Rich,

There's an active group of guys flying SSC combat in MD and VA. If you're interested in guys coming to join you from around the area, you might look at using SSC rules as that will help with guys already having the right gear.

SSC planes all go about the same speed due to the RPM limits, and their durability is well tested. I don't see any reason why you couldn't do racing with the same kind of plane as well, it would actually be a lot of fun, and allow for no-fear low-level racing.

Fwiw, most of the SPADs aren't that great in the .15 size, the foam planes tend to work well. For kits and designs, there are lots of SSC planes that are all about the same in speed, but vary a little bit here and there in speed and turning ability. The Avenger is very good, as is the Phencepost. The Battle Axe is easy to build and customize. And many of us build our own SSC planes because they areally are easy to put together. I sell an occasional kit of my Rapier (I'm NOT in the kit buis, I just sell them once in a while for guys who want them), and Sam, over in Salisbury, MD now has a CNC foam cutter and CNC router he's working with to supply the large combat community out that way.