What exactly is combat flying?

I'm new as you can probably tell, just trying to learn stuff.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/What...2544229/tm.htm

Like some one once said it is the most fun you can have with your pants on (to the auther of that, thank you, it is now stuck in my head and I can not get rid of it)

Seeing how many plane you can plant before you run out of $$$$$$$$

RC Outlaw,
Well, if all you do it plant, you really only need 1. See, combat planes aren't the fragile, balsa and ply constructions you're used to. I've had wings knocked off planes and watched them lawn-dart down from hundreds of feet up. Then I pulled it out of the dirt, flushed the engine out at the field, put the wing back on, and flew it again in the next round.

I've also done things like full-throttle belly landings (while goofing off at low level, or because the throttle got stuck), the only damage was a broken prop.

combat planes don't cost very much to build either. $100+ ARF's just aren't the right idea for combat.

If you travel around and compete with the top pilots in the country, you spend a lot of money flying combat. But for most guys flying in their local areas, it's actually a rather inexpensive form of competition. I mean, I can build a fleet of combat planes that will last an entire season for less than a single pattern, IMAC, or chopper costs. And I can drive mine in to the ground in competition or in pratice and not have my contest or season ended on the spot.

So, what are they made of ? stone?

Actually, more like rubber.

We've found flexibility is key to survivability. If parts can flex and move around in an impact the forces on the airframe are much lower and often times survivable.

Though, the rare motor led t-bone is still gving us problems...

Mostly foam, reinforced with various things. But not that wimpy white stuff that blows apart if you look at it funny. Heavier blue or pink foam in the 25 or 40psi density. EPP foam is also very popular since it has the ability to "bounce" and give. It's the same reason the full-contact glider and zagi guys use EPP foam.

Wing spars are usually fiberglass rods. The glass rods can bend and flex with impacts rather than break like wood or carbon fiber will.

HDPE (high density polyethelyne, aka "cutting board material" is often used for parts of the fuse, since it can bend and flex to absorb impacts, but is actually hard to break. Light weight aluminum angle is sometimes used as part of the fuse as well, it's light and strong, flexes a little, and can be bent back in to shape if it gets really mangled, or cheaply and quickly replaced if it's not fixable.

Tail surfaces are coro, since again, it flexes and takes hits well. I've landed to find 3-4 prop cuts through a vertical stab, but the plane kept flying and the tail stayed on there, and kept the plane stable. A bit of tape between rounds, and it was back in the air.