Combat flying

Thanks Fred, I actually met Jeff one time when I was there. He was flying at a field close to where I lived. I stopped by one morning when they were flying and just walked up and met him. I never did go fly though as they were so good and I had never even held a handle at the time. Kinda stupid really as I missed out on a golden oppertunity. In my defense I only ran into them 2 months before I had to move.

They were flying at a field on FM 2252 at a little ultralight airport. I am ready to hear of your exploits and I hope you have fun.

I would also be interested to hear about your stooge. I need to build a combat style one for my l'il Satan.

Ron

Too lazy to invent anything new Ron... The only reason Rusty's stooge is not already in my front yard is I keep forgetting to buy a bath mat / rug at Wally world

I do plan to ask Jeff for a few Husks... the left over outer shells from foam wing cutting

fredvon4 wrote:... The only reason Rusty's stooge is not already in my front yard is I keep forgetting to buy a bath mat / rug at Wally world

Be sure and get a fairly stiff mat. I replaced mine when the rubber liner started to rot and leave bits on the wing, and the new one is a bit too floppy and doesn't hold the plane as firmly(rubber on the inside). A nylon cord and a metal shish kabob skewer makes a good guy-line to stake it down so you don't pull it over. If you have a Big Lots in town, they have good ones for $5 bucks.

Floppy...heh I am using an old bath towel. Works fine.

Phil

I like Rusty's version, but to be honest I don't want to have a "Bean" moment and tear a bellcrank out. I have done none of mine with shear webs. I was thinking of a spring loaded rake style release mechanism.

It doesn't have to be hard to pull out. The idea is to hold it in a way that it doesn't try to turn while you aren't holding it. The firmer mat lets you use the bungee and the brick to block the trail edge in place, and to keep the inboard wing from sagging. It still slips out with only a light tug, especially after some oil gets on the rubber liner.

Ok, fine...... I'll try it.

cribbs74 wrote:Ok, fine...... I'll try it.

I'm not insisting you do, just sayin...
If you rip your Bean apart, send it to me, I'll fix it up for you. And I promise the wing won't fly off in mid loop.

OK, I'll admit it, I am using 2 clamps. On at the far corner of the folded edge, and one back by the elevator. Bungee probably won't work on towel.

Phil

My flying in the 60s usually had more than two or three of us at the school yard. At home my brothers annoyed me so I usually flew by myself in the back yard

I rigged a Screwdriver in the ground with a loop of wire. Only ROG planes with a hole in the aft fuse where a hand grenade pin (Army dad had dozens of them in the work shop). String from the pin to pull when I got out to the handle...worked well for the small stuff. Occasionally a .35 powered plane would pull / vibrate the pin loose just as I reached for the handle making for a few spectacular chases of a handle across the yard

Last Sunday Jeff Dawson a winning C/L combat flier and airplane maker invited me to his home some 119 miles away.

So away in my Blue Smart car I go for the trip down Texas Hwy 281 to San Antonio to arrive around 10:45. Jeffs directions were good but I let Bit..ing Betty (what I call the female in my smart phone) direct me once I was near.

As I arrived on the street looking at the house numbers there is a man in his front yard fussing with a motor on a control line plane...Ah Ha, I bet that is Jeff! I zoomed into his driveway and got out and declared..I bet you are Jeff Dawson, I am Fred....We shook hands and chatted a bit about finding the place etc.. Then he invited me in to see his operation and meet Carol his lady. Very nice lady too. Too bad she is a Tom Brady and New England fan as it was not a good day for them and Jeff and I gave her a lot of jovial grief as the game ground on towards their loss.

OK Ok back on subject: Combat airplanes and engines. I was soon impressed and it occurred to me that Jeff was a serious force in today's combat flying circles. No disrespect to Wooten or Mathis and a bunch of other pioneers and competitors...a way of saying Jeff Dawson is exceptionally good at flying C/L and his aircraft are sought after as solid preforming, durable, and relatively inexpensive.

