by : Loet Wakkerman

This report will be about the Combat (F2D) championships

The Field

The field itself was perfect although the double outer circle gave some confusion. The inner circle was made of a painted underlayment (plywood) and the surface was made a little rough (sandpaper structure). This inner circle was a perfect idea especially as we had to suffer with some rain drops every now and then.

It was a pitty that there was no real preparation area for each country. This is normally done at World and European Championships so everybody knows where the lines are and for spectators it is easier to recognize where they shouldn't be. Asking the organization to change this was simply answered with: what's the problem, your lines will be checked before you enter the circle. Amazing that I saw better preparation areas for other categories.

Before somebody thinks I am only negative: a BIG COMPLIMENT to GABRIEL HONNERT (line check and the man who did almost everything on the field to get the competition started and running) and MOREL (checking venturi,muffler and line thickness) and THE MAN ON THE BIKE (who kept the flying area clean). Gabriel had a hard time keeping people out off the line check area who had nothing to do there. Happy for him and the pilots he succeeded. Well done!!

The Jury

Mack Henry ,Circle Marshall, did an outstanding job, he was the one trying to run this competition at schedule. Then there were 3 other jury members, Guido Michels having a kind of total overview task and Ingemar Larsson and Vernon Hunt being the 2 jury members watching the two teams closely. Guido Michels was doing a proper job. With the other two I was less satisfied. One of them was really slowing down the competition, being always later than the other with fuel and streamer. You need nerves if you have to wait and you see the other team is almost prepared. Mack was happily giving both teams enough time to prepare properly.

Sometimes the 2 jury members allowed pilots to leave fuel in their fuel bottles and pour the half liter fuel additional to it (it was allowed because those pilots said that this was the fuel left from the bout before or they promised to tank from the half liter bottle and not use the other fuel). Once we said something about it the 'fun' started. From now on I had to take my surgical tubes out off the models almost every flight and show that they were empty. They told me that there was a rumor that I was flying with extra nitro. I can tell, my engines are running faster with less nitro but then they are more difficult to regulate. I would be stupid if I would use those tricks.

Maybe the trouble with the jury and me was because I asked some questions (Guido asked me to) before the champs started. One of the questions was: What will the jury do when somebody is making a knot and makes the knot wet in his mouth and makes the next knot and makes it wet again. I asked this because this was used on some competitions (in Denmark one of the judges saw someone doing this and gave him a new streamer) You don't have to be smart to realize that the string will break more easily in the wetted knot which is also easier to make very tight. When I asked one of the jury members (those watching the teams closely) when this happened before the start of one of my bouts the answer was: I can't see it from here!!! I gave up.

I must honestly say that the jury has never been an advantage or disadvantage for me or the other Dutch pilots but still except for Mack Henry and Guido a minus for rest of the jury. I would like to hear opinions from other pilots. I will also add the opinions from other pilots as attachment to this article. Who dares to?? I received already 1. See below

Time Keepers and Cut Counters

The most difficult job on the field and they did very well. I couldn't do this job properly, I always see less than they do because I also look at tactics and pilots. They were concentrated whole day on one thing. My compliments to the time keepers and cut counters. WELL DONE !!. Off course as on every competition there were some not explanable differences in what the pilots expected and what the cut counters saw.

We as Dutch team made by the way made an official complaint but that was about one of the timekeepers drinking Wodka while the competition was still running and handed this over to the Organization What I remember we made this compaint after round 1 or 2. Alcohol should not be used by anyone at the field who could be responsible for the end result. Pilots or mechanics should do what they want but I wouldn't advise it.

The Competition

This could be a long story about who flew who and won or lost but I will only pick out some details. 66 pilots (12 of them being junior) from 21 countries. The draw of the first round showed 69 competitors but there were no Mexican pilots. The ones who had to fly Mexican pilots and the one with the bye now flew each other. This seems to be possible because the draw is still made randomly.

