Radio Control: Combat
YOUTH IN RC COMBAT? You bet! The excitement of Scale and non-Scale RC Combat attracts new fliers to model aviation, and many of them are young. The fast pace raises the action to a level higher than any video game, and the younger flier's fast reaction time may help when pitted against more experienced fliers. One new flier whose interest was sparked by RC Combat is 12-year-old Lani Dawn Nishimura of Chicago. Lani Dawn's father wrote: "The group photo in your article is just the type of aircraft she wants-one that looks like a `fighter."' Lani Dawn joined the PALOS RC Flying Club near Chicago and soloed within two months. She now flies a Great Planes Fun-One to hone her flying skills, but the winter building project is a Precision Aero Wild Thing to serve as a Combat trainer. Her father writes that Lani Dawn's "heart is in RC Combat."
Radio Control: Combat
A FEW MONTHS AGO, as I sat through what was one of the most miserable winters in recent memory, I began to wonder about the possibility of getting some "virtual" stick time. Using the Dave Brown RC Flight Simulator (4560 Layhigh Rd., Hamilton OH 45013; Tel.: [513] 738-1576) I fiddled with the Setup menu to create a model that handled like a typical "inline" (.15 c.i.d.) Scale RC Combat airplane. The resultant "Virtual Airacobra" flies very close to "real" Scale RC Combat models, at least at my computer's clock speed. (You supercomputing speed demons might have to make some adjustments). By using this program it at least felt like I was getting some decent stick time, even thought it was 20º below outside.
Radio Control: Combat
I WISH I LIVED BY A GOOD SLOPE, because RC Slope Soaring Combat is really taking off, and I haven't had a chance to try it yet! A set of rules has been put together for Slope Soaring Combat that not only covers current interest, but allows room for the sport to grow. The new Slope Soaring rules are based loosely on the AMA 704 Combat event. Since no propulsion is required for Slope Soaring, any type of prototype (jet, prop, or multiengine) can be modeled with equal ease. The event had been presented in three different classes. Class A is WW II Slope Glider Combat; Class B is Jet Slope Glider Combat; and Class C is Open Design Combat. The WW II and Jet Combat rules require a "recognizable replica of a combat aircraft" that "bears an approximately scale military finish." A minimum fuselage width of 1.25 inches is required for the two "recognizable" scale classes.
Radio Control: Combat
IT SEEMS THAT I OVERLOOKED an excellent non-Scale Combat model in my review of kits that was published a number of months ago. I've been reminded that the Diamond Dust produced by Gilbert Aircraft Performance Products (GAPP) has a strong Combat following. The Diamond Dust uses a flying-wing delta design to pack 575 square inches into a tiny 34.5-inch wingspan-that works out to an average chord of more than 16.5 inches! At a typical weight of 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds (when powered by a .25 to .40 engine) the wing loading on the Diamond Dust is only approximately 9 ounces per square foot! The impressive thing about the Diamond Dust is its speed range. You would expect it to be fast, but I've also seen the design throttle back and fly at a snail's pace with a very high angle of attack. The kit includes hardware, and has a very mixed laser-cut construction with carbon spars, balsa, Kevlar composites, and light plywood. You can contact GAPP at their toll-free number: (800) 325-GAPP.
Radio Control: Combat
WHILE ON VACATION in upstate New York this summer I had the opportunity to accept an invitation to the Radio Control Club of Rochester's first Scale RC Combat meet. The RCCR meet's Contest Director was Jim Warner; the event went quite smoothly, due in no small part to the planning the club put into the event. Each model was inspected by Ed Dickinson, the safety officer for the meet; a preflight briefing was held to ensure every pilot understood the 704 rules and maintained the proper focus on safety. Pilots and helpers attending the meet included Jerry Joseph, Ed Dickinson, Paul Hanlon, Tom Salvemini, Bob James, Bill Stauber, Rodney Boatman, Don Steeb, Mike Hatch, Greg Kesel, Jim Warner, Conrad Kantor, and Wayne Jeffries.
