S - Space Models Competitions

1. What kind of competitions do we have in Spacemodelling?
2. What is the Spacemodelling World Cup?
3. How do we compete and calculate scores?
4. What did we do all these years?
5. What contests shall we have this year?
6. What contests shall we have next year?

1. What kind of competitions do we have in Spacemodelling?

International events are those in which participate sportsmen from at least two countries. There are Open International contests in which all spacemodellers who posses valied FAI sporting license may enter. These contests are only for individual classifications. Limited International contests are those in which competitors are nominated by their NACs for team and individual classifications.

World Championships are limited international contests in which competitors must be nominated by their NACs and are persons or teams from at least four different nations. In Continental Championships competitors also must be nominated by their NACs, but participants must be of at least four different nations from one continent.

Competition Classes for World and Continental SM Championships are:

• Junior Classes : S1A, S3A, S4A, S5B, S6A, S7, S8D and S9A.
• Senior Classes: S1B, S3A, S4A, S5C, S6A, S7, S8E/P and S9A.

2. What is the Spacemodelling World Cup?

Spacemodelling World Cup is an individual classification of results from a series of Open International contests during the year. SM WC contests are organized since 1995. SM WC classes are S4A, S6A, S7, S8E/P and S9A. There are 22 SM WC contests in 16 different countries at 3 continents this year. Three best results in each class during the year are counted for final classifications. In case of tie the fourth, fifth etc. best result will be considered to get the winner. The SM WC is coordinated and administered by Srdjan D. Pelagic, dipl.ing., SM SC Chairman. His email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

3. How do we compete and calculate scores?

In general there are three areas of competition in SM: altitude, time duration and scale.

• In altitude competition we try to achieve the highest altitude - 1 m of altitude is 1 point, and the best of three flights is taken for final classification.
• In time duration - 1 second is 1 point and the total of three flights gives the final score. Flights are limited to some maximum time duration. It is for World Championship classes as follows: S3A, S4A, S6A and S9A - 180 sec, for S8D is 360 sec and for S8E/P there is a target time of 360 sec. If there is a tie additional flights ( fly-offs ) shall be made where the maximum flight is 2 minutes longer.
• In scale models competition there is a table for awarding points for workmanship and flight characteristics.

4. What did we do all these years?

Spacemodelling international contests started in 1965 between Poland and Czechoslovakia. On 28 May 1966 started the first international contest participated by Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German DR, Poland, Romania, U.S.A. and Yugoslavia. Competitions were in payload altitude, parachute duration and boost glider duration.

The first World Spacemodelling Championships was held in Vrshac (former Yugoslavia, now Serbia) in 1972 and there were 18 World SM Championships organized so far. The first European SM Championshps was organized in Lleida (Spain) in 1979 and there were 15 European SM Championships organized so far. Only continental championships out of Europe was the 1st Open Asian SM Championshps organized in Baikonur (Kazakhstan) in 2007.

5. What contests shall we have this year?

FAI European Championships for Space Models 2011 to be held in Buzau (Romania) from 20th to 27th August, 2011 is the greatest SM event this year. It is a tradition to have the Space Models Subcommittee meeting at the end of the Champs when all most important SM issues shall be discussed.

In addition to that there is a series of 22 SM World Cup events to be held in 16 countries at three continents in 5 World Cup classes. These events are sometimes completed with some Open International – non World Cup events. These are competition in classes that are not qualified for World Cup like S3A – Parachute Duration or S1B – Altitude Competition or even S8D – RC Rocket Glider Duration 10-20 Ns. The final World Cup event shall be 33rd Ljubljana Cup in Ljubljana (Slovenia) from 9 to 10 October, 2011, that is a real SM festival with participation of people from about 10 – 12 countries.

Detailed information on all Space Models contests in 2011 can be found on the FAI events calendar.

6. What contests shall we have next year?

Next year, the greatest SM event shall be the 2012 FAI World Championships for Space Models to be held in Liptovski Mikulas (Slovakia) at the beginning of September. In addition to that there will be a series of SM World Cups. All contests that shall be qualified for World Cup series 2012 must be registered at the FAI Office BEFORE 15th November, 2011.