C-Cup action: Bob Smith (left), the contest winner, flies a match against Jim Green, third-place finisher, at the first of four 2011 C-Cup 80mph Combat contests. Flying Lines photo.
On Saturday April 30th, the C-Cup season began at its third flying site in three years. This is perhaps the best of the sites. Our site is at the Nisqually Indian Tribe's baseball field. A fenced in area with bleachers for spectators, sani-cans, good grass, and most of all dry. With a little silicone the C-Cup will become the soon become the N-Cup.
Noticeably absent from the contest was two time champion Jeff Rein who is recovering from back surgery. Also absent were Kenny Johansen who was bottling wine, and Mel Lyne. Six flyers showed up to fly - Don McKay, Jim Green, Robert Smith, Gene Pape, John Thompson and myself.
With six flyers, it was decided to fly five rounds using a round robin format. The way this works is, you start the contest with two contestants. At the end of the match, if one of the pilots' equipment is still flyable, they stay on circle and a new flyer comes in and a match is flown. This makes for a smooth running contest. We started at 10 a,m, and had three rounds flown in two hours.
This was the first contest flown under the new rules. One point for a cut, deduct one point for each down time incident, and three minutes flying. The contest places are decided based on cuts minus down deducts, if there is a tie it is decided by how the tied competitors did head to head. If this does not resolve the issue then it goes to who can spit a glow plug the furthest.
Fifteen matches were flown with nine cuts and 29 down time incidents. Six of the 15 matches were ties. Gene Pape got three cuts in five matches. Don McKay and I each had seven down time incidents. I managed to get three of them in one match.
Two flyers were using the new GSUMP lines. Gene was using the same set of .018 that he used in the Portland contest. My first match of the day was against Gene and there was a line wrap, which we were able to clear. At the end of the match, there was no damage to the lines. In my second match against Jim Green (.015 steel), there was a brief wrap and both of the GSUMP lines broke at my handle.
During the lunch break, there was considerable discussion on whether GSUMPS are the way to go. Not enough data at this point. The one positive is that you do not get the “Curly Fries” in the lines as you do in steel lines. You must visually inspect them to insure they are not fraying. When I was getting ready to pull Gene's, I noticed fraying in the area where mine broke. I did not pull the lines, although I think it would have passed, Gene decided to put on a new set of steel lines. He commented that there was a noticeable difference in the way the plane performed with the steel lines - better feel, response, and handling.
At the end of the day, no one had a positive score. Robert Smith and Gene Pape were tied for first each with minus one. Robert had two cuts and three down time deducts. Gene had three cuts and four down time events. In their head-to-head match, they each had a cut, but Gene had two down time deducts and Robert one, giving Robert the head to head win. I was hoping they would have to spit glow plugs. Third place went to Jim Green who finished the day with no cuts and three down time deducts for a score of minus three.
Don McKay made the most insightful comment of the day - I would have had a better score if I had not gone up in each match.
Here are the results (Northwest standings points in parentheses):
80MPH COMBAT (6 entries)
1. Robert Smith, Roy, Wash. (6)
2. Gene Pape, Eugene, Ore. (5)
3. Jim Green, Bellevue, Wash. (4)
4. John Thompson, Eugene, Ore. (3)
5. Don McKay, Redmond, Wash.
6. Buzz Wilson, Belfair, Wash.
Chehalis Cup Contest No. 2 is scheduled for June 18 See Where the Action Is for details.
Left photo: The Nisqually softball fields are out in the country, with close neighbors to complain about noise. Pit area was along a fence. Right photo: Bob Smith starts engine while Gene Pape holds. Flying Lines photo.
Jim Green starts engine while Don McKay holds. Flying Lines photo.
Bob's plane is up first. Flying Lines photo.
Match ended in a tangle. Jim Green watches as Bob Smith flies out the tank, a ball of ruined lines not far from Bob's handle. Flying Lines photos.
The new GSUMP lines come in colors. The yellow are easy to see on the grass. This is Gene Pape's Cleveland Fast with yellow GSMUPs being examined by contest officials Ken Burdick (left) and Buzz Wilson. Flying Lines photo.
In the pull-test, the officials had noticed this fray in Gene's lines after several matches over two contests. Flying Lines photo.
As mentioned in the text, the .016 line used by Buzz Wilson were cut away by steel lines. Shutoff functioned immediately; the plane traveled only a short distance. Flying Lines photo.
This page was upated May 2, 2011