Combat - 2003/12

December 2003 49
THE NATIONALS, or Nats, is a special
event, and each year there seems to be
something unique about it that makes it
memorable. Regardless of all of the
Combat, all of the scoring, and all of the
flying, the 2003 Radio Control (RC)
Combat Nats will be remembered for all of
the water!
The rain and standing water in southern
Indiana had been making national
headlines for a week or two prior to the
Combat events, which were held July 10-
12. Record-setting rain in nearby Decatur
had resulted in extensive flooding in the
area.
As I drove through driving rainstorms
(and lightning) on my way to Muncie,
things did not look promising. Then on
Thursday morning, when the RC Combat
Nats was scheduled to start, the clouds
parted, the sun shone, and the wind
dropped. It looked like a perfect day for a
Combat meet—at least until I saw the site.
The first hint of what we were in for
was the “Road Closed” sign at the
International Aeromodeling Center. A
puddle blocked the road on the AMA
grounds. Actually it was closer to what I
would call a pond that left the road under
22 inches of water. (Yes, I measured it.
Why not? I was soaked anyway.)
After seeing the flooding I was worried
about the turnout for the meet, but I got
really excited when I saw what was on the
other side of the newly installed pond:
Combat fliers, and lots of them. The rain
may have soaked the field, but it did not
dampen the fliers’ competitive spirits.
There may not have been a dry pair of
shoes in the bunch, but the place was
packed with 50 Combat pilots!
With so many pilots and dry space at a
premium for setting up tents and flight
boxes (there was no dry space; damp was
the best you could hope for), the site was
churned into a slippery mud that sent
several competitors down into spectacular
crashes before their first models ever got
into the air.
Contestant John Comerford posted an
Internet comment after the Nats that read:
“Barefoot combat in a mud-puddle. Makes
an old man feel young again!” That
statement summed up the first day of the
Nats quite nicely, although I was left
wondering about John’s childhood
experiences.
Despite the slippery mud, combat began
as scheduled with four rounds of Scale and
four rounds of Open Class B to follow.
There were 20 Scale contestants; that was
a smaller turnout than there was in Open
Class B, but the flying was no less
competitive.
The Ki-64 Rob and the Fairey Fulmar
were commonly seen long-span models at
the meet. By the second round, three Scale
fliers had pulled ahead of the pack. Chris
Shepherd and A.J. Seaholm, both flying
Ki-64 Robs, and 13-year-old Brian Gilkey
flying his Fulmars appeared to have their
own agendas as they swapped the top three
positions back and forth, but they never let
C o m b a t
Greg Rose, 1312 N.W. 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
Open Class B Combat had 43 contestants. It was the third largest group of competitors at the entire Nats this year!
Veteran Texas Combat pilot Lee Liddle launches one of his deadly Falcon 72 Open
Class B designs. He garnered first place.
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anyone else join their elite club.
At the end of four rounds, the order was Chris, Brian, and A.J.,
with Michael Fredricks nipping at their heels with his Fulmars.
A total of 43 pilots showed up to fly in Open Class B, making
it the third-largest event at the entire AMA Nats. With so many
competitors and so many good fliers, it turned into a multiday
battle of endurance.
Long-span designs weren’t just in vogue in this class; they
were almost the only things flying. By the end of the first day,
A.J. Seaholm, Brian Gilkey, and Eric Cayemberg held first,
second, and third places respectively.
John (Lee) Liddle was trailing by only 20 points, in fourth
place. This was his first Nats, but not his first rodeo, and the
veteran Texas Combat flier was just starting to show everyone
what he could make his Falcon 72 do in the air.
After a nighttime thunderstorm, the weather changed quickly and
the second day began with a stiff wind blowing into the pits. I’m
not sure if the familiar wind made Lee Liddle feel at home or not
(the wind always blows in Texas and Oklahoma), but he stepped
up the level of flying by a notch.
Lee was in first place by the end of the first round of the day,
although several fliers were nipping at his heels. They continued
to chase him until the last round of the second day—Round Eight
of Open—when Lee cut 10 streamers and posted a Nats record of
1,040 points for the round!
