Control Line: Combat
THE BIG NEWS for those attending the Nationals this summer is that the coverage in the magazine will be in full color. This means that if you want to get your picture included you would be well advised to try for crisp clear photos of your models. The Nationals this year will feature all events combined in one area. It gives a nice flavor to the overall competition. The Westover site is probably the best spot for Combat, too, with lots of room and the best spectator viewing area. Officials and contestants need to think about helping to keep the show moving so we don't lose all those spectators during lulls in the action. We're in the prime location, so we need to think about making Combat the only show in town worth seeing.
Control Line: Combat
I HAD A very busy month of June attending the big British contest at Three Sisters, an 80-mph meet, the Bladder Grabber, and a local competition figure-eight contest. The British meet featured the usual bad weather, with wind, rain, and cold (the Three Sisters), but made up for it with some very good competition. Britisher John James flew the best match of the meeting against Slava Beliaev, with Slava taking three cuts right off and John coming back to take five from the Russian to win! Besides the great competition, there was a supermarket of things to buy such as engines, props, and model kits.
Control Line: Combat
THE CUTS AN KILLS contest was held in Vacaville, California over the Labor Day weekend and featured a first place prize of $1,000. Using his familiar Rushpuppy design with Fox power and carbon fibre props, Howard "The Colonel" Rush was the top dog. The nitro content of Howard's fuel is unknown, but it's always 10% more than in your fuel. We were about ready to jump in the car in hot pursuit, but the model seemed to be staying overhead both during the powered part and during the glide. After about twenty minutes the plane made a perfect landing in the same circle it had earlier departed. It was proudly trailing its opponent's streamer!
Control Line: Combat
NOT JUST FOR COMBAT. You'll notice that one of the photos this month features a rather confusing array of items (available through Art Gross, 12516 Maplewood Ave., Edmonds, WA 98026; Tel. 206/743-9332). The hand belt sander combines the practical use of a sanding block with a continuous belt so that you can use all 54 square inches of the paper. An easy-to-use locking device allows quick removal and replacement of the proper type and grit so you won't have ten different blocks lying around. By spraying some silicon on the paper you can keep it from loading up, and, thanks to the ability to unlock and rotate the paper, the residue just falls off when it goes around the corner. Art demonstrated this technique at the Bladder Grabber, and when your get you sander, you'll find out it works just as well.
Control Line: Combat
NEW from Russia via Dan Rutherford is the hot F2D Combat engine (.15 cu. in.) made by Alexander Gievsky in Leningrad, U.S.S.R. Dan recently signed an agreement to import these engines. The only two things still up in the air about this deal are the price and delivery date. The engines weigh about 3.5 oz. and are of very high quality, so don't expect bargain basement prices. Among other things you shouldn't worry about is how fast one of these things will pull your plane in level flight. The Soviets gear their engines down with low-pitch props that just don't bog down in any maneuver you're doing.
