Video of some combat action!

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lightning
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by lightning »

Thekid3418 wrote:I think Aaron might just have the most deceptive strategy of all. I can't believe I didn't notice this sooner! But upon very advanced analysis, i've seen Aaron's cunning...Kid :)
Aw man, didn't think I'd need my hip-waders again just yet. :roll:
I think you're giving AAron W A Y too much credit. :shock:
Let's face it - everything he does, from getting in the air to snagging the odd streamer, even landing somewhat close to the landing area.... is just sheer dumb luck. :lol:
Ya see, his hands, arms, legs, in fact his whole body is shaking so badly he DAREN'T move the control sticks or his plane would just be in a frenzy.
Nope, he just has 'em trained to fly horizontal eights for five minutes and land. :o
You know the saying.... "Better to be lucky than good" :?: It was invented for AAAAAron! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by AIM »

Thekid3418 wrote:
He very expertly piloted his model, leaving his pursuer no other choice then to follow very closely. Aaron then allowed the pursuer to think he had him cornered, to raise his sense of security. Then, Aaron fiendishly lured the pursuer right infront of Bob who was simply milling around minding his own business.

Kid :)
That's right boys!!!
The geezer and I have a plan for you guys. I'm the bait but he's the snake!!!!

COME GET IT IN 2010!!! If you can!
"my only regret is that I have but one streamer to give to my fellow competitors"
Aaron Snyder RCCA 819
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by sgilkey »

Actually Aaron's flying skills in general, and especially his evasive skills, increased dramatically last year. Probably in part due to the upgrade in his plane's flying qualities! Overall he is becoming a force to be reckoned with. When I am flying, I have no problem cutting him (or anyone else) rapidly but those with lesser skills (i.e. everyone else) may struggle more. Heck, look how long Eric tracked him, glued to his butt, and did not get the cut!

Roid has a good point, when he says they can't cut you when you're on their tail. But I've seen dangerous implementations of that approach- i often see guys running away from a pursuer at high speed and then suddenly turning back onto them- that's just inviting a t-bone. Some razzle-dazzle escape maneuver to get the guy off your tail should come first, then maneiver around to get on HIS six. Turning back into somebody is very risky.

One thing that has taken Eric awhile to catch on to, when flying evasive, is to stay away from the crowd! He might be out front of pursuers and heading right, say. The pursuers are still to the left. Eric would get to the right end of the field and then turn back, just closing the distance to the pack. He's been catching on to loitering at the end and making the pack come to get HIM.

Flying low is a great evasive stragegy since it takes great skill for your pursuer to chase you, get the cut, and avoid terra firma all at the same time. The key is flying LOW, if you aren't low enough, you are constraining yourself in terms of escape- you can't go down, but you're not low enough to entice your attacker into the ground!
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by AIM »

lightning wrote:
Thekid3418 wrote:I think Aaron might just have the most deceptive strategy of all. I can't believe I didn't notice this sooner! But upon very advanced analysis, i've seen Aaron's cunning...Kid :)
Ya see, his hands, arms, legs, in fact his whole body is shaking so badly he DAREN'T move the control sticks or his plane would just be in a frenzy.
Nope, he just has 'em trained to fly horizontal eights for five minutes and land.
My strategy is simple.... I have no strategy!
If I can launch/ fly/ and land I feel it's been a success. :D

Usually after about 4 1/2 minutes I've calmed down enough to actually think but by then we're about done. I've tried to get a handle on my nerves but I just can't seem to do it.
"my only regret is that I have but one streamer to give to my fellow competitors"
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by boiler »

Having questionable skills and coordination as well as limited eyesight, I find if I can keep my eyes on my own plane and get a glimpse of a target once in awhile, I'm doing pretty good to make a stab for it. If I get too confused I usually head out and turn back to see if a target is between me and my plane. Depth perception improves when you are going straight at yourself. :lol: Scott is right on which way to turn. I usually turn out to avoid a pursuer as I will not fly into another plane in that direction. I can then head back to see if I have a target. :wink:
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by Captain America »

Unfortunately, I have had to develop some evasion strategies as I spend more time evading in the smaller heats now than attacking. Mostly i learned from flying the wings that a plane does not have to go left and right but has an infinite amount of directions to go. I liked Corey's best when we flew the wings, he would turn it own under, no one had the stones to follow that at low altitude. Until you fly a wing a while its hard to get out of the habit of flying conventionally.

Playing the wind direction is always fun, fake straight up and when everyone pulls up to pursue, push it back down intothe wind and see how far down wind everyone is, obvious but it buys precious time in those marathon chases.

I'm still working on pursuit but my favorite Brian strategy starts with a lucky cut while Eric is judging and yelling "your right Eric, he does that every time thanks" I got at least 2 more cuts on Brian after that because he was trying to figure out what he was doing. Thanks for playing along Eric.

The only other strategy i play with Brian is chicken. He loves to make passes on the CEL to keep people away and keep them having to attack from behind. I like to come head on down the flight line, he will usually pull out into the field to avoid the head on pass exposing the streamer to traffic. It is the only offense I can come up with for the last streamer run.

Lastly, i watch people, i notice patterns, Aaron only turns one way, get behind and wait for the left turn. Not nearly as much any more but you get the point. Everyone has habits, tells, whatever you want to call them. if you can pick up and read them quickly enough you can own them. unfortunately its hard to watch , read and execute in the split second required to make it count.

