Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Gusty winds at the Scale event were a challenge to these
competitors at the Midwestern Nationals.
Jeff Smith fishes his Jill out of Lake Fredricks at the Midwestern Nats in Waverly NE. He placed second despite the dunking.
RADIO CONTROL (RC) Combat that takes place late in the flying
season has a different feel to it. Everyone knows that he or she can
rebuild any losses by the next season, so why not take a chance? RC
Combat fliers are more willing to accept the late-season losses with a
devil-may-care attitude.
When you combine that attitude with a growing sense of urgency as
the number of opportunities to address your standings in the Radio
Control Combat Association (RCCA) National Points System rapidly
diminish, you get some wild, aggressively flown rounds that can be full
of surprises.
One of the premier late-season events (this would be a premier event
regardless of the date it is held) is the Midwestern Nationals (Nats) held
in Waverly, Nebraska. Hosted by the Sky Knights, the event can be
almost as large as the Nats held in Muncie, Indiana. The 2002
Midwestern Nats had 31 fliers attending the Open Class B event held
Saturday and 16 pilots attending the Scale event Sunday. For those who
have never flown at the Sky Knights’ field in Waverly, it has a unique
and prominent feature.
In golf, it’s common to put something in the wrong place just to
make things difficult. If the drive to the hole is too easy, add a sand trap
or a pond or two, carefully positioned, to make the hole more of a
challenge for everyone.
Apparently the Sky Knights had a desire to up the ante on difficulty,
and the flying field has a large pond—nicknamed Lake Fredricks—in
the center of what is otherwise a wide-open flying field. It is hard not to
be intimidated by the large water hazard waiting directly under the
Combat box.
On the first day of Combat, Open fliers were met by a pleasant day,
but winds rose steadily as the meet progressed. By the final rounds, a
gusty 15 mph wind was blowing.
As at the Muncie Nats, the big names in Open Class fought hard to
come out on top. It was a seesaw event with Lee Little holding the lead
for the first two rounds, only to lose the lead to Mike Fuller in the third
round. Mike only managed to hold onto the lead for two rounds before
A.J. Seaholm grabbed it from him in the fifth round and held onto it until
the end.
Final scores put A.J. Seaholm just ahead of Mike Fuller in second
place. In an upset for third place, Don Howard had a fantastic 568-point
final round (the highest scoring round in the entire contest!) to push Lee
Little into fourth place by only eight points!
Lou Melancon’s 50-inch-span Blackburn Firebrand made a test
flight at the Midwestern Nats. It weighs less than 3 pounds.
March 2003 139
03sig5.QXD 1.6.03 8:52 am Page 139
140 MODEL AVIATION
The larger-span designs such as the
Avenger 8.0, the Skull Bandit, the Choker, and
the new Falcon 72 dominated Open Class B.
The Scale event was flown Sunday—a
nice-looking day, but the gusty winds that had
built up during Saturday’s match started before
the first round and increased throughout the
day. Several rounds had to be directed back to
center field (over Lake Fredricks) as the
Combat action was continually blown to our
left.
A.J. Seaholm took control of first place by
the second round and never relinquished it.
Topping his day off by scoring high in the final
two rounds, nearly 800 points separated A.J.
from the second-place winner, Jeff Smith, who
had held first place in the first round. Less than
250 points separated the next five positions.
SP400
Bugatti Swordfish
P-36 Mig 3
XP-55 P-40
DH2
Gus Morfis 1/12
Mosquito Hurricane
Typhoon P-47
P-40 Corsair
Turnkey R/C Designs
Fi-256 . . . . . . . 72”
Stahlwerk . . . . . 52”
Loening . . . . . . 36”
D.A.D.
Jack Lewis 1/12
P-40 P-39
P-51 AD2
Spitfire Hurricane
Mike Fredricks claimed third, only 24 points
ahead of Jim Bodnar’s fourth-place showing.
Unfortunately for me, it was not a good day
for Japanese aircraft from Oklahoma. Gene
Smith and I lost five models in the meet,
although, mercifully, all missed Lake Fredricks.
It was an outstanding meet, with as many twists
and turns in the scoring as there were in the air.
The event was great fun, but if you are
planning to come out and fly with the Sky
Knights at their next Combat meet, consider a
floatplane fighter!
One of the new Open designs that flew at the
Midwest Nats was the Falcon 72 Open Class B
model by GRS Models (36 Antigua Dr., Kenner
LA 70065; Web site:
http://pages.prodigy.net/gcleveland_grsmodels).
