THE BEAUTY OF being involved in a
hobby/sport that involves miniature aircraft
and engines is that you can work on the
airplanes in a small amount of space. Many
aeromodelers have to share space in the
basement with washers, dryers, and stored
holiday-decoration boxes.
If you set up in the garage, cars,
gardening equipment/tools, and extra
furniture want to encroach on the modelhangar
area. I share space in the garage and
have to constantly clear out the junk so there
is enough space to work comfortably on the
project at hand.
My garage contains a mishmash of
cabinets and counters that their original
owners discarded and I converted to
modeling-supply storage spaces. There is no
system to what is in the drawers, other than
I dumped stuff into each compartment as the
need arose. However, there are several
spaces I use on a regular basis that must be
organized so that critical tools are readily at
hand.
I have an old desk that I use to work on
models, mount engines, or do anything else
that needs to be done. The two drawers
contain tools and items that get regular use.
Directly opposite the desk and behind
the old office chair I use is an old kitchen
cabinet that I converted to pit-box storage,
tool access, and modeling-supply area. I
made a couple of tool holders, to keep the
most useful tools
within arm’s
reach.
Workshop organization
[[email protected]]
Control Line Combat Rich Lopez
Also included in this column:
• Model transporter
• World Championships
• Foam vs. wood
• Phoenix Red Flag
Simple wooden tool holders are easy to
mount on the inside face of a garage
cabinet. Be careful with the X-Acto knives!
Bill Maywald designed a model transporter made from
inexpensive 1/2-inch PVC pipe and fittings. It is easy to build and
keeps aircraft safe.
Foam and balsa airplanes have their places in Combat. The storebought
ARF hybrid (L) is shown with one of Pete Athans’ kit models.
March 2010 123
There is no special layout or design to tool
holders, since each aeromodeler has his or her
own preferences in terms of favorites. Take a
good look at the accompanying photograph to
see if this setup might work for you.
I made the wooden tool holders because I
got tired of walking over to the tool chest to
fetch a particular item, only to find, when I
got back to the project, that it was the wrong
size or lost its way home after the last use and
was nowhere to be found.
Take some time and think about which
items you use regularly. Give them a space
that is easily accessible for you; that way, you
can maximize shop time.
Model Transporter:When I began flying, in
my teen years, I stacked my aircraft on top of
each other in the trunk of my 1962 Ford
Falcon. Sometimes I used padding between
each airplane and sometimes not. Silk-andtissue-
covered models ended up with extra
holes and dings.
Later I found that I could cut cardboard
boxes to hold several aircraft vertically. These
boxes did wear out after awhile, though.
Bill Maywald showed up at the flying
field with a clever model transporter made
from 1/2-inch PVC pipe. He used a number of
“T” and elbow fittings to set it up so that it
would comfortably hold six airplanes. Bill
added pipe insulation to assure that the
models would not sustain damage while in
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:34 PM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
transport or sitting in the garage.
Look at one of the column photographs
to see the transporter’s layout. I did not glue
the two crossmembers, so the transporter can
be taken apart and quickly reassembled.
Bulletin 0 for the 2010 FAI CL World
Championships, which will be held in
Gyula, Hungary, is available. It details who
the organizers and judges are, what the
timetable is, and gives contact information.
This is not a cheap contest for the
national aero clubs to send their
representatives to. Each competitor in F2A
(Speed), F2C (Team Race), and F2D
(Combat) is charged 250 euros, and the F2B
(Precision Aerobatics) pilots have to pay 265
euros apiece.
Bill Lee has been appointed the US team
manager and has set up a Web site to give
team members and supporters the latest
information and let them know what the
requirements are for travel. This is going to
be an incredibly expensive trip for our F2D
team.
The euro is currently just under $1.50,
and the distance to Hungry will involve
costly airfare. If you have come into a
windfall of financial resources and are in a
philanthropic mood, the F2D team could
certainly use a donation to defray some of
the costs.
