The airplane/engine/fuel system set-up that the majority of New Englanders choose is clearly the Yankee Nipper with a OSMax 32SX and a GRW chicken hopper tank. The photo to the left shows the trophy winners from the Eastern Mass Championships held in August of 2002. The three airplanes in the middle are Yankee Nippers. The other two airplanes are a Carbon Coyote and a Thrasher which borrow heavily from the Yankee Nipper. Both have a little different stab and geometry and at least in one case a different airfoil, however, the design and construction is almost identical to Jim Carpenter's fine airplane. Besides Jim Carpenter the pilots using Nippers or Nipper clones include Dick Sherman, Ken Hargreaves, Ara Dedekian, Rick Clark, Brian Stas, Glenn Simpson, Matt Stas and Neil Simpson. Is anyone else getting good results with a different approach ? Yes they are. Read on for more info
The Image to the left, of a Yankee Nipper, is is a roll-over image - run the mouse across it and the view will change.
The pilots to the left are the top four finishers from the 2002 New England Championships - District One's Super Bowl for GX Combat. Once again two Yankee Nipper clones finish in the top four, however, the first and third place finishers ( Roy Glenn and Louis Lopez ) are using a different approach. They use Lopez built, smaller wing area, ultra light cored wing designs ( the two airplanes with the diagonal yellow stripes) that are powered by Roy Glenn prepped modified OS Max 25FP's with a bladder tank. Is this a better approach ? They get great results and their airplanes turn very tight, probably a little better then the "Nipper". Any negatives ? It gives away a little on windy days and of course, since the emphasis is on lightness, it gives away a lot in a crash. However, it's hard to dispute the results. Roy Glenn and Louis Lopez finished first and second in the MACA 2002 season championships for Speed Limit Combat.
The young pilot in the photo to the left is Alex Kopka, from Bayville, NJ . Alex is starting his "Big Hacker" at this year's New Engand Championships. His approach is similar to that used by Roy and Louis, a smaller and lighter foamy, OS25 powered with a bladder tank. It is a very competive set-up.
What about the old stand-by ( Fox Powered Airplanes ) Can't that work You ask ? The photo to the left shows the trophy winners at the Western Mass Championships held in July of 2002. Once again there are five Yankee Nipper clones, however, the man to the extreme left, holding the first place gold, is Dave Parizo. His airplane uses a Mark VI on a GRW tank. It is a foam leadedge/woody, designed by Dave, called the "Sarcophagus". The "Nippers" are right around 500 square inches, notice how much bigger the Sarcophagus is. Dave does a lot of winning with this set-up.
The most common approach, for Fox powered airplanes, is a Fast Combat airplane, with a de-tuned Fox Combat engine on a bladder tank. As long as your comfortable with bladder tanks this can be a very competive way to go. The photo to left shows Phil Cartier lauching Gil Reedy's Gotcha 500 at the 2002 New England Championships. This typifies the aforementioned approach and please know that "Mr Reedy" can beat you with this set-up.
One advantage of using a bladder tanked fast combat design in speed limit combat is the wide variety of equipment available in the combat marketplace. Any fast combat design can be used and a wide variety of engines. In addition to Mark III's, IV's and VI's I've seen 32sx's, Magnums and LA40's used with great results. There are kits like "The Psycho" from the Corehouse and Bill Maywald's "Allenplane". Jim Carpenter "Yankee Nipper" can be built with a bladder tank, if you choose this approach. Mejzlik, in the Czech Republic, and GRS Models, in Louisiana, offer ready to fly fast combat machines that can be very competive.
To the left Phil Cartier and Gil Reedy prep Phil's bladder tanked LA40 powered "Psycho" at this year's Fall Finale. Phil can beat anyone with this set-up.
Houston, Texas 80 MPH Contest Jan.02. 1st Derrick Ellyson, 2nd Pat Wilcox, 3rd Richard Stubblefield. Derrick was flying Wakkerman2 F2D with Fora 15, Richard and Pat were flying Andre F2D with OS La. 25. All models by GRS Models
Tucson 2002 Top Gun Winners 1st George Cleveland, 2nd Bob Burch, 3rd Greg Hill, 4th Jeff Dawson.(1st La. Baracuda with Fora36 power, 2nd Wakkerman Fast (Grs Models Yuvenko Ready to fly) 3rd Allen Plane and 4th Dawson Special
To the left are the 2002 Top-Gun Fast Combat winners. These fast combat machines, two of which are RTF, one a kit and one an original design could all be very competive in speed limit.
One last approach that can be competive in speed limit events is FAI designs. The trend here seems to be .25 power. As you can see from the photo to my left this approach is popular in other parts of the country.
Click on the thumbnails above to see two great Yankee Nippers. Ken Hargreave's on the left and Dick Sherman's to the right. Both are 32sx powered on GRW tanks
