Join the Party Roy. Combat is Just FUN, mainly, I think, because the two flyers determine the match. Judges don't interfere much.
Yes, dizziness can be a problem. If you get too dizzy, make practice flights shorter.
2)Do tricks(loops, eights, etc) in one place. Pay attention so you don't fly into the ground. The short periods(say 3 figure 8's) will start some dizziness. Also look up and try a few
maneurvers straight overhead.
3) Practice controlling the dizziness-- I've been practicing for about 10 years. If possible find a small alcove, hallway corner, or between a couple beds about 5-8ft. apart.
Start out with jumping jacks(they'll make you a bit dizzy). When you can do straight up J-J's start trying to turn around by twisting 1st just little to 1/4 turn
Move up todoing JJ'sin both directions, up to 40 or so.
You'll have to pay attention to your feet and legs so they don't get TWISTED up- that's very bad so don't let it happen.
4) Start flying real combat in practice mode. If you can get 3-5 people together, rotate who flys who. Flying just for fun several groups around the country use different variations. The main issue is a 75mph speed limit- Flying level, with or without streamer, the plane has to take at least 7.3 sec. for 2 laps(with or without a streamer). That's a bit less than 75mph.
On my part of th east coast we fly 4 rounds- no eliminations except for breaking the rules on speed and other incractions. Highest total points wins.
Pilots either start their own plane, or they stand by the plane when someone else starts it- for just the initial launch.
100 pts/cut, 3 cuts max. A bonus of 100 pts for flying a "clean match"-both pilots get the bonus for flying as much as possible, with no midairs, line tangle crashes, or other mishaps.
Yes, dizziness can be a problem. If you get too dizzy, make practice flights shorter.
2)Do tricks(loops, eights, etc) in one place. Pay attention so you don't fly into the ground. The short periods(say 3 figure 8's) will start some dizziness. Also look up and try a few
maneurvers straight overhead.
3) Practice controlling the dizziness-- I've been practicing for about 10 years. If possible find a small alcove, hallway corner, or between a couple beds about 5-8ft. apart.
Start out with jumping jacks(they'll make you a bit dizzy). When you can do straight up J-J's start trying to turn around by twisting 1st just little to 1/4 turn
Move up todoing JJ'sin both directions, up to 40 or so.
You'll have to pay attention to your feet and legs so they don't get TWISTED up- that's very bad so don't let it happen.
4) Start flying real combat in practice mode. If you can get 3-5 people together, rotate who flys who. Flying just for fun several groups around the country use different variations. The main issue is a 75mph speed limit- Flying level, with or without streamer, the plane has to take at least 7.3 sec. for 2 laps(with or without a streamer). That's a bit less than 75mph.
On my part of th east coast we fly 4 rounds- no eliminations except for breaking the rules on speed and other incractions. Highest total points wins.
Pilots either start their own plane, or they stand by the plane when someone else starts it- for just the initial launch.
100 pts/cut, 3 cuts max. A bonus of 100 pts for flying a "clean match"-both pilots get the bonus for flying as much as possible, with no midairs, line tangle crashes, or other mishaps.
On my part of the east coast we fly 4 rounds- no eliminations except for breaking the rules on speed and other infractions. Highest total points wins.
Pilots either start their own plane, or they stand by the plane when someone else starts it- for just the initial launch.
100 pts/cut, 3 cuts max. A bonus of 100 pts for flying a "clean match"-both pilots get the bonus for flying as much as possible, with no midairs, line tangle crashes, or other mishaps.
********
Getting One Flip Starts:*******
It's simple, but effective. I got it from an Ukrainian flyer. The object is to get a decent amount of fuel into the engine and get it spread where it needs to be. Most combat engines are mounted with the cylinder mounted in front of the right wing, usually up close to the wing.
1)fill the bladder, no more than needed for the flight.
1) Tilt the nose down and let fuel flow. It should a steady amount of fuel in a stream turning into drops. For Half A motors, to a short stream less than an inch turns into individual drops.
Gentleman, I’d like to start a new and rather long and somewhat tedious thread that I would like to title: Help A Brutha Out.
A bit of background. I admit to being an old guy. I started model flying at 5 years old with the dime store Jetco planes and graduated to CL with Cox models in the mid ’60’s.
Then through to 2 years training as an A&P mechanic and starting work in 1979 as an aircraft mechanic.