You can send checks to Colleen Pierce at
AMA Headquarters. Make certain that you
indicate that these funds are for the F2D
2010 CL World Championships team. If you
won the lottery, feel free to fund the team’s
entire expedition!
Foam Vs. Wood: The first pilots who flew
Combat used balsa models covered with
tissue, silkspan, silk, or nylon. These
airplanes were then fuel-proofed with
several coats of butyrate or nitrate dope.
Some pilots used just enough dope to seal
and tighten the covering material, while
others used as many as 10 thinned-out coats
to make their aircraft pretty.
The process of covering and fuelproofing
took a fair amount of time to
complete, since there was drying time
involved. I spent many hours covering and
“dolling up” an airplane with colorful trim,
only to have it last less than 30 seconds in a
match.
Midair collisions with balsa models were
sometimes spectacular, with bits of wood
and tissue floating to the ground. There were
so many of these pieces that rebuilding was
out of the question. Balsa aircraft were light
and, depending on the design, might have
flown well.
It is hard to say who developed the first
foam Combat models. Riley Wooten and
James Mears of Lubbock, Texas, were two of
the pioneers in the use of foam. They even
disguised some of their first airplanes with
paint schemes to resemble balsa models.
Riley said that he tested the prototypes in
secret so that there were no embarrassing
moments if the models failed to perform. The
discovery of his use of foam came to light
only after a midair collision created a
“snowfall” that was unfamiliar to regular
contest pilots and spectators. He went on to
market a model called the “Vampire.”
Steve Hills, who grew up flying with the
Lubbock group, can be considered one of the
pioneers of foam use in Southern California.
He, along with his flying buddy, Pete Athans,
dominated competitions with a no-name
design that was eventually called the
“SlySir.” Bob Bearden produced a limited
quantity of both the FAI and Fast versions.
Tony Guest developed a foam design
called the “Shrika.” I have a vague
recollection of seeing someone fly one in San
Jose, California, and being extremely
impressed with its performance.
In Northern California, Rich Brasher
developed the Rotation Station design. He
was an aggressive and skillful pilot who used
the ability to get a kill with a foam LE to win
numerous contests.
FAI F2D seems to be the most popular
Combat class and is predominantly flown
with RTFs. They would have to be
considered hybrids, since the models utilize
both foam and balsa. The advantage of
capturing the string and get a kill with the
LE in Fast Combat becomes a disadvantage
in F2D, since the objective is to get multiple
Viewfinder
RC Combatsicle
RC Combat enthusiasts are die-hards,
and many will fly regardless of
conditions. Check out how devoted these
competitors are in Maryland!
This shot was taken at the beginning
of December 2009. I cannot believe the
group had this contest. I was planning on
attending, but the weather did not work
out for me—a little too cold!
The contestants adapted well to the
conditions. They covered transmitters
with clear shopping bags to keep them
free from snow and potential damage.
Plastic streamers held up better than
paper. If there were such a thing as a
polar bear RC Combat club, any of these
dedicated pilots could be chairman of the
board.
To learn more about this facet of our
hobby—whether you want to fly in the
snow or not—check out the RC Combat
Association’s Web site at www.rc
combat.com. MA
—Donald Grissom
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution
“Viewfinder” photo and a short note
telling the airplane or helicopter story to
[email protected].
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:35 PM Page 124
small cuts—not take the lot.
Pete Athans has developed his F2D design
to the point where his airplanes seem to have
an advantage in flying. Some of the
weaknesses found in competition have been
corrected, and although I don’t think there
will be a rush to build the Athans design, it is
a viable alternative to store-bought models.
Phoenix Red Flag:Mike Willcox was
victorious at the November 2009 Phoenix Red
Flag F2D contest in Arizona. Alan Deveuve
could have won, but there was a tactical error
and a disqualification in the final match.
Lester Haury finished third. Greg Hill, the
other 2010 US team member, finished in the
fourth spot. MA
Sources:
Colleen Pierce
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256, extension 252
Bill Lee’s CL World Championships site:
www.2010clwc.org
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association
www.maca.hobby-site.com:3535
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/03
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/03
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
THE BEAUTY OF being involved in a
hobby/sport that involves miniature aircraft
and engines is that you can work on the
airplanes in a small amount of space. Many
aeromodelers have to share space in the
basement with washers, dryers, and stored
holiday-decoration boxes.
