Successful First World Championships in Indoor Aerobatics (F3P) in Coburg, Germany

Bringing together a diverse group of judges from 11 countries—and doing so in a new aerobatics category—was no easy task. Through two intensive training courses and two dozen practice flights, CIAM F3 Aerobatics Chairman Michael Ramel was able to accomplish this task admirably. He relied on Peter Uhlig’s highly illustrative slides for his instructions. I had the opportunity to participate in both courses and a large number of pre-flights, and in doing so, I gained a very favorable impression of the competence and professionalism of the judges’ work. The organizers deserve congratulations for this.

With only very rudimentary knowledge of F3P model technology leading up to these World Championships, I was surprised by the large number of truly high-tech machines. Their construction requires a high degree of precision work, knowledge of materials, and an understanding of mechanics and electronics. Added to this are the rather complex transmitter settings. There’s also a noticeable trend toward using less and less Depron, moving toward pure carbon-fiber construction. While not (yet) as popular in F3A, counter-rotating propellers were used by the majority of the top ten competitors there. These powerplants are truly tiny marvels. The single- and twin-motor systems with gearboxes are said to weigh around 16 to 20 g, while the single-motor models with counter-rotating, freely spinning propellers are correspondingly lighter.

The leading group consistently demonstrated not only great precision in their maneuvers but also exemplary positioning from the judges’ perspective. There is still room for improvement here for many pilots, as well as in the speeds of the vertical ascending and descending maneuvers—which are well known from F3A flights.

The Swiss team consisted of three “seniors,” one junior, and two assistants. Although their flights were clean, they couldn’t quite keep up with the leaders and finished in the middle of the pack in the individual standings and in the bottom third in the team standings. The models were not state-of-the-art. Aside from one instance of touching the ceiling, there were practically no major problems to report. One drawback was that our Swiss team had to compete without a team leader. I noticed that with better communication to the pilots, a few more points could have been earned here and there.

In the freestyle flights—which, as is well known, are not part of the World Championships—the pilots were able to showcase their versatile skills. This annex competition—which, unfortunately, is often mistakenly called “AeroMusicals” in Switzerland—produced a ranking similar to that of the World Championships. It also confirmed the fundamental concept behind the F6 classes: a huge difference in spectator numbers! Our team finished at the bottom of the rankings. Here, too, with better information for the pilots about freestyle flying, we could have moved up a few spots. In particular, Christian Oppliger was unfortunately unable to fully realize his flying potential or take full advantage of his model’s technical capabilities. The flights by the top group must be viewed as true artistic performances of the highest caliber: the versatility and creativity of the routines, as well as the selection of music, were of the highest standard. Time and again, the spectators burst into spontaneous applause and clapped along rhythmically.

*E. Giezendanner
Photos: G. Wöbbeking*

We don’t have to fire the coach every time we lose, as is customary in soccer. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that the team manager—or TM, as he’s also called—plays an important role at model aircraft world championships. Yes, in certain situations, his competent intervention can even be decisive. The demands placed on pilots, helpers, and TMs have been steadily increasing for many years. While 20 years ago it was still somewhat acceptable for one person to take on multiple roles—even then, it was suboptimal in some classes—this is no longer possible today without certain areas being neglected. For this reason, I have repeatedly proposed to the SMV that TM training be improved—or that such training be provided at all. The Sports Department now intends to address this issue.