Within a matter of 2 weeks of flying SSC I came up with 2 engines that hit hard enough to crack the crankcases where the cylinder meets the bottom end. That just demonstrates that there is too much kinetic energy in the event by design.
It is a very popular event, so I'm not trash talking it, just relaying my experience with it.
I fly .15 sized combat with PAW diesels on "retired" C/L combat foamies. The power is 11-12,000 rpm with 8x5 props and they look like they are going 35 mph in a dive. They pack enough wallop to knock into each other and take out an elevon....but they fly so slowly that you can break off your attack if the timing doesn't look right. The only diesel planes that I retired to the burn barrel are the ones that are too funky to mess with.
Diesel has it's drawbacks with the smell, fuel creep, availability, etc., but it is fun to see a couple of low rpm chuggers out there trying to score.

The rules in SSC got to be too much for me. If you have to have a tach, I am out!

I am over the traveling and competition combat. All I want now is a few locals who want to mix it up on the weekends.

Never had a diesel. As I understand the fuel is hard to come by and they are even messier that glow.Also heard diesel and foam did "not play well together."

Billy

Wiggy, If you believe as I do, the ultimate set up hasn't been built yet.
Hear is a list of things that I figure the plane needs to be a success:
1. slow, very slow but able to do consecutive loops from level flight.
2. flying wing with detachable fins....fins that are "modular".
3. interchangable engine / tank mount that shears off in a bad crash and is transferrable from plane to plane. My 1/2A planes all have their own mounts that are built into each plane, but the detachable mount idea does work.
4. simple to build, light as possible and field repairable, balsa, balsa, balsa. 360 square inches is a lot of area for iron on film, which is heavy and expensive. Doculam, sealamen, or cellophane [lightest] works well with clear packing tape to seal off seams and re-enforce certain areas. An airfoil design that is rounded back to the spars, but has a flat bottom back to the trailing edge is easy to build straight without jigs and favors rightside up flight just slightly.
5. low probability of equipment damage....I've flown hundreds of matches and the only engine casualty so far is losing one entirely in the deep grass. IIRC, it was a plane with hidden damage and the engine simply left the plane mount and all. A few servos have stripped, but that is very rare. At 13-14 ounces, when you do have an equipment failure and the plane goes in at a shallow angle...it wont reach dirt, it'll just get hung up in the hay.
6. long matches [typically 20 minutes of action], get used to flying from a lawn chair and make sure that your drink is already in the arm rest. 1/2As drink up 2 ozs [use Hayes brand tanks ], and the .15 diesels will give long flights on 4 ozs, maybe closer to a 1/2 hour? The raw diesel will destroy foam, but I glass the center sections about 6 inches from center over the center rib to lock in the center rib and this fuel proofs that area. The center rib in the foamies is made out of pine or similar to support a pair of aluminum beams that the engine and tank mounts to. I only use 1 bolt to anchor the mounts to the plane, in a crash this allows the engine to swing to one side and thump into the glassed center section, instead of tearing out the center rib.

Combatpigg,

I agree that the ultimate combat plane has not been designed. The idea with SSC was to keep the speed down, partially by making them heavy. This was not the best solution since all that mass hits hard either in a midair or an unscheduled landing. Reducing the minimum weight would only increase speed which also increases impact forces and damage.

I have done some slope soaring at Carters Lake and we fly Zagi THL and Slinger type wings there. These weigh about 12 ounces and they are usually undamaged from the frequent collisions there. I think the low mass and no prop combined with relatively low speeds get the credit for the lack of damage.

I would think a 1/2a powered wing of this size and weight would be pretty durable.

Are you familiar with the Tufflight planes? They are all EPP foam but they are too heavy, flexy, and fast to survive but they do have a good engine mount system. I am thinking of trying to mount my .061 to the nose of my Zagi with a similar mount. What would you think of that? I think it could be done at about 12-14 ounces.

Wiggy

I've never seen any slope soaring. I've got a little Zagi that is a POS with the stock motor. If you give a .061 on a Zagi a try, it might fly pretty good? Then go hunt down your friends with the slope soarers.
Is the engine a direct replacement for ballast?

You live on the west coast and have never even seen slope soaring? Shame on you. I have seen your posts in Extreme speed planes and you would love this. The current speed record is well over 300 MPH. Something like 365 but I can't remember.

My Zagi never had a motor. TLH means thermal hand launch. I have flown brushless Zagis but not lately, maybe over six years. It was not very exciting. My point, I don't think I could expect consecutive loops from level flight with an .061 but it might haul it around fairly well. It would be great if it could be setup like Tufflight does their engines so it could be added or removed(easily) for slope or combat. The GP Slinger cores are $22 from Tower and are already covered. If I could get something going with these, I could get several guys into combat here. Cheap and easy, what could be better for combat? The only problem I can think of is the weight may be too much.

Since I built the Zagi it has no ballast, the Slinger takes an 1100mah Nicad in the nose to balance. Replace the 1100 with 350 bolt on .061 and go fly! I like it.

Wiggy