| The sport of model airplane combat has been around | | | | survive much better and can often be used for other |
| now for decades and in recent years has grown | | | | forms of flying.When fighting in the SSC class, a |
| exponentially. The human race is naturally competitive | | | | single round of combat lasts 5 minutes. You must |
| and it's only natural that modelers are going to find a | | | | have a .15 engine and your airplane is required to |
| way to pit their flying skills against each other.In | | | | weigh no less than 2.5 pounds. There are no |
| combat, competitors tie a lengthy streamer to the | | | | restrictions on your airplane's wingspan, but the |
| rear of their model, and take to the skies in an | | | | overall wing area must be at least 400 square inches. |
| attempt to cut their opponents streamer with their | | | | All combating RC model airplanes use an unmodified |
| propeller or wing. Category after category has been | | | | Master Airscrew 8x3 prop and the maximum |
| created to allow all sorts of planes to enter combat. | | | | allowable RPM is 17,500rpm at launch. RPM testing is |
| What used to be reserved for balsa and ply-wood | | | | often performed before combat starts to make sure |
| built planes has now expanded to allow for much | | | | everyone is conforming to the rules.The other |
| more durable RC model airplanes that are even | | | | classes of combat, Open Classes and Scale, all have |
| capable of surviving mid-air collisions | | | | different rules and restrictions regarding weight, |
| (sometimes!).Balsa, Foam, and SPAD model airplanes | | | | engine, and appearance but the objective of all of |
| all take to the skies to see who is Top Dog. Combat | | | | them is to ensure that it is the skill of the pilot that is |
| clubs can be found in just about every country on | | | | being tested and not the airplane.What all of these |
| the planet. The two largest RC model airplane | | | | classes do have in common is some sort of point |
| combat associations are the Radio Control Combat | | | | system. Combat contestants earn points for things |
| Association (RCCA) and the National Sports Combat | | | | such as cutting their opponents streamers, |
| Club (NSCC).Just about every model airplane combat | | | | continuous flying during combat, launching within the |
| group has one thing in common. Your model airplane | | | | set time limit, as well as points for every foot of |
| and you competitor's must both fall into the same | | | | streamer left when landing. Points can also be |
| category to make the combat fair. A few examples | | | | deducted for not engaging an opponent in combat. |
| of these classes are; Slow Survivable Combat (SSC), | | | | Pilots that avoid fights will be penalized. If your model |
| Open Classes, and Scale. Each of these classes have | | | | airplane crosses various safety lines which define the |
| strict requirements about the size of the engine | | | | combat area this will also earn penalty |
| used, the overall weight of the aircraft, the size of | | | | deductions.Model airplane combat whether RC or |
| the prop, and in some cases even the shape of the | | | | Control Line can add a very exciting element to an |
| fuselage must conform to the rules.At one time | | | | already enjoyable hobby. So what's holding you back? |
| model airplane combat got pretty fast and furious | | | | Give it a try, inquire with other flyers at your local |
| with high speeds and a high attrition rate as planes | | | | flying field. Large combat associations might have |
| ploughed into each other and into the ground. The | | | | strict rules, but feel free to make up your own when |
| Slow Surviveable Class was developed to counter | | | | you set out pit your model airplane flying skills against |
| this tendency and the rules produce a big, slow flying | | | | your friends.Bruce Bird makes it easy for the |
| airplane without an excess of power. As a result, this | | | | beginner to quickly grasp the broad range of exciting |
| class is much more suitable for beginners, the models | | | | activities that make up airplane modeling. |