Radio Control Combat - 2010/09

I HAVE BEGUN working on the new P-47
for 2548 Scale Combat. One issue with Scale
Combat models has been trying to come up
with a color scheme that is different from
other airplanes in competition.
You might have noticed that there seems
to be a lot of green aircraft at Combat meets.
This is because of covering limitations.
Most pilots use colored tape that is 2.2 mil
in thickness; it works well and is easy with
which to cover models. The only issue is that
this material is available in only basic colors
such as red, blue, green, and a few more.
After looking at many covering types, I
saw something about using vinyl to finish
Combat wings. Those who did so said that
they did not have to use as much bidirectional
tape with this method, because the vinyl
made the wing stronger than tape alone.
These pilots are using Avery A6, which is
September 2010 105
available in many sizes. Most important, this
material comes in several colors. Many are
military hues, such as olive drab, silver, and
brown.
The rolls of A6 are sold in sizes from 15 to
24 inches wide and lengths of 10 yards. You
can purchase them from sign shops or online
suppliers.
Avery vinyl is easy to apply; it’s basically
the same as tape, only larger. A big difference is
that there will be fewer seams.
After you have used bidirectional tape on
the wing or fuselage, you will need to apply 3M
Super 77 adhesive spray. I normally let it dry
overnight, which will leave it tacky to the touch.
You can use a heat gun to stretch the
material to fit around corners. However, too
much heat will make holes and could damage
the foam.
At a recent event, I got an opportunity to see
how well the A6 covering performed during
Combat; William Drumm uses it on his Slow
Survivable Combat (SSC) and Limited B
wings.
The vinyl held up and did not seem to
bubble, as tape does in the heat. It helped not
having as many seams, which increases
resistance in the wind.
You can learn more about using Avery A6
as covering from pilots who do so. Go to the
RC Combat Association (RCCA) forum and
look under “Finishing.”
In June I did something I had never done,
which was to attend two contests in one week.
The first—the Battle for Bean Town—was held
in Lima, Ohio, at the Lima Area Radio Kontrol
Society (LARKS) site.
This two-day event featured 10 rounds of
SSC and 10 rounds of Limited B. The club
members were great hosts, and I enjoyed my
time at their field.
William Drumm of Wisconsin led the way
with high scores in both categories. He is flying
a design of his own that is exceptionally light
but can turn quickly.
A new pilot—Chris Gunter of Knoxville,
Tennessee—finished second in SSC, and this
was his second contest. Chris also flew his own
design, which uses a swept wing and flies fast.
He currently competes only in SSC but is
looking into entering other contests in the
future.
One thing I really like about going to this
contest is the host, Bob Loescher. He does a
great deal for Combat, seeing how he is the
current president of the RCCA.
With the economy being the way it is, few
contests can entice people to travel great
distances. When you add up the cost of fuel and
hotel rooms—in addition to all the models for
an event—it can be expensive. A wonderful
thing Bob does is invite us into his home to stay
during the contest.
He has many beds and space in which
someone can park a camper. We had four pilots
staying in the house and two in a camper parked
in the driveway. Saturday night after dinner we
spent many hours on Bob’s computer,
competing in RC Combat on the RealFlight G5
simulator.
If you are considering putting on a contest,
think about contestants from out of town who
could use a room. Providing lodging might
encourage more pilots to attend, and it can be a
lot of fun!
After driving back from the Ohio contest, I
had only a few days to get all of my models
repaired and back in the truck for another trip.
That was a lot of work! But it was not too bad,
since I flew only eight rounds of SSC at the
second contest.
The Mid-America Combat Championship
was held in Jackson, Tennessee, at the West
Tennessee RC Flyers’ field. The host—Tim
Treneff—manufactures the Battle Axe
Combat design.
After spending the previous weekend in
Ohio, where there was rain and cooler
weather, it was like going from the freezer to
the frying pan. Temperatures in Tennessee
were in the mid- to upper 90s with a heat
index exceeding 100°.
A surprising thing that happened, even
though it was sweltering out, was that
everyone at the event was able to fly in every
round. However, in one round I didn’t fly; my
airplane was stuck on a field cone I could not
get around.
I ended up with the most coveted trophy
of the event: the DAL. Being that I was in last
place, I was awarded a Battle Axe kit. It’s
terrific, and I hope to use it.
First place went to Chris Gunter, whose
participation marked his third contest. Again,
he put on quite a show with his flying ability
and his great models.
It was wonderful to see many rookies
flying strong in these events. Maybe it’s a
sign that the future is bright for RC
Combat. MA
Sources:
RC Combat Association
www.rccombat.com
Lima Area Radio Kontrol Society
http://larksclub.homestead.com
West Tennessee R/C Flyers
www.wtrcf.org
Thanks to the Doolittle Raiders
I enjoyed your article on the “Doolittle
Raiders” in the July issue of “Model
Aviation” Magazine. I was born in 1940 so I
don’t remember much about WWII but I have
read a lot about it.
I had the good fortune of meeting Travis
Hoover in 1993. He was the pilot of the #2 B-
25. He took off right behind Jimmie Doolittle.
My Son-in-Law, Mitch, invited my Girl-
Friend, Merilee, and I to attend his Civic Club
meeting where Mr. Hoover was speaking.
This was in 1993. It was a huge thrill to meet
him and to hear him speak!
Mr. Hoover passed away about 10 years
ago. Attached is a picture of Mr. Hoover,
Merilee, and I. I hope you enjoy it. Do you
have the names of the 8 survivors? If you do
would you please e-mail them to me? I would
appreciate it VERY much!
By the way, I have to disagree with one
statement in your article. You state that one of
the Doolittle Raiders “successfully” landed in
Russia. Actually they were all told NOT to
land in Russia.
Russia and Japan were not at war and they
were afraid Japan might declare war on
Russia if they aided the Raiders in any way.
Russia imprisoned the Raiders but later
allowed them to “escape”. Needless to say,
they had to leave the B-25 behind. Russia
declared war on Japan the day after we
dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.
T. Perry Knight
Miami, Oklahoma
Thanks for the kind words about the
Doolittle article. I have been contacted by
many members since that issue of MA was
mailed to members, with various stories just
like yours and other information about the
Raiders.
Regretfully, one of our members sent me a
newspaper article about the passing of Frank
Kappeler, 96, of Santa Rosa CA. He was a
navigator and bailed out over China. The
article stated that this leaves just seven
survivors.
The official Raiders Web site is www.doo
littleraider.com, and I found this listing of
survivors. The site is well done and worth
the visit.
Surviving Doolittle Raiders: William M.
Bower, Richard E. Cole, Thomas C. Griffin,
Robert L. Hite, Charles J. Ozuk, Edward J.
Saylor, and David J. Thatcher.
Again, thanks for the kinds words and the
support to the AMA.
Jim Cherry
AMA Executive Director
Thanks for the remembrance—so many
have forgotten the Raiders. We had the
pleasure of the General’s company for a local
jet demo flight out of Denver in the mid 80’s
when he was on the Board of Mutual of
Omaha.
He wanted to time our climb to FL410
and a short field landing in Alamosa where he
was meeting six of the Raiders for some good
fishing. We also had lots of Godiva Chocolate
on board having been told of his “addiction.”
In asking him about the TO from the
Hornet he told us that with landing flaps (full)
they had an “unstick speed” of about 65 knots
(well below vmc) and with Captain Mitcher
doing 25 knots and combined with a 25 knot
wind they had only to accelerate about 20-25
knots—pure guts!
Mack Graham
via e-mail
Continued on page 117
Aero Mail
Continued from page 7
09sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/23/10 9:43 AM Page 105