30^th Ljubljana Cup…Coppa d’Emona…Cuppa runneth over…
Kamniska Poly nr Ljubljana - 10-12 October ’08 

by Stuart Lodge

VLADIMIR KOMAROV is Dead…Long live Vladimir M Komarov!  And thirty Ljubljana Cups! ..the longest tradition in Space Modelling. This event a tribute to Vladimir M Komarov – the first Cosmonaut to lose his life, the space capsule’s recovery sytem failing on the return to Earth, during the early 1960s.

In the preamble, Ljubljana’s - the former Roman fortress of Emona  - Joze Cuden, was awarded FAI’s Paul Tissandier Diploma for exemplary services and event organisers,  Astronavsko raketarski klub, Vladimir M Komarov  – which Mr Cuden set up in 1969 - the Honorary Group Diploma, for being well…ARK Komarov!  For your reporter, this was fifteen Ljubljana Cups, his first foray in 1993!  Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Russia and the United Kingdom set out to do serious business, before a very serious party at the nearby health spa of Terme Snovik!

S4A-Boost Glider World Cup

The favourites in S4A-Boost Glider seemed hard to pick. The whole family of Andi, Gabriel & Gica Contantinestcu (ROM) seemed to have the birds to beat; Gabriel having become World Champion only a couple of months previously. Brits, Mike Francies, Trevor Seabrook and Nige Bathe looked to do well, flying innovative composite birds, with the rest of the World in the mixer. Designs now vary widely from the traditional ‘rigids’ – epitomised by Slovenians, Boris, Jaka, Uros and Marjan Jenko - through folding designs flown by much of the entry, to trendy flying wings, collapsed down and stuffed in a rocket tube…the Romanians going this route. Scoring was good in the super warm and calm conditions, although all but the winner failed to make a full-house of maximum times. The Constantinescus have enjoyed a marvellous 2008, branching out from their traditional focus of S7-Scale. And Gold and Bronze Dragons for Romania, with Vladimir Khokhlov (RUS) scoring a super Silver, leaving Mike Francies a frustrated 4th in a spectacular event.

1 Andi CONSTANTINESCU ROM  180     180     180            =            540s
2 Vladimir KHOKHLOV  RUS        180     175     180            =            535s
3 Gabi CONSTANTINESCU ROM  180     180     170            =            530s

S6A-Streamer Duration World Cup

Massive!  Over 60 came to the rampa to contest this icon, with many of these the World’s best. Great to see Bulgarians Toshko Stojanov and Dimitar Dimitrov back in harness – but with it all to do. Time was when Bulgaria ruled this most classical discipline of Space Modelling. Serbs, Zika Josipovic, Vlada Cipcic, Radojica & Zoran Katanic, Slovenians, Alja Makuc, Famille Jenko, Czechs, Jaroslav Chmelik, Jan Srsen, Viktorka Trzilova, Russians, Vladimir Khokhlov, Elena Kurkova et al, looked capable of anything. Perfect conditions, so we all thought, but the absence of a single180s max in 180 starts, illustrated the air’s capricious nature. Poland came out to play and left the rest chasing shadows – with Jaka Jenko doing superbly, nailing another podium in a super 2008 for the family:

1 Jerzy BONIECKI               POL            117      145       99      =           361s
2 Pawel JANIESIEWICZ       POL            115      101      118     =           334s
3 Jaka JENKO                    SLO             127      103      102     =           332s

S9A-Gyrocopter Duration World Cup

Another massive entry of >50, with the stars twinkling but indistinct. Spaniards, Nuria Crussellas, Mama Neus Misse and Esther Roura started confidently, Szymon Byrtek, Krystof Przybytek, Jakub Jaros and Jakuk Fialkowski (POL) were in with a shout. The Serbs, including Radojica & Zoka Katanic, Zika Josipovic and Vladimir Cipcic + 14 year old son Miodrag V. Cipcic gagging for a good one. The flying standard was a high as anyone could remember, but to medal needed a good start. Overdue it was to observe very few Zero scores in a world class competition.  But the big surprise were the performances of Jaraslav Chmelik (CZE), Dimitar Dimitrov (BUL) and Jonas Buechl (GER). A super class, with the Serbs in torment, with the podium in doubt right to the death.

1 Jaraslav CHMLIK              CZE            180            180       180            =            540s
2 Dimitar DIMITROV            BUL            172            180       180            =            532s
3 Jonas BUECHL                GER            180            180       126           =            480s

S7-Scale World Cup

Ariane, after Ariane, after Ariane!  Some would say this regular convention of the ‘appreciation society’ is not good for S7-Scale. But wonderful stuff there was, Geeks, Gabi & teenage son, Andi Constantinescu (ROM) fielding Ariane 44LP and Ariane 3s respectively; well proven performers in 2008.  Wojtiech Krzywinski (POL) came to the event with an Ariane 3 with electronic systems control, programmed before flight; compatriot Jerzy Boniecki had a nice Ariane 40. Czechs Bedrich & Martin Pavka and Pavel Brony offered superb Ariane 44LPs. What of the rest?!?  Your reporter’s V-5-V Vertikal, Jan Srsen (CZE) with a Taurus Tomahawk, Zika Josipovic’ (SRB) Nike Tomahawk and the remainder were all chasing shadows in the judging hall at Terme Snovik.

