Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

I'm new to RC combat and am interested in hosting a combat event for our club. I've checked out the RCCA website at www.rccombat.com and read the AMA's rules on RC combat at http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/e...s/RCCombat.pdf already. I was hoping to get some good general advice on how best to put an event together and how to make it run smoothly so everyone has fun.

Does anybody here have some additional resources they can recommend, or any advice they'd care to offer based on their own experiences? Thanks in advance for the help!

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Did you look at the CD Guide on the RCCA site? Lot's of good info in it. Look at the RCCA forum topics - "Upcoming Events" and "Debrief" for first hand accounts of what was planned and how it went down.

Make sure you participate in your club's other events, not only flying but volunteering to help out. The members you helped out will be more willing to help you with your event if you were helping them with theirs.

r

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

I was the CD of the Combat events when we held them at our club. If you already have a CD, and you have read the RCCA rules for the different categories, then just pick which categories you will allow at your event and go for it.

The biggest hurdle to jump is the field layout. To establish separation between the spectators and the flight line, nd the flight line to the combat line on an established field is a headache. In our case, we had to "displace" the normal flight stations to the far edge of the runway, and use the short grass adjacent to the runway as the landing area. The combat area was about 50' in front of the flight line. No combat allowed on the near side of that line.

Here is an aerial view of our field:
http://geocities.com/milford_rc/Img/landingstrip.gif

Due to the shelter being in a fixed position, we had to do the changes as stated above.

It is not rocket science, but it is hard work to plan and prepare for an event. Feel free to ask more specific questions either here or by PM.

Rafael

Edit: Added the picture

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Well, the combat event went off today very well. I don't think we did everything exactly by the book, but we sure had fun.

14 pilots flew 5 rounds, with 3 heats per round to start dwindling to two as collisions took their toll.

A couple of quick questions:

1) The AMA scoring sheet shows an optional "spot landing" score that the RCCA scoring sheet omits. Is this not a popular option?

2) Scoring for streamer remaining should only be done on the pilots original streamer, correct? Pilots don't get bonus points for bringing back opponents' streamers as well, do they? I figured that's what the AMA rules meant by 120 points max for this, you can't score more than this because you should never come back with 30' of original streamer.

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Glad you guys had fun!

Not to say it's never been done, but never at any of the contests I've been to.

Ideally you would come back with 30' of original streamer! :D But, yes, only your original streamer is counted. And then you get the "kill" points (100) for each opponent streamer you cut, whether it is his original streamer, or just one stuck to his wing. (technically a max of one per pass, even if there are 3 hanging from his plane).

Best regards,
Alex

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

I hadn't even seen a pylon racing or combat event before, or participated in a pattern event, so this year I decided to host all three to get familiar with them. It turned out pretty well considering how clueless I started out.

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

There are actually quite a few events that do the spot landing bonus. The points don't go into the RCCA National Points System tally but they could be the deciding factor for the event placings. I have been to several meets that did the spot landings and it's pretty hilarous! Some guys are pretty accurate with their landing glide, other guys tend to play lawn darts...

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

we do spot landings all the time, a big bullseye with increasing points, boxes whatever is interesting. I was told the original concept was to encourage pilots to land closer to the pits and cut down on retrivel time between rounds. If you dont have one, people do tend to land all over the field. It also becomes a little like marbles with the bullseye, seeiung who can bump one in or out of the circle...

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

The spot landing is fun!

Congrats on the successful event!

BTW, what class were you doing?

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

I damage more equipment in spot landing than I do in combat.[&o]

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

I pieced together some of the video footage from the combat event I hosted last July:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbJuPtvl488[/youtube]

Everybody who flew participated wants to do it again, even the three people who lost airplanes to mid-air collisions!

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Great work biged!

Hope you got some guys hooked on combat!

A couple of constructive observations I must make though.

You guys are fying .40+ sized planes. You GOTTA make sure NO ONE is in front of the pilot line, that spectators are at least 200-250' (depending on the biggest size plane you've got flying) behind the safety line and that EVERYONE in front of the spectator line has a hardhat on. Some of your guys may poo-poo this, but for the sake of safety, you have to enforce it. I've been in 2 combat situations, one as a pilot and one as a line judge where a midair occured and full throttle wingless fuselage lawndarted within 10' from me.

Otherwise, have fun and now see if you can talk your guys into building dedicated combat planes!

START COMBAT!

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Have not done this at our event but it sounds like fun[>:]

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Hello,
Whats that thing with the wheels on it under the wings of the planes?:D

Rick

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

Congratulations on having a successful event. Combat is a blast, and I am glad to hear that it is growing in your area. If you PM me with your address, I will get you a copy of the Start Combat CD, which takes a lot of burden off the contest director by automating the countdown, start engines, start combat and end combat. We use it at all of our TX combat meets and the NATS in Muncie. Rick Fraley built the oringinal, and as a busy CD, it is a life saver! Please post some pictures!

We don't do the spot landings in North TX, and we don't have any problem with folks landing too far out ... we are too lazy to walk any further than necessary! The only walkers are those who met terra firma after meeting another plane during the contest!;)

Ed

RE: Hosting a Combat event: How to get started?
 

  What class are you all flying there ?   Not SSC or 2548,  they look like 40 size ARFs
Looks like a lot of fun and I know it is, but every one need hard hats. from the pits forward

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