A long-span model, the Falcon 72 has 740
square inches of wing area and spans 72 inches.
A flying wing with winglets, the model is
designed for .25- to .30-size engines and has
plug-in wing panels for ease of transport.
Designed by Lee Little of Control Line
Combat fame, the Falcon 72 kit is scheduled to
be released in Ready-to-Fly (RTF) form. With
20 minutes of assembly time from the box to
flight, the three-piece wing is precovered, the
winglets need to be taped in place and the
centerline rudder clamped in place, then
installing your radio and engine is the only thing
left to do before flight.
Besides the Falcon 72, a smaller model, the
Falcon 64, is also planned for release.
Another new Open design is the Northeast
Aerodynamics (5 Pine St., Suite F, Nashua NH
03060; Web site: www.ne-aero.com) Rapt-Air
.25. Of conventional, low-wing design, the
Rapt-Air .25 has a 48-inch span and 440 square
inches of wing area.
The kit is designed to keep the number of
parts to a minimum, resulting in very quick
assembly. Weighing 2.8 to 3.5 pounds,
depending on engine and radio-equipment
choice, the Rapt-Air is said to have “docile”
handling characteristics.
That’s all for this column. I need to rebuild
some airplanes. Until next time, build straight,
fly safely, and be sure to check your six! MA
Better Selection.
Best Prices.
Toll Free 877-346-2243
Service operation to determine the best and
most cost-efficient method to organize,
archive, and offer model-airplane plans to the
membership.
Academy officials are hopeful that the
Pond plans will be made available to the
membership in the near future. However, no
decisions have been made concerning how the
plans will be incorporated into the existing
plans service, nor has a timetable been
established.
The newly formed committee will work
diligently with the staff of the National Model
Aviation Museum to see that an overall plan is
drafted in a timely manner to present to the
Executive Council at the February 2003
meeting.
For more information, contact Museum
Curator Michael Smith at michaels@
modelaircraft.org. MA
—AMA HQ
Continued from page 129
On the Fly
03sig5.QXD 1.6.03 8:54 am Page 140
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/03
Page Numbers: 139,140
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/03
Page Numbers: 139,140
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Gusty winds at the Scale event were a challenge to these
competitors at the Midwestern Nationals.
Jeff Smith fishes his Jill out of Lake Fredricks at the Midwestern Nats in Waverly NE. He placed second despite the dunking.
RADIO CONTROL (RC) Combat that takes place late in the flying
season has a different feel to it. Everyone knows that he or she can
rebuild any losses by the next season, so why not take a chance? RC
Combat fliers are more willing to accept the late-season losses with a
devil-may-care attitude.
When you combine that attitude with a growing sense of urgency as
the number of opportunities to address your standings in the Radio
Control Combat Association (RCCA) National Points System rapidly
diminish, you get some wild, aggressively flown rounds that can be full
of surprises.
One of the premier late-season events (this would be a premier event
regardless of the date it is held) is the Midwestern Nationals (Nats) held
in Waverly, Nebraska. Hosted by the Sky Knights, the event can be
almost as large as the Nats held in Muncie, Indiana. The 2002
Midwestern Nats had 31 fliers attending the Open Class B event held
Saturday and 16 pilots attending the Scale event Sunday. For those who
have never flown at the Sky Knights’ field in Waverly, it has a unique
and prominent feature.
In golf, it’s common to put something in the wrong place just to
make things difficult. If the drive to the hole is too easy, add a sand trap
or a pond or two, carefully positioned, to make the hole more of a
challenge for everyone.
Apparently the Sky Knights had a desire to up the ante on difficulty,
and the flying field has a large pond—nicknamed Lake Fredricks—in
the center of what is otherwise a wide-open flying field. It is hard not to
be intimidated by the large water hazard waiting directly under the
Combat box.
On the first day of Combat, Open fliers were met by a pleasant day,
but winds rose steadily as the meet progressed. By the final rounds, a
gusty 15 mph wind was blowing.
As at the Muncie Nats, the big names in Open Class fought hard to
come out on top. It was a seesaw event with Lee Little holding the lead
for the first two rounds, only to lose the lead to Mike Fuller in the third
round. Mike only managed to hold onto the lead for two rounds before
A.J. Seaholm grabbed it from him in the fifth round and held onto it until
the end.
