........in the Seattle area who would like to do some "high speed jousting" this summer...........[8D]

[link=http://youtu.be/o136RpOSUOU]FOX .36 WINGDINGER[/link]

Fox .36 is not a legal combat engine.

It is where I fly combat.
At any rate, please don't call the cops on me.

I really like your Fox 36 winger, it reminds me of CL combat planes. There are a LOT of CL combat guys in the Seattle area. I've also got a lot of Fox 36 MK III's sitting around and a couple of FORA 36's. Would you be willing to send me a PM with the construction details of your bird? I'd like to build a few. Thanks in advance.

Gary, I take a well seasoned AMA Fast or 80 mph plane to start with. The one you see here is a Steve Hills style plane with a poplar motor block and aluminum arrow shaft boom.
First step is to hack off the stabilator.
Next, I cut into the wing to create "reliefs" so that the elevons blend into the airfoil. This is just a judgement call. The important thing is to glue trailing edges to the wing to give the elevons something to hinge to. I use bamboo skewers to anchor the trailing edges to the foam wing.

The elevons are 1 3/4" wide.
The servo mounts are plywood, the idea is that they are recyclable from plane to plane
The engine mounts are longer than what you would have with a controline plane.
I machined them on my drill press with a cross slide vise and a mill bit.
I used the CG calculator at Geistworks. IIRC it flies at 10-15% MAC. Be prepared to fine tune that for the best glide and control response that you like.
You are obviously a pretty knowledgable and resourceful Combat Guy so you shouldn't have any trouble making something like this work.
The fin area is enough for decent tracking, even with a streamer hanging off a wing panel, but a central fin would be good for a real combat machine.
I like this configuration because it is fun to sport fly, but I'd like to make it even lighter.
I tried the same idea with AMA Fast combat designed by Lee Liddle...but the first one exploded about 30 seconds into the first flight.
I think that covers it, but let me know if you've got any more questions.

HA! Call the cops on ya? Heck, the KCMOcops are still trying to figure out the source of the noise complaint!!!

Couple of those in the circle were always fun to watch and listen to.

The most fun I have with these airframes for RC Combat is with PAW .15s. The aluminum mounts beams are a little bit longer and a 4 oz tank mounts on the beams opposite the engine.
Matches last up to 20 minutes at speeds up to 60 mph.....[X(].
Mid airs are very easy to avoid and it's a lot like WWI dog fighting where you need to conserve energy and altitude. The PAWs even tend to sag a little with excess maneuvering, so you need to occassionaly level off before going on the attack again.
The biggest drawback to diesel combat is the streamers get soaked and hours of combat time will make you thirsty so make sure to have a lawn chair with a drink holder while flying those sorties.

Thanks for the details. I've got a rack full of ArrowPlanes, un-built cores, Seal-Lamin, bladder material and similar hanging around now that the only Fast contest is the Bladder Grabber. I'll build a couple for fun. Everyone is F2d around here and although I really like the way the F2d airplanes fly, I HATE the rules. The Phoenix spring contest tried Fast F2d (F2d airplanes with AMA Fast rules). It was apparently a great success.

Lee has been flying SSC and Open B R/C combat for quite a few years now and really revolutionized the sport by bringing in CL Combat technology, bladders, etc. He took last year off but we hope to see him again soon. The RC Falcons that were available as ARF's are not the same as the ones that Lee actually designed and built, and they were produced without his input, so if you blew the wing off of one of those, it doesn't count. I've got a few Cobra's for SSC, they are like Falcons except that they have a separate pitch control surface. It really helps with the launch and trimming.

Thanks again.

Fast was so much fun when you had to do everything yourself. There were no definitive paths to being competitive, just the willingness to put in your time and network with those who knew engine work tips and plane design.
Then everything became "Cookie Cutter" with Nelson .36s and Russian Arfs. The models performed like never before but the sport no longer had the magic feel it once had when you could walk the pits and rarely see the exact same set up twice.
Now there are alot of hot .36s going to waste as well as some Fast Combat building materials....might as well use that stuff up in other ways and have fun...!
I have one of those never ending rolls of Seal Lamen too. It's also called Doculam now.

FAI models and Fast rules makes good sense and should appeal to the majority. I also like 80 mph flown with Magnum .15s.

I still have my Foxes, but recently sold my Nelson .36 to fund my current passion. CL combat is a blast, my problem is I know of no one that flies them or even has the desire to try. I probably had the most fun with half A. I have a great design and get it out once in a while.

1/2A C/L combat always left me wanting more than what the Cox TDs could deliver. Just the slightest line entanglement usually meant the match was over. I still had more success with 1/2A than the other classes.
1/2A RC Combat is my absolute favorite with Norvel Big Migs, low nitro. In one day you can fly a dozen matches that last 12 minutes each and rarely have any long delays due to mid airs.
We still bring materials and tools to splice broken spars and patch the covering, but the planes are slow enough to abort any passes that don't look like a clean shot at the streamer.
The important thing is to fly identical planes with identical power.
We use crepe paper streamers. The rolls are band sawed in half.
If field conditions are good enough we pull off 4 arm lengths [about 20 feet] of crepe paper and tie it to a weak cotton string leader that is 10 feet long. You really need to use a fishing swivel to keep the string from raveling up during those long matches.
A full day of 1/2A RC combat = over 2 hours of actual combat time and it's the last matches of the day when the flyers are getting "tired" when the most midairs happen.