What in the world is control line?

[jocappy]

I have only the idea that these planes are connected to a line and you spin in circles. Doesnt sound like to much fun to me. But I was wondering what else do you do in Control Line? Joe

[jrb]

Actually, CL is the only form of a flying model that allows you to actually feel the planes response to your control input!

There are many categories of CL; take a ook at the new Model Avaition (AMA magazine) and see how ROW is done!

[epkoncept]

Hi:
I have a 8 and a 5.5 yr old. I want them to get into the hobby, but a foamie wing is a little too hard for them to fly. Has anyone taught little kids to control line ? I remember using 0.049 Baby Bees, Golden Bees, and Black Widows on my CL planes when I was in elementary school. Has anyone have any recent experience teaching little kids ? And how about plans for an electric CL plane ? I have speed 400, 480, and 540 size motors play with.
Peter

[jrb]

Here are the threads in the ECL forum; look at the Hilldale, NJ thread for some ECL trainer info: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=20&pagenumber=1&sortfield=lastpost&sortorder=desc&daysprune=1000&x=11&y=9

[KnifeEdge51]

Yes, you can feel the aircraft respond to your imput. However, I had the wonderful chance to feel the aircraft stop responding IN FLIGHT. :D My first (and so far only, as the craft being used, a Cox Piper Cub, was totaled) CL flight was on a day probably too windy for most CL flyers. My father and his friend, none the less, gave me the controls and started her up. They do the "Olympic Launch" as I call it, where you hold the outer wing while running and then throw the model in a slightly upward angle. A decent gust of wind caught my plane and took it about 35 feet straight up, whereupon it stalled and dove nose first into the ground. It was very depressing.

I actually almost had the plane up on a flight attempt previous to the last one described above, but it didn't get enough airspeed, so it plopped to the ground and taxied until my Dad picked it up by the lines about 18" from the plane. THEN it started flying. A dangerous situation, and one nobody could help. He wrestled the plane to the groud using the strings. Funniest thing my dad's friend had ever seen. Just imagine a CL plane racing in EVERY direction on just a foot and a half of string. :eek: Dad's lucky his arm came out in one piece, but it was not something that will be forgotten any time soon.:)

Nick R.

[Duane]

Check out Tower, they have the old Stanzel electric control line planes for about $20.00. They take two D batteries, and have like a 6' line. I found a cheap $6.00 version at Eckerds, on sale for $2.99 for my 2 year old. He loves it! It teaches them how to go in circles. In about two years, I will dig out the old .049 and really show him how to fly. Then R/C parkflyers...and so on...

[swall68]

The real hot bed for Cl talk is at www.clstunt.com . They specilize in CL stunt but will help any one that ask. They also will know the CL clubs, flying sites in your area, and can link you up with someone in your area that can help you learn to fly. The forum (stuka stunt forum) link is half way down the webpage. If you are in to CL speed www.clspeed.com and cl racing http://members.aol.com/DMcD143/ . The best CL website is G. Olsson's at http://www.plasma.kth.se/%7eolsson/cl.html#tech . He has like to most every CL site on the web. My email is swall68@aol.com

[Artemetra]

It's all part of model airplanes, and it's all good. Not boring. (If you get bored, you move on.) But some of my best memories are flying 1/2A combat - just using those old Sterling profile models. Great fun!

[skid2964]

I recently got back into RC flying. My uncle is very well known with his RC flying and designs, his experience goes back to the early 60's. So I call him up to tell him Im getting back into RC and what does he tell me? "oh, I do control line now" .... Im like, "no RC". ... no, "only control line" ... I was dumbfounded ... I thought ... he's almost 70, wont he get dizzy? .. LOL. Oh well if HE thinks its fun, it must be!

[TLyttle]

"If it gets boring, shorten the lines". This was how we kept kids in the hobby long enough to build better (faster?) models. It looks like I should make my 2 plans available for 049. One is for a trainer, the other for a very fast biplane. Anyone interested?

[Airborne 2007]

If you would put up your plans for free, i would be interested in the trainer. :)

-John

[TLyttle]

I'll see what I can do...

[BMatthews]

John, you can download plans for my Cadet trainer from www.smallflyingarts.com . And in the forum under control line there's a rather long thread about a couple or three folks that built them.

Jocappy, if you're still reading this and didn't just drop in to plant a bomb and then leave I suggest you look up some local control line stunt and combat flying and then come back and suggest it's boring. Combat flying is the single most exciting form of model flying I've ever done. I know there's RC combat as well but it pales in comparison for the simple reason stated already that you can't feel the model like you can with control line. Control line combat with the lines involved probably has more in common with a sword fight than model flying.

[TLyttle]

Yeah, I remember you guys, flying FAI at the old cycle track: something else!! I also remember Rick Lim practicing by running off a full tank without looking at the model to get the "feel" of where it was while he looked for his opponent. I was impressed, as were the rest of the Richmond Crew.

C/L is only boring if you have the wrong model!