combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Hi everybody! My SONs' home coming from IRAQ is over, and he has gone back to FT HOOD to return to reality. All we did while he was here for the month of JUNE was fly combat, with a little bit of "speed" thrown in during intermissions. We tallied over 1200 minutes of combat time [each] and had about 12 injuries that needed critical care back at the ICU,[workshop] otherwise we were able to handle minor damage at the field. At one point we went 160 combat minutes without any kind of a collision. After all this there aren't any planes that ended up in the burn barrel, but after so many repairs some have gotten a little obese. The plane that I am showing here we call the LITTLE RIPPER. It has the fewest pieces of the conventional planes[ vs flying wings] that I have come up with. Depending on choice of equipment and wood, these come out weighing between 10 -12 ozs RTF. They are more forgiving than the flying wings, and will fly better after receiving severe damage, and a less than perfect field repair. If any of you guys are interested in the basic dimensions, there is a thread about 061 COMBAT already started in the combat forum.

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Neat.. looks like it flies FAST!!!

Later,
Tim

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Best wishes to your son, and it is a cool looking plane. I saw it in the combat forum, and would try it if I didnt have way too many other plane projects in the works...Rog

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Hi ROG! Thanks, hopefully he won't have to return to the "birthplace of civilization"ever again[:'(]! The main area where I think this plane excells is it's quickness to build, ease of repair[without gaining too much weight], and cheapness to build. Otherwise it isn't much to look at, and flies like you would expect. I tried a COX 7-3.5 on the AP 061 and it handled it pretty well. This plane rips it up with a COX 5-3 and is a pretty agile streamer hunter. In 1/2A COMBAT, I will take agility[more swipes at the crepe paper] over wide wing span where you take longer to turn around and get fewer opportunities to get lined up. I haven't tried foamies for 1/2A COMBAT yet only because I think I can build just as fast with wood. ROG, if you get to the point where you and your flyin' buddies get some worn out, dog eared planes, give it a try. The first few attempts at it might be clumsy, but it is like anything else if you work at it. For me it beats flying around in circles anymore [for no apparent reason]!

DICKEYBIRD

Cool lookin' plane there C/P. At the rate you build, that one took what, 45 min. to build? We used to fly r/c combat with reed valve powered 2 channel foamy mall gliders....no streamers, just mano-a-mano.....what a hoot!

I'm very glad your son made it back OK and hope he's getting used to normal life again. Sounds like you got a good 'un there! We all should all be very thankful for him and others like him.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Hi DB! It took 46 minutes because the glue was stale. Thanks for the kind words. Imagine the contrast between being over there, and then being at home flying toy airplanes and drinking beer everyday! I did a search for some kind of RC club in the FT HOOD/KILLEEN area[ for CHARLIE] and struck out, which really surprised me. Out of 100,000 troops there, my son says that he has a huge manucured field all to himself. There is all kinds of AMA combat activity in TEXAS, so maybe he will find something within a 1/2 days' drive.

I have heard about transforming those $5 foamies into flying machines, I'll bet 45 minutes of hacking, taping and gluing is all you need to have some fun.

Japanman

I just got my $32 ame and I am thinking about such things myself
I also got a new piston cyl. set for my .074 and the finning is HUGE! We`re talking John Holmes here or O.S fp40 sized!!!

J.M

Larry Driskill

Pigg,

Please thank your son for me. I believe his service and that of his fellow soldiers helps the active threat off our shores.

160 minutes straight with no injuries! I can't log 160 free of damage flying alone. . .

How many cuts in those minutes? Watching RC Combat at the Nats last year it seemed part of their success in getting cuts was that with 9 planes up at a time it was a target rich environment.

There is lots of Combat around Dallas. But that is some hours away. Which_way_is up was on here the other day and would know. If he does not chime in, PM him.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

JM, I have an AME setup on one of these, and it is a gas to fly. I just hung a bladder on the outside of the plane. The extra vibration is the only downside, but who cares?

LARRY, Thanks, I will pass the thankyou on to him. We scored against each other in at least 90% of each 10 minute match. The record was 3 cuts each. We also picked off loose streamers that were floating to the ground a few times, that should be a bonus! We used background objects as reference points for the boundaries, but occasionally the drunken barroom brawl would drift out of bounds. I don't particularly like the 9 planes at a time stuff as much as one on one because there is less random dumb luck with 1 on 1. I think the winning formula for great combat is light, manueverable, and keep the speed down to a level that the pilots can manage without having too many midairs. The 6-3 props on the sport series .061s was the best combo for us. Another favorite setup was TD 049s on bladder with low compression and 6-3 props.