Small Band saw, Drill press, table saw, router table, 2' x 4' work table are in his duplex apartment's single car garage. Crammed in with 15 hanging airplanes, huge Stacks of foam wing cores already cut, big shipping boxes, big blocks of virgin foam, tubes of plans, assortments of balsa, bass, and plywood and a washer and drier. What I am describing is a work-space that is very small and not much room to maneuver.

Sorry no photos were taken at his request. Some of his jigs, techniques, and shortcuts are his idea and he has copy cats and competitors.

We spent the day making three kits for me to complete...Usually Jeff takes orders and generally sell completed aircraft for about $50 each. He is in the middle of cutting and building 60 airplanes for customers as well as full time day job as well as needing to build his fleet of airplanes for this years competitions.

We talked engines and propellers and he related the problems he, Ken and others are having getting the "must have" propellers from Russian or Ukrainian sources (he promised me a hand full once they get it sorted out...grin) I had never touched a Fora, Profi, Nelson, or Cylon so he showed me his stash of go fast high rpm fuel eaters. He does not think of himself as a teacher but all day long he hardly ever stopped telling me things.

We are close to same age and basic thoughts about people and things and similar youthful experiences like hot rods and fast bikes. All day long was a constant conversation. All the while he set up to "cut" my kits. Funny how in the middle of a task something we talked about reminded him of something and he would disappear into the house to have Carol help him find something to show me, bell crank, engine, chicken hopper fuel tank...whatever. All the while, he kept insisting that "this" normally did not take so long. In fact our conversations sidetracked his process enough that a few wing cores were NOT PERFECT so he insisted on lining out new blocks and doing it over; even after I tried to insisted that I was capable of sanding the small imperfection away.

At the end of the day (around 7:30PM with a two hour drive home) we finally loaded my dinky car with six airplanes and a coffee can of parts n stuff.

The engines are mine. IN the background is a incomplete manufactured slo combat plane with all the basic parts that I can complete with a few odd bits needed like spars and motor mounts
Foreground is two SonicChicken kits with a lil buzzard for me to use as example of tail feather construction and on the right is a LtHawk kit with a early version for me to see construction detail


Closer view of slo combat kit


Closer view of SonicChickens


Closer view of LtHawk


All day long Jeff would find something at tell me to put it in my pocket. Like a few Top Flite propellers or bell cranks and such

Yesterday, wife and I started gutting the shop so the remodel can start. In a few weeks I can get after the proper building and eventual flying for these extraordinary aircraft

A giant thank you to Ken Cook for facilitating me getting into Jeff Dawson's world

Fascinating adventure, Fred, sounds like a fun day. I've thought of contacting Jeff to buy a Sonic Chicken. If I recall correctly you have to buy several at a time. I wouldn't put a Fora on it, as I'm sure it would badly outrun my reflexes, but I bet I could have plenty of fun goofing around with my regular engines. I see you have a Norvel and a couple of Tee Dees in the mix with yours.

When you get them built and tell us how they fly, I'll decide whether I want to go ahead and place an order.

Rusty...PM sent

For general interest to all on this forum (BTW one of the best sources of ideas and knowledge about Cox and most things related)

I got to see the Russian "Ten at a time minimum order" F2D and other aircraft up close compared to Jeff Dawson's airplanes. Jeff is first to admit very few of his aircraft are drawing board originals but rather trial and error and collaborative designs that he a couple of other combat fliers came up with as "best of this and best of that" with a focus on being, lite, fast, and durable

If you ever though of having the BEST of something I highly recommend reviewing the flying line web site and noting that MOST competitors are flying Jeff's birds in combat....

From what I observed, Jeff builds a turn key* (you must still test fly and trim) aircraft that probably should sell in the $120 range (based on what I know of most ARfs built in China)

Alas we are all a tight wad bunch and Jeff is keenly aware of this....he has priced himself ( at $50 each) into too much work

Jeff is fairly strict about who he reveals his secrets to and takes orders from....he is also quite aware that several folks copy these aircraft

That all said...Jeff LOVES the world of combat...he desires MORE of us to get off our ass and fly combat... and he sincerely will help any potential combat competitor if they really want to get into it...hint hint wink wink

Look like you had a good experience and are that much closer to your goal! Your adventures solidify a post I just made about getting out and meeting folks.