning a beautiful trophy and a bit of cash with which to buy his pit crew a McDonald's® dinner. Mike Willcox resides in Southern California at the palatial Athans estate rent-free as long as he builds models for the landlord. He made his presence felt with a second-place finish. Chris Jensen is no longer that young kid you feel obligated to give a break: he finished third. I was fourth. A couple of guys are trying to slow their engines by rotating the cylinder liner in the crankcase. Pete Athans started this trend and seems to have gotten it to work. He is using an old and tired Fox for this experiment. Everyone used a fuel shutoff as per the current rules and in the interest of safety. Speaking of safety, the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department just spent some $28,(XX) to build a chain-link cover over some 200 yards of bike path. The bike path is next to the Radio Control field runway and just northeast of the Control Line (CL) areas. This was done to protect bikers from a possible stray model. I am very happy to see the county spend a bit of money to make sure that the modelers are assured a place to fly. A long time ago, in a different decade, an organization came into being: it was called the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA). The purpose of this organization was to promote CL Combat. Howard Rush, Neal White. Tom Southern, Gary Frost, and William Allen were part of the early MACA administration. One of the earliest programs MACA promoted was the Top Ten Combat pilots in the country. This has changed to the MACA Top Twenty. A points system is used to determine which Combat pilots in the country have consistently placed high in many contests. The following make up the 2001 MACA Top Twenty: 1) Mike Willcox 2)DonCranfill 3) Lee Liddle 4) Roy Krupa 5) Louis Lopez 6) Mitch Cleveland 7) Bob Mears 8) George Cleveland 9) Roy Glenn 10)ChuckRudner 11) Larry Driskill 12) Don Jensen 13) Jeff Rein 14) Phil Cartier 15) Neil Simpson 16) Pat Willcox 17)TomFluker 18) Henry Nelson 19) Wayne McDaniels 20) Rich Tupper Congratulations to these outstanding pilots. I received an E-mail communication from old friend Paul Vallins regarding a $1,000 diesel Combat contest he sponsored in the state of Washington. Diesel Combat has a growing following in the Pacific Northwest and in Canada. I met Paul in 1982 when he, along with Mick Member, was organizing the British Combat International at Dytchley's Manor in England. Paul moved to "the colonies" in search of his fortune sometime ago. I am glad to see that he has returned to fly model aircraft. Perhaps he will teach his twins the art of building and flying models.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/10
Page Numbers: 134, 135
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/10
Page Numbers: 134, 135
MANY OF THE regular competitors in the Southern California area are getting ready for another round of the famous Bladder Grabber contest in Snohomish. Washington. Many of the pilots have been testing new shutoff devices and unwarping their contest fleet. This is best done when you have extra time on your hands, since unwarping can take several tries before the model is straight and true. For many years Chuck Rudner has brought out his portable gasoline-powered generator so that there would be electrical power for heating irons and hot-air guns. Having electrical power at the flying field beats the heck out of running back to the workshop to try to straighten a model. It is possible to bend a foam model to take out a warp, but it is much better to heat the covering while bending the model at the same time. The Ready-to-Fly (RTF) models often require minor adjustments so that they will fly straight and respond when you give them the appropriate control. I do not like surprises, especially when a model goes flying across the circle because it is warped. The unwarping process often takes several tries before it is completed. Most of the pilots around here use only a small amount of fuel the first time they fly a model. This is done to avoid an extended flight with a warped aircraft. I start by flying the model straight and level at a height of eight to 10 feet. I look very carefully at the airplane, trying to notice if it is flying wing high or wing low. Wing high means that you can see the top of the inboard and outboard wing. Wing low means that you can see the bottom of the inboard and outboard wing panels. Ideally, you want to see only the profile of the model when looking at it from the inboard tip. After that, I fly the model inverted and try to notice if it is flying wing high or wing low. If the model was warped right-side up, it should be warped inverted as well. If the model was wing high in level flight, it should be wing low in inverted flight. The way to correct a warp is to first sight along the trailing edge of the model from directly behind the stabilator. Sometimes you will see an obvious warp in the inboard or outboard panels. Sometimes I will place the model, engine facing down, between my feet with the leading edge resting on my feet and the wing panels supported by my shins. This allows me to view the model from the rear. If the model was flying wing high, chances are good that the inboard panel is bent slightly up or the outboard wing is bent slightly down. If the model was flying wing low, the inboard panel is probably bent slightly down and/or the outboard wing is bent slightly up. It is imperative that you fly the model straight and level and inverted since there can be another cause of a model flying wing high or wing low; it has to do with the amount of tip weight an aircraft has. Not enough will cause a model to fly wing-high in level flight and in inverted flight. Too much tip weight will cause a wing-low condition in level and inverted flight. Many of the RTF models could stand a bit more tip weight. A model that is slightly wing high in both directions does not bother me. Wind conditions may require that additional weight be taped to the outboard wing. The top-of-the-line European pilots can be seen with an assortment of coins they use to trim models depending on the wind conditions. Experiment with various amounts of weight to see how a model will react. Make certain that you take good notes on how each model reacted with each amount of weight. The Coyote Valley Bellcrankcrs of Morgan Hill, California, had a triple-elimination 80 mph contest in late April that drew pilots from as far away as Washington and Texas in addition to all the Northern and Southern California regulars. Jeff Rein finished first. Greg Hill earned second place. Pat Willcox finished third, and Ken Burdick was fourth. This event is growing in popularity across the country. That's probably because the pilots can use whatever equipment they like as long as it does not go taster than 80 mph. We have seen everything from a. 15 to a .36 engine used at this contest, along with every type of model. This is the entry-level event of the future, and it's the event that will keep Combat alive and well. You may want to try it in your area as a club contest. We had a couple of local contests at Whittier Narrows in South EI Monte. California, in the past few months. The 80 mph contest in May as part of the Knights of the Round Circle Joust had 11 entrants and was flown as a triple-elimination event. Greg Hill of San Diego. California, was able to get the upper hand on the rest of the competition and finish on top. earning a beautiful trophy and a bit of cash with which to buy his pit crew a McDonald's® dinner. Mike Willcox resides in Southern California at the palatial Athans estate rent-free as long as he builds models for the landlord. He made his presence felt with a second-place finish. Chris Jensen is no longer that young kid you feel obligated to give a break: he finished third. I was fourth. A couple of guys are trying to slow their engines by rotating the cylinder liner in the crankcase. Pete Athans started this trend and seems to have gotten it to work. He is using an old and tired Fox for this experiment. Everyone used a fuel shutoff as per the current rules and in the interest of safety. Speaking of safety, the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department just spent some $28,(XX) to build a chain-link cover over some 200 yards of bike path. The bike path is next to the Radio Control field runway and just northeast of the Control Line (CL) areas. This was done to protect bikers from a possible stray model. I am very happy to see the county spend a bit of money to make sure that the modelers are assured a place to fly. A long time ago, in a different decade, an organization came into being: it was called the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA). The purpose of this organization was to promote CL Combat. Howard Rush, Neal White. Tom Southern, Gary Frost, and William Allen were part of the early MACA administration. One of the earliest programs MACA promoted was the Top Ten Combat pilots in the country. This has changed to the MACA Top Twenty. A points system is used to determine which Combat pilots in the country have consistently placed high in many contests. The following make up the 2001 MACA Top Twenty: 1) Mike Willcox 2)DonCranfill 3) Lee Liddle 4) Roy Krupa 5) Louis Lopez 6) Mitch Cleveland 7) Bob Mears 8) George Cleveland 9) Roy Glenn 10)ChuckRudner 11) Larry Driskill 12) Don Jensen 13) Jeff Rein 14) Phil Cartier 15) Neil Simpson 16) Pat Willcox 17)TomFluker 18) Henry Nelson 19) Wayne McDaniels 20) Rich Tupper Congratulations to these outstanding pilots. I received an E-mail communication from old friend Paul Vallins regarding a $1,000 diesel Combat contest he sponsored in the state of Washington. Diesel Combat has a growing following in the Pacific Northwest and in Canada. I met Paul in 1982 when he, along with Mick Member, was organizing the British Combat International at Dytchley's Manor in England. Paul moved to "the colonies" in search of his fortune sometime ago. I am glad to see that he has returned to fly model aircraft. Perhaps he will teach his twins the art of building and flying models.
