Razor Blade (oz2455)

About this Plan

Razor Blade. A 32 inch span top combat design of 1958 C/L. From Aeromodeller, May 1959.

Quote: "COMBAT TODAY is rapidly becoming a specialised branch of aeromodelling, and one needs more than luck to gain consistent places at rallies. Over the past few years both speed and manoeuvrability of models has increased tremendously, and the winner of a heat is not now the one whose model stays in the air longest, but the one with the greatest ability. Pit-crews, too, must now be competent and their co-operation is vital to success. Indeed, their role has become as important as the put-crews in team racing.

Sooner or later, anyone who can fly a control-line model reasonably well is tempted to try his hand at combat flying, but it is useless to enter contests in this haphazard fashion as one should certainly have some previous practice with one's club mates.

To enjoy combat one must be prepared to lose models and lines, and, on rare occasions, even engines. The rate at which models are destroyed is sometimes astonishing, and it is for this reason that models such as 'Razor-Blade' have been evolved, which, while being both cheap and extremely quick to build, retain the speed, manoeuvrability and strength required of a modern combat model. It is here that the wing has innumerable advantages over the conventional model. They can be made smaller and lighter than their tailed counterparts which makes them far less susceptible to damage, and this fact has been proved repeatedly during line tangles and mid-air collisions.

The wings used by Kenton and Northwood Clubs in combat are definitely not for the beginner as they fly at a speed approaching 80 mph, and are unexpectedly snappy, but after their characteristics have been learned they prove formidable weapons in any company. To attain these high speeds a good racing diesel is indispensable. Engines such as these are rather expensive, but are really essential to achieve the first flick starting and power that is now necessary. It is advisable to experiment with fuels and settle on one formula to obtain maximum performance, and having found the correct mixture one should keep to it..."

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