If you set up in the garage, cars,
gardening equipment/tools, and extra
furniture want to encroach on the modelhangar
area. I share space in the garage and
have to constantly clear out the junk so there
is enough space to work comfortably on the
project at hand.
My garage contains a mishmash of
cabinets and counters that their original
owners discarded and I converted to
modeling-supply storage spaces. There is no
system to what is in the drawers, other than
I dumped stuff into each compartment as the
need arose. However, there are several
spaces I use on a regular basis that must be
organized so that critical tools are readily at
hand.
I have an old desk that I use to work on
models, mount engines, or do anything else
that needs to be done. The two drawers
contain tools and items that get regular use.
Directly opposite the desk and behind
the old office chair I use is an old kitchen
cabinet that I converted to pit-box storage,
tool access, and modeling-supply area. I
made a couple of tool holders, to keep the
most useful tools
within arm’s
reach.
Workshop organization
[[email protected]]
Control Line Combat Rich Lopez
Also included in this column:
• Model transporter
• World Championships
• Foam vs. wood
• Phoenix Red Flag
Simple wooden tool holders are easy to
mount on the inside face of a garage
cabinet. Be careful with the X-Acto knives!
Bill Maywald designed a model transporter made from
inexpensive 1/2-inch PVC pipe and fittings. It is easy to build and
keeps aircraft safe.
Foam and balsa airplanes have their places in Combat. The storebought
ARF hybrid (L) is shown with one of Pete Athans’ kit models.
March 2010 123
There is no special layout or design to tool
holders, since each aeromodeler has his or her
own preferences in terms of favorites. Take a
good look at the accompanying photograph to
see if this setup might work for you.
I made the wooden tool holders because I
got tired of walking over to the tool chest to
fetch a particular item, only to find, when I
got back to the project, that it was the wrong
size or lost its way home after the last use and
was nowhere to be found.
Take some time and think about which
items you use regularly. Give them a space
that is easily accessible for you; that way, you
can maximize shop time.
Model Transporter:When I began flying, in
my teen years, I stacked my aircraft on top of
each other in the trunk of my 1962 Ford
Falcon. Sometimes I used padding between
each airplane and sometimes not. Silk-andtissue-
covered models ended up with extra
holes and dings.
Later I found that I could cut cardboard
boxes to hold several aircraft vertically. These
boxes did wear out after awhile, though.
Bill Maywald showed up at the flying
field with a clever model transporter made
from 1/2-inch PVC pipe. He used a number of
“T” and elbow fittings to set it up so that it
would comfortably hold six airplanes. Bill
added pipe insulation to assure that the
models would not sustain damage while in
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:34 PM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
transport or sitting in the garage.
Look at one of the column photographs
to see the transporter’s layout. I did not glue
the two crossmembers, so the transporter can
be taken apart and quickly reassembled.
Bulletin 0 for the 2010 FAI CL World
Championships, which will be held in
Gyula, Hungary, is available. It details who
the organizers and judges are, what the
timetable is, and gives contact information.
This is not a cheap contest for the
national aero clubs to send their
representatives to. Each competitor in F2A
(Speed), F2C (Team Race), and F2D
(Combat) is charged 250 euros, and the F2B
(Precision Aerobatics) pilots have to pay 265
euros apiece.
Bill Lee has been appointed the US team
manager and has set up a Web site to give
team members and supporters the latest
information and let them know what the
requirements are for travel. This is going to
be an incredibly expensive trip for our F2D
team.
The euro is currently just under $1.50,
and the distance to Hungry will involve
costly airfare. If you have come into a
windfall of financial resources and are in a
philanthropic mood, the F2D team could
certainly use a donation to defray some of
the costs.
