Seeking a Trend Reversal to Attract More Competitors

Unfortunately, the Heli Scale Contest held during the 2018 World Championships in Meiringen did not provide the desired boost to elevate the “Helicopter” category of the Swiss Scale Championships to world-class status. As things stand at the moment, a second Heli Scale Contest will not be held during the 2020 World Championships in Norway either. Consequently, a World Championship for scale helicopters is once again a distant prospect.

In recent years, it has been difficult to attract enough participants to hold a Swiss Championship in accordance with the rules. To award a Swiss Championship title, a minimum of five participants per category (Heli Scale and Heli Semiscale) must compete. Organizers hope to encourage new pilots to participate through a special beginner’s event. Competitors can enter the following two classes:

Judges in this category evaluate the build quality of the model based on at least one photo of the prototype. This means it is possible to compete even with simple models, since the main and tail rotors are not included in the evaluation. The weight must not exceed 29 kilograms. For the flight evaluation, the required and optional maneuvers are the same as in the Heli Scale category. The evaluation is weighted 1/5 for construction and 4/5 for flight.

This category requires more detailed construction documentation. The construction evaluation covers the following points: fidelity to the prototype, color scheme, registration numbers, markings, surface texture and realism, construction quality of the main and tail rotor systems, and attention to detail in replicating the prototype. Due to technical requirements and safety considerations, the main and tail rotor systems are evaluated only in terms of the number of rotor blades and the direction of rotation of the rotor system. The flight evaluation consists of mandatory and optional maneuvers. The evaluation is weighted 1/2 for construction and 1/2 for flight.

With the aim of attracting and inspiring as many new pilots as possible to the Heli-Scale Championship, an information day will be held in Interlaken on March 21, 2020. The goal will be to help interested pilots overcome any hesitation they may have about this competitive discipline. During the morning theory session, participants will learn how to turn a scale model into an entry-level model for the scale scene with relatively little effort, how to prepare construction documentation for a successful build evaluation, and how small, specific details can lead to more points. In the afternoon, participants will learn how to successfully fly the model in competition to earn as many points as possible. This session will also provide training for participants to fly under competition conditions. The flying portion is, of course, weather-dependent.

The event is aimed at interested helicopter pilots (scale or semi-scale) who do not yet have championship experience but would like to give it a try. Let’s hope that as many model pilots as possible sign up to participate, so that the Swiss Scale Championships on August 29 and 30, 2020, in Interlaken will feature a large field of participants for the first time in years.