No real surprises in the static judging and for once, the flying – in awesome conditions – came up to expectations. The air shooshed with spectacular boosting, staging and recoveries under a colourful mosaic of parachute canopies & streamers. Everybody had a marvellous time with the crowd resounded with each successful launch…just an honour to be in the mix. Congratulations to the Czechs who did wonderfully for a full house of Dragons.

1 Bedrich PAVKA                CZE            Ariane 44LP  713 + 245 =  958pt
2 Martin PAVKA                  CZE            Ariane 44LP  695 + 241 =  936pt
3 Pavel BRONY                   CZE            Ariane 44LP  685 + 235 =  920pt

S8E/P-RC Rocket Glider Spot Landing

Super class, with an entry from all over Europe. Swiss, Turi Hunziker and Michael Lehmann have always impressed on Kamniska Polygon, but Poles Edward Wowry, Pawel Janiesievicz, Krystof Przybytek and Jakub Fialkowski seemed sure to feature. Scoring was high in the five-strong qualification groups and Nige Bathe (GBR) paid very dearly for an errant Round 2 effort. The object seems simple, score a 360s air time landing precisely on a target line for bonus or deduction…but  not so simple to achieve.

The flyoff comprised Blaz Grgic (SLO), Vladimir ‘Chirpy’ Cipcic (SRB), Fialkowski, Janiesievicz and Wowry, with the latter prevailing in super event:

1 Edward WOWRY              POL      1000     1000     996  +   1000 = 3996pt
2 Blaz GRGIC                      SLO      1000     938     1000  +   995 = 3936pt
2 Vladimir CIPCIC                SRB      904       993     1000  +   1000 = 3897pt

S3A-Parachute Duration

Late Sunday, conditions perfect, near-50 entry, massive 300s max time and serious lack of time. These were the challenges for the organisers in an event with dense fog delaying the starts on both days!  RSOs Marjan Cuden & Andrija Ducak take huge credit for rattling through near-150 qualification flights in much less than two hours. Zika Josipovic grabbed his chance to post an FAI World Record claim of 15m 45s. We were all busy, cornering timekeepers before boosting and the chase to recover for the next round – S£A this year was truly fantastic.

S3A-Parachute is the slowest game in the World in these conditions, the sky black with a panoply of canopies, in suspended animation. The flying standard was intimidating – lose a couple of seconds and down ten places! But then the wondrous sunset intervened, leaving no time for the flyoff – leaving the joint winners so:

1^st = Vlada ‘Chirpy’ Cipcic & Miodrag V Cipcic jnr (SRB), Pawel Janiesiewicz & Jerzy Boniecki (POL), Jakub Kacha (CZE), Geeks Constantinescu (ROM), Ivan Miskovic & Jozo Ivancic (CRO), Michael Helmert (GER), Uros Jenko & Simon Urbas (SLO) and…your reporter, Stuart Lodge (GBR)
300  300  300 = 900s      ..naturally, no 2^nd and 3^rd.

Show Models – Oddrocs!

“These people are MAD..” ..goes the song on the TV commercial. Not as mad as these Space Modellers. Junior Kiril Srokov’s Moscow Kremlin Tower was as massive as it was amazing…and surprised everyone by flying as good as it looked!  Romano Suti’s (CRO)  Flying Border Post was amazing and wowed us all. But no one was close to Moscow, with John Jacomb’s fishy Octoroc disappointed in 4th:

1 Kiril STROKOV      RUS         Moscow Kremlin Tower    100       100      100 = 300pt
2 Romano SUTI        CRO         Rampa HR-SLO-EU         90        100       90  = 280pt
3 Michael Helmert    GER         Adolar                             80         80        90  = 250pt

Just awesome and a tribute to the organisers, ARK Komarov –especially Joze Cuden, Tone Sijanec and Marjan Cuden. A shame the flying was delayed ‘til noon because of fog, but we managed (well nearly..) to squeeze everything in.

Round up..   30 Ljubljana Cups! Three decades! and twenty years as Contest Director, Tone Sijanec!  The FAI Jury of Srdjan Pelagic (SRB), Jiri Taborsky (CZE) and Joze Cuden sat back and enjoyed it as much as the rest of us. Accommodation at the Terme Snovik health spa – with bathing and other facilities laid on was amazing. The party on Saturday night defied belief, but maybe most important was the presentation – by Vladimir Minakov and Gennady Poltavets of the Russian Modelling Federation - of yet more awards to Joze Cuden and Tone Sijanec of ARK Komarov. This was quite the best 2008 had to offer.

SACL

October 2008

ARK Komarov 2008