VINTAGE COMBAT FUN FLYING - A GROWING PHENOMENA

[Frank Imbriaco]

Over the past two years, we've witnessed a resurgence in the interest of these  exciting,  great flying, easy to build and easy to store model aircraft . They are the " Top Fuel Dragsters" of control line flying . Loud, hairy and trigger fast. Some  sport beautiful translucent silk and dope finishes that  are , IMHO, much more attractive then  current   foam based fast combat ships. Most guys shun streamer chopping competition  because it's thrilling enough just to fly one. And, that arguably  makes them  a whole lot safer.

There are concentrations of interest here and there ; particularly in the Northeast.

Whether  it  be a  small group of flyers who get together on a summer's night or a Vintage Combat  Fun Fly Festival (such as  what occurred in 2013 and 2014) at the GSCB Field in NJ , there can be no doubt that its growing.

Check the EVENTS section for details on the September 20, 2015 event to be  in NJ at the GSCB Field.

Recommend you also find some of the great videos posted here by Tom Luciano, a second generation  vintage combat aficionado.

[Jim Roselle]

I think I'm going to knock out a demon when I finish my current build.

Jim

[LARRY RICE]

BLACK HAWK MODELS currently produces a DEMON and a DOUBLE DEMON kit - laser cut with hardware.

Larry

[Andre Ming]

Well all I can say is... welcome to the party, Pals!!

I've been building and flying vintage combat planes since the late 1980s/early 1990s before it was a phenomena or even had much of a following.

Aside from a short-lived speed limit combat revival I experienced during the early 1990s, my interest in "today's" combat (especially "Fast" combat) has been on the wane since the advent of foam thingies, high tech, fuel cut-offs, and uber-expensive fast combat engines.  Nope, today's combat isn't for me.

What DOES trip my trigger are the airplanes and engines prior to the advent of clear film foamies.  In fact, almost all of the combat planes of the 1960s cause my pulse to beat faster.  

I attended one of the very first (if not THE first) "vintage combat" meets that was put together: The late Doc Passen's "Old Time Combat" event from the early 1990s, held in Jasonville, IN.

I didn't have time to get a fleet of "disposable" vintage airplanes built (Doc's cut-off date for the engine/plane design was 1961, as I recall)  before leaving to attend the event, however, I swung by Fox Mfg. to see if Duke wanted to contribute to the pile of goodies for those that would end up placing/winning.  He gave me an "Anniversary" (40th?) Fox 35 to give away. While there, I had him autograph the box for uniqueness sake.  

Anyway, I had a ball watching and hearing the old vintage ships goin' at it. There was Johnson powered Voodoo (Charlie Johnson's) that really hauled the mail nicely for an oldie... plus there was a squadron of "Flying Saucers", Big Irons, Fleetwons, etc, etc. It was fantastic day.  At the end of the day it was Paul Smith that won the overall with his ST powered "Equalizer".

In retrospect, though, watching the event I realized didn't want to become involved with combat again, even at the "vintage" level. Simple reason: I didn't want to invest time and energy making a good looking vintage airplane (and make no mistake, some of them are quite involved to scratchbuild), and then have a high probability of losing it to a mid-air/line tangle in a "sure'nuf" combat match.  (There was a lot of carnage that afternoon, including Charlie's Voodoo mentioned above.) It was the carnage that caused me to accept that fact that I just wanted to build 'em and fly 'em, and enjoy them on the long term.

So, to see the vintage combat events coming along that are NOT combat match-oriented, is very gratifying.  

I'm am SO looking forward to the GSCB's "Vintage Combat Festival" for the very reason that it appears to be gaining momentum and there ought to be about 100 airplanes there this year.  And the neatest part?  NONE of us will be risking our building/finishing efforts trying to get a match win!  It is about celebrating the era, enjoying seeing the old planes and engines flying, and shootin' the bull and BS'in each other about how GOOD we really were... or thought we were!!!

All for now!

GSCB's "Vintage Combat Festival": BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!  (Hmmm... actually, "Be there with a T-Square!" would be encouraged!)