RC Combat
Greg Rose, 1312 NW 196th St., Edmond OK 73003
ALTHOUGH RC (Radio Control) Scale Combat is one of the fastest-growing modeling events today, a new event has been gathering steam and is bursting onto the scene with the same rapid growth.
Pulled together from countless local events into a nationally recognized event through the efforts of the RCCA (Radio Control Combat Association), Open class Combat offers RC Combat fliers and potential fliers excitement and competitive opportunity with the ease and speed of building found only in nonscale models.
The simplicity of the Open class Combat rules, which dictate engine size, weight, and a few common-sense safety issues, allow one to build an endless variety of designs for the event.
Just as in Scale Combat, a number of kit manufacturers, ranging from one-man shops to larger, well-known manufacturers, have begun to kit Combat models for the Open class. For those interested in the event, I've listed several kit manufacturers—some of which have sprung up in the last year—that offer a wide variety of designs.
You might try one of these generally very quick-building kits, and give RC Combat a try.
Cutting Edge Model Products
- Address: Box 6941, Eureka CA 95502
- Tel.: [707] 445-3525
- Web site: www.battlefloyd.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: Kits the Battle Floyd and the larger Two-by-Floyd RC Combat kits. Both kits are constructed with a balsa-covered cut-foam fuselage, cut-foam wings, and Coroplast™ tail feathers. The Battle Floyd has a 40-inch span, although many builders cut the wing down to 36 inches, depending on personal preference. Suggested power for the Battle Floyd is an engine in the .10- to .25-size range; a typical model using a .15 engine and three full-size servos weighs 27 ounces. The larger Two-by-Floyd design spans 47 inches, can take a large .30-size engine, and flies like the Battle Floyd.
Flying Wombat Models
- Address: Box 131, New Boston MI 48194
- Web site: www.combatwombat.distantrealm.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: Produces the Combat Wombat and the Combat Wombat II. Both designs feature plywood and balsa over cut-foam fuselages, Con-Tact® paper-covered cut-foam wings with pine leading edges, balsa tails, and wingspans of 36 inches. The original Combat Wombat is described as “as gentle as a trainer but as aggressive as the best in Combat.” The new Combat Wombat II, introduced at the Toledo show (April 7-9), has a shorter-coupled tail of a new design that dramatically improves the cornering ability of the model.
Hat Trick Enterprises
- Address: W8530 County Hwy. S., Beaver Dam WI 53916
- Tel.: [920] 887-3225 (please call evenings only)
- E-mail: [email protected] (the first letters are two v's, not a w)
- Notes: Produces the Hat Trick kit. The popular design uses Coroplast™ for the fuselage and tail and has a cut-foam wing. Powered by a .20- to .25-size engine, it spans 40 inches and has 320 square inches of wing area.
Lanier RC
- Address: Box 458, Oakwood GA 30566
- Tel.: [770] 532-6401
- Web site: www.lanier-rc.com
- Notes: Makes three versions of its Shrike design—all have the potential to be used in different Open Combat events. The original Shrike spans 35.5 inches and is powered by a .10-.15 engine. It has been joined by a larger version spanning 43 inches and a smaller version spanning 24.5 inches. All three Shrikes are of built-up balsa-and-plywood construction, with laser-cut parts that interlock or include washout tabs to assist in proper alignment and ease the building process.
Quality Aircraft
- Address: 6839 S. US 1, Port St. Lucie FL 34952
- Tel.: [561] 460-2844
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: Produces the original Wild Thing Combat design. One of the more time-proven designs in Open Combat, the Wild Thing continues to grow in popularity and stay competitive with newer designs. Built using conventional balsa-and-plywood construction, the Wild Thing has been updated to include laser-cut ribs and fuselage sides. Its 36-inch wing has 360 square inches of area, and a typical kit powered with a .15-.25 engine weighs roughly 35 ounces.
RA Cors
- Address: Box 863, Southbridge MA 01550
- Web site: www.racores.com
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: Produces the venerable Combat Gremlin. In continuous production since 1991, the tailless Combat Gremlin still demands respect at any Combat meet and is one of the most popular regional designs flown in Open Combat. The Combat Gremlin’s foam wings span 48 inches, and the short fuselage is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tubing. A typical Combat Gremlin powered by a .28-size engine weighs in at approximately three pounds. Although the kit comes with plans to build a sliding tray to control the elevons, today’s computer radios make the kit even easier to assemble and fly.
SPAD’s (Simple Plastic Airplane Design)
- Address: 951 Stetson Cir., Maize KS 67101
- Tel.: [316] 729-9764
- Web site: www.peltor.com/~mcginniss/SPAD.htm
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: SPAD has a sincere focus on designing very simple models using everyday materials. Because of their simplicity, SPAD designs are offered differently than other kits: there are no SPAD kits per se; you can obtain a finished ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) from SPAD, or purchase access to the Web site to download plans and build any of the numerous designs yourself. SPAD’s latest design, the Defender, is smaller than previous designs and was specifically designed to meet the requirements of RCCA Open B class. The Defender spans 36 inches, is 24 inches long, and like all SPAD designs is constructed from square PVC tubing for the fuselage and folded Coroplast™ for the wings and tail. To minimize cost, even the control horns are fashioned from inexpensive PVC square tubing.
Vortex Products
- Address: 1522 38th St. Rd., Evans CO
- Tel.: [970] 339-5429
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Notes: Kits the Disobedient for RC Combat. Using a white foam wing with a single spar (a Control Line Combat building technique), the Disobedient spans 38.5 inches and has 344 square inches of area. The kit’s fuselage has a laser-cut tab-and-lock construction that allows you to preassemble the fuselage, bind it into shape with masking tape, then apply CA (cyanoacrylate) glue to secure the joints. The precise fit of the parts allows the fuselage to be assembled “in your lap,” without using a building board.
I have run out of space. I will continue the next column with some more Open Combat kit manufacturers and an overview of the new RCCA Open Combat rules.
Until next time, build light, fly safely, and be sure to check your six! MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
