By Phil Cartier
F2D Fast is a favorite with some F2 fliers. Any F2D plane from 2010 to present is allowed. They all have the same technical specs. The rules are AMA Fast Combat rules otherwise.
The bugs have been worked out. The planes fly the same as F2D. The shorter line length makes up for the slower speeds. Flying seems just as fast as AMA combat, but the line pull is a lot less. The planes have to be trimmed a little better because they don’t pull 15 or more pounds.
The entry size this year was 20 fliers. It seems that word has been trickling out that F2D Fast is a fun event. It requires instant reflexes, lots of practice, and excellent pit work—giving everybody something worthwhile to do without the 20-some pages of F2D rules.
The contest used the simplified match with a qualifying round. The winners went to the main bracket. The losers got their own round to qualify. The winners also went to the single-elimination main bracket. The CD, Dave Edwards took a lot of care that flights between people from the same part of the country were kept apart as much as possible—also separating any rematches between opponents in the first round and the losers’ round. It takes a little brain power but completely does away with any possibility of favoritism.
The flying was pretty clean and intense. Kills, midairs, and the occasional unscheduled landing pretty much decided all of the matches. There were a few matches decided just by airtime when one pilot couldn’t get started, broke a plane, or hit the ground too hard.
An early morning test flight.
Greg Machen and Don Jensen. In a tussle, Greg got a kill (black streamer), followed very shortly by Don taking the orange streamer. Both guys came from the California, where they meet up pretty regularly.
Bob Mears and Jeff Rein meet in the losers’ round. Jeff had to restart from a bad engine run. He got a cut here, but later on, Bob got a kill.
Judges and pilots.
Greg Machen and Ed Bryzsun tangle the lines while Greg's streamer floats down.
331 F2D Fast matching matrix.
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