RADIO CONTROL COMBAT - 2005/04
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
National Event Dates
I have an important announcement. The dates for the 2005 RC Combat Nationals in Muncie, Indiana, have changed. The new dates for the event are Wednesday, July 13 through Saturday, July 16.
Event expansion and schedule
For those who have been part of the RC Combat movement, the importance of expanding the Nats in Muncie from a two-and-a-half-day event to four full days is obvious. The number of fliers RC Combat draws is so large that in 2004 the Richmond (Indiana) Prop Busters had to field the "Marathon Before Muncie" so all Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) fliers could have their chance to fly.
With the tremendously popular SSC event and the largest RC Combat class in terms of participants, we desperately needed the extra time. As it was, other Combat meets such as the Lone Star Nationals in Paris, Texas, managed to outdraw the Nats in 2004. That trend showed no sign of ending without addressing the size of the Nats.
Four days for the RC Combat Nats is a welcome development, especially since the weather in Muncie can be uncertain at that time of year. As I write this, the exact schedule for the expanded time slot is still being worked out. It is reasonable to expect that SSC will take its rightful place in the Nats. What will be interesting is whether the current 2610 Scale event, the up-and-coming 2548 Scale event, or both will be scheduled.
Frequencies
- Frequencies assigned for the RC Combat Nats: 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60.
RCCA website and resources
For up-to-the-moment news on the RC Combat Nats and other national events, check the Radio Control Combat Association (RCCA) website at www.rccombat.com. While you’re there you can pay your RCCA dues (PayPal is accepted) and review the latest rule revisions. The site also has the new provisional 2548 World War II Scale Fighter Combat rules available for review.
Scale rules: 2610 vs 2548
As mentioned in an earlier column, the 2548 Scale rules attempt to address the lack of "scaleness" in the current 2610 Scale rules. In 2610 Scale, only general requirements for scale appearance in outline and color exist. To the chagrin of some, this portion of the 2610 Scale rules is often not enforced.
In addition, 2610 Scale allows any aircraft designed and built for Combat so long as it had fixed, forward-firing guns, regardless of how many were built, whether or not they were actually used in combat, and even whether or not they were actually flown. (There aren’t many combat aircraft that were built but never flown, but a few exist — the Me 109Z and the Vought Flying Flapjack come to mind.)
By comparison, the 2548 Scale rules are much more selective. To get on the approved list of fighter designs, the aircraft must be classified as a "fighter." Ground-attack aircraft, dive-bombers, torpedo bombers, light bombers, and medium bombers are excluded.
In addition, the aircraft must have seen active duty, have at least 12 aircraft produced, and have recorded aerial victories over manned aircraft. The net effect is to reduce the total number of designs allowed, eliminating many one-off prototypes from qualifying for RC Combat under these rules.
There are still plenty of classic designs available — the Me 109, P-40, Hurricane, Zero, and dozens of others. Several widely used designs such as the Il-2, the Kate, and the Blackburn Firebrand will no longer be allowed; however, the rules include a provision to grandfather many 2610 Scale designs for 2005, allowing those airplanes to fly in 2548 Scale for that year.
Scale judging and documentation
One of the most important differences is that 2548 Scale requires much more attention to the "scale" aspect of Scale Combat. All models competing are scale judged before the first round and placed into one of four categories by reviewing accuracy of outline, color scheme and markings, and using a written documentation procedure. Each model will receive one of these rankings: Bonus, Pass, Penalty, or Fail.
- Bonus: +20 points added to flight scores per round.
- Pass: no points added or subtracted.
- Penalty: models with one or more major flaws receive -20 points per round.
- Fail: models with multiple major flaws or marked in civilian/sport colors will receive a Fail and will not be allowed to fly in the Scale meet. (Nonscale "safety markings" are allowed on the bottom of the wings without penalty.)
Unlike 2610 Scale, 2548 Scale requires documentation; failure to supply documentation may cause an airplane to receive a Fail. Documentation requirements have been kept simple: a commercially available or RCCA-provided three (or more)-view drawing to check accuracy of scale outline, plus proof (a photograph is sufficient) of the color scheme and markings. No more than two pages are allowed for proof, and the three-view drawing counts as one page, so assembling the documentation should require little effort.
Size requirements and crossover potential
Size requirements differ between the classes. 2610 Scale requires 1/12 scale ±10%. 2548 Scale sets a maximum wingspan of 48 inches for single-engine designs and 60 inches for twin-engine designs, regardless of the actual wingspan of the full-scale aircraft.
Some combat designs have good crossover potential, allowing fliers to compete under either set of rules (provided the engine rpm limits for 2548 are met). Notable crossover examples include the Grumman F6F, the Republic P-47N, the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H, and the Fairey Fulmar.
Closing
Whether you fly SSC, Open Class, 2610 Scale, or 2548 Scale, RC Combat is a blast. Get building and join the fun!
Until next time — build straight, fly safely, and always be sure to check your six!
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
