Pylon-Racing Club 20 in Amriswil

Organization: MG Amriswil

Left: The exciting start of the Club 20 category.

Below: Once again, Bernhard Wächli from Langenthal finished in the thankless 4th place in the Club 20 race!

On October 4, MG Amriswil once again organized a pylon race. This time, the event was for the Club 20 class (models with a wingspan of about 1 m and a maximum engine displacement of 3.5 ccm) and the Elektro 714 class (electric models with the sole requirement of 7 battery cells, each with a maximum capacity of 1.4 Ah). With 32 entries from all over Switzerland and 2 from France, an exciting competition was in store, and the organizers had to ensure the races were run efficiently—after all, each participant had to complete four preliminary rounds! What had become apparent in recent years was impressively confirmed in Amriswil: The models in the Club 20 class are nearly equally fast (about 180 km/h in level flight), so the pilots were forced to fly the 250-meter-long triangular course as cleanly as possible—that is, as low as possible and as close as possible to the pylon! Four pilots each started simultaneously for the 10-lap race. If a pylon is not flown around correctly, the pilot receives a 10% time penalty added to their lap time. Two errors result in disqualification. The two best times from the preliminary rounds count toward the semifinals, for which the eight fastest pilots qualify. The four fastest pilots from the semifinals compete in the final race. The slight differences in speed among the models were not without consequences. There were mid-air collisions, contact with the pylons, and crashes to the ground… 17 models, including four electric models, fell victim in this battle for seconds! The Club 20 class places the highest demands on model pilots. However, it also offers them—and the spectators—a unique racing atmosphere and excitement unlike anything experienced in almost any other model flying discipline!

The competition in the electric category was a bit calmer. Four competitors also started a race at the same time. The fastest models still managed to reach an average speed of 70 km/h. The 7-cell limit also gives less experienced or less well-off model builders the chance to build a model just as fast as their “pro” competitors and truly test their flying skills against them. Fingertip sensitivity—in the truest sense of the word—determines victory or defeat. The electric model aircraft impressively demonstrated that silent motorized flight has become a genuine alternative.

Rolf Hess

Left: The winners of the Club 20 class. From left to right: Martin Michel, Glattal; Hansruedi Zwingli, Thal; and Patrice Garelli, Lyon, France.