Yeah, I'm all for keeping costs down and preventing the upward spiral of technology. F2D is a classic example of an expensive class to fly - $200 engines, $4 propellers, and you get the chance to destroy two planes per match! Fun to watch, though. So I like the SSC idea - it's very much akin to CL Speed Limit Combat, where you can fly any engine you want, you just have to keep the speed under 75 mph. But, as you know, there are people out there who will use whatever will give them an advantage within the rules, hence even if one is against the idea, it's a good thing to know about all the options and therefore be prepared. The class I thought would be natural for the F2D engines was the original 1/12 scale combat class - here's where an ultra lightweight, fuel sipping, very powerful .15 would really help, given the wing area and size constraints of the class. One drawback would be the incredible amount of 30K RPM noise, but perhaps a mousse can would help fix that (not allowed in F2D). The exhaust layout is perfect for a rearward pointing mousse can.

Then again - I remember what someone told me at the 2000 Nats, when I and a few other CL Combat pilots wandered over to the RC Combat site - he said if you go much faster than they were going already, your streamer would shred and you'd lose points!

That said - I'm curious if you'd tried the RC Combat plane with the supplied prop. The molded carbon/glass props used in F2D are in the range of 7x3.5, probably a little small for a 72 inch plane, but they do let the engines rev at where they are making peak power (about 30K). I figure if someone could get Kalmykov or Chornny to mold a 7.5x3 or 8x2.7 with thin blades, it'd be better than the APC 8x3. 18K RPM is way below the power band.

One engine I think should be tried is the SC .15 (or its identical twin, the ASP .15). These weigh about 4 ounces, and are twin ball bearing. Most 2BB .15s weigh 6 oz. This one looks like a bored out .12. Strangely enough, they don't seem available in the U.S. - I got mine from Just Engines, in the U.K., for use in the New Zealand/South African/to be decided elsewhere version of Speed Limit - .15 engines, speed limit 3 sec/lap. About US$60 each, shipped. Haven't run them yet but I've built planes for them.

If I were to take up RC Combat, I'd use bladder tanks from the outset, since I'm very familiar with them. I'm just wondering how they work with RC carbs. Do you really need an RC carb, or will a shutoff do? Or a two speed throttle (full speed and idle)? I understand Lee makes some sort of carb for his Magnums. To get the most out of a bladder tank, you want a huge intake. Dang - almost makes me want to give it a shot..