Why so many classes? Short answer is that different regions around the country have different classes that are popular. For example try flying SSC with .15's at 5200 feet....... thats one reason why Open B is popular in that area.

I just got home from the Nats. RC Combat is alive and well with a stable set of rules with only minor rules changes and clarifications in the last ten years. I never hear arguments within the membership about rules.


Open B and SSC are the two AMA official rule book events flown at the Nats. Limited B and Warbird 2948 are the two provisional classes flown at the Nats. A few brought Gnats to fly a few rounds also.

Limited B and open B use pretty much the same airframe with just a muffler and prop change to be legal, so only 3 different airframes are required for 4 classes.
Concerning kit manufacturers, there are none left except Screaming Eagle rc and Wayne Voyles and his Lethal Weapons. We all make our own and help the new guys do the same.

I never hear any griping about too many classes, in fact quite the opposite. Where else are you gonna go to get 4 full days of combat in a row? 40 plus rounds of combat and 4 classes made the 15 hour trip to the Nats from Texas worth it for me.
If the Nats was only 2 classes I'd most likely stay in Texas


We fly what is popular in our area. SSC, Warbird 2948, Open and Limited B, We hold 10 contests a year in Texas and get over 20 rounds of each of those 4 classes per year. Everyone is happy.


Randy and his group fly open B and 2610 up in the North West.....if I lived up there I would be flying that too. Tom Neff from Colorado was at the Nats and participated in open B and warbird events I think. Since you are from CO I suggest contacting him and find out what class they like and fly with them. I expect it will be Open B cause of the elevation.

There is a very active FaceBook group called " RC Combat" where we share combat related ideas, tips and pics. Plz look us up and request to join if you are on Facebook.