Free Flight event at the 2026 Scale World Championship

[g_kandylakis]

The FAI World Scale Championship is going to take place in a few days, from 9/7 until 18/7 at the BMFA center in Buckminster UK.

This is for F4C and F4H classes of radio controlled scale models as well as for F4B control line scale models.

It is expected to be a great event with a record number of entries and countries participating.

As described above, it really does not belong in the usual contents of this forum. However, parallel to the main events, a semi-official free flight event is also planed, in order to show one more aspect of scale aeromodelling and this is the event that is of more interest to us.

The entry list has been published on the champs website, plenty of familiar names. Mostly GBR entries plus a GRE one. I will be attending the event as a static judge for RC but the opportunity to fly a free flight model there was too good to miss.

https://worldscale26.bmfa.uk/free-flight


So, this is the announcement, pictures and more will follow.

George

[Squirrelnet]

Looks like it will be a great event, fingers crossed for the weather.

The entry list is from May so I think there's another 4 now, myself, Andrew Hewitt, Tim Horne and John Cooper

[g_kandylakis]

Looks like it will be a great event, fingers crossed for the weather.

The entry list is from May so I think there's another 4 now, myself, Andrew Hewitt, Tim Horne and John Cooper

Great to read that, the good company is getting larger!

And on a side note, since you will be there I am assigning you as helper and responsible for ground support.
Do not worry, you have only one task, please bring a CO2 bottle for me to charge my PZL      .

The model will travel with a greek contestant by car and I cannot take a sodasteam bottle on the plane without probably getting arrested.

So, looking forward to seeing you all in less than a week now.

George

[Squirrelnet]

I will bring a bottle and a spare full cylinder. I was planning to bring the Bleriot anyway as a calm weather model, though if Pete brings his, we maybe over 'Blerioted' for a show event    So I may not fly it

[TheLurker]

...if Pete brings his, we maybe over 'Blerioted' ...

One can never have too many Bleriot aeroplanes.

[Pete Fardell]

I was planning to bring the Bleriot anyway as a calm weather model, though if Pete brings his, we maybe over 'Blerioted' for a show event    So I may not fly it

As Lurk says, it's not actually possible to be over-Blerioted, and 15 entrants all flying Bleriots would be just about perfect.

That said, I'm not entirely sure about flying mine either. I've been tidying up my Stinson Sentinel as it's my most reliable flyer at the moment, and the Bleriot was a little off-song in Bill's contest at Oxford. I did make up a new motor for it though and take it to my field the other night for a bit of a test. It doesn't seem to turn like it used to and I very nearly parked it in the High Hedge of Uncertainty.

[g_kandylakis]

Hi Pete,

It is a simple dilemma, if you ask me. Bring along a neutrally looking but well flying Sentinel or a perhaps problematic but "one that everyone wants to see" Bleriot?

My preference is clear...

On a side note. Mike Smith informed me that it will most probably be possible to do some pre contest testing on Thursday and Friday afternoons when the RC competition flights are over.

Which is great, except I now need gas earlier than Saturday. I can bring my own Sodastream adapter but I still need a Sodastream bottle. Any ideas?

[Squirrelnet]

If no one can be found with one there from Thursday an expensive (well £23) option would be to buy one from Amazon and get it delivered to Buckminster

Amazon Soda stream - next day

[Squirrelnet]

 [/quote] I did make up a new motor for it though and take it to my field the other night for a bit of a test. It doesn't seem to turn like it used to and I very nearly parked it in the High Hedge of Uncertainty.

[/quote]

Well that's another great flight from the Bleriot and would have qualified ... Mine will struggle to out fly your very well trimming one ...would we get extra points for formation Bleriot's

That said the long term forecast looks a tad breezy so I'll bring the Bleriot but a few alternatives.. and if the weather's crap the Cessna 170

[Pete Fardell]

Thanks both, that's encouraging, and you're right, George- I really ought to give the Bleriot a go if the wind's at blerioable levels on the day.
George, I have a couple of sodastream bottles, but am not sure how full either one is and I'm not planning to go to Buckminster till the Saturday. One possibility would be to ask Steve Jackson if he can bring them down for you. Conveniently, he lives in my town. Would you like me to ask him?

[Squirrelnet]

Pete if you weigh them it will show how much co2 is in them .

A full Ali sodastream bottle is 1214g without an adapter

-425g of co2 789g empty

[g_kandylakis]

Hi Chris,

You beat me to it, exactly what I was thinking.

Pete, if you can find the heaviest of them and give it to Steve Jackson that will be great.

I only need to test fly so duration is not the biggest concern. For Saturday I will take advantage of Chris's offer.

Thanks to both!

[Pete Fardell]

Ok, the heavier bottle weighs 1033g and Steve's happy to bring it, so hopefully you'll have enough gas to trim with.

Your main job, however, is to calm the wind down for Saturday. (We don't care how you do it.)

[g_kandylakis]

Hi Pete,

That sounds like a more than half full bottle, so quite sufficient for my testing purposes.

I sent pms to both of you btw.

As for the winds, the best I can think of is to make an appeal to the greek vod of winds, Eolos as his name is in greek.

If I go as far as making a sacrifice to appease him has yet to be decided...

George

[Spiros]

Lucky me, I'm not coming!!

I would be the goat in this case......