Who makes good combat planes? I've been flying for a little while and want to get started in combat.

You do!!!

http://www.spadtothebone.com

It depends a bit on what class(es) of combat you want to fly. I'd start out by contacting some combat guys in your area and see what they are flying. That way, you don't wind up being the only guy in your area in one class when everyone is doing something different. You might think about flying a design simular to what the locals are flying as well, since it will be easier getting help getting things set up.

Fortunatly, combat is not nearly as setup-critical as most other kinds of RC contests. At least not in the same ways.

Once you know what class is popular in your area, you can start looking at designs out there.

I agree with Tatoo and Motegue.

Go to a meet in your local area if possible and see what's popular. There are MANY designs that are very good combat planes in the right hands, and several more that are competative in most peoples hands!

Try World Models Combat planes. We put Magnum 36's on them and we have a blast!

A guy in my club said something about Combat 704. Whats that?

704 combat is what used to be in the AMA rule book for scale combat (.15 sized engines and 1/12 scale). This goes back to I think early 90's. It is no longer. Scale combat today is flown to AMA 2610 rules which in a nut shell allows engines of .26 cid and below and a 10% deviation from the 1/12 scale deminsions.

There is all the info you could ever need on all that is combat here:

http://www.rccombat.com/rcca.asp

Scole:

Don't forget to check out the www.spadtothebone.com site. It has everything you need to get into whatever type of combat is flown in your area.

Just about everybody at my club -- Hawks in Hamilton, OH (Cincinnati area) started with spads and has graduated to more sophisticated designs. I am heading back to spads for SSC class combat--they're cheap and easy to build. No fancy servos, mixing or materials required, $60 for OS .15LA. Just a bunch of no. 6 screws, Home Depot stuff and a little coroplast which is readily available from Harbor Sales. Link to HS is on spad site. A 4x8 sheet of 2mm is good for four wings. Cost is about 8 bucks plus 2.75 for them to cut it (easier shipping). If you spend more than 25 shipping is free.

Once you acquire the basic materials and skills to work with coroplast, you'll have enough stuff for several planes. The spad site will also guide you in gluing coroplast, and other spad related construction methods.

Good luck and welcome to the fraternity. It's like the Hotel California--you can check in but you never check out.

I'd be surprised if there are guys flying 704 up there, though it's certainly possible.

I don't know how far you plan to drive to make a contest, but there should be a contest in Cicero, NY at some point next season. That's where the guys of TufFlight are located. That would be Open B class. I don't know if they did scale at Cicero last year, I didn't make the contest. I did fly a contest down in Endicott, NY that was Open B and scale 2610. I haven't heard if they are holding that contest again in 2003 though.

Anyway, talk to guys in your area and find out what classes they fly, then build for that. Just make sure you are talking to an active combat pilot who knows something about your local contests, not someone who saw it once or twice and think they know what they saw.

When I was looking to get in to combat, I looked over the rules, and thought 2105 looked like the neatest class. I was going to go build for that. Good thing I didn't, no one flys it. And around here there isn't much scale either, so you have to be willing to drive for it. (though we might be starting a 2610 re-birth here this year, we will see).

Anyway, I met some of the local guys who actually fly combat and found out what classes were flown, and built for that.

Around here, it just happens that Open A class is the most popular, followed by Open B. There is no Open C or 1/2A or SSC (yet?). I know in other areas, C class is most popular, and no one flys A. Still other areas have a lot of SSC action.

go check out this site...
http://www.kombat40.com/
mike

What's the deal with all the posts with the same website?

It's dangerously close to spamming.

What web site is being spammed?

RCU is being spammed by ace2002 (the one above my first post) - he has posted the same reply on several of the topics.

Midair,

Ok, hehehe. I was thinking there was one being spammed in this thread and I did not see it.

I never did click on the link you are refering to, and now I don't think I will.

Thanks,

If you just want fun inexpensive combat, get about 3 or more guys to build Pizza Boxes and go at it, FULL CONTACT. Aint never had so much fun tearing up a plane in my life, and they're amazingly durable.

Fun fool is right! these things are a blast! cant get enough stick time. you can even do solo combat with your wind sock...see how manny times you can bump it (kill) with out a crash...my personal best is 4.