Popriv

We have just started flying multiple planes in SSC combat. Just getting the feel of it.
Do you actually chase another plane? I try and loop and turn and just try to stay in " the box " I'm wondering if things " slow down " after awhile and you can actually go after someone?

Its enough trying to watch my own plane never mind trying to go after someone. Is there a stratagy involved?

Oh yes, we havent even put anything sticky on our wings yet.. I'm thinking most cuts would come from the wings? I'm thinking blue painters tape under two sided tape..


Steve

Capn America

My Feedback: (3)

you are on the right track, dont wory about the sticky for a while, its fun to count drapes while practicing, sticky if your keeping score.

When most start you furball in the middle of the field and try to find a target or make dive in passes at others. As you get comfortable, you start to follow streamers and eventually following planes towing streamers. the best practice really is one on one, have someone be a rabbitt and try to follow them and get position on them to get the streamer. Alot of times I still cant tell who im following just that i am chasing the one ahead of me. There is a neat video and discussion on the RCCA web site under tactics about that sort of thing. it takes time to develop pursuit skills for most people.

Blue Note

It definitely takes some getting used to when you have several in the sky at once. Get really familiar with your plane so you pretty much know what you are doing without even looking at it. It seems really hard with less than 4 in the air if you are all offensive. You just keep looping around each other in the beginning. You can designate one person as the target which helps focusing. Another thing that has seemed to help here is to fly you planes on low rates to force more pursuit than fur-balling, which will also decrease the mid-air collisions during the acclimation process. The tightness of the formation will depend on the individuals flying styles and the field you are at. Keep at it and it will become easier, but it may never be easy. Some pilots have a LOT of strategy about setting up a person in the turns and such, others fly by instinct alone, and may be the ones easier to set up. Many look for ways to make a defensive maneuver into a shot on the others ribbon. Sticky wings help with actual cuts, but you can usually tell when you would have gotten a cut by teh ribbon draping over teh wing in flight. It simply saves on ribbons. Using the forestry tape for practice makes the ribbons last a long time as well, but it is more expensive per streamer. Good luck.

pe reivers

Before my eyesight got too bad, I could concentrate on planes in my side vision without loosing track of my own. At best times I could concentrate on the nmi, while controlling my plane with side vision. Those days I always ended high in ranking. My wingman always was a great help in directing me towards the opportunities, and advising me of manoeuvres to take. I followed those suggestions blindly, even before I saw myself. That's what your helper is for.

Lnewqban

Here you are, Steve:

http://rccombat.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=28

grasshopper

Hey Lnewqban from south florida, what's you name or handle I might recognize? I like to stay in touch with my homies. We just held a 2 day contest in WPB were you there? Are you for real? Hard to tell on the web who's really doing it and who's just a poser.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The focus for all guys just getting started with combat should be to see how long you can keep from getting your streamer yanked and only take "clean" opportunity shots when they present themselves to you. After awhile, you will start to recognize sequences of events that lead up to good, clean scoring opportunities.

Combat's no fun when everyone is picking up pieces off the ground, so get everyone on the same page to fly defensively at first. When we fly combat here, it is usually 1/2A [.049-.061] or .15 diesel at 35-40 mph. The only score we keep is who has drank the most beer. Most of our outings last all day with very little wreckage, sometimes none. A typical day is 10-12 matches that last the whole 15 minutes. So, we're talking 3 hours worth of dog fighting and the focus can drift a little. Each match is basically the time it takes to burn 2 ozs of fuel.

If the string leaders are made long enough, that obviously helps keep the target away from the plane, but most midairs are stupid, random T-Bone jobs that a long streamer can't help prevent.

draftman1

at first, I was just flying around hoping to get lucky, I would get a few cuts but nothing that great then I got a few pointers from my combat buddys in so cal, so I started more on the pursuit, I would try to get the gecko eye thing going and try to find other planes and keep an eye on mine. that helped alot, I started getting more cuts. it became even more fun. I learned that when following somebody, anticipate there turn and be right there when they turn. learn how others fly, some people are very predictable but you can pick up a pattern on most people. another good way to get a cut is, when a guy is launching late, come around and get him just after he lanches, he is so focused on launching, he cant get evasive soon enough, and most of all, just have fun!

make sure you are comfortable enough with your plane that you can take your eyes off of it for a few seconds to try to find the other guys. a plane that is way to squirley, bad flying caracteristics or badly out of trim will definatley keep you out of the pursuit mode

Clean

A plane that goes where you point it and doesn't go off on it's own when you don't have your eyes on it. Keep it in your periphery while you track your opponent BUT at first just trying to stay around the furball will get you some lucky cuts at least. Just starting combat you should just have someone tow a streamer and try to cut it. Basic combat with two people try to stay on it with another plane eventually you will learn what they do standard and start anticipating it, then you can plan on having your plane in the area that the other guys plane will be in.

And yes, it does all start to slow down OR rather you will speed up.

And I come from a slightly different theology then Combatpigg where we were always told 'Forget about that stupid streamer on the end of your plane, show em nothing but prop.' When they're running from you they won't have a chance to get your streamer, course you've got to keep from overflying them and feeding them the whole dang thing.

HOR's with LA 15's will give you tons of easy flying combat with very little damage from midairs, problem is, was and is again with the SSC concept is someone always complains about needing to have bigger faster stronger airframes and the survivable easy flying HOR's turn into what the event is today, a slightly slower B class.

Build some HOR's per the plans with the lower power LA 15's and have a blast.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I'm not talking about your strategy when you are out for blood at a contest, but how a group of guys like Popriv's can get the most air time while learning and ease into the sport gradually.
When I hear of guys mid-airing right off the bat..the next thing I usually hear after that is more than 1/2 of them quit.

Lnewqban

Hi, Grasshopper,

I don't fly combat; just wanted to guide the OP to good information I knew.
My name is irrelevant; I just enjoy learning and helping others here at RCU.

Yes, I am a real Floridian.
No, I was not at that contest, but I hope it went well.

daven

My Feedback: (1)

8 midairs in my first 12 heats, hmmmm.

Capn America

My Feedback: (3)

Look to be the 3rd plane in the pursuit, the 1st is focused on running, 2nd on pursuing and he is not watching for you coming up behind him. Also with 2 in front of you flying a simular pattern your odds of being in the right spot when they turn just got better. Eventually you can move into the 2nd spot...

Clean

Exactly, focused on one with somebody coming up behind you...


Ain't combat great?

That's actually where a spotter will come in handy, it's like having a wing man on the ground. You'll need to practice though. I've sat there and watched things come up and go by before I could get my silly mouth to say something other then 'uhhhhh, that was cool'.

WILDTHAWN

If your using double sided tape in combat do you become an ace when you have five planes stuck together

cutaway

In the meets I've judged in, probably 80-90% of the maneuvers people do are inside pulls which means they'll be expecting you to do inside pulls as well. IMO, mastering and applying inside and outside maneuvers equally can give you an edge. I've seen hundreds of opportunities for a cut lost because someone was apparently uncomfortable doing a push where a streamer was simply there for the taking.

Some planes don't have a symmetric airfoil though and will be looser on outside/push's. If your plane turns equally well in both directions and you can suck the other guy into an outside race, you'll easily turn inside them.

j.duncker

My Feedback: (2)

A couple of hints.

1 If you look away from your model and can not find it when you look back pull up elevtor and leave it looping so it becomes identifiable.

2 Watch other people fly and learn what they do when followed. When you fly against that person follow them then anticipate their manouvre and pul through the line of their streamer. Many people are VERY predictable. If you find someone who pulls negative G manouvres or can out turn your model FIND ANOTHER TARGET!