The 2011 Swiss Champions in the F4 Category—Scale Models—Have Been Crowned

On September 24 and 25, 2011, the Swiss Scale Model Aircraft Championships, organized by the Molinazzo-Bellinzona Model Aircraft Group (GAMB), took place at the Lodrino airfield. Thanks to the large number of pilots in attendance and the beautiful weather, spectators were able to admire stunning model airplanes both in flight and on the ground throughout the two-day competition.

A total of 34 pilots competed with 37 models across the various categories, including 10 pilots in the F4-Scale category, 20 in F4-JET, 5 in F4-HELI, and 4 in F4-SEMI-HELI. The JET category also featured members of the German national team and Italian pilots. Among the models with the most impressive specifications were an Aer-macchi MB-339 PAN with a wingspan of 2,900 mm and a BAe

A Hawk with a length of 3,500 mm, a Hawker Hunter weighing 21 kg, and an F-86F Sabre capable of reaching a speed of 320 km/h. All pilots also used 2.4 GHz radio controls. The competition took place over multiple rounds, with both in-flight and static evaluations. The individual program, lasting 15 minutes, included a series of mandatory maneuvers alongside maneuvers chosen by the pilot. During the static evaluation, which lasted an average of 25 minutes, the judges carefully observed

every detail of the model airplanes on display: true gems both for the quality of their finish and for their faithful reproduction of the original glider’s distinctive features. The program of

The competition took place over two days, with two flights scheduled for each pilot. The pilots’ professionalism and the efficient organization by the event staff ensured that the event ran smoothly. The midday break also held numerous surprises for the audience: Raoul Weit’s biplane, the spectacular maneuvers of Andrea Brignoli’s F3AX model (former Italian champion in the category), and the highly precise flight of an electric helicopter presented by Ennio Graber, a multi-award-winning pilot who placed third at the recent world championships in the category. On Sunday, Nicola Ravasi, president of the Aero Club Locarno, paid a visit at the controls of his Yak,

performing several flybys. To its great satisfaction, GAMB once again succeeded in bringing a high-level model aircraft event to Ticino, earning praise from both the public and the pilots. The GAMB organizing committee thanks all the volunteers and sponsors whose help made the

this wonderful event. Numerous photos are available on the GAMB website *www.gamb.ch*, and a DVD is also planned.

*Klaus-Dieter Waldeck, GAMB
Photos: GAMB
[MG] Photos: Marcel Germann
moba.ch*