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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by AIM »

WRONG!!! I turn left on the right end of the field and right on the left end! :lol:
Last edited by AIM on Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by Captain America »

and that is why you always land left to right because you are only comfortable making a left turn in towards the field and not a right. Under pressure you always turn flat left, now im going to have to watch the video and see what you did with coverboy on your tail...
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by lightning »

AIM wrote:WRONG!!! I turn left on the right end of the field and right on the left end!
Not much choice when you fly horizontal "8"s :mrgreen:
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by Ed Kettler »

There is a whole thread over in RCGroups about the "dreaded right hand turn" http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/archive/ ... 86890.html

I get some good natured ribbing when I fly one of my planes with the round thingamajiggers on the bottom that requires you to land on the big black flat spot at the flying field. They are utterly amazed that I can actually perform the takeoff and landing evolutions without getting close to their planes, fly more than five minutes at a time, and "go fast and turn left" with the best of them. Combat pilots have amazing talents! :D
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by AIM »

Ok. I've been pondering this for a few days now and even though it's a ton more fun to make fun of myself or anyone else's flying ability, I'll give my serious take on the strategy that I use the most.
As I said before and I'll be honest enough to admit it. I really do not have a strategy. I launch and fly around and hope that someone gets in front of me. Sure I can give chase for a few seconds but once the razzle dazzle is thrown at me, I'm left behind and waiting for the next plane to get in front of me. I simply can't process the action quick enough to anticipate the opponents next move. (or mine for that matter)
My scores represent lucky cuts. My progress and increased scores are simply a result of being able to put myself in a position to get the lucky cut more often than in the past.

If I have to choose a strategy to concentrate on, I will look at my planes. Not at how I fly them, but more so how I build them and prep them. This single thing has improved my scores by a large amount last year and I hope to improve them even more for 2010. It took me a few years to get it through my head but a properly built and PREPPED plane will add untold cuts to your scores.
I know it doesn't REALLY sound like a STRATEGY but it's the improvement that I want to continue with. Once the planes are dialed in I'll see about the flying part.
"my only regret is that I have but one streamer to give to my fellow competitors"
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by lightning »

AIM wrote:.........snip........ Once the planes are dialed in I'll see about the flying part.
See ya in 2015 then :lol:
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by AIM »

Now where is the love in that!!!

:D :D :D
"my only regret is that I have but one streamer to give to my fellow competitors"
Aaron Snyder RCCA 819
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by Thekid3418 »

What Sean said is very true, EVERYONE has a "norm", when you fly with people as often as we do you learn them. I've been telling my Dad this since the early days of practicing (hes predictable :wink: ). Fortunately, hes burned enough brain cells in his day to forget all my strategies, so I can still kick his butt haha

But this is what makes the NATs so much fun, and so telling of skill. Since you fly with people you dont usually fly against, you have to adapt very quickly to how they fly. I've yet to find out how to cut Lee, Tom Neff, or Ed. And im going to take this oppurtunity to blame that on not flying with them often enough!

And like Aaron said, a well prepped plane makes the world of difference. I notice the difference in mine and Eric's flying between the beginning of the year when we're always behind and the end of the season when we get the bugs worked out.

Kid
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Re: Video of some combat action!

Post by sgilkey »

My kid is a dork. I am actually AWESOME at evasive maneuvers. He thinks I am predictable but I flew easy patterns during practice so his fragile little ego would not get bruised when he could not cut me.

I agree with Sean that outside loops are very difficult to follow which makes following the flying wings a real challenge. Brian can do it but I can't, I can barely use negative g as a positioning move, much less full-blown outside turns during pursuit.

The best lesson I can try to impart to learners is to try to stay behind the target so you get multiple passes. Head on and side-swipes are hit-or-miss not to mention high probablility for collision. From the rear there is much less chance of collision unless there is a major speed difference and/or the target streamer is very short. This is why I like planes that have the ability to throttle reliably, since if you get a slower target (sick run, laden with streamers, or throttled back) you can slow down and increase your odds. The best guy I think I've ever seen at having a very fast plane, yet be able to make that ONE PASS get a cut, is Lee, I figured it came from his u/c combat experience. Working from the rear you often need to be patient because you're not getting the deflection shot, and if you get too far behind you have to close the gap, that's where the pursuit flying skills pay off. The next step, as Brian has already alluded to, is to cut off the angles, so when you ARE behind, the quarry has no place to go other than to turn in a direction that is favorable to you for getting the cut.

One other thing I have said many times and I believe pays off, is to practice flying low and/or slow. Some folks say they don't like to go after targets doing that, but the reason they don't like it is precisely why it's so effective- some guys are too scared to even try, and many of those who try don't have the needed skills and auger in. What's so nice about it is that it is SO EASY to practice, just throttle back and practice flying low, keeping an eye on your plane and the ground. If you're alone, pick a reference spot (tree, etc.) and focus on that while keeping your plane in your peripheral vision and vice versa. It's even better if you get a target tug to fly low, then you have to keep track of your plane, the ground, and your target, often with your plane (and usually the target streamer) blending into the background. Flying low is a very effective evasive technique, but learning how to deal with it is very practice-able!!
Scott Gilkey
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