Mario Kart 8 Swiss Deluxe Project

For a model builder who admits to coming across as a bit of a nutcase but values friendship, putting together a dream team to develop a high-performance, humorous machine based on a theme is a godsend. So, Alain searched for partners on social media, without much success until two days before the registration deadline. Things started to fall into place, and the group came together under the leadership of: Arnaud Carrard, Sylvain Pasini, Marco Cantoni, Lucas Cantoni, Nicolas Schmit, Benjamin Fontana, Alain Fontana, and Vincent Arm. They put together a preliminary proposal to submit to Red Bull. The response was positive. Time is now running out: there are only three weeks left before the event!

Then everything started coming together in Alain’s garden. We gathered up all sorts of useful materials, and the project began to take shape. We bought wood and Styrofoam, which we assembled using PU foam. The result was an aircraft with a maximum wingspan of 9.80 m, weighing 18 kg (8 kg per wing), featuring foam ribs, a Clark Y airfoil with a chord length of 1.30 m, and spars (10 x 8 cm) made of Styrofoam encased in fir. The covering, made of spinnaker fabric, will be donated by Voiles Gauthier; sponsors have been found, and we’re working to keep costs as low as possible. The organizers are fascinated by this unique project; a young child will even bring a drawing of the construction process. A genuine sense of camaraderie unites the team: everyone offers constructive criticism and participates actively. There are no arguments. For Alain, these three intensive weeks will be grueling. We also need to arrange for the transport of the individual parts to the event site. Thrust tests show that the takeoff speed is limited to 17 km/h without a trick that involves catapulting the craft at 38 km/h: the Mario Kart will serve this purpose. The plane isn’t very tall so as not to exceed the height limit of the catapult above the pontoon—that always adds 2 meters!

During construction, a young and pretty (!) Red Bull hostess will bring cans of the energy drink so the builders don’t run out of steam. That’s the only contribution the organization makes, along with a barbecue and croissants on Sunday… Not much for the free publicity the participants give them!

On "D-Day," we meet up in Belerive in the pouring rain. The fabric sags considerably in the damp, but the plane is still holding up against the water! The flight is preceded by a humorous 40-second choreographed routine, judged by a panel of celebrities who are in stitches at the various performances. At first, our Super Mario team seems a bit sluggish, but their performance gradually picks up speed with each star they earn (you need some “Nintendo” knowledge to understand the highly elaborate choreography). Then five team members, including pilot Lucas Cantoni—chosen for his “mere” 67 kg—launch themselves down the ramp toward a historic flight: 16 meters and a 6th-place finish—it’s extraordinary! Lucas swims back to shore, soaking wet… and with a bloody nose! The plane will be towed away and scrapped by the organizer at a cost of 250.– to be paid by the participants: the “polluter pays” principle!

We’ll remember this intense adventure and quickly forget the 3,000.– budget invested in this project—which was nonetheless supported by numerous sponsors who will be warmly thanked with giveaways, raclette parties, and more… they are part of its success. Although the flight was short, the memories and friendships forged during this experience will never be forgotten. There are life experiences that we hope everyone gets to have. ■

Thierry Ruef