On May 17th the meeting of friends of RC miniscales was held on private model airport at Horná Streda close to Piešťany. Meeting, organized by Dušan Sedlár was presented as "zero" year with ambition to become an annual event. However regarding propagation I can characterize the event as illegal and secret one, at least for most modellers living in different places then space between Nové Mesto nad Váhom and Trnava. Where exactly the airport is was nowhere on Internet, the only map in Ing. Gašparín's web located the airport roughly south of Horná Streda. However, everybody but me found the place with no problem. I got lost, run on the field roads around the country to come to the airfield from unexpected direction. So if you will ever try to find the airfield, the entrance is from state road connecting Piešťany and Horná Streda, see the map.
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Map |
Model parking |
The number of modellers and models was not very high, but very prestigeous for RC miniscale: Štefan Gašparín with his colleague from Říčany, Antonín Alfery with his son from Uherské Hradiště, Juraj Cok, Juraj Jurovic and Jaro Müller brought his unfinished model as well. Each name is a model ikon. Number of models, even if not exactly miniscales were brought by domestic modellers.
So what exactly was there to see? Tonda Alfery brought known models from his Alfamodel company, the most interesting ones were new Albatros D.V and Corsair, Spitfire and Beaufighter equipped with retracts and flaps. WWII fighters were overdriven as usual, the same holds for ducted fan Sabre, but it was useful in the windy weather.
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Sabre takeoff |
Sabre piloted by Ladík Alfery |
Model and its pilot |
Bristol Beaufighter |
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Beaufighter with its designer |
Functional flaps and retracts |
F4-U Corsair takeoff |
Fw-190D takeoff |
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Abatros D.V |
Spitfiru preparing for takeoff |
Lavochkin La-5 by Juraj Jurovic |
Štefan Gašparín with his colleague brought oldish Ansaldo SVA.5, with size only slightly exceeding peanut. In spite the strong wind the model made several brave flights. Štefan also introduced beautiful Pottier PT-100, built by Michalm Vosika and Piper Cub from Juraj Cok worktable. Pottier was brand new, with two wing versions, one with ailerons, second without for elevator/rudder control only. All mentioned models were equipped by brushless drives from Ing. Gašparín production and micro RC equipment, I was particularly interested in one gram proportional servos.
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Pottier PT-100, designed by Michal Vosika |
Insides of Pottier |
Piper J-3 byilt by Juraj Cok |
Piperu cockpit detail |
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Detail of ailerons/rudder mix |
Ansaldo SVA.5 |
RC equipment in Ansaldo |
In unremitting wind two Extra's from Microinvent production were flying almost all the time, controlled by Juraj Cok and Juraj Jurovic. Size of a peanut, desing suitable for indoors, in spite of that the models were showing variable aerobatic maneuvres. Sufficient power of mini AC drives fed by single LiPol cell and great piloting of both modellers enabled flying in air bumps.
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Extras by Robert Cok and Juraj Jurovic |
Extra from Microinventu |
Extra in flight |
Extras made it in spite the strong wind |
But the most impressive for me was the model which Jaro Müller brought out of the trunk of his car with his typical humility. Beautiful RC miniscale of Beneš - Mráz Be-60 Bestiola was covered after several years of occasional work. Model is made into the smallest detail, e.g. the functional mechanism for tipping the wings for transport, made in exact scale manner is something one must see. The owner promissed to work on the model, so there things we can look forward to.
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Beneš-Mráz Be-60 Bestiola by Jaro Müller |
Bestiola is almost finished |
Laminated engine cowl |
Scale wing tipping |
So what is there to say at the end. Events where modellers focused on RC miniscales can fly, meet, talk and see again almost forgotten faces and show what new models they have got has my sympathy. The audience can come off course, but such event is not primarily model show for public with hotdogs, beer and megaphones. Maybe it would be good to advertise more around the modellers and shorter grass on the airfield so RC miniscales could takeoff from the ground. And maybe differet, later date, so one could use close sandpit with blue water. The heat was enormous this year.
[Felda]
