Gnat combat

If you're new to combat, you probably have a bunch of question. Check here first, 'cuz its most likely been asked before. (..and there's no such thing as a stupid question).

Moderator: hbartel

cpd
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:08 pm
Location: USA

Gnat combat

Post by cpd »

i heard that you guys up north fly combat with gnats, is this true? also, i am on a limited budget so i would only be able to go to events in the north texas, oklahoma, kansas area, when is the next event going to be held in this area?
\

cpd
User avatar
boiler
Posts: 3336
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:16 pm
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Post by boiler »

Up North where a lot is flown on the club level is Wisconsin. The closest to you that I have seen flown in SSC has been Georgia and Florida. Maybe someone in your area will respond.
cpd
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:08 pm
Location: USA

Post by cpd »

are there any combaters in central oklahoma that would be interested in having an SSC meet at a local club?

cpd
Lee Liddle
Posts: 3330
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 10:30 pm
Location: USA

Post by Lee Liddle »

CPD, we have as many as 9 or 10 SSC meets every year in the Dallas area. March through Oct and sometimes Nov. We will also be flying quite a bit of an unofficial electric event that is called 3696 (at least for now). It is a scale electric class that is fairly inexpensive to get into.

There is a group in Norman that flys club combat. I don`t know what flavor. I`ll see if I can get you more info. Ace combat pilot Eric Winger lives in that area also.
Lee Liddle
Posts: 3330
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 10:30 pm
Location: USA

Post by Lee Liddle »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The closest to you that I have seen flown in SSC has been Georgia and Florida. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Bob, what are you talking about? Gnats?
User avatar
boiler
Posts: 3336
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:16 pm
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Post by boiler »

Yes Lee. I have seen them fly with some ballast in SSC meets. Usually I see them fly without ballast in club combat. CPD was on the forum earlier asking about a cheap, easy build SPAD and indicated he wasn't interested in foam. I told him guys up North fly club combat with GNATS. You can cut your own streamer with those things. I have one myself. They mix it up pretty well with 1/2A planes as well.
User avatar
Bill Geipel
Posts: 92
Joined: Fri May 23, 2003 7:45 am
Location: USA

Post by Bill Geipel »

Doug Stahlke got me started in Gnat flying at his meet in Minnesota several year ago. They fly Gnats weekly. Some of us now fly Gnats at our club field just for fun whenever we can. The fuse is aluminum channel (Menards)with 4 mil coro folded-over wings and coro tailfeathers. Standard servos with .15 LA engines. Technically, they would qualify as SSC planes but they don't fly quite as fast or glide very well. When the engines are running good, they fly like trainers. They are fun to fly and really take a beating. They do turn fast and you can cut your own steamer. They are easy to build and cheap. We build our wings and tailfeathers out of free coro(politicians signs that lost the election). Cut our motor mounts from Walmart cutting boards. Most of the planes we fly are made from leftovers from last years combat planes and we have a ball flying them. We use plastic steamers and pick them up when we're finished flying, usually tie them together and use them next time. You can get plans from SPADTOTHEBONE.COM. Change the CG to 3 3/4 inches instead of what the plans call for.
sgilkey
Posts: 2351
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:26 am

Post by sgilkey »

These GNATS sound like fun for practice and just knocking around. I have a bunch of coro recycled from roadside signs, but none is the 34" width called for by the plans, I think the biggest I have is 28" or so. Have you cut your wings out of bigger pieces? Or have you had any luck splicing pieces together to make the wing? I was thinking some bamboo skewers and/or f/g rods would make suitable joiners to splice the coro together??? thanks for any suggestions....
User avatar
Bill Geipel
Posts: 92
Joined: Fri May 23, 2003 7:45 am
Location: USA

Post by Bill Geipel »

Scott-I would'nt try to piece together coro for the wing. But bamboo and tape is a good field repair fix. Save the smaller pieces for the tailfeathers. I make a template from coro and cut 3 or 4 wings at once. Bend the LE over a dowel and use Goop to glue 2 small pieces of coro between the top and bottom of the wingtips to form a spacer with tape holding it together while it dries. We use Zagi tape to add color. With this mild Wisconsin weather, we've been flying our Gnats several time a week. Bill
sgilkey
Posts: 2351
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:26 am

Post by sgilkey »

Thanks for the info, Bill. I have not flown a GNAT but I seem to recall reading long ago, when the design first came out, that the wing design was very draggy. Looking at the plans, I wonder if it might clean it up a bit to cover the open area of the bottom of the wing with chordwise strips of packing tape? wouldn't add much weight... has anybody tried a GNAT with a plain bearing, mild (ie FP or LA) 25? this looks like it might be a fun winter build project to try with my youngest son Eric.
User avatar
boiler
Posts: 3336
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:16 pm
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Post by boiler »

The LA 15 is all the power you would want on the Gnat. There is minimal damage and a lot of laughs when they fly at that power. I'm afraid with a 25 of any performance they would self-destruct.
slam
Posts: 834
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2001 8:14 pm
Location: USA

Post by slam »

scott.

the tape thing on the underside of the gnat doesn't improve performance that i could tell.

also, the 4x8 sheets of coro are cheap. we can get them from a plastic supplier for under $10.

these things are FAST to build and easy to fly.

if everyone is flying them, they are a blast to combat. as soon as someone shows up with a more traditional combat plane, the gnats are outclassed.

at the club level they are great. we built their ancestor, the pizza box flier at a club build off in about 3 hours, from nothing to flying. the gnat should be about the same build time.

slam
sgilkey
Posts: 2351
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:26 am

Post by sgilkey »

OK guys thanks for the tips, I'll stick with "stock" and a 15! I haven't found a plastic supplier near me so I'm trying to scrounge up something with the material I have, though if I can find a big sheet that will be easier. i thought it would be a fun project to try with Eric who is 10. Though he, and Brian, have flown enough that they really show a preference for the fast stuff (thus my question about the 25), I like the slow, tight turning stuff like the 1/2As. This sounds similar. Plus they sound pretty tough! Thanks again.
ZenManiac
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 2:14 am
Location: Near Madison, WI USA

Post by ZenManiac »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sgilkey</i>
<br />I haven't found a plastic supplier near me so I'm trying to scrounge up something with the material I have, though if I can find a big sheet that will be easier. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<font size="2">Scott - you should be able to find this at any place that advertises cheap or quick signs. I got a sheet from a local place called Budget Signs. It was around $15-20 for a 4x8' sheet. Not as cheap as some, but that size will last quite a while - or you can share with your buds.</font id="size2">
mark s
Posts: 313
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:31 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by mark s »

Scott,

I have a bunch of 2ml coro! What size do you want and I'll send you some.

Roid
Post Reply