RC COMBAT 2013/07 Flight box options and weather woes

Le : William Drumm III’s flight box
also has wing holders that attach to its
side. Notice the Plexiglas, which keeps
fuel from getting on tools and parts.
Below: The all-in-one charging box
comes in handy. The battery is located
underneath the charger.
Flight box options and weather woes
by Don Grissom
[email protected]
I am ready for another trip to
Muncie, Indiana, for the RC
Combat Nats. This year’s
contest will be held July 16-19.
If you have never attended the
Nats, consider making a trip if
only for one of the events.
The Nats will start with Open
B and Slow Survivable Combat
(SSC) on the fi rst two days,
followed by two days of Limited
B and 2948 Scale.
RC Combat participants who travel
more than 500 miles to the Nats can
receive a $100 gas card from the Radio
Control Combat Association (RCCA) for
every 500 miles traveled, but you have to
be registered for the event by the end of
June.
RCCA will also have T-shirts for those
who have registered for the Nats by the
end of June. Because it will be nearly
the end of June when you receive this
magazine, you will need to call the AMA
to register so your application can be
received in time.
Flight Boxes
As I was getting ready for a contest, I
noticed that my fl ight box was once again
falling apart. When fl ying Combat, it’s
important to have an organized way to
keep your airplane parts ready to go at
any time. There are many times during
a contest when changing a servo or
replacing a fuel tank may be necessary.
One of the easiest fl ight boxes to buy
is a tackle box at a sporting goods store or
discount store such as Walmart. You want
one that has divided storage containers
that allow you to store small parts such as
screws and servo horns.
Other items I store in the box include
fuel tubing, glues, and replacement engine
parts. Many times I have knocked parts off
of an engine and repaired it with a simple
piece. Velcro and zip ties are also stored in
my box.
Nats registration forms are
available at www.modelaircraft.org/
events/nats/entryforms.aspx.
Be careful what you store in the top
of the tackle box because sun and heat
can damage some items.
Another fl ight box option is to make
your own, such as the one William
Drumm III made. Not only is it a place
to store airplane parts, it also doubles as a
fl ight stand. He uses Plexiglas with Velcro
to protect the items in the top from
spilled fuel.
In a previous design, William had a
built-in charger, but to make it easier to
charge airplanes in other locations, he
made a separate box that contains the
charger and a power supply.
It is important to keep everything
in your fl ight box organized. During a
contest, things move quickly and you
want to be able to get what you need
without having to search for something.
When Weather Is a Factor
In the past few years we have seen
many new Combat participants in
Virginia and Maryland. This year alone
there will be more than four contests in
the area.
I got together with David Smithgall and
his wife, Audra, to get some information
about a recent contest. As with many
contests early in the year, weather was a
factor.
“Rain, sleet, snow, thunderstorms, and
downpours … arghhh! Every weatherman
was saying the same thing: ‘Saturday’s
forecast is going
to be a washout.’
Even my club
members
mistakenly
assumed the
event was canceled, but I refused to let
anything dampen it. Although the Farmer’s
Almanac says this is the weekend to plant
potatoes and prepare the gardens, around
here St. Patrick’s Day means Combat at
Battle over Blue Ridge!
“I tried to ignore the weather and stay
positive. After all, these events take months
to plan. I fi led for the AMA sanction,
registered the event on RCCA, encouraged
pilots to participate, printed the score
sheets, and rolled the streamers.
“The planes have all been glued, taped,
or repaired, and wings are covered. I even
have a few new planes to start the season
with. I had everything packed and waiting
by the front door ready to load in the truck
in the morning. I tried to get a good night’s
sleep but the impending rain kept me
restless.
“Finally, it was Saturday and I woke
ready to go. I had a cup of coffee and
walked outside. It wasn’t raining and I
felt pretty good about that. I took a quick
shower and then started grabbing stuff to
load in the truck. I opened the front door
and like a bad joke—it was pouring!
“I loaded everything I needed in the
rain and started the 40-minute drive
over the mountains, cursing the rain and
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Although the weather was questionable, the
Battle over Blue Ridge Combat contest had a
good turnout.
praying that it would just stop.
This was the season kickoff for Combat
in my area and we were all antsy to fly. I
expected several out-of-state pilots. It had
been a long winter on the East Coast.
“As I pulled up the drive to the club
field, it was as if my prayers had been
answered! The clouds parted, the sky
turned blue, and the sun began to shine.
Very quickly, we shed our coats and
T-shirts become the attire for the 60° day.
“Eight of the 10 registered pilots
showed up and SSC began. We flew
eight rounds, all-up, thinking the weather
could take a turn for the worse. However,
we managed to fly all eight rounds of
SSC and four rounds of 2948. The only
challenge was some moderate wind gusts
that sent one of [Bob] Loescher’s Scale
planes into the top of a very tall tree.
“Kirk Adams took first in both
classes with scores running very close.
All said, the event was great. Everything
went smoothly and it seemed like
everyone enjoyed themselves.
“The Blue Ridge Mountains are always
a stunning backdrop, but add some
Combat planes draping streamers in front
of them and you have the best East Coast
view around.
“A special thank-you goes to Ron at
Crossroads Hobby Shop in Salem for all
those late nights for last-minute parts.
Thanks again to Virginia Aeromodelers of
Bedford for hosting us and to all the club
members and pilot participants for their
part in a great kickoff for Combat season
at the Battle over Blue Ridge. As for the
great weather, I guess we just had the luck
of the Irish on our side!”
SOURCES:
RCCA
www.rccombat.com
Virginia Aero Modelers
www.kts2003.com/VAM_Home.html
106 Model Aviation July 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
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