Final scores put A.J. Seaholm just ahead of Mike Fuller in second
place. In an upset for third place, Don Howard had a fantastic 568-point
final round (the highest scoring round in the entire contest!) to push Lee
Little into fourth place by only eight points!
Lou Melancon’s 50-inch-span Blackburn Firebrand made a test
flight at the Midwestern Nats. It weighs less than 3 pounds.
March 2003 139
03sig5.QXD 1.6.03 8:52 am Page 139
140 MODEL AVIATION
The larger-span designs such as the
Avenger 8.0, the Skull Bandit, the Choker, and
the new Falcon 72 dominated Open Class B.
The Scale event was flown Sunday—a
nice-looking day, but the gusty winds that had
built up during Saturday’s match started before
the first round and increased throughout the
day. Several rounds had to be directed back to
center field (over Lake Fredricks) as the
Combat action was continually blown to our
left.
A.J. Seaholm took control of first place by
the second round and never relinquished it.
Topping his day off by scoring high in the final
two rounds, nearly 800 points separated A.J.
from the second-place winner, Jeff Smith, who
had held first place in the first round. Less than
250 points separated the next five positions.
SP400
Bugatti Swordfish
P-36 Mig 3
XP-55 P-40
DH2
Gus Morfis 1/12
Mosquito Hurricane
Typhoon P-47
P-40 Corsair
Turnkey R/C Designs
Fi-256 . . . . . . . 72”
Stahlwerk . . . . . 52”
Loening . . . . . . 36”
D.A.D.
Jack Lewis 1/12
P-40 P-39
P-51 AD2
Spitfire Hurricane
Mike Fredricks claimed third, only 24 points
ahead of Jim Bodnar’s fourth-place showing.
Unfortunately for me, it was not a good day
for Japanese aircraft from Oklahoma. Gene
Smith and I lost five models in the meet,
although, mercifully, all missed Lake Fredricks.
It was an outstanding meet, with as many twists
and turns in the scoring as there were in the air.
The event was great fun, but if you are
planning to come out and fly with the Sky
Knights at their next Combat meet, consider a
floatplane fighter!
One of the new Open designs that flew at the
Midwest Nats was the Falcon 72 Open Class B
model by GRS Models (36 Antigua Dr., Kenner
LA 70065; Web site:
http://pages.prodigy.net/gcleveland_grsmodels).
A long-span model, the Falcon 72 has 740
square inches of wing area and spans 72 inches.
A flying wing with winglets, the model is
designed for .25- to .30-size engines and has
plug-in wing panels for ease of transport.
Designed by Lee Little of Control Line
Combat fame, the Falcon 72 kit is scheduled to
be released in Ready-to-Fly (RTF) form. With
20 minutes of assembly time from the box to
flight, the three-piece wing is precovered, the
winglets need to be taped in place and the
centerline rudder clamped in place, then
installing your radio and engine is the only thing
left to do before flight.
Besides the Falcon 72, a smaller model, the
Falcon 64, is also planned for release.
Another new Open design is the Northeast
Aerodynamics (5 Pine St., Suite F, Nashua NH
03060; Web site: www.ne-aero.com) Rapt-Air
.25. Of conventional, low-wing design, the
Rapt-Air .25 has a 48-inch span and 440 square
inches of wing area.
The kit is designed to keep the number of
parts to a minimum, resulting in very quick
assembly. Weighing 2.8 to 3.5 pounds,
depending on engine and radio-equipment
choice, the Rapt-Air is said to have “docile”
handling characteristics.
That’s all for this column. I need to rebuild
some airplanes. Until next time, build straight,
fly safely, and be sure to check your six! MA
Better Selection.
Best Prices.
Toll Free 877-346-2243
Service operation to determine the best and
most cost-efficient method to organize,
archive, and offer model-airplane plans to the
membership.
Academy officials are hopeful that the
Pond plans will be made available to the
membership in the near future. However, no
decisions have been made concerning how the
plans will be incorporated into the existing
plans service, nor has a timetable been
established.
The newly formed committee will work
diligently with the staff of the National Model
Aviation Museum to see that an overall plan is
drafted in a timely manner to present to the
Executive Council at the February 2003
meeting.
For more information, contact Museum
Curator Michael Smith at michaels@
modelaircraft.org. MA
—AMA HQ
Continued from page 129
On the Fly
03sig5.QXD 1.6.03 8:54 am Page 140
