Control Line Combat
Rich Lopez [email protected]
The procedure for ordering Combat airplanes from ViKo Models
I am excited about the new batch of F2D airplanes I received from Igor Kolosov of ViKo Models in Ukraine. The latest aircraft incorporate a carbon-fiber TE. You can visit the Web site at www.viko-shop.com. To get prices for the items you want you will need to send Igor an e-mail at [email protected].
Ordering notes:
- F2D models must be ordered in batches of 10 or 20. The boxes ViKo uses are built for either 10 or 20 airplanes.
- If you don't need that many, combine your order with friends to meet the minimum.
- Shipping is substantial: $140 for a box of 20 models (adds about $7 to the cost of each aircraft).
- I paid $33 per airplane; with shipping each came to an even $40. My bank waived the usual $35 transfer charge after I explained that Washington Mutual does not charge for this service.
ViKo also supplies ready-made lines. Be extremely careful when unwinding them the first time: the lines come wound around themselves and taped in two spots. Slit the tape with a single-edge razor blade or an X-Acto knife, and keep two hands on the lines to prevent them from springing loose and tangling. Once laid out, treat the lines normally and wind them on a spool.
The non–carbon-fiber-TE models used to cost approximately $5 less. Each airplane takes about 10–15 minutes to assemble, including mounting an engine. I don't think you can get your good "Huntin' dogs" ready any quicker — "dogs" being expendable Combat models. My models take a bit more time because I add red-and-blue stripes, name and address labels, and a number to each model so I can track which aircraft have been trimmed out and which still need testing.
It took roughly two months from the time I sent the money until the Post Office notified me that a big box was waiting to be picked up. I suspect that if Ukraine joins the European Union we may pay considerably more for these models.
Yuvenko Models
Yuvenko Models in Ukraine also produces fine-quality airplanes. I ordered and paid for a batch of Victor Yuvenko's aircraft while I was in Spain for the 2006 World Championships. The wait was long: from July to early December.
Victor sends his boxes via British Airways Cargo with postage due. That required a trip to British Air to get the paperwork, a trip to customs, and then back to British Air to collect the boxes and pay the air-freight bill. There was no charge for the one-hour wait in customs or the interrogation about the contents of the five big boxes and my relationship to Mr. Yuvenko. I live about five minutes from Los Angeles International Airport, so the extra two to three hours to collect the boxes was not too bad; if you live far from a major airport, this could be a problem.
You can contact Victor at [email protected] for information about availability and prices for various model types and designs.
FAI fuel-shutoff requirement and safety
An important development: the FAI has passed a measure requiring fuel-shutoff devices starting in January 2009. Some worry this will kill the event; I don't think so. The measure may make Combat more acceptable in communities concerned about noise and stray models, especially in urban areas.
Even at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in Los Angeles I worry about traffic on the 60 freeway only about 100 yards from where we fly practice matches and contests. Over the years a few of my "dogs" have broken their leashes and run off; only one was gone for good, taking with it a nice Nelson rear-intake, side-exhaust engine. A runaway model over the freeway is a real hazard. An airplane that shuts off within a second or two after release would present far less of a threat.
Henning Forbech of Denmark has posted step-by-step instructions and test accounts for making and installing reliable fuel shutoffs for existing models: www.modelflyvning.dk/f2d.htm. Testers released the handle on several occasions and measured shutdown times of roughly 1½ seconds from release. Henning planned to use his device during the 2007 Combat season.
I believe modelers — including those in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern Bloc countries — will apply considerable ingenuity to develop compact, reliable, and inexpensive shutoff devices. Henning's effort — while somewhat elaborate — is commendable.
(Note: Rube Goldberg was a real person known for drawings of elaborate contraptions designed to complete simple tasks.)
MACA and March Combat Madness
James McKinney has recently resurfaced in an inspired state and has done a great deal updating the Miniature Aircraft Combat Association (MACA) web page: www.maca.hobby-site.org. The site includes many good photographs, especially from the March Combat Madness F2D contest in Phoenix. James won the 1/2A Combat event there by thrashing Peter Athans.
MACA is the CL Combat SIG to the AMA. One of James's goals is to keep lines of communication open between Combat fliers across the country — and around the world. He has made it easy to post information and photographs from your area.
March Combat Madness (Phoenix, Arizona) highlights:
- Lester Haury managed his first-ever Combat win by flying consistently and accurately all weekend. He handled the flying and the pitting very well.
- Lester beat Chris Renton of New Zealand. This was Chris's second trip from New Zealand to participate in the Phoenix contest.
- Lance Matassa organized the event and added a twist: pilots with 0-3 or 1-3 records could buy back into the contest by paying an additional fee; the money went back into the purse for the winners.
- The procedural change seemed acceptable to the 16 pilots who attended; Chris Renton bought back in and appreciated the extra flying.
If you plan to attend in 2008, keep the second weekend in March open. Book hotel/motel rooms early because of nearby baseball spring-training activities.
Late-Breaking News
The F2D Team Trials will be in Lubbock, Texas, September 1–3. CL Combat committee members needed to vote by April 20, 2007.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
