Radio Control Combat - 209/09

THROUGH THE YEARS, there has been
much discussion about trying to give people
access to more information about flying
Combat. This year, I have noticed that there
has not been as many contests as there has
been in the past in my area. But there are
many contests in California and other areas
of the country. One problem with Combat is
that there will be no contests without people
to host them.
One of the things you should do when
you want to hold a contest is to get your club
involved. Many clubs have issues with using
their flying fields for just a small group.
A strategy to help involve your club is to
get as many people in it as possible to fly in
the event. You can do this by having building
parties, in which you can help club members
get the airplanes built that they will need to
fly in the contest.
Once you get the club involved, it is time
to choose what events will be flown. If you
are able to fly only a one-day event, only one
class will be flown. To determine the
category, look at what others are being flown
at contests in states that surround yours. This
will help bring in people from out of state.
If you can get a two-day event, you might
be able to fly as many as three classes of
Combat at eight rounds each. That’s 12
rounds each day. Since most events are flown
on the weekend, hold the main class on
Saturday. This will also help to attract pilots
from out of state.
Now that you have decided which
categories will be contested, you need to
choose the date(s) for the event. This is a good
time to go out to the RC Combat Association
(RCCA) Web site, which has a calendar
showing the contest schedule.
At the beginning of the Combat season
every year, many discussions on the RCCA
site’s forum are about the dates that clubs
want to reserve for contests before they are
put on the calendar. This helps prevent
overlapping competitions.
It is a good idea to choose a date that is at
least a week away from events in surrounding
states. You should also stay away from what
are called the “big events.” Those include the
Nats, which is held in Muncie, Indiana, in
July every year.
Now that you have scheduled the event,
you need to obtain a sanction from the AMA,
which will require a CD. If no one in your
club is a CD, you can contact other people
who fly Combat; one of them may be able to
act as the CD for your event.
The next step is to get the necessary
supplies for your contest, and foremost is the
streamer material. You can buy it from artsand-
crafts stores, but that type is seldom
stretched. The streamers normally come in
rolls that are 7/8 inch wide.
You can also purchase the material from
one of the Combat Web sites, such as Hat
Trick RC. It sells the material by the roll or in
prerolled lengths.
Although we hope for the best conditions,
there are times when the ground is wet,
requiring wet-weather streamers. This is
normally flagging tape, which you can get
from a hardware store. Since you won’t need
this at most contests, you can contact someone
to take some in case.
You will also need string with which to
attach the streamer to the model. Use cotton,
because it will break easier than nylon or kite
string will.
Once you get the time nailed down, print
out score sheets for the event. You can do this
at the RCCA Web site. It is also a good idea
to print the rules for the class(es) that will be
flown.
You will need the sanction form, which
you will get from the AMA, the safety
declaration form, and the event participation
list, which can be printed from the Internet.
Contestants will fill those out when they sign
up for the event.
Make sure you have the awards that you
will be giving out; these are typically trophies
or plaques. Visit AMA Custom Products for
great deals on individualized awards!
When contest day arrives, you will need
flags or survey paint that can be used draw the
safety lines. You will also need a place to
measure the streamers after each round.
You can use a stopwatch or use the timing
CD, which can be requested through the
RCCA site. The audio CD works well if you
have a sound system at the field, since the
time is accurate for calling the start and end of
matches. It has become common at events.
The other important thing to have for your
first contest is members of your club who can
assist with judging. Minimal skill is needed
and it is fun. Your event may not have an
abundance of pilots, and club judges come in
handy.
I hope this helps anyone who wants to host
a Combat meet. There are many people you
can get in touch with online who can help
with your event once you’re ready.
I must have been crazy this past May, when I
decided to drive 10 hours by myself to an
event. The Lima Area Radio Kontrol Society,
or LARKS, hosted the Battle for Bean Town
at LARKS Field outside of Lima, Ohio.
I have never taken a trip of more than four
hours by myself. It gave me much more
respect for Bob Loescher and the amount of
driving he has done throughout the years.
I made it there Friday night for the twoday
event. I went to Bob’s, where he showed
me around his house and workspace. It is great
to see other Combat pilots’ shops. A nice thing
about Combat pilots is that many of them will
let you stay with them during events, which is a
big help in this economy.
The next day (contest Day One), we started
with Slow Survivable Combat (SSC). A total
of 10 pilots competed in two heats for the eight
rounds. When those rounds were finished, Eric
Gilkey had earned first place.
When SSC was completed, we went on to
2548 Scale Combat; only four pilots competed
in this event, but there was no less drama. I
flew with my Ki-43 Oscar. This was the first
contest I had flown the model in, but it flew
really well.
After the first round, I put the Ki-43 into the
air. After a few minutes, Eric decided that he
would have it for dinner by cutting the tail
section off. Even with all the damage, the
Oscar will be repaired and flying again at the
Nats. We flew five rounds and then ended the
day by going to dinner as a group.
The next day we completed the other three
rounds of 2548 Scale. Once again, I was the
last-place finisher. Eric Gilkey took home the
Gold, and he was followed by Keith Jones and
Bob Loescher.
The final event was Limited B. This was
my first time flying it in a contest. This class is
similar to SSC, but the engine and propeller
sizes are larger. I feel like a broken record, but
Eric Gilkey took home first place, followed by
Doug Goldman and Don Veres II.
It was a great event. Even with the long
drive, I plan on attending it again. MA
Sources:
LARKS
http://larksclub.homestead.com/
RC Combat Association
www.rccombat.com
Hat Trick RC
(920) 887-3225
www.hattrickrc.com
AMA Custom Products
(800) 435-9262
www.modelaircraft.org/products.aspx