Radio Control Airplanes, Helicopters, park flyers, 3D, Control Line, Sport, Combat and precision aerobatics. Control line model aircraft are flown by cables attached to the pilot instead of radio control. Most folks ask if thats the models that fly on strings. Well, that is the basic idea. But there are several different classes of competition associated with control line flying. And the coolest t
hing about control line flying is your personal attachment to the model. You don’t even have to look at your airplane. In the Combat events your always looking at your opponents airplane for your target, while feeling where your airplane is at for the attack. Flying a fast combat plane is like letting go of the clutch on a drag car, throwing in the turn on a dirt bike, accelerating on a roller coaster, playing hide and seek, chase, tag, and war, with your buddy’s, all at the same time. And Its not gender or age discriminatory. In the2010 World Championships in Hungry, a 14 year old boy took 2nd place. His instructor took first. (we were cheering for the kid). Plus there are a few women in the USA and several in Europe that are top notch competitors. (I’ve had several kick my butt). Its great to have competitors from all with none having an advantage. Combat is our thing in Lubbock. There are more National Combat Champions living in Lubbock than any other city in the USA. And that’s only 4. Control line Combat is an extremely unknown sport and something that you cant just go to the hobby shop and buy and fly. Its a sport that takes a bit of persistence and dedication to compete in. You need to know about fuels, propellers, glow plugs, engines, fuel systems, emergency shut down systems, starting procedures, engine diagnosis, air density, etc. That covers the engine. Then you move on to the airplane. You need to know about weight and balance, aerodynamics, handle to elevator ratio’s, bell crank adjustments, control horn adjustments, elevator sizing, G forces, building for speed, durability, and maneuverability. All this may sound complicated, but its actually very enjoyable. My father taught my brother and I when were about 7 years old. Its something that the family did together our entire life. Were still doing it today. If anyone else is interested, we would be more than happy to assist you. This rewarding, educational, and very enjoyable sport is all but gone, and we would love to get others interested. We have plenty of used equipment to share with others. As I said its the Combat that we take serious. There is also stunt, which flies a predetermined pattern. Racing, where you fly 3 up, required pit stops, and race to the finish. Speed, just see how fast you can make it go. Then there are just fun events like balloon bust, apple box derby, carrier, and just flying for fun. Now were experimenting with electric flight. We fly at the LT George Andrew Davis JR. airfield. Thats on hwy 179, between 4th and 19th street. Its a great model field. We share it with the radio control guys. If you have any interest in flying, please join us
If you want to learn to fly for fun or get involved in the competitions, let us show you the ropes. Boy scout troops, Girl Scout troops, individuals, families, whatever. We want to keep the sport alive and are willing to share knowledge and equipment to anyone wanting to learn.
