air space

The Model Flying Movement in Sweden

This is not the type of article you will ever find in the popular model flight press, but is the sort of thing we can indulge in on ModelFlight simply on the basis that it could be of interest to some of us. Personally speaking, I do find it interesting to see how the model world operates and its level of acceptance as a serious sport or hobby in different parts of the world. So, for those of you with a similar interest, here's an attempt to explain how the model flying movement is set up in Sweden, as explained to me by our good friend Tore Loodin.

In national terms, the Swedish model scene comes under the umbrella of the Imperial Athletic Union of Sweden ("Riksidrottsförbundet") which covers traditional athletics and sport flying. Coming down the flying side of the organisation, you see the Swedish Flying Sport Union which, I believe, embraces full-size sports flying, and beneath that comes the Swedish Model Union (the SMFF). The SMFF is the Swedish equivalent of the national organisations with which each of us is probably familiar within our own countries - e.g., the BMFA (British Model Flying Assocation) in the UK.

The Swedish Model Union joined the Swedish Flying Sport Union in 1998 so that they could qualify for the financial support which the government gives to athletics. Tore says, " . . . in 1998, we hastily became flying model athletes, which at least got our status higher, but wouldn't keep our models from crashing"!

Although the Swedish Model Union receives this government funding, it seems that the majority of its income comes from the million Swedish Crowns (£66,000 or $US94,000 approximately) that comes by way of subscriptions from the model flying clubs to help cover its costs for competitions, etc., and the production of their rather smart- looking model magazine Modellflygnytt. The clubs themselves receive no direct support, but they can receive commission if they sell tickets for the national lottery. It would appear that some funding is available for district groupings of clubs to encourage youth training in the sport, subject to them being able to register sufficient participating number of youths under the age of 20 years.

Internationally, the Swedish model movement comes under the FAI, or Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, translated as the World Airsport Federation - the same body as many other national flying and model flying organisations come under - again, the BMFA being an example. Being a rather conservative body, the FAI accepts the Royal Swedish Flying Club (KSAK) as the interface for the more humble world of model flying! The FAI set the rules for competition and the necessary licences to compete. You might notice that in the national organisation chart, the Swedish Model Union is shown under the Swedish Flying Sport Union - this is really the KSAK in its national form, duly re-named to take account of the socialist government's dislike of anything 'royal'.

Tore Loodin tells me that many model flyers shy from the bureaucratic set-up, seeing it as a money-waster, and they refuse to join the model clubs, but then they are not permitted to fly from the club fields or in competitions and are not protected by the insurance held by the Swedish Model Union (SMFF). I bet that sounds familiar in quite a number of countries!

a sorry tale

January 3rd, 2001 The very worst has happened (well, almost) - I've had a fly-away! My first model, Dawn, the lovely Yamamoto 1600 trainer, seems lost and gone for ever! After yet another bout of miserable weather, the day dawned bright and sunny and I could not resist the temptation to go flying. At the field, I prepared the model for flight, carried out all the usual ground checks, and executed a pleasing take-off into a very slight wind - not enough to even stir the windsock. Two 90º turns and we were heading back downwind, but when I put in the next 90º turn to fly the base leg, she just kept turning and losing height. The plane was some distance away and I started to get a bit disorientated. She dropped behind a couple of trees, but I could still see her beyond the bare branches, and that was when I now believe I made a crucial mistake. Instead of cutting the throttle and letting her spiral down as gently as possible while I still knew where she was, I put in some throttle and up-elevator, thinking that if I could get some height I might stand a better chance of seeing what was going on and regain control.

The plane started to gain height, but I just could not get full control to bring her back towards me, although by now I think I was probably doing quite a bit of haphazard stick wiggling - well, you do, don't you? The plane was now so far away from me that I was not sure exactly in which direction it was actually going at any one moment, although it was definitely getting away from me and her movements seemed totally unrelated to what I was doing with the aileron control. I then lost sight of the model, but kept a turn on in the hope that I might pick up her bright orange under-wing, but no avail! I cut the throttle and put in some down-elevator to bring her down, not knowing how far away she had gone or if my commands were actually causing any response.

I was flying at a small private airfield, so I had to report the fly-away to ATC who called up the nearest airfield in the direction in which Dawn appeared to have been going, just in case any of their pilots reported a small, lonesome, yellow trainer looking rather lost!

What's really concerning me, though, is just where did the model land and has it done any damage other than to itself? (When I built my ATS Kite, I put an identification label under the wing and had it in mind to do the same on the Yamamoto - you've guessed it, I never got round to it . . . ) I doubt if I will ever know, but if I do, I'll tell you!

January 5th, 2001. During the night, I kept thinking that I really ought to return to the airstrip and walk the length and breadth of the approach to the runways just in case I might find my missing plane, despite being sure it had gone beyond the boundaries of the strip. I was having coffee with my wife around 11.00 a.m. and had just finished telling her of my intentions, when the 'phone rang. It was Chris of ATC from the airfield, "Keith has found your plane and it's under my desk in rather a large number of pieces!" Keith is the gamekeeper of the estate on which the airfield is located and he had spotted the plane in one of the outlying fields of the estate! He hadn't even been aware of my little incident, but had just seen the yellow fuselage and wing lying out in a very muddy, rain-sodden field and had gone out and gathered it up.

I quickly made my way to the airfield club room, and there she was! It was clear she had nose-dived into the ground. The wing had still been attached, the undercarriage was still intact but the fuselage had burst apart just behind the fire-wall as the impact had driven the engine back. The engine was caked in mud and both blades of the prop were snapped off at the hub. If you want to see the wreckage, click here!

The plane itself is a write-off and the receiver is damaged beyond use. Connecting up another receiver revealed that the crystal is no longer working but with a replacement crystal, all servos are functioning. All servo arms are still in place although the servos themselves were ripped out of the tray and wing. What was the cause of the loss of control? Would a failing crystal have still given partial control - after all, the plane had appeared to be responding to throttle and probably elevator inputs, or did the crystal fail on impact? Could it have been the battery - it was charged over-night, but could there have been a dodgy cell?

The engine needs to be completely stripped down, but not having done it before I will probably see if I can find someone at the club to do it for me, unless I can find a good d.i.y. article in a book or magazine. Despite the loss of the model, I'm really glad to have it back and to know that it did not cause any damage to persons or property.

What's left will give me an excuse to build another model - I can't let that engine go to waste, can I?

There will be a new Dawn tomorrow . . .

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