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#11
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My friends,
On the U.S. team there is zero antipathy towards our fellow rocketeers from all over the world. Quite the opposite! We are extremely grateful for the huge effort put in by our Eastern European friends to host us in a variety of wonderful venues over the years. Slovakia, unbelievable! Bulgaria, just fantastic! The Ukraine, a truly spectacular event we will have difficulty matching here in the U.S. (but we're darn sure going to try). In addition to WSMC, a number of us on the U.S. team have taken to going to the European championships as well. We go just to hang out and fly with our rocketry friends from all over the world. When the team manager for Russia came up to me and Emma a few years ago to give us flying hints, we knew we were truly amongst good friends. As to our ability to compete over there, we've done just fine. We are very competitive in most of the events, regardless of motors. Both my daughter and I have won medals and Emma was actually a World Champion in the event in the Ukraine. We are not hosting the event so "we can finally make them use our motors." We are hosting it to try to repay the huge effort and many kindnesses shown us over the years by our foreign rocketry friends. We are also excited about hosting because it will allow so many more of our fellow U.S. rocketeers to participate. Although it means it will be more difficult for me to make the team, I am truly thrilled that this will give that opportunity to so many of my U.S. rocketry friends. Folks, for those of you looking for an ulterior motive in us hosting the World Spacemodeling Championships there really is one. It was espoused by the fellow who organized the first WSMC. G. Harry Stine made that motive very clear: "Pay It Forward." |
#12
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Well said, Steve. Thank you. James |
#13
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__________________
"Old Rocketeer's don't die; they just go OOP".....unless you 3D print them. |
#14
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If you are going to come to the U.S. WSMC, you might as well compete. The team flyoffs will be held next summer, announcement to follow.
An Estes Big Bertha meets the 40 mm size requirements for the "tube events." But if you want to be a bit more competitive, Apogee Components, has great FAI kits and launch equipment. Hope to see you there! Steve International Thermal Sailor for the S3 Parachute and S6 Streamer events Rotary Revolution for the S9 Gyrocopeter event Cirrus Breeze for the S4 Rocketglider event Eggstorminator for the S2P Precision Fragile Payload event (very similar to TARC) Adrel Altimeter from Apogee or Adrel Altimeter fro North Coast Rocketry for use in S2P (Precision Fragile Payload) and S5 (Scale Altitude) Wedgie Launch tower for use in the 40 mm tube events |
#15
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Platitudes aside, I think that subjecting them to the same "limitations", motor-wise, that the USA has struggled with, for decades. is "poetic justice" ! It is only "fitting" that they all get to see, firsthand, just how much of a performance advantage they have enjoyed. "Personal experience" is the best "teacher" ! Dave F. |
#16
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Amen, Brother, AMEN ! ! ! Dave F. |
#17
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If you're done lecturing, nobody is mad at these other countries - just angry at the fact the internats seem to constantly move around eastern Europe and nowhere else. Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, etc, etc. Seems like they could come to the US at least once per decade. Yes, some of these teams lack money, but some are sponsored by their governments too (unlike Team USA, as I'm sure you well know). Everybody can raise funds or just settle on having fewer participants - something else the US team also knows well. No, I have never gone to the internats, but I have talked to Tim Van Milligan about the internats many times. Sounds like mostly good sportsmanship, but also some glaring bad sportsmanship too. Tim mentioned a Scale Altitude model which would have won, but magically disappeared when it landed near the Chinese team. Also, Junior scale models which are just as good as the senior models - not because the modelers are that good, but because the rules allow a junior modeler to call it "theirs" if they glue on a piece or two (while a master modeler does the rest). Thankfully, Team USA has never stooped so low. So, my comment was intended to mean "about time they came to the US again." I want to see those world class scale models, but I'll never sell the wife on a trip to Poland to make that happen (even though I have heard Poland is beautiful). Austin, Texas - that I can do! And we can have fair and friendly competition, not driven by special motors. Should be fascinating. |
#18
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Nope, not done yet. Quote:
The only reason the internats haven't been here for the last 30 years is that no one here was willing to put forth the immense effort required to prepare a bid or actually run such a huge event. Fortunately, our Eastern European friends consider it a real sign of prestige to host this event and have kept it alive for the last 30 years. Quote:
Actually, the U.S. always has one of the biggest teams at WSMC. As for raising funds, it is FAR more expensive to run this event in the U.S. than in Eastern Europe. Not even talking about airfares. FAI has limits on what competitors can be charged for events. Those limits don't come close to covering the costs for a contest here. So getting sponsors was a huge challenge. The fact that James Duffy has conquered this is just amazing. Quote:
I can tell you with absolute certainty, and I'm sure Tim will agree with me, that sportsmanship issues in Europe are no different than here at home. 'Nuff said. So Quote:
frognbuff, I absolutely love your Agressor Aerospace models. You, in particular, will be absolutely gobsmacked at the scale models that come to this competition. I really hope you can make it. |
#19
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Let me ask THIS question to those who might know: why have so few of the internats been held in the US of A? Is it because ‘they’ won’t let them be held here, OR is more because we have so infrequently put in a bid TO host them?
I do recall back in the late 70s when it was highly hoped the USA would host the ‘78 internats, but for some reason (I don’t recall what actually), it did not happen. It did finally in 1980. But the point of the question above is to determine whether the US is being ‘shut out’ of hosting or is it because we just haven’t put forth the effort often enough TO have them held on US soil. If it is the latter, then let’s not point fingers at other countries simply because WE haven’t done the work to host them here MORE often. Earl
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Earl L. Cagle, Jr. NAR# 29523 TRA# 962 SAM# 73 Owner/Producer Point 39 Productions Rocket-Brained Since 1970 |
#20
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Looks like you may have been composing your post while Steve was doing his....in which he answers your question to some extent. So go back a post and take a look....
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
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