Hi Test Pilot-

Let me share with you my experience with trying to start combat at my local club.

I introduced combat to my local club with a Spad Derelict with a Norvel .25 about 4 years ago. There wasn't much interest. Too fast for many of the members. After two years of being able to attract only one other pilot, I discovered the Gnat(designed by Tattoo)and SSC class combat.

That's when combat took off(pun)at my club. I can hear you experenced combat pilots chuckling right now! :-) The Gnat is not competitive against any other SSC design. But what the Gnat is, is a really easy of build(all the directions are on one page)cheap and really pretty durable plane. The .15 engines are inexpensive and the planes are slow flying.

That's what attarcted more guys to combat. Once used to combat, we moved onto different designs, like the SPAD HOR for SSC and also a HDPE fuse with a re-enforced pink foam(R-250)wing. We've also now moved to Open B with Spad Dogfighters and the HDPE/foam planes.

There's now about 10-12 guys who fly combat at the field every weekend. We are having a great time. None of us(with one exception)are into the AMA RCCA competition events. We're just club flyers. We don't keep score, we apologize to each other in case of a mid-air, and share, loan , swap parts and,help with repair with others planes.

We're in Iowa USA and we fly combat year around. We are fortunate to have a heated club house for winter flying.

So you might try starting with SSC. Also, let others fly your plane. See how they like it. Print up some Gnat or HOR plans and hand them out to others.

Good Luck Test Pilot.


Swede