Also included in this column:
• Rudner’s F2D News
• Red Flag Combat
• Combating dust
• Why dogs are found in trees
THE CIAM (International Aeromodelling
Commission) of the FAI met in Lausanne,
Switzerland, December 5 and 6, 2008, to
discuss a variety of issues pertaining to CL
competitions and rules. Of most interest for
those of us who are interested in F2D (FAI
Combat) was the interpretation of the shutoff
rule that took effect January 1, 2009.
Following is what is being passed to the
F2D community around the world.
“Shut-off rule clarification: From the 1st of
January 2009 it will be mandatory that an
engine shut-off be used in F2D. In the event
of a fly-away the shut-off must activate and
stop the engine. Failure to do so will result in
disqualification.
“The shut-off can either be armed by the
mechanics prior to launch or by automatic
arming of the shut-off on takeoff. When the
model is prepared the shut-off may also be
armed. A damaged shut-off on a landed or
crashed model (for instance as a result of a
mid-air collision) must be repaired or replaced
before the model is launched again. Both
mechanical and electronic shut-offs will be
allowed, providing they do activate and shut
down the engine in a fly-away.
“The fly-away activation can be of any
type, mechanical or electronic. The shut-off
rules are intentionally of basic nature to allow
the development of good working systems but
it should be noted that flagrant breach of the
rules or ‘ungentlemanly conduct’ will result in
disqualification. 8th of December 2008. This
is from Bengt-Olof Samuelsson the C/L
Subcommittee Chairman.”
At the end of this column, you will see the
Web address for the FAI. At that site you can
find all the rules for the various events plus
the agenda and minutes of any of the
organization’s meetings.
Now that we know what the ground rules
are, it is time to get those creative juices
flowing and invent a reliable, inexpensive,
lightweight, and easy-to-produce device.
Modelers in Italy have designed a unit that
replaces the whole bellcrank assembly. It can
be installed in existing models with a little bit
of effort. As I have mentioned in previous
columns, Bobby Mears has bent a bunch of
music wire into a working shutoff. I don’t
think it gets any cheaper than that.
Chuck Rudner has reworked a bunch of
his old swing-arm Fast Combat shutoffs to the
point where they work every time. He uses
them regularly during practice matches.
Henning Forbech developed a mechanical
device that could be fitted to existing models
with a bit of work.
Jeff Rein and Ken Burdick of the Seattle
area of Washington have been using H&R
bellcrank shutoffs. These require that you
mount the H&R bellcrank on the outside of
the model. The drawback is that precut,
ready-to-use lines will be too short. These
H&R systems have been proving themselves
in the Fast Combat arena for many years.
The unknown shutoff-device paradigm is
the electronic type. There are many creative
individuals, including Howard Rush, Preston
Briggs, Boris Faizov, and Alexander
Prokofiev, who have set a goal of making a
reliable unit.
Ideas about servo-activated devices
mounted on the models are being toyed with,
as are ideas about electrical currents running
through the lines to the aircraft. Others are
experimenting with handles that have
lightweight batteries mounted inside.
I wish all who are addressing this issue
well in their quest to “build a better mousetrap.”
Mark Rudner’s F2D News: If I were to
mention that I had been flying with “Doc
Rudner,” you might think I was referring to
Mark’s old man, Chuck. Now that Mark is a
Ph.D., we can call him “Doctor Skud” instead
of plain, ole Mark.
This highly educated Combat pilot has
turned into a thoughtful writer who produces
a monthly newsletter on the subject of F2D
Combat. I suggest that you visit his Web page
and read his current and past writings.
Mark has posted some entertaining
descriptions of his travels to Ukraine and
encounters with their police/customs people.
Maybe the Ukraine version of the CIA keeps
a file on Combat fliers who have an advanced
knowledge of physics.
Red Flag F2D Combat Contest: An active
group of CL fliers in the Phoenix, Arizona,
area has been hosting two F2D contests per
year. The first one is in March (March
Madness) and the second one is in November
(Red Flag).
Jeff Hanauer, Steve Stewart, Lance
Matassa, and several others work hard to get
people from across the country to Phoenix.
November 15 and 16, 2008, 22 pilots entered
the main contest Saturday and Sunday.
Mike Willcox was telling everyone that
this was going to be a “Combat Clinic,” where
he was going to show everyone how to do it.
True to his word, Mike did end up winning the
contest with some skillful flying.
He has been working with Josh Ellison to
bring some “new blood” into our sport. Josh is
a natural and managed to finish the contest in
fourth place.
I went in the other direction, encouraging
retired Combat pilot turned CL Aerobatics
(Stunt) pilot Phil Granderson to return to the
fray. While Phil has been out putting his Diva
Stunt model through the same “tricks” over
and over, the Combat community has become
more proficient at using store-bought Eastern
European equipment.
