The enormous popularity of RC helicopters has resulted in competitions forming, and they have rapidly gained ground, even more so recently. Most of that ground gained is with the American consumer as interest in RC helicopter hobbling has grown to incorporate this new level of the RC helicopter experiences, RC helicopter competitions.
The biggest of these competitions happens in the United Kingdom, and it is called “3D Masters.” Jeff Barringer, an amateur British RC pilot who realized that there needed to be a competition for the new 3D style of flying conceived the annual competition, which is not held in England however, as the weather is often unfavorable. In fact, Spain hosted the RC Helicopter 3D Masters competition in 2009.
The term “3D Flying” comes from the unique ability of the RC helicopter to perform a wider range of maneuvers than the traditional RC airplane. There are 3D style RC airplane competitions but the RC helicopter has far greater potential for some very fancy maneuvering. Of course, this includes standing still in mid-air something that an airplane cannot do.
Types of Competition
Three major categories make up the 3D Masters RC competitions, as well as others, but they are not so popular, such as Pylon style racing. 3D competition includes Freestyle, Set Maneuvers, and Flight to Music and consist of:
Freestyle: Similarity, Freestyle is also much like its name. Pilots are allowed to put on a show that they create ahead of time or ad lib. The purpose of the competition is to show the best individual effort and skill.
Set Maneuvers: Just as the name implies, pilots are given a preset set of maneuvers to perform that are published in advance of the competition. They are expected to perform them without alteration and scoring is based on the accuracy of the performance and levels of difficulty known as ‘K’ factors. The competition maneuvers are changed from year to year.
Flight to Music: “Flights to Music” This could be considered a variation of the Freestyle competition in that pilots perform a show of their own creation but music is used as the central theme. In that it is much more like an aerial ballet than anything else.
The judging is relative and based on the complexity of the performance and the ‘K’ factors involved. Various props and even pyrotechnics are allowed to enhance the impact of the performance. Finally there is The 3D masters are held in July each year and there is a US based competition, the Extreme Flight Championships held in June each year.
