The 2005 South African F3B Radio-Controlled Model Gliding World Championship Team

Radio Control Gliding - What's it about?
Radio control gliding is a sport which involves the participant on many different levels . It teaches skills ranging from theoretical (aerodynamics), through to practical skills , ie. building aircraft, and also teamwork.

Models flown range from small, 1,5m wingspan hand-launch gliders up to expensive 3.5m wingspan composite multi task gliders.

History of Radio Control Gliding in South Africa
Radio control gliding has a long history in South Africa. There have been active pilots since about 1960, with competitions since about 1970. The first F3B World Championships were held in Pretoria in 1977. South Africa did not participate internationally between 1983 and 1991 due to the political situation, and pressure from the international controlling body, the FAI.

We have actively been participating internationally since 1991, and the 1999 F3B World Championships were held in Rustenburg.

Clubs and organisational structure
There are about 10 active gliding-only clubs in South Africa, involving maybe 200 pilots , and many more pilots flying at mixed (power and gliding) clubs and in informal groups.

The controlling body for model aviation (and obviously, model gliding) is SAMAA, the South African Model Aircraft Association, which is affiliated with the Aero Club of South Africa, and also with the FAI, which is the international controlling body for all forms of sport aviation. Model gliding is represented within this structure by the MGA (Model Gliding Association), a special-interest group within SAMAA.

Youth and development
One club in particular, Midrand Model Soarers (MMS), stands out. MMS has traditionally been the home of many of the top glider pilots in South Africa, including two of the pilots on the 2005 team.

MMS are running clinics at schools as well as training sessions for young
people at their flying field, and believes that this activity keeps young
people off the street, away from drugs , alcohol and other negative
influences.

It instills appreciation and love for aviation and technical advancement in
general.

The club is very active in training young pilots , and in spearheading the quest for more school-age participants in the sport, particularly those from previously disadvantaged communities.

Sponsorship:
Participating in any World Championships and carrying the South African Flag is an expression of achievement and an honour for our country.

H istorically, the last 9 South African World Championship campaigns were entirely self funded. Rising costs and increasing demand to attract young and qualified pilots to the sport requires increased efforts by the team to serve as an example of excellence.

World Championships are traditionally held annually in Europe or the United States . This year the event is being held in Lappeenranta, Finland from the 31st July to the 6th August.

Efforts are underway to attract such a prestigious event to beawarded to South Africa.

A total in excess of R 200 000 is needed for the team for the World Championships campaign to cover such costs as travelling, accommodation, shipping of equipment, etc, for 3 pilots, 3 helpers and a team manager.

We can offer sponsors the opportunity to place their branding on our aircraft and other equipment, such as large model transport boxes , team clothing, etc. The events we attend receive significant media coverage in the country in which they take place , as well as coverage in many of the regional newspapers and journals locally. Banners and flags can also be displayed at the events themselves.

What is F3B?
F3B is one of the many classes of radio-control gliding.

Models used are generally between 2.8 and 3.3 metres wingspan, and weigh between 1.5 and 3 k g. They are built from composite materials (fibre glass, polystyrene foam, carbon fibre, kevlar), and are mostly made in moulds. Depending on the weather and the task at hand, ballast is some times used to increase the weight of the model.

The competition consists of three very different tasks :
1. Duration, 2. Distance , and 3. Speed.

The models are launched off an electrical winch with a drum containing 400 metres of nylon line (similar to heavy-duty fish ing line ). The line runs from the winch to a turnaround pulley 200 metres away, and back , where it is hooked onto the model.

The launch height can vary from 250 to 300 metres , depending on conditions . The power of the winches is limited by rules, and is carefully checked before the competition. The current winch rules allow for about 1.5 kW power.

The 2005 Team Members

More about F3B flying
The Tasks:
1. Duration - Task A
The competitor has to fly for exactly ten minutes , and has to land with in a circle of 15 metres radius . The pilot scores one point for each second of flight time up to 10 minutes. Any flight time over 10 minutes results in one point per second being deducted from the score . The pilot then receives 100 points for landing within one meter of the middle of the circle. 5 points are deducted for each meter away from the centre , up to a maximum of 15 meters .

The flight has to take place within a working time of 12 minutes . Normally between 4 and 6 pilots fly against each other in this task.

The winner of the group gets 1000 points, and everyone else's score is calculated as a percentage of the 1000 points .

2. Distance - Task B
The pilot has 4 m inutes in which to fly as many legs as possible of a 150 meter course . A signal (buzzer or flag) is sounded when he is to turn at either end of the course . This has to be completed in a working time of 7 minutes.

The pilot can have as many attempts as they want, but only the last attempt counts for scoring. Normally 4 or 5 pilots fly simultaneously, and the scoring is the same as per duration - the pilot with the most legs gets 1000 points , and everyone else's score is calculated as a percentage of this . The best pilots can consistently do upwards of 24 laps , while scores of over 30 laps are not uncommon.

3. Spee d - Task C
The pilot has a working time of 4 minutes in which to make 1 flight, making 4 legs of the 150m course as quickly as possible. Scoring is the same as in distance and duration. This task can be spectacular for the spectator, as mistakes can lead to a pilot picking up many small pieces of what used to be his model. Top pilots can consistently make speed runs of less than 17 seconds . The world record is under 14 seconds.
Top speeds (including turns) in this task can be over 160 km/h. The gliders though , are capable of well over 200km/h in straight-line flight.