Photo Captions
- Right: One World Champion contest winner Bobby Watts (left) pulled a new trick out of his bag for this flight. He had his caller and friend Rick Vinas (right) perform a dance routine choreographed to the Miniature Aircraft Furion 6's flight movements. The crowd loved it and voted Bobby into the winner's circle. He won $7,000, which he donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
- Below: The new Miniature Aircraft Furion 6 performed flawlessly at the event. It flies great with a 10S battery setup and a 560 kV motor. The Furion is a great combination of quality components and a simple airframe.
- Below right: Danny Szabo shows off the very capable Gaui X5. This unique design is the result of everything the company has learned with its smaller helicopters and smart test pilots. It's simple, incredibly tough, and efficient.
- Opposite page, bottom left: Nick Maxwell flew this new 700-size Rave ENV from CJ Youngblood Enterprises, with a flybarless head and nitro power. The kit can be converted from nitro to electric power by swapping only a few parts.
- Opposite page, bottom right: Butch Wellmaker won the Scale Nats with his Sikorsky S-76, which is electric powered with two 6S 10,000 mAh battery packs. Blades are 980 mm long, and the model weighs 42 pounds. Butch is a mechanic on a full-scale S-76.
The Heli Jambo
by Mark Fadely
Introduction
Welcome to the 2010 IRCHA (International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association) Jamboree report. This event has a rich, two-decade history of attracting helicopter enthusiasts from far and wide. A lot of flying, building, and repairing goes on during the five-day event—held August 11–15 this year—but it is the friendships that bring people back year after year. This is the social mecca for RC helicopter pilots. The registered pilot count rose to an unprecedented 960 in 2010.
On Saturday evening there was a great catered meal followed by prize giveaways. This was the congested scene around stage center, where the winners were announced; more than $40,000 worth of prizes was awarded this year.
One visiting pilot said he did not feel intimidated to fly because he normally flies with a few good pilots back in Minnesota. He figured he might as well get shown up at this event rather than at home. On a serious note, he commented that all of the pilots were quick to welcome him and to offer any help he needed.
I found first-timer Mark Manly having a blast flying his Blade 400. He wasn't scared off by all of the 90-size helicopters on the flightline and had a big smile on his face after his flight. Mark is 47 years old and lives in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. This is his second year flying helicopters, and he said that he would like to attend the Jamboree each year. After flying RC airplanes for more than 40 years, Mark decided to try helicopters because they seemed more challenging. He is happy he did, because RC is more fun than ever for him now.
Mark encourages everyone to make the trip to this event. He said you don't even have to bring a helicopter — you can find everything you need at the venue, so you can buy a model and start flying once you get there.
A Pilot's Saturday (Suggested Schedule)
Following is how a pilot's Saturday might have gone at this year's Jamboree:
- 8:00 a.m.: Arrive at the IAC and soak in the beauty for a few minutes.
- 8:15 a.m.: Get your helicopter out and make that all-important first flight (without a crash, it is hoped).
- 8:30 a.m.: Set up your stuff in your canopy/shelter area.
- 9:00 a.m.: Attend the ever-popular pilots' meeting.
- 10:00 a.m.: Find the list of seminars and listen to great information from the experts.
- 11:00 a.m.: Have an early lunch (a Bison Burger if you dare). Eat quickly and get to center stage.
- 12:00 p.m.: Stake out a good spot to watch the fantastic demonstration flights. This year there was an excellent "One" contest.
- 1:00 p.m.: Ride on a golf cart to Sites 2 and 3 to see the FAI practice, then continue on to the National Model Aviation Museum on-site. There is also a fully stocked hobby shop just off the IAC; turn into the bean field near Site 1 and you're there.
- 3:00 p.m.: Go get your model and fly.
- 3:00 p.m.: Remember that you want to tell pilots back home that you were tearing up the sky at the IRCHA Jamboree.
- 4:00 p.m.: Find someone with an air-conditioned RV and ask if you can come in for a quick nap (just kidding!).
- 5:00 p.m.: Stroll down the midway and buy a few of those items you promised you wouldn't.
- 6:00 p.m.: Eat the tastiest barbecue, catered from the Outback Steakhouse.
- 7:00 p.m.: Get in a couple more flights before dark.
- 8:00 p.m.: Round up all of your friends and prepare to watch the night-fly and fireworks.
- 11:30 p.m.: Leave the 1,000-acre AMA property with a burning urge to do it again next year.
Does that sound like fun? This was my 15th consecutive year of attending the IRCHA Jamboree. I love it as much today as ever.
One World Champion Contest
Empire Hobby and Gaui teamed up to bring Jamboree attendees something new this year: the One World Champion contest. The idea was for the seven top fliers in the world to perform a seven-minute flight in competition for a $7,000 prize. They were excited about this first-time opportunity.
The selected pilots were Bobby Watts, Kyle Dahl, Nick Maxwell, Kyle Stacy, Daniel Katzav, Adriano Neto, and Matt Botos. The contest was held at center stage in place of the noon demo on Saturday. All of the pilots flew as if their heads would explode if they didn't lay down everything they knew about helicopters.
According to the rules, any flight exceeding 3½ minutes scored. That meant that a pilot who crashed at the five-minute mark still had a good chance of winning.
The One contest was thrilling, and Bobby Watts came out on top. His caller and good friend, Rick Vinas, did an amazing job of choreographing a dance routine that was synced to Bobby's flying. Bobby ripped his flybarless Miniature Aircraft Furion 6 across the flying field in an incredible display of skill and the machine's capabilities. Rick got the crowd going by encouraging everyone to participate; he played "air guitar" and even added a tribute to Michael Jackson with an excellent moonwalk.
When Bobby was presented with the winning trophy and the briefcase with $7,000, he did an incredible thing: he kept the trophy but donated the entire cash prize to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Bobby is a class act.
Autorotation Contest
HeliWholesaler sponsored the Autorotation Contest, which Ray Stacy managed. The response was tremendous, with 20 pilots signing up to risk their machines in an unpowered descent to a spot landing.
Winners and prizes:
- J.C. Zankl — Miniature Aircraft Furion 6
- Raja Bortsch — HeliCommand control unit
- Andrew Merlino — Heli-Max Novus 125 CP
- James Haley — Heli-Max Novus 125 CP
Observations and Closing
Each year the Jamboree takes on a different mood. Last year there was an infatuation with vintage machines, with dozens of 30-year-old models on display. This year attendees seemed to be focused on the future. Newer, even more high-tech models were the topic of many discussions. Power-to-weight ratios in helicopters these days are astounding. Electric-powered helicopters are carving out their niche, especially in competition. However, many pilots have switched back to nitro-powered machines after owning larger electrics.
The helicopter-buying public is advancing and figuring out what works for the individual pilot. With so many great helicopters on the market, it is difficult to say which is the best anymore. The main thing is to get out and fly, meet pilots you can build relationships with, and plan on being in the hobby for a long time. It is said that you will live longer if you have a hobby you love.
If you have never been to the IRCHA Jamboree, make plans right now to attend in 2011. It is the pinnacle of everything RC helicopter.
MA
Mark Fadely [email protected]
Sources
- International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association — www.ircha.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
