Scale FAQ- Dubai RC Hobbies

Scale plane (FAQ)

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What is scale combat?
Is it difficult to cut the streamers?
How big are the airplanes?
Do mid air collisions occur often?
Why do the pictures show airplanes without wheels?
How do I hand launch the airplane?
If I never have flown radio controlled airplanes before, should I start out with a scale combat airplane?
How much does a typical scale combat plane cost?
What kind of engines are being used?
Can I use standard size servos in a scale combat plane?
What kind of aircraft is recommended for someone who is not used to a super sensitive airplane?
Does a faster plane have a better chance of winning in scale combat?
What is your advice to score well?
How long does it take to build combat plane?
What are the rules as far as airplane requirements and scoring?
Can I fly a fun fly type plane in a scale combat contests?
What size fuel tank do I need to be able to fly the seven minute combat period?
How much control throws are needed?

What is scale combat?........... Scale combat is a fairly new aspect of radio control airplane modeling that involves using small replicas of World War II aircraft to compete against other pilots in the recreation and excitement of WW II aerial combat, or dog fighting as it is sometimes referred to. The airplanes have a 30 foot long streamer attached to them via a five foot string. A group of up to eight planes are launched and fly within a limited airspace as they attempt to cut the streamer off of the opponents' airplanes.

Is it difficult to cut the streamers?.........No, they are usually made out of crepe paper and cut very easily once the propeller contacts the streamer; and therein lies the difficult part..... getting the propeller to contact the streamer. Most propellers on these airplanes are between 6 to 10 inches in length, and trying to cut a one inch wide streamer while flying in a three dimensional world at speeds of up to 85 mph.... with the opponent trying to avoid your attack, can be difficult. But with experienced pilots competing, there are normally several ribbon cuts made during the course of a contest. The streamer sometimes is cut without even contacting the propeller... it can be cut by other parts of the airplane if contact is made from a sharp angle relative to the streamer, or the attacking pilot does aileron rolls to twist and snap the streamer with the wings.

How big are the airplanes?.......The airplanes, by the current AMA 704 rules are 1/12 scale of the full size airplanes. This makes for simple conversion to figure out the dimensions of the replicas since 1/12 of one foot equals one inch. For example a full size P-51 Mustang has a wingspan of 37 feet; a 1/12 scale replica would have a wingspan of 37 inches. Most of the airplanes weigh less than 3 pounds and are powered by a .15 or .20 size engine.Check the rules being used for the your area, some allow .26 engines and 10% deviation from scale. Others require that you stay within 5% of scale fidelity and use no larger than a .20 engine.

Do mid air collisions occur often?........Well this question is kind of subjective. Obviously there is a much higher rate of mid airs with this flying in close proximity of other airplanes, than there is with sport flying. Some pilots seem to just have bad luck when it comes to mid air collisions, while others almost seem to never have them. One club member has flown in over 20 matches and only lost one airplane; and that was due to a mid air collision. Another club member has flown in about 10 matches and lost five airplanes, all due to mid air collisions. The pilot certainly has some control over the situation some time, since there are times when things just start looking bad and he can change headings to avoid getting into the middle of a swarm of airplanes. But some times you don't even see the other plane coming and you just have to hit the silk ( that is if you have a silk hanky) as your airplane comes to the ground in several pieces. Of course the spectators get a thrill out of these collisions and the resulting destruction! Not all mid airs result in total destruction of the plane. I have seen planes collide and lose half of the horizontal stab and keep on battling it out. Other times you hear them hit , but there is no damage. Many pilots come to the contests with several airplanes just to be sure.

Why do the pictures show airplanes without wheels?.......Due to the rules of the game, and practical limitation of size and space and the laws of aerodynamics, it has been found that not having wheels makes for a much better performing airplane. The planes can be hand launched, or some pilots use catapults. Landings are usually done on grassy areas and no damage is done. Or some pilots install a wire skid on the belly if them must land on concrete or asphalt. Besides, the planes look more realistic during combat with no wheels in sight, unless of course the real plane had fixed gear... then the model would look scale with fixed gear also.

How do I hand launch the airplane? By Ed Hershon
Handlaunching a small aircraft can be a pain but I've found a way that seems to work on any airplane that will fly. You need to stand flatfooted (don't run) and use both hands. Use the left hand to support the nose of the airplane (behind the engine) and the right to provide the thrust. If you grip the area where the vertical stabilizer meets the fuselage between the thumb and first finger you can squeeze that area without crushing the structure. This allows you to use the right arm as a "catapult" and the left to aim the nose at the horizon. (Do not throw the nose up) Using a smooth,fluid motion with both arms and a snap of the wrist on the release, I can provide more thrust than a catapult. Since finding this method, I've not had a bad launch and no crashes on take-off. However, sometimes if the engine is set too lean, the high thrust from the launch will cause the engine to sag. The drawback to this method is that you can't launch your own plane unless you have a third hand to hold the transmitter. You can practice this method using a meter long stick or a competitor's airplane.
By Dan, I have personally had good success with using a gentle underhand launch on planes with light wing loading. I simply hold the plane by the top fuse area between the trailing edge of the wing and the front of the stab. Then throttle up , give a swing of the arm similar to the last half of a bowlers swing ( but don't bend over) and release when your arm is extended out front. You must use a neck strap if you launch this way to avoid possibly dropping the transmitter.