You can send checks to Colleen Pierce at
AMA Headquarters. Make certain that you
indicate that these funds are for the F2D
2010 CL World Championships team. If you
won the lottery, feel free to fund the team’s
entire expedition!
Foam Vs. Wood: The first pilots who flew
Combat used balsa models covered with
tissue, silkspan, silk, or nylon. These
airplanes were then fuel-proofed with
several coats of butyrate or nitrate dope.
Some pilots used just enough dope to seal
and tighten the covering material, while
others used as many as 10 thinned-out coats
to make their aircraft pretty.
The process of covering and fuelproofing
took a fair amount of time to
complete, since there was drying time
involved. I spent many hours covering and
“dolling up” an airplane with colorful trim,
only to have it last less than 30 seconds in a
match.
Midair collisions with balsa models were
sometimes spectacular, with bits of wood
and tissue floating to the ground. There were
so many of these pieces that rebuilding was
out of the question. Balsa aircraft were light
and, depending on the design, might have
flown well.
It is hard to say who developed the first
foam Combat models. Riley Wooten and
James Mears of Lubbock, Texas, were two of
the pioneers in the use of foam. They even
disguised some of their first airplanes with
paint schemes to resemble balsa models.
Riley said that he tested the prototypes in
secret so that there were no embarrassing
moments if the models failed to perform. The
discovery of his use of foam came to light
only after a midair collision created a
“snowfall” that was unfamiliar to regular
contest pilots and spectators. He went on to
market a model called the “Vampire.”
Steve Hills, who grew up flying with the
Lubbock group, can be considered one of the
pioneers of foam use in Southern California.
He, along with his flying buddy, Pete Athans,
dominated competitions with a no-name
design that was eventually called the
“SlySir.” Bob Bearden produced a limited
quantity of both the FAI and Fast versions.
Tony Guest developed a foam design
called the “Shrika.” I have a vague
recollection of seeing someone fly one in San
Jose, California, and being extremely
impressed with its performance.
In Northern California, Rich Brasher
developed the Rotation Station design. He
was an aggressive and skillful pilot who used
the ability to get a kill with a foam LE to win
numerous contests.
FAI F2D seems to be the most popular
Combat class and is predominantly flown
with RTFs. They would have to be
considered hybrids, since the models utilize
both foam and balsa. The advantage of
capturing the string and get a kill with the
LE in Fast Combat becomes a disadvantage
in F2D, since the objective is to get multiple
Viewfinder
RC Combatsicle
RC Combat enthusiasts are die-hards,
and many will fly regardless of
conditions. Check out how devoted these
competitors are in Maryland!
This shot was taken at the beginning
of December 2009. I cannot believe the
group had this contest. I was planning on
attending, but the weather did not work
out for me—a little too cold!
The contestants adapted well to the
conditions. They covered transmitters
with clear shopping bags to keep them
free from snow and potential damage.
Plastic streamers held up better than
paper. If there were such a thing as a
polar bear RC Combat club, any of these
dedicated pilots could be chairman of the
board.
To learn more about this facet of our
hobby—whether you want to fly in the
snow or not—check out the RC Combat
Association’s Web site at www.rc
combat.com. MA
—Donald Grissom
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution
“Viewfinder” photo and a short note
telling the airplane or helicopter story to
[email protected].
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:35 PM Page 124
small cuts—not take the lot.
Pete Athans has developed his F2D design
to the point where his airplanes seem to have
an advantage in flying. Some of the
weaknesses found in competition have been
corrected, and although I don’t think there
will be a rush to build the Athans design, it is
a viable alternative to store-bought models.
Phoenix Red Flag:Mike Willcox was
victorious at the November 2009 Phoenix Red
Flag F2D contest in Arizona. Alan Deveuve
could have won, but there was a tactical error
and a disqualification in the final match.
Lester Haury finished third. Greg Hill, the
other 2010 US team member, finished in the
fourth spot. MA
Sources:
Colleen Pierce
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256, extension 252
Bill Lee’s CL World Championships site:
www.2010clwc.org
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association
www.maca.hobby-site.com:3535
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/03
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
THE BEAUTY OF being involved in a
hobby/sport that involves miniature aircraft
and engines is that you can work on the
airplanes in a small amount of space. Many
aeromodelers have to share space in the
basement with washers, dryers, and stored
holiday-decoration boxes.
