30 YEARS OF GRAND PRIX MELNIK F3D
In this 30th annual Grand Prix of Melnik we will again race around the pylons.
It is good opportunity to look back several years of this great race.
In former Czechoslovakia races around pylons were organized since 1975. Just about one dozen of pilots competed in National category RCP (planes with engines up to 2.5 cm3)
New engines MVVS 6.5 cm3 which appeared on the market were good impulse to try also International category FAI - F3D. However modeler public was skeptical in succeeding in our domestic conditions.
An idea to hold the pylon race Grand Prix of Modela every year was brought by Zdenek Malina, an advertising agent of Modela company. He was joined by Jaromir Bily, designer of same company. Jaromir´s Modelklub Melnik was not only willing to help, but also was able to provide a suitable airfield.
Technical support was provided by experts from MVVS in Brno, headed by unforgettable Josef Sladky, designer Karel Goetz and engine- expert Milos Obrovsky. Only witness who saw with his own eyes pylon races on his business trips to U.S.A. Mr. Jiri Havel provided worth of suggestions. Also Modeler Club in Prague 5 under management of Antonin Kotatko was willing to provide some services. The proposal to run Grand Prix was met with understanding of the company management headed by Mr. Frantisek Chladek and Mr. Rudolf Cerny and they provided a "blank check".
INTERMEZZO: The company MODELA was established to manufacture modeling products and they were step by step intergraded into already existing companies dealing with this activity as was the engine manufacturer MVVS Brno.
First Annual Grand Prix of Melnik (GPM) was organized in two categories. In category Formula F3D 8 teams competed and according to contemporary rules FAI for points and placement.
Team Mojmir Pavlik - Zdenek Teply from Tisnov were the winners. The best reachable time was 124 sec.
In the "enrollment" category (any R/C model allowed) 65 teams competed.
In this category teams were selected by size of the engines.
The best teams advanced into finals, flying together with handicaps. The handicaps were calculated from average times in the groups. The winner Stanislav Dvorak from
Lysa n/Lab with his son as helper reached the best time of 160 sec.
INTERMEZZO: The statements that models flew together must be considered legal. Even if sometimes all three models after 10 laps flew through with the exception.
The race had an unexpected positive response and there was no doubt that it would be repeated in the following year.
In the 2nd Annual the "enrollment" category was substituted by National category
RC-P, and from the year 1980 race was only in International category called CLUB 20 with engines up to 3,5 cm3.
The interest in these smaller models was decreasing in the following years and in the year 1993 the race was held for the last time.
The 21st Annual as recommendation of the general sponsor added category Q500 as "VELKOM CUP". Neither this category lasted long and eventually faded away.
In the year 1977 MVVS experts modified the engine 6,5GF to the Pylon version 6,5 GRRT. This top quality engine enabled the Czech teams to place among the best in Europe and in the following decade some foreign competitors used it as well.
In the year 1981 GPM was first time placed into international calendar FAI. We were looking forward to compare our skills and strength with European competition. Unfortunately at that time we were the country unknown in pylon racing thus nobody arrived from abroad. The following year we have met first foreign team from East Germany, but we had already known that we had to do something.
In the year 1982 Zdenek Malina initiated the bus trip with travel agency to the international race OPS Trophy F3D in Italy. Interest was huge and all top F3D pilots participated with exception of Jaromir Bily, who was not permitted to travel into "capitalist country".
This group also included organizers GPM, members of Modelklub Melnik and friends of "pylon races". The most successful was Zdenek Teply in 6th place. The best time of entire race was recorded by Malina brothers 92.2 sec. , but they did not reach the finals. The trip was evaluated as successful, especially the Europe has noted us.
In the 6th annual (1983) was the first time for us to welcome foreign teams From Austria, East and West Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. The winners Malina brothers and in second Macedola - Razzi (