K.I.S.S
is a military acronym for “Keep It Simple Stupid”. I’ve been flying speed limit
combat in and around New England for quite a few years now. Because of this,
new flyers and potential new flyers often ask my opinion as to what
airplane/engine/fuel system they would be best to start with. Today, more then
at any point since I got back into combat some twelve years ago, there is, in
my opinion, a definitive simple answer to that question. The answer to
the question is; build Jim Carpenter’s “Yankee Nipper”, power it with an OS Max
32SX and use a small GRW tank for your fuel system. This combination, in my opinion,
to a greater degree then any other, allows you to “Keep It Simple Stupid”. This is because Jim Carpenter’s “Yankee
Nipper” offers a unique combination of performance, strength and ease of
construction that you won’t find in most other designs. Combine this with the
OS Max 32SX for a power plant and you have the hot set-up. Buy the engine, add
a Jim Carpenter ( J&J Sales ) venturi and a good control line needle valve
and this engine runs right out of the box. Because it has power to burn you can
run a GRW tank, set the needle on the rich side, never skip a beat and not give
away an ounce of performance to anyone. It’s that easy.
Remember,
however, that your choice of airplane/engine/fuel system combo is only a small
part or ingredient in a recipe for “Combat Pie” that can, eventually, allow you
to win speed limit combat events with some degree of consistency. Here are the
four ingredients in the recipe for “Combat Pie”.
Ingredient
Number One: The aforementioned choice of airplane/engine/fuel system is about
twenty percent of the pie.
Ingredient
Number Two: Pilot skill, which you acquire through experience, is about twenty
percent of the pie.
Ingredient
Number Three: Combat Luck is about 20% of the pie. If it’s your day for the
combat gods to smile on you “luck” can help you win, if the combat gods are not
smiling they will help you lose, other days they just leave you on your own.
So
what is the last and most important ingredient? The ingredient that’s makes up
the final forty percent is good equipment. The Yankee Nipper is a great
airplane, but not if the wing is warped. The OS Max 32SX is a great engine but
not if the needle valve is bent. GRW makes good tanks but they won’t run right
if the fuel line has a hole in it. Neil, you say, this is all obvious stuff.
Yes it is, but, contest after contest I see pilots, that should know better,
make these mistakes and others just as obvious costing themselves airtime
points, lost potential cuts, winner of the match points and a chance at success
in the process. Preparation, constant maintenance and the fastidious checking
of equipment are the keys to this largest part of the pie. Now, this is where
it all ties together. In my opinion, the combination of a “Yankee
Nipper”, with a 32sx, on a GRW tank gives the new pilot his best chance of
earning this last forty percent of the pie, as this combination, at least to
some degree, is more forgiving on maintenance and preparation then other
airplane/engine/fuel system combinations that might be equal from a performance
standpoint. This combination allows you to “Keep It Simple Stupid”.
While
I’m preaching, remember, and this is most important of all, that this pastime
is something we do for fun, learn to be a good loser as well as a good winner,
because, no matter how good your equipment or how great your skill you will
surely experience both victory and defeat. It’s all because of those fickle
combat gods.