If you set up in the garage, cars,
gardening equipment/tools, and extra
furniture want to encroach on the modelhangar
area. I share space in the garage and
have to constantly clear out the junk so there
is enough space to work comfortably on the
project at hand.
My garage contains a mishmash of
cabinets and counters that their original
owners discarded and I converted to
modeling-supply storage spaces. There is no
system to what is in the drawers, other than
I dumped stuff into each compartment as the
need arose. However, there are several
spaces I use on a regular basis that must be
organized so that critical tools are readily at
hand.
I have an old desk that I use to work on
models, mount engines, or do anything else
that needs to be done. The two drawers
contain tools and items that get regular use.
Directly opposite the desk and behind
the old office chair I use is an old kitchen
cabinet that I converted to pit-box storage,
tool access, and modeling-supply area. I
made a couple of tool holders, to keep the
most useful tools
within arm’s
reach.
Workshop organization
[[email protected]]
Control Line Combat Rich Lopez
Also included in this column:
• Model transporter
• World Championships
• Foam vs. wood
• Phoenix Red Flag
Simple wooden tool holders are easy to
mount on the inside face of a garage
cabinet. Be careful with the X-Acto knives!
Bill Maywald designed a model transporter made from
inexpensive 1/2-inch PVC pipe and fittings. It is easy to build and
keeps aircraft safe.
Foam and balsa airplanes have their places in Combat. The storebought
ARF hybrid (L) is shown with one of Pete Athans’ kit models.
March 2010 123
There is no special layout or design to tool
holders, since each aeromodeler has his or her
own preferences in terms of favorites. Take a
good look at the accompanying photograph to
see if this setup might work for you.
I made the wooden tool holders because I
got tired of walking over to the tool chest to
fetch a particular item, only to find, when I
got back to the project, that it was the wrong
size or lost its way home after the last use and
was nowhere to be found.
Take some time and think about which
items you use regularly. Give them a space
that is easily accessible for you; that way, you
can maximize shop time.
Model Transporter:When I began flying, in
my teen years, I stacked my aircraft on top of
each other in the trunk of my 1962 Ford
Falcon. Sometimes I used padding between
each airplane and sometimes not. Silk-andtissue-
covered models ended up with extra
holes and dings.
Later I found that I could cut cardboard
boxes to hold several aircraft vertically. These
boxes did wear out after awhile, though.
Bill Maywald showed up at the flying
field with a clever model transporter made
from 1/2-inch PVC pipe. He used a number of
“T” and elbow fittings to set it up so that it
would comfortably hold six airplanes. Bill
added pipe insulation to assure that the
models would not sustain damage while in
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:34 PM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
transport or sitting in the garage.
Look at one of the column photographs
to see the transporter’s layout. I did not glue
the two crossmembers, so the transporter can
be taken apart and quickly reassembled.
Bulletin 0 for the 2010 FAI CL World
Championships, which will be held in
Gyula, Hungary, is available. It details who
the organizers and judges are, what the
timetable is, and gives contact information.
This is not a cheap contest for the
national aero clubs to send their
representatives to. Each competitor in F2A
(Speed), F2C (Team Race), and F2D
(Combat) is charged 250 euros, and the F2B
(Precision Aerobatics) pilots have to pay 265
euros apiece.
Bill Lee has been appointed the US team
manager and has set up a Web site to give
team members and supporters the latest
information and let them know what the
requirements are for travel. This is going to
be an incredibly expensive trip for our F2D
team.
The euro is currently just under $1.50,
and the distance to Hungry will involve
costly airfare. If you have come into a
windfall of financial resources and are in a
philanthropic mood, the F2D team could
certainly use a donation to defray some of
the costs.
You can send checks to Colleen Pierce at
AMA Headquarters. Make certain that you
indicate that these funds are for the F2D
2010 CL World Championships team. If you
won the lottery, feel free to fund the team’s
entire expedition!
