I've read that some combat flyers use engineers tape instead of paper. Does the tape cut when hit by the wing? More info would be helpful.

It works great. We've been using it exclusively for practice for at least two years, and in meets when the weather sucks. Next month our local squadron is getting ready to vote to go to it at meets from now on and quit dicking with toilet paper. At the meets we've used it at, there is little difference in the scoring!

Heres more C & P from another combat forum:

Kraut and I have about 2 years of experience of practicing with the plastic tape almost every weekend, and have only recently gotten a hold of the forestry tape, and they both have about the same "cutability". We did make it clear yesterday that if we do go to the flagging tape, either the "econofriendly" forestry tape or plastic is fine, but if plastic is used, we will have to sweep the field and pick it all up after the meet. You are right on the money on the leader string, and we have been using 4 pound test string, so it will work great. I've heard several arguments against flagging tape being too strong and not working. But these arguments come from people who sit there and pull it apart and judge it by a "hand test", and haven't actually flown with it on a dry sunny day. This is completely different from a combat plane traveling 80 mph...it could care less wether it's crape that tears at .2 pounds pull, or flagging tape that tears at a 3 pound pull. Yesterday we flew in 30+ winds, and even the .15 sized planes were shredding their streamers, and it's a ***** when all the targest are gone 2 minutes into the round. We finally had had enough of using toilet paper to do a man's job. Of the meets we used flagging tape, last december is a good example, the scores were actually higher than this Jan and Feb meets!

Tattoo, thanks for the great info. Looks like we'll try it.

Ben

tattoo
were did you find forestry tape?
coro kid

We tried the tape for a while and found that it won't break like the paper but we managed to get tangled together with both planes going in opposite direction it was like a tug of war. Both planes while hooked together hover down to the ground without any damage. I like useing it but the other flier didn't care for it.

When we have to use the plastic surveyors tape, it works best to use leader string that is very easily broken. this seems to allow for easy breakage,...

Ck,
One of the guys in our squadron did a web search for the forestry tape and ordered some. He had it at the meet, and we checked it out. It has about the same strength as the plastic stuff, but is biodegradible. It is about the same price as the plastic stuff. I don't know what URL is for it, but I'm sure a search would turn some up!

Here's the place:

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/