RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Greg Rose
1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
It has been a while since I reviewed any RC Combat kit manufacturers. Now is a good time to do that because in addition to all of the time that has passed since the last review, many changes have happened in the field.
RC Combat remains a rapidly growing event, and with that comes a large influx of new ideas from the RC Combat community. Although it is good that we are growing, that growth brings instability. Several excellent kit manufacturers have invested in supplying kits to the RC Combat community, but unfortunately the instability has affected them as well. Several manufacturers have decided to get out of the kit industry, either by selling their businesses or by closing their doors. In no place is this more apparent than in RC Scale Combat.
Different directions in provisional and proposed events such as Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) and 2548 Scale have diluted the number of 2610 Scale fliers. I don’t want any of the 2610 Scale fliers—and I include myself as one—to take these comments wrong. The 2610 RC Scale Combat event is still popular. Compared to a number of other AMA events, it is one of the most popular ones flown. I am a “dyed-in-the-wool” 2610 flier, but even I have to admit that open Combat is no less fun than Scale, and it’s a heck of a lot easier to keep your models in flying condition.
Although the loss of some Scale kit manufacturers may result in us having fewer choices of available kits, the consequence is likely to be more scratch-built airplanes rather than fewer Scale fliers.
Another aspect of RC Combat flying that affects the manufacturers is that the popular Open events such as Open Class B and SSC don’t require as much support in the form of kits as Scale does. Many—if not most—Open designs can easily be scratch-built, especially if you have access to a foam cutter.
Changing interests have made it difficult for manufacturers to anticipate the swings in RC Combat. Change is good, but no one ever said change was easy.
JK Aerotech
10800 SE Orient Dr., Boring OR 97009 Tel: (503) 663-4081 E-mail: [email protected]
JK Aerotech has expanded its line of kits to meet the changing scene in RC Combat. The kits are of cut-foam-and-tape construction with durable Coroplast tails.
Available 2610 Scale kits:
- P-51 Mustang (razorback or bubbletop)
- F4U Corsair
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190A
- Fw Ta 152H (long-span, 51-inch span)
- P-47 Thunderbolt (early razorback, bubbletop, or late-war N version with squared wingtips and revised tail)
- MiG-3
Fat Bird series (designed for Scale SSC):
- P-51 Mustang — 63-inch span, 600 sq in wing area (cut-foam-and-tape construction)
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (similar dimensions)
- Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (cartoon-scale, visually “fat” appearance)
Hat Trick Enterprises
W8530 CTH S, Beaver Dam WI 53916 E-mail: [email protected] (the e-mail address begins with two "v"s — not a "w") Web site: www.hattrickrc.com
Hat Trick makes SSC Scale, SSC, and Open B models. For Scale SSC, Hat Trick offers:
- P-51 Mustang
- Messerschmitt Me 109
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190
- Hawker Hurricane
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero
- F4U Corsair
- Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
All SSC Scale models have cut-foam fuselages with fiberglass reinforcing rods, Coroplast tail feathers, and cut-foam wings with leading-edge (LE) reinforcements. For Open Class B and SSC, Hat Trick offers the Bat Trick and the more closely coupled Choker and Mini-Choker Combat designs.
Because of its longer fuselage, the Bat Trick is suggested as a first Combat airplane, but the company's informative and helpful Web site offers details about how you can convert the Bat Trick to a Choker as your flying skills increase.
All of the Hat Trick designs have proven competitive in Combat, and it is hard to beat the service that Hat Trick supplies to RC Combat fliers.
TEAMseaholm
704 NE Aaron Dr., Lee's Summit MO 64086 Tel: (816) 686-4808 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.teamseaholm.com
TEAMseaholm focuses on Open Combat and manufactures the Avenger 964, Avenger 972, and Avenger 972S.
- Avenger 964 — 64-inch wingspan
- Avenger 972 — 72-inch wingspan
- Avenger 972S — 72-inch wingspan; revised airfoil and engine mount for SSC
All Avenger kits share similar construction: cut-foam wings with fiberglass spars and LE reinforcements; CNC-cut G10 composite, basswood/high-density-ply components; HDPE (high-density polyethylene) fuselages; and Coroplast tail groups. These are competitive designs that, when flown by the right pilot, have placed well in RC Combat meets.
TEAMseaholm also provides a complete, illustrated, step-by-step construction guide on its Web site, which greatly simplifies construction for the builder.
LanierRC
Box 458, Oakwood GA 30566 Tel: (770) 532-6401 Web site: www.lanierc.com
LanierRC focuses on Open B and SSC designs. Current kits:
- Slasher — 68.5-inch wingspan (Open B)
- Ripper — 60.5-inch wingspan (SSC)
Both kits feature cut-foam wings with fiberglass spars and a reinforced vacuum-formed plastic LE, HDPE fuselage with laser-cut plywood parts, and an Aero-Flute Plastix tail group. With contemporary RC Combat design, the Ripper and Slasher could be hard to distinguish in the air from other designs if it were not for their distinctive wingtip plates. Lanier estimates only three to six hours of build time to get either the Ripper or the Slasher into the air.
War Zone
17 Escla Dr., Rochester NY 14612 Tel: (585) 227-0592 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.rccombat.com/sections/manufacturers/manufacturers.htm
War Zone continues to make Scale models for the 2610 event. The company offers:
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
- Kawasaki Ki-84 Frank
- Grumman F8F Bearcat
All War Zone kits have cut-foam wings and fuselages, vacuum-formed canopies, cowl molds made from flexible PETG plastic, and balsa tail feathers. These kits have been in production for some time and have proven to be good-flying models capable of being competitive in a Scale Combat match.
I'm out of space and I didn't even get to finish a complete list of kit manufacturers. I will have to continue the list later.
Until next time, start building for the meet in Paris, Texas; fly safely; and always check your six! MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