Foam Vs. Wood: The first pilots who flew
Combat used balsa models covered with
tissue, silkspan, silk, or nylon. These
airplanes were then fuel-proofed with
several coats of butyrate or nitrate dope.
Some pilots used just enough dope to seal
and tighten the covering material, while
others used as many as 10 thinned-out coats
to make their aircraft pretty.
The process of covering and fuelproofing
took a fair amount of time to
complete, since there was drying time
involved. I spent many hours covering and
“dolling up” an airplane with colorful trim,
only to have it last less than 30 seconds in a
match.
Midair collisions with balsa models were
sometimes spectacular, with bits of wood
and tissue floating to the ground. There were
so many of these pieces that rebuilding was
out of the question. Balsa aircraft were light
and, depending on the design, might have
flown well.
It is hard to say who developed the first
foam Combat models. Riley Wooten and
James Mears of Lubbock, Texas, were two of
the pioneers in the use of foam. They even
disguised some of their first airplanes with
paint schemes to resemble balsa models.
Riley said that he tested the prototypes in
secret so that there were no embarrassing
moments if the models failed to perform. The
discovery of his use of foam came to light
only after a midair collision created a
“snowfall” that was unfamiliar to regular
contest pilots and spectators. He went on to
market a model called the “Vampire.”
Steve Hills, who grew up flying with the
Lubbock group, can be considered one of the
pioneers of foam use in Southern California.
He, along with his flying buddy, Pete Athans,
dominated competitions with a no-name
design that was eventually called the
“SlySir.” Bob Bearden produced a limited
quantity of both the FAI and Fast versions.
Tony Guest developed a foam design
called the “Shrika.” I have a vague
recollection of seeing someone fly one in San
Jose, California, and being extremely
impressed with its performance.
In Northern California, Rich Brasher
developed the Rotation Station design. He
was an aggressive and skillful pilot who used
the ability to get a kill with a foam LE to win
numerous contests.
FAI F2D seems to be the most popular
Combat class and is predominantly flown
with RTFs. They would have to be
considered hybrids, since the models utilize
both foam and balsa. The advantage of
capturing the string and get a kill with the
LE in Fast Combat becomes a disadvantage
in F2D, since the objective is to get multiple
Viewfinder
RC Combatsicle
RC Combat enthusiasts are die-hards,
and many will fly regardless of
conditions. Check out how devoted these
competitors are in Maryland!
This shot was taken at the beginning
of December 2009. I cannot believe the
group had this contest. I was planning on
attending, but the weather did not work
out for me—a little too cold!
The contestants adapted well to the
conditions. They covered transmitters
with clear shopping bags to keep them
free from snow and potential damage.
Plastic streamers held up better than
paper. If there were such a thing as a
polar bear RC Combat club, any of these
dedicated pilots could be chairman of the
board.
To learn more about this facet of our
hobby—whether you want to fly in the
snow or not—check out the RC Combat
Association’s Web site at www.rc
combat.com. MA
—Donald Grissom
[email protected]
E-mail your high-resolution
“Viewfinder” photo and a short note
telling the airplane or helicopter story to
[email protected].
03sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 12:35 PM Page 124
small cuts—not take the lot.
Pete Athans has developed his F2D design
to the point where his airplanes seem to have
an advantage in flying. Some of the
weaknesses found in competition have been
corrected, and although I don’t think there
will be a rush to build the Athans design, it is
a viable alternative to store-bought models.
Phoenix Red Flag:Mike Willcox was
victorious at the November 2009 Phoenix Red
Flag F2D contest in Arizona. Alan Deveuve
could have won, but there was a tactical error
and a disqualification in the final match.
Lester Haury finished third. Greg Hill, the
other 2010 US team member, finished in the
fourth spot. MA
Sources:
Colleen Pierce
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256, extension 252
Bill Lee’s CL World Championships site:
www.2010clwc.org
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association
www.maca.hobby-site.com:3535
