Author: Rich von Lopez
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/06
Page Numbers: 142,143
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CONTROL LINE COMBAT - 2003/06

Rich von Lopez 8334 Colegio Dr., Los Angeles CA 90045

Why we fly Combat

Those of us who fly Control Line Combat do so because it is fun and we derive a tremendous amount of satisfaction from it. It fulfills our needs to create something with our hands, make things work to the highest levels, socialize with people from different backgrounds who share our interests, and compete in an aggressive sport (without getting hurt). That last item will no doubt generate a good deal of conversation, pro and con.

We do not normally get hurt while engaged in practice-flying or in competition. However, there have been many instances of fuel being sprayed into eyes, cuts on fingers, line abrasions, dislocation of a shoulder, and some people being hit by models and requiring trips to the emergency room. Dr. Chuck Rudner has been summoned to give first aid on many occasions in the 29 years I have known him. These injuries are few and far between, and many could have been prevented.

Part of the thrill of Combat is that one's models are always at risk of getting damaged or even totally destroyed. In years past, when I built all of my models, I took it personally when one of my airplanes was re-kitted. I thought of it as 12–15 hours of my labor going down the drain.

The satisfaction of having flown a well-fought match, regardless of the outcome, is why we enter Combat competitions. Some fliers tell of their exploits again and again and say, "Do you remember the time when we flew against each other up in San Jose back in '77 and we just dropped from exhaustion afterward?"

Although Combat pilots turn into dire enemies when they are matched up in the circle, they return to being friends when the match is finished. Yes, there are cases of Hatfields-and-McCoys types of feuds, but they are few. Combat continues to be fun as long as you remember that that is why we fly the event.

Safety — common injuries

  • Fuel sprayed into eyes
  • Cuts on fingers
  • Line abrasions
  • Shoulder dislocations
  • Blunt trauma from being hit by models (occasionally requiring emergency care)

Beach Brunch and the "Last Kill of the Year"

We Combat fliers have probably been holding our annual Beach Brunch and 1/2A Combat session for some 15 years. It started with me, Steve Hills, and Pete Athans wanting to get in some end-of-the-year tailchasing. December 31, 2002, was the sixth year that I made a "Last Kill of the Year" trophy, but we had been flying long before that.

We limit the engines to Tee Dee .049s or .051s and fly on 35-foot lines. Almost everyone is evenly matched, making the Combat bouts exciting. The day starts at approximately 9:30 a.m. with a full-on brunch at my house, sans the champagne, with a lot of good conversation among old friends.

The participants that day included:

  • Chuck Rudner
  • Mark Rudner
  • Don Repp
  • Pete Athans
  • Charlie Johnson
  • Rich von Lopez

We made the six-minute ride to the "Beach Flying Site" at roughly 11 a.m. At the site, the streamers are attached and we have at it until we have had enough or it gets cold. The first person to get a kill gets to hold onto the trophy until the next person gets a kill. The trophy is passed on that way until the end of the day.

Charlie Johnson, who once wrote this column, got to hold the trophy first. I ended up keeping it when the drizzle chased us to our cars at approximately 3 p.m.

It is amazing how much fun you can have with small-bore equipment. We know that the Tee Dees are way past their prime and cannot compete against the Cyclons and Foras. However, having the meanest 1/2A in town is not the point of this gathering; it's about the fun.

Tee Dees, tuning, and small-bore nostalgia

Don Repp is a December 31 beach regular and probably the best Tee Dee tuner in the country. He is not into going to many competitions across the country. Most weekends he can be found tinkering with a recently built Tee Dee to see if he can make it work well. He must have a drawer full of killer Tee Dees that go out for a run once in a great while.

It takes a good eye for details and a sensitive bunch of fingers to make certain that the parts feel just right. Tee Dees can start quickly, run fast, and stay together with a little care and lots of practice.

A bit of history — 1/2A Combat in the 1960s and 1970s

The writing is on the wall for the demise of 35-foot-line Combat with the vintage 1960s-designed Cox Tee Dee engines. It is hard to believe that the Cox engines were so dominant for so long. I first saw 1/2A Combat flown in the early 1960s at Frank Youell Field in Oakland, California—the same place where the now-famous Oakland Raiders football team first started playing. Some pilots could get the little engines to make some real power.

The models of the time left a great deal to be desired. They were usually converted Baby Flite Streaks, Baby Ringmasters, Combat Kittens, or an occasional Li'l Satan thrown in to round out the field. The pilots used Hot-Rock EZ-Just handles that allowed for way too much control. It took us a long time to use closer spacing on the handle to make the models more controllable.

I worked up my Li'l Snip design that was user-friendly compared to what was on the market in those days. Dirty Don Rutherford (the old grizzly bear) worked on his Golly Gee-Whiz and Dirty Beaver designs that changed the way 1/2A performance models were looked at. "Da Dirt" was never shy about trying to get a good laugh at someone else's expense.

I recall an informal gathering after the 1977 Riverside, California, Nationals when we all went down to San Diego to fly at Charlie Johnson's Mission Bay site. Dan had a couple of his Hot Rod 1/2As ready for everyone to test-fly. Pilot after pilot said that the model was fast and turned tight but was a bit touchy. I gave it a go and ended up planting it in the soft San Diego beach real estate. Dan and the rest of the guys could not stop laughing. I can laugh about it now. It's fun to think about the past, but it is time to move on.

I hear that "Da Dirt" can still be found in the Pacific Northwest, munching on homemade sauerkraut from his cabbage patch while admiring his Precision Aerobatics models that are still under construction. I also hear that he is in the market for some Combat pilots who can catch the lines on big Stunters when they quit running inverted.

Modern 1/2A models and events

The new Cyclons and Foras are so good that even the best pilots in the country cannot fly decent Combat on 35-foot lines. The modern 1/2A models are sweet and quite controllable on 42-foot lines.

Electric starters are permitted in most of the modern 1/2A events to hasten the pilots into actual combat. The Cyclons' and Foras' starting characteristics are so good that the starters are not really necessary. I guess this is progress, and we just have to adapt.

The first major contest of the year—the Top Gun event in Tucson, Arizona, in March—will feature a 1/2A contest on Friday before the main event: AMA Fast Combat. I am looking forward to getting away from work to spend some time with the best Combat pilots in the country.

Gear and suppliers

George Cleveland will no doubt be on hand to sell propellers, models, and engines. If you want to fly with top-of-the-line equipment, all you have to do is send a check to GRS Models, and all of the stuff you need will arrive at your doorstep. Within an hour you can have two or three models all set up and ready for test flights. It's almost like instant gratification.

MA

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.