Discover the Thrill of Model Airplane Combat

The sport of model airplane combat has been aroundsurvive much better and can often be used for other
now for decades and in recent years has grownforms of flying.When fighting in the SSC class, a
exponentially. The human race is naturally competitivesingle round of combat lasts 5 minutes. You must
and it's only natural that modelers are going to find ahave a .15 engine and your airplane is required to
way to pit their flying skills against each other.Inweigh no less than 2.5 pounds. There are no
combat, competitors tie a lengthy streamer to therestrictions on your airplane's wingspan, but the
rear of their model, and take to the skies in anoverall wing area must be at least 400 square inches.
attempt to cut their opponents streamer with theirAll combating RC model airplanes use an unmodified
propeller or wing. Category after category has beenMaster 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-woodoften performed before combat starts to make sure
built planes has now expanded to allow for mucheveryone is conforming to the rules.The other
more durable RC model airplanes that are evenclasses of combat, Open Classes and Scale, all have
capable of surviving mid-air collisionsdifferent rules and restrictions regarding weight,
(sometimes!).Balsa, Foam, and SPAD model airplanesengine, and appearance but the objective of all of
all take to the skies to see who is Top Dog. Combatthem is to ensure that it is the skill of the pilot that is
clubs can be found in just about every country onbeing tested and not the airplane.What all of these
the planet. The two largest RC model airplaneclasses do have in common is some sort of point
combat associations are the Radio Control Combatsystem. Combat contestants earn points for things
Association (RCCA) and the National Sports Combatsuch as cutting their opponents streamers,
Club (NSCC).Just about every model airplane combatcontinuous flying during combat, launching within the
group has one thing in common. Your model airplaneset time limit, as well as points for every foot of
and you competitor's must both fall into the samestreamer left when landing. Points can also be
category to make the combat fair. A few examplesdeducted 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 haveairplane crosses various safety lines which define the
strict requirements about the size of the enginecombat area this will also earn penalty
used, the overall weight of the aircraft, the size ofdeductions.Model airplane combat whether RC or
the prop, and in some cases even the shape of theControl Line can add a very exciting element to an
fuselage must conform to the rules.At one timealready enjoyable hobby. So what's holding you back?
model airplane combat got pretty fast and furiousGive it a try, inquire with other flyers at your local
with high speeds and a high attrition rate as planesflying field. Large combat associations might have
ploughed into each other and into the ground. Thestrict rules, but feel free to make up your own when
Slow Surviveable Class was developed to counteryou set out pit your model airplane flying skills against
this tendency and the rules produce a big, slow flyingyour friends.Bruce Bird makes it easy for the
airplane without an excess of power. As a result, thisbeginner to quickly grasp the broad range of exciting
class is much more suitable for beginners, the modelsactivities that make up airplane modeling.