hey all,

My local club is having a combat meet and I need to learn.

Anybody have some good tips / tricks / tactics that they're willing to share ?

thanks,
~flyer~

Dont Fly in a straight line + HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!,also , try to out power your opponent...

Everything you ever wanted to know about tactics:
http://www.rccombat.com/sections/wor...Techniques.htm

D

You really should read AJ's article Darin mentioned.

On a more basic level, go out to the field when other guys are flying, and learn to watch another plane in the air while still flying yours. Try formation flying with a friend. Both of these things are really useful in combat, since if you're spending all your time watching only your own airplane, you can't track down other guys.

If your new to combat. At your first couple of meets, don't let the plane outfly you. If it gets too fast, throttle back and get control. its better to lose your streamer, than to lose your plane when you fly it into the ground cause you tried to get too fancy..

Great point Thojo. I've seen more planes in combat flown into the ground due to dumb thumbs than I've seen crash from a midair.

Cajun

thanks guys, this is good stuff .. keep it comin'

~flyer~

For practice I recommend a couple things.

Fly the plane hard at at the edge of it's and your limits. I like to practice low figure 8's at full bore. Combat is nearly allways on the edge so you need to get comfortable there. If your feeling pretty good about your low figure eights try to do it inverted. Start out high though! This tends to unnerve the other flyers and is best done when no one else is up.
Second practice flying the plane in your peripheral vision. You can't search for targets if your fixated on your own plane. This seems very odd at first but you get used to it. It's also a good idea to have a plan for when you lose sight of your plane in the furball. It's gonna happen! If it never does your not trying hard enough! I pull full up elevator and look forthe looping plane. I know my planes will do continuous loops for at least 3 or full loops so I ususally can find it before to long. Bright colors that stand out help too!
I also like to shadow some of the sport flyers who don't object to much. It's good practice to just stay on their six. They tend to get sore if you hit them though so you have to keep your distance!

Feel the Force my young apprentice!

flyer_of_planes,

You've received quite an honor! Yoda (Hat Trick) only takes on a new apprentice every few hundred years or so!

the force is strong with this one.

I feel like luke skywalker .. only without the x-wing ..

thanks guys .. keep it coming
~flyer~

I felt like a Luke untill one day I launched late and there was Darth (Hat) Bearing down like a locamotive out of control. HA!

tip one. Look both ways before launching after they yell "Start combat".
Ron

Also never yell Dead stick I'm landing if you have any streamer left! It attracts the aggressive pilots like flies to @@####$. :stupid:

Ill double that..jus kinda dissapear and then land....

Of course, idling your engine while high up, then yelling deadstick is a good way to eliminate some of the competition. Everyone will meet on the way to your streamer

Just kidding, of course, but it is true that you have to watch out when diving on a late launcher or plane with engine trouble, since everyone else has the same idea you do. I've had my worst head-on midairs while chasing one plane and not seeing the other guy who is also also chasing my target.

Oh, and never, ever, brag about how good you are at defense. Can you say "Target #1"? .

On a more serious note, it is worth while to try to watch and follow or "intercept" other sunday flyers. Most sunday flyers put around in a basic left hand pattern. Get used to getting behind them, and watching for their turn, and then turning with them. Just be sure to do it at a distance so they don't notice, or better yet, do it with friends who don't mind. You don't even need to do it with your combat plane. The important thing is getting used to watching the other guy while staying with your own plane.

While you are new, you can live by "when in doubt, pull up then breathe". If you loose sight, orientation, or anything at all feels odd or panicy, pull full up elevator with no aileron, and take a breath as your plane loops and you catch back up with it. It's not uncommon for the plane to get ahead of you. As long as you don't get in the habit of casing guys low inverted, full up elevator will 99% of the time be a safe thing to do.

Actually, if you are new, there is something to be said for just trying to put up a series of 160pt rounds, with maybe a 260 thrown in for good measure (get one well planned cut). You'd be surprised how well you can do in many contests that way.

Basically, fly defense, and pay attention to what's going on around you and make a few carefully planned attacks rather than racing around after everything that moves.