If I never have flown radio controlled airplanes before, should I start out with a scale combat airplane? They really look neat and I always liked the war birds of WW II !.......No! Not anymore than you would learn how to fly a real airplane in a real combat situation. These small scale airplanes are extremely maneuverable and quick to respond to control inputs. They would make the worst possible trainer for learning to fly radio control. You should start out with a typical trainer type airplane in the .40 or .60 size engine category. You will learn faster and save money in the long run. Contact your local R C club or hobby shop for help in choosing a plane and learning to fly.

How much does a typical scale combat plane cost?...... The answer to this depends on if the wife is around or not! LOL Seriously... There are various manufacturers currently selling kits ranging from $35 up to over $100. There are also some guys who will build a kit for you at a reasonable charge. Look in the "Equipment" section of this site where you may obtain more information. More resources will be listed as more manufactures jump into the furball!

What kind of engines are being used?.......Currently most guys are using inexpensive .15 to .25 size engines like OS, Magnum, RJL, Thunder Tigers and some MVVSs and such. No one to my knowledge is using those Dhs 900 engines.

Can I use standard size servos in a scale combat plane?.......Well, I used one futaba S128 in my Ziggs Hellcat since there was enough room for it in that fat cat fuse. But in most cases you will have to use mini or micro servos due to space and weight limitation. There is no reason to have a controllable rudder( unless you plan on rise off ground take off) on these planes, so you only need three servos.

What kind of aircraft is recommended for someone who is not used to a super sensitive airplane?......... I suggest that unless you are used to flying quickies or other small maneuverable airplanes, and you should have at least a couple of years flying experience under your seat belt....that you start with an airplane that has a light wing loading. That usually means a plane with a large wing area relative to it's wingspan such as : Hellcat /334 sq. in., Corsair/314 sq. in., P-47/300 sq.in., Bearcat/297 sq.in., Sea Fury/280 sq.in. . You should build light but not jeopardize the structural integrity of the airframe. Lightly wing loaded planes maneuver much better than heavily loaded ones. This means that they will have less nasty habits such as snapping while in a tight turn or loop.

Does a faster plane have a better chance of winning in scale combat?.......Not in my opinion based on my experience. Scale combat differs in many ways from real combat. These small airplanes can not be seen well once they get more than about 300 feet away. This is probably one reason that the current AMA rules require that the combat box be no larger than 420 feet wide. So with the relatively small area that you can fly in, there is no where to run away from the other planes to; and not much chance of a fast sneak attack from out of the sun. I have seen very slow airplanes win out over much faster planes on many occasions. What helps is to have a predictable airplane that can maneuver well in a confined area. That way you have more chances to turn towards other streamers.... and the more attempts to cut..... the more likely you are to make a cut. Even many of the pilots who have fast airplanes do not argue this point... they just say they like to go fast! There will always be other slow flying planes in the contests for you to chase after.

What is your advice to score well?...... The way the rules are written, a pilot can score well simply by making sure he flies for the entire seven minutes of each round, and does not let his streamer get cut or become torn off from going too fast. Points are given for launching on time and remaining airborne, and for each foot of remaining streamer at the end of each round. You make as many attempts to cut as you can, but being in the air consistently counts for a lot at the end of three or four rounds. Don't allow the plane to fly out of the box or over the pilots flight line where you will get negative points. Do these things, and the cuts will come eventually. You'll love the thrill of victory!

How long does it take to build combat plane?....... I would estimate that the average guy spends from 10 to 20 hours to complete a kit. Of course there will be those who can do one in less time; and there will be those who take longer. I would suggest that you not get overly critical about having a perfect finish.......

What are the rules as far as airplane requirements and scoring?............ The newest AMA Sig , the RCCA , has formulated a set of rules which it is hoped all clubs will eventually conform to using. This would enable everyone to be able to go to a contest anywhere and know what to expect as far as the rules. Some clubs are still using their own version of modified RCCA rules due to local pilots wanting certain changes. The RCCA will probably update their rules annually to incorporate needed changes based on experience and member input.
If you go by the current AMA 704 airplane requirements, then your plane should be allowed by any CD at any contest . The one catch to this is that the AMA recently decided to allow profile fuselages into 704 combat. I am not sure when that ruling is to officially be incorporated into the rules; but I know that the majority of pilots who presently fly scale combat are not happy with that decision. There is a chance that some CDs will not allow them even if the AMA says they are ok. I recommend checking to see if any one in your area is currently flying scale combat so that you can build according to the rules they have decided on.

Can I fly a fun fly type plane in a scale combat contests?......Not according to any of the rules I have seen.

What size fuel tank do I need to be able to fly the seven minute combat period?..... It depends on the size and type of engine you use as well as what per centage of nitro you run. Most .15 size engines can make it on a 3 ounce tank. I use 4 ounce tanks with my OS .20s in radial cowled airplanes and I have not run out when starting with a full tank. I would suggest putting in a 4 ounce tank if room permits unless you are running one of those high rpm engines which I have heard can suck up 6 to 8 ounces in 7 or 8 minutes. Wow... my Zenoha G-62 runs 13 minutes on a 16 ounce tank!

How much control throws are needed? .......... By Ed Hershon The control throws will vary with the C/G and the weight of the aircraft. Use the what the manufacturer recommends, but if scratch building I suggest starting with about 1/8 inch up and 1/8 inch down. I'd suggest that you balance it slightly nose heavy until you've flown it a couple of times to get acquainted with its flight characteristics. If it's tailheavy, it'll snap in half a heartbeat! I gradually move the C/G until I get a good flat glide after the engine quits. Then adjust the throw rates to where it just won't quite snap with full up elevator at full power. It's now ready to cut ribbons!

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