After Open B was Scale Combat. The wind continued to blow
in stiffly, and, as a matter of fact, it had picked up and some gusts
were said to be coming in at 35 mph! But the wind didn’t shake
the Scale leaders’ confidence; the three top-placing fliers
occasionally swapped places, but they continued to distance
themselves from the other fliers.
At the end of Day Two, Chris Shepherd, A.J. Seaholm, and
Brian Gilkey were still in the lead, and Mike Fredricks was
holding onto fourth place but falling behind.
On the last day of the Combat Nats we were treated to the first
day of really nice flying weather. The field was starting to dry,
thanks in no small part to the previous day’s stiff winds, and the
air was almost calm.
Scale fliers went up first in an attempt to settle on a final order
for first, second, and third places. At the start of the day it was
Chris Shepherd, A.J. Seaholm, and Brian Gilkey, but at the end of
Round Nine it was Brian, A.J., then Chris. Finally, at the end of
the all-important 10th round, it was A.J. with 3,596 points, Brian
with 3,564 points, and Chris with 3,244 points.
In Open Class B, Lee Liddle was not about to waste his
record-setting eighth round. On the last day, he turned in two
respectable rounds and finished in first place with 4,760 points—
1,220 points ahead of second place.
While Lee was running away with first place, quite a battle
developed for the second and third places; A.J. Seaholm had to
fight back attacks from Daniel Vaught, Ben Morrow, Brian
Gilkey, and others to take second. Just 20 points behind A.J.’s
3,540 points, Daniel took third place with 3,520.
In addition to the official Nats Combat events, a demonstration
of Slow, Survivable Combat (SSC) Scale was held during the
meet. It may only have been for bragging rights, but the
participants flew into it with the same vigor they showed in the
AMA events.
With SSC fliers still excited about the “Marathon before
Muncie” (held in nearby Richmond, Indiana, the day before the
Combat Nats started), interest in SSC and SSC Scale was high.
Pilots and spectators enjoyed the various rounds of SSC,
including one flown at night by moonlight and with light sticks on
the airplanes!
If the water had not been the most memorable feature of the RC
Combat Nats, the organizational effort that Bill Seaman put forth
as event contest director would have to be the thing that would
come to people’s minds first.
50 MODEL AVIATION
A.J. Seaholm launches a Ki-64 on his way to a Scale victory.
Chris Shepherd readies his Skull Bandit for a round of Open.
Models interlocked after a midair fall as one to the ground.
RADIO CONTROL
Bill ran the event like clockwork! Pilots’ meetings were held
when they were supposed to be held, the rounds started when they
were supposed to start, and each heat started on time in the
rounds. Open Class B was contested on time, Scale started on
time, and both were finished on schedule.
Despite the sea of mud we wallowed through on the first day,
despite the fierce wind that blew in the second day, and despite
having only a half day to fly on the last day, everything fell neatly
into its planned place on the schedule. Bill Seaman not only ran
the most organized RC Combat Nats ever, but he ran the bestorganized
AMA event I have ever attended.
You deserve a great deal of praise for a job well done, Bill.
Thank you for your efforts.
There is no substitute for the RC Combat Nats! Everyone seemed
to have a great time (even me, who had Brian Gilkey fly right
through my new airplane in the fifth round), and we can’t wait
until next year.
Until then, build straight, fly safely, and be sure to check your
six! See you at the 2004 Nats! MA
December 2003 51
Jay Fromm launches his Open model for another round.
Don Veres shows off his Lawless A-17A. He flew his fleet of
attack airplanes to a fifth place in Scale Combat.
Scott Gilkey launches his son’s Fairey Fulmar into combat. Now
13, Brian Gilkey took second in Scale, sixth in Open B!
Certainly the most unique models in Scale, Petr Bachan brought
Horton IX flying wings that looked and flew great!
Lou Melancon’s SSC Scale P-39 Airacobras fly as nice as they
look.
RADIO CONTROL