Compared to last year (EC in Spain) the standard of flying was higher. In the first round I was nicely surprised by Mike Willcox's flying style. A real joy to look at. I have tried to look at all the bouts he flew. It almost seem to be over for Mike after the first round because he had been practicing (just before the start of the second round) before 8 O'clock on a field somewhere. Bruno Delor, the treasurer of the WC, unfortunately for Mike passed by and took his equipment. No more flying for Mike expected everybody but the Americans won the protest and Mike was able to continue the competition. He has the style I like to fly myself too, low and small manouvres. He lost against two pilots who don't like flying low at all. The Russians, especially Talantsev and Arifov, were defending a lot (more than I am used to see from them) and made their cuts anyway. I was really surprised when I saw them defending so much and happily choose the right tactic. Normally I try to follow, if I am not defending, as much as possible. Against them I only followed one or two manouvres and then went inverted to their manouvres. This was the right tactic although Arifov made it very difficult for me. Four times I had to fly him and I won because his pacifier blew at the moment we both had no streamer paper left. (1 to 1 in cuts) In the first reflight we had we were also flying level because of no streamer paper left and my engine was making a strange noise and slowing down. I reached the end of the bout. The skirt of the piston was almost gone and it is amazing to see that an engine can eat so much piston material and doesn't stop, even the pacifier was empty. Lucky me.

First Flight against Arifov	Fourth flight between me and Arifov.

Juniors

12 JUNIORS (Yes in capital). I had the idea that non of the juniors were flying like beginners. They were all doing well and will be a hard nut to crack for us granny's. That some were out early did have to do with an unfortunate draw.

Phillip Teubel 13 years old, first competition this year in Bitterfeld, has made a tremendous step forward. Skyler Shelley from the USA beating Jari Valo, perfect, (sorry Jari). Monique, my sister flew 3 juniors and lost against 2 of them. I flew Mini Teubel and had a hard time making a cut, he was too gentle to me or maybe having to much respect, difficult to beat.

We have a new Junior World Champ, Serghei Dementiev flying with diesel engines made by his father Igor Dementiev. I guess no. 2 Armin Muhlparzer is a little stronger but he lost two bouts very unfortunately. Then combat is hard, but they will learn from their mistakes.

Strange thing always happens on W- and EC's.

Murphy's law. It can be worse. The law of O'Toole is: Murphy was an optimist. The Austrians were very unlucky with their streamer hooks.

Armin Muhlparzer won the bout against Igor Milenin but unfortunately his streamer string was hooked out and was in Igor's lines. A lucky win for Igor. In another bout the streamer was not hooked in well and from the start he was flying without streamer. Landing and 100 penalty points is a bad start. They were using this type of streamer hook for the last 5 years and never had any problems with them.

Rudy Konigshofer had no streamer hook at all at his spare model. Couldn't continue the bout and lost.

In my bout for third and fourth place Zolnerkevitch cut my fuel tube but only half. Never happened to me. Lost the bout

Talantsev decided in 2 bouts to land his model because he was convinced that he would win then for sure. Lost both bouts because the cut counters saw 1 cut more for his opponents. Stupid, he is good enough to win without these tricks.

Lada Marek lost because his lead outs were completely tangled with each other. This was not the result of a normal line tangle but maybe because of the streamer string. There was no streamer string in the lines when he crashed.

The Final

Before the final. Laura from Finland and Monique flew a bout.

A final between 2 Ukrains, Chorny and Milenin. For the public a very watchable bout with a very strong flying Chorny.

I had the idea that either Milenin was burned out or the title was given away. I know Milenin from several competitions and never saw him flying so passive in attacking or giving up when he was close to a cut. Maybe I am wrong. But anyway nice to look at.

I must say that with Chorny we have a symphatic and strong flying new World Champ. My sincere congratulations to Chorny.

I had a good time at the World Champs.

I realize that my opinions are hard for some readers but I feel that not everything can be hidden under the blankets (Dutch saying). I feel free to give my opinion!!

Best thing I heard.

Somebody saying: Chorny, you have a bye in this round. Question from Chorny: from what country??

Additonal picture are from the Singapore team