Phil quickly adapted to his new models and
engines, and he resembled the young man he
was in 1980 when he finished on the podium
in third place at the CL World Championships
in Poland. He finished seventh at the Red Flag
contest. Greg Hill finished second and
Mexican team pilot Leonardo Silva was third.
Go to Mike Willcox’s Web site to see
many great photos of this contest.
Keep the Dust Out: Look carefully at the
nylon plugs, shown in a photograph, that are
used to keep the dust and dirt out of the venturi
and muffler openings. The engine is a Cyclon
Fortune.
Howling Dogs in Trees: Howard Rush, the
2008 US assistant team manager, started using
the term “dogs” for his Combat models many
years ago. Since then, we in the Combat
community often look for opportunities to
reference dog stories.
In all the years of flying Combat, I have
seen a number of fly-away models, including
some of my own. I had a dog, with a shutoff
that activated, end up in a tree in Chicago,
Illinois. I have seen many others end their
flights in trees in which the branches stopped
the engines.
In Phoenix, two dogs ended up in trees
with their engines “howling” until they ran out
of fuel. Both of these models survived with
only minor damage to the covering. MA
Sources:
FAI
www.fai.org/aeromodelling
Henning Forbech
www.modelflyvning.dk/f2d.htm
Mark Rudner’s F2D News:
http://f2dnews.homestead.com
Mike Willcox
http://web.mac.com/emomedia/Evil_Emo_
Creations
Cyclon
www.rusengines.ru/?lang=en
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/03
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/03
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Also included in this column:
• Rudner’s F2D News
• Red Flag Combat
• Combating dust
• Why dogs are found in trees
THE CIAM (International Aeromodelling
Commission) of the FAI met in Lausanne,
Switzerland, December 5 and 6, 2008, to
discuss a variety of issues pertaining to CL
competitions and rules. Of most interest for
those of us who are interested in F2D (FAI
Combat) was the interpretation of the shutoff
rule that took effect January 1, 2009.
Following is what is being passed to the
F2D community around the world.
“Shut-off rule clarification: From the 1st of
January 2009 it will be mandatory that an
engine shut-off be used in F2D. In the event
of a fly-away the shut-off must activate and
stop the engine. Failure to do so will result in
disqualification.
“The shut-off can either be armed by the
mechanics prior to launch or by automatic
arming of the shut-off on takeoff. When the
model is prepared the shut-off may also be
armed. A damaged shut-off on a landed or
crashed model (for instance as a result of a
mid-air collision) must be repaired or replaced
before the model is launched again. Both
mechanical and electronic shut-offs will be
allowed, providing they do activate and shut
down the engine in a fly-away.
“The fly-away activation can be of any
type, mechanical or electronic. The shut-off
rules are intentionally of basic nature to allow
the development of good working systems but
it should be noted that flagrant breach of the
rules or ‘ungentlemanly conduct’ will result in
disqualification. 8th of December 2008. This
is from Bengt-Olof Samuelsson the C/L
Subcommittee Chairman.”
At the end of this column, you will see the
Web address for the FAI. At that site you can
find all the rules for the various events plus
the agenda and minutes of any of the
organization’s meetings.
Now that we know what the ground rules
are, it is time to get those creative juices
flowing and invent a reliable, inexpensive,
lightweight, and easy-to-produce device.
Modelers in Italy have designed a unit that
replaces the whole bellcrank assembly. It can
be installed in existing models with a little bit
of effort. As I have mentioned in previous
columns, Bobby Mears has bent a bunch of
music wire into a working shutoff. I don’t
think it gets any cheaper than that.
Chuck Rudner has reworked a bunch of
his old swing-arm Fast Combat shutoffs to the
point where they work every time. He uses
them regularly during practice matches.
Henning Forbech developed a mechanical
device that could be fitted to existing models
with a bit of work.
Jeff Rein and Ken Burdick of the Seattle
area of Washington have been using H&R
bellcrank shutoffs. These require that you
mount the H&R bellcrank on the outside of
the model. The drawback is that precut,
ready-to-use lines will be too short. These
H&R systems have been proving themselves
in the Fast Combat arena for many years.
The unknown shutoff-device paradigm is
the electronic type. There are many creative
individuals, including Howard Rush, Preston
Briggs, Boris Faizov, and Alexander
Prokofiev, who have set a goal of making a
reliable unit.
Ideas about servo-activated devices
mounted on the models are being toyed with,
as are ideas about electrical currents running
through the lines to the aircraft. Others are
experimenting with handles that have
lightweight batteries mounted inside.
I wish all who are addressing this issue
well in their quest to “build a better mousetrap.”
Mark Rudner’s F2D News: If I were to
mention that I had been flying with “Doc
Rudner,” you might think I was referring to
Mark’s old man, Chuck. Now that Mark is a
Ph.D., we can call him “Doctor Skud” instead
of plain, ole Mark.
This highly educated Combat pilot has
turned into a thoughtful writer who produces
a monthly newsletter on the subject of F2D
Combat. I suggest that you visit his Web page
and read his current and past writings.
Mark has posted some entertaining
descriptions of his travels to Ukraine and
encounters with their police/customs people.
Maybe the Ukraine version of the CIA keeps
a file on Combat fliers who have an advanced
knowledge of physics.
Red Flag F2D Combat Contest: An active
group of CL fliers in the Phoenix, Arizona,
area has been hosting two F2D contests per
year. The first one is in March (March
Madness) and the second one is in November
(Red Flag).
Jeff Hanauer, Steve Stewart, Lance
Matassa, and several others work hard to get
people from across the country to Phoenix.
November 15 and 16, 2008, 22 pilots entered
the main contest Saturday and Sunday.
Mike Willcox was telling everyone that
this was going to be a “Combat Clinic,” where
he was going to show everyone how to do it.
True to his word, Mike did end up winning the
contest with some skillful flying.
He has been working with Josh Ellison to
bring some “new blood” into our sport. Josh is
a natural and managed to finish the contest in
fourth place.
I went in the other direction, encouraging
retired Combat pilot turned CL Aerobatics
(Stunt) pilot Phil Granderson to return to the
fray. While Phil has been out putting his Diva
Stunt model through the same “tricks” over
and over, the Combat community has become
more proficient at using store-bought Eastern
European equipment.
Phil quickly adapted to his new models and
engines, and he resembled the young man he
was in 1980 when he finished on the podium
in third place at the CL World Championships
in Poland. He finished seventh at the Red Flag
contest. Greg Hill finished second and
Mexican team pilot Leonardo Silva was third.
Go to Mike Willcox’s Web site to see
many great photos of this contest.
Keep the Dust Out: Look carefully at the
nylon plugs, shown in a photograph, that are
used to keep the dust and dirt out of the venturi
and muffler openings. The engine is a Cyclon
Fortune.
Howling Dogs in Trees: Howard Rush, the
2008 US assistant team manager, started using
the term “dogs” for his Combat models many
years ago. Since then, we in the Combat
community often look for opportunities to
reference dog stories.
In all the years of flying Combat, I have
seen a number of fly-away models, including
some of my own. I had a dog, with a shutoff
that activated, end up in a tree in Chicago,
Illinois. I have seen many others end their
flights in trees in which the branches stopped
the engines.
In Phoenix, two dogs ended up in trees
with their engines “howling” until they ran out
of fuel. Both of these models survived with
only minor damage to the covering. MA
Sources:
FAI
www.fai.org/aeromodelling
Henning Forbech
www.modelflyvning.dk/f2d.htm
Mark Rudner’s F2D News:
http://f2dnews.homestead.com
Mike Willcox
http://web.mac.com/emomedia/Evil_Emo_
Creations
Cyclon
www.rusengines.ru/?lang=en
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/03
Page Numbers: 129,130,131
Also included in this column:
• Rudner’s F2D News
• Red Flag Combat
• Combating dust
• Why dogs are found in trees
THE CIAM (International Aeromodelling
Commission) of the FAI met in Lausanne,
Switzerland, December 5 and 6, 2008, to
discuss a variety of issues pertaining to CL
competitions and rules. Of most interest for
those of us who are interested in F2D (FAI
Combat) was the interpretation of the shutoff
rule that took effect January 1, 2009.
Following is what is being passed to the
F2D community around the world.
“Shut-off rule clarification: From the 1st of
January 2009 it will be mandatory that an
engine shut-off be used in F2D. In the event
of a fly-away the shut-off must activate and
stop the engine. Failure to do so will result in
disqualification.
“The shut-off can either be armed by the
mechanics prior to launch or by automatic
arming of the shut-off on takeoff. When the
model is prepared the shut-off may also be
armed. A damaged shut-off on a landed or
crashed model (for instance as a result of a
mid-air collision) must be repaired or replaced
before the model is launched again. Both
mechanical and electronic shut-offs will be
allowed, providing they do activate and shut
down the engine in a fly-away.
“The fly-away activation can be of any
type, mechanical or electronic. The shut-off
rules are intentionally of basic nature to allow
the development of good working systems but
it should be noted that flagrant breach of the
rules or ‘ungentlemanly conduct’ will result in
disqualification. 8th of December 2008. This
is from Bengt-Olof Samuelsson the C/L
Subcommittee Chairman.”
At the end of this column, you will see the
Web address for the FAI. At that site you can
find all the rules for the various events plus
the agenda and minutes of any of the
organization’s meetings.
Now that we know what the ground rules
are, it is time to get those creative juices
flowing and invent a reliable, inexpensive,
lightweight, and easy-to-produce device.
Modelers in Italy have designed a unit that
replaces the whole bellcrank assembly. It can
be installed in existing models with a little bit
of effort. As I have mentioned in previous
columns, Bobby Mears has bent a bunch of
music wire into a working shutoff. I don’t
think it gets any cheaper than that.
Chuck Rudner has reworked a bunch of
his old swing-arm Fast Combat shutoffs to the
point where they work every time. He uses
them regularly during practice matches.
Henning Forbech developed a mechanical
device that could be fitted to existing models
with a bit of work.
Jeff Rein and Ken Burdick of the Seattle
area of Washington have been using H&R
bellcrank shutoffs. These require that you
mount the H&R bellcrank on the outside of
the model. The drawback is that precut,
ready-to-use lines will be too short. These
H&R systems have been proving themselves
in the Fast Combat arena for many years.
The unknown shutoff-device paradigm is
the electronic type. There are many creative
individuals, including Howard Rush, Preston
Briggs, Boris Faizov, and Alexander
Prokofiev, who have set a goal of making a
reliable unit.
Ideas about servo-activated devices
mounted on the models are being toyed with,
as are ideas about electrical currents running
through the lines to the aircraft. Others are
experimenting with handles that have
lightweight batteries mounted inside.
I wish all who are addressing this issue
well in their quest to “build a better mousetrap.”
Mark Rudner’s F2D News: If I were to
mention that I had been flying with “Doc
Rudner,” you might think I was referring to
Mark’s old man, Chuck. Now that Mark is a
Ph.D., we can call him “Doctor Skud” instead
of plain, ole Mark.
This highly educated Combat pilot has
turned into a thoughtful writer who produces
a monthly newsletter on the subject of F2D
Combat. I suggest that you visit his Web page
and read his current and past writings.
Mark has posted some entertaining
descriptions of his travels to Ukraine and
encounters with their police/customs people.
Maybe the Ukraine version of the CIA keeps
a file on Combat fliers who have an advanced
knowledge of physics.
Red Flag F2D Combat Contest: An active
group of CL fliers in the Phoenix, Arizona,
area has been hosting two F2D contests per
year. The first one is in March (March
Madness) and the second one is in November
(Red Flag).
Jeff Hanauer, Steve Stewart, Lance
Matassa, and several others work hard to get
people from across the country to Phoenix.
November 15 and 16, 2008, 22 pilots entered
the main contest Saturday and Sunday.
Mike Willcox was telling everyone that
this was going to be a “Combat Clinic,” where
he was going to show everyone how to do it.
True to his word, Mike did end up winning the
contest with some skillful flying.
He has been working with Josh Ellison to
bring some “new blood” into our sport. Josh is
a natural and managed to finish the contest in
fourth place.
I went in the other direction, encouraging
retired Combat pilot turned CL Aerobatics
(Stunt) pilot Phil Granderson to return to the
fray. While Phil has been out putting his Diva
Stunt model through the same “tricks” over
and over, the Combat community has become
more proficient at using store-bought Eastern
European equipment.
Phil quickly adapted to his new models and
engines, and he resembled the young man he
was in 1980 when he finished on the podium
in third place at the CL World Championships
in Poland. He finished seventh at the Red Flag
contest. Greg Hill finished second and
Mexican team pilot Leonardo Silva was third.
Go to Mike Willcox’s Web site to see
many great photos of this contest.
Keep the Dust Out: Look carefully at the
nylon plugs, shown in a photograph, that are
used to keep the dust and dirt out of the venturi
and muffler openings. The engine is a Cyclon
Fortune.
Howling Dogs in Trees: Howard Rush, the
2008 US assistant team manager, started using
the term “dogs” for his Combat models many
years ago. Since then, we in the Combat
community often look for opportunities to
reference dog stories.
In all the years of flying Combat, I have
seen a number of fly-away models, including
some of my own. I had a dog, with a shutoff
that activated, end up in a tree in Chicago,
Illinois. I have seen many others end their
flights in trees in which the branches stopped
the engines.
In Phoenix, two dogs ended up in trees
with their engines “howling” until they ran out
of fuel. Both of these models survived with
only minor damage to the covering. MA
Sources:
FAI
www.fai.org/aeromodelling
Henning Forbech
www.modelflyvning.dk/f2d.htm
Mark Rudner’s F2D News:
http://f2dnews.homestead.com
Mike Willcox
http://web.mac.com/emomedia/Evil_Emo_
Creations
Cyclon
www.rusengines.ru/?lang=en