Started flying CL agin in 1981 with old friends and help start up a new CL club in NoVa. We messed with combat but didn’t get serious until a Texas transplant showed up and got us up to speed enough to do several years on the East Coast completion circuit.
After recently retiring and starting to build again I want to get back in to flying combat but stuff has changed and I have many questions I hope you guys can help me with. Be aware that if your are foolish enough to answer it will lead to 6 more questions ad infinitum. You have been warned.
1) Does Slow Combat as I know it even exist? My old stuff was Fox 36 Mark III’s and IV’s. Running chicken hopper tanks. About 100 MPH W/O a streamer. What I see is some kind of speed limit combat with any engine ups to a 40.
2) Fast combat looks the same. What are the current competitive models and engines and how do I source plans, engines, wing cores, etc?
3) My local small CL club I just joined has nice people but they are sport and stunt oriented. I’m hoping to train a few and maybe spark some interest.
4) This is the most worrisome at the moment for me. I put together a simple Combat Cat for fun with a stock Fox 35. After a few laps I find I’m getting dizzy. Enough to stop the flight. Has any body else had this happen and is there any cure for it?
Well thats in for now I’ll have more to come so Stay Tuned!
Roy
Gentleman, I’d like to start a new and rather long and somewhat tedious thread that I would like to title: Help A Brutha Out.
A bit of background. I admit to being an old guy. I started model flying at 5 years old with the dime store Jetco planes and graduated to CL with Cox models in the mid ’60’s.
Then through to 2 years training as an A&P mechanic and starting work in 1979 as an aircraft mechanic.
Started flying CL agin in 1981 with old friends and help start up a new CL club in NoVa. We messed with combat but didn’t get serious until a Texas transplant showed up and got us up to speed enough to do several years on the East Coast completion circuit.
After recently retiring and starting to build again I want to get back in to flying combat but stuff has changed and I have many questions I hope you guys can help me with. Be aware that if your are foolish enough to answer it will lead to 6 more questions ad infinitum. You have been warned.
1) Does Slow Combat as I know it even exist? My old stuff was Fox 36 Mark III’s and IV’s. Running chicken hopper tanks. About 100 MPH W/O a streamer. What I see is some kind of speed limit combat with any engine ups to a 40.
2) Fast combat looks the same. What are the current competitive models and engines and how do I source plans, engines, wing cores, etc?
3) My local small CL club I just joined has nice people but they are sport and stunt oriented. I’m hoping to train a few and maybe spark some interest.
4) This is the most worrisome at the moment for me. I put together a simple Combat Cat for fun with a stock Fox 35. After a few laps I find I’m getting dizzy. Enough to stop the flight. Has any body else had this happen and is there any cure for it?
Well thats in for now I’ll have more to come so Stay Tuned!
Roy
2) F2D engines requires more, a stream 1-2 inches and heavier drops.
3) Speed Limit(SLow Combat) engines will need a solid, fatter stream from1-2 inches before it turns into drops.
4) Fast Combat- Let 'er rip. A heavy stream that flows 2-3 inches before breaking into big fat drops, turning into a slobbering stream.
The End of the Beginning.
Other critical ideas--
1)Pay a LOT of ATTENTION how the planes look and fly. Ideally its either a nice, straight foamy, or a jig-built stick plane. Most F2D planes are being in made parts of Eastern Europe. The biggest supplier was in Ukraine. There are so many F2D wings floating around eastern PA that people give them away.
Check for warps looking from behind the stab. Line it up with the trailing edge. Raise and lower the engine. The top or bottom(your preference) should disappear evenly across the whole wing. For multiple planes you probably have some sort of jig. Use that to make sure the plane settles in evenly on all the supports.
2) Fly It. I usually put the plane downwind and pull some loops both ways. Look closely for the right wing to be dragging down(right roll), or the right wing showing the top(left roll)
The plane MUST fly solidly level or it will give you weird happenings when you least expect. Nothing worse than a fast F2D snap rolling down the lines.!!
Getting Dizzy- It's all about reflexes, age, practice, and lack of any "disease".
Drink water when out, especially a lot in the heat. Sometimes lightly sugary sports drinks can get faster absorption of the water, and usually some caffeine or other stimulant.
That's all for now.
Sorry for all the messiness in the text and other garbage.
Phil Cartier
Phil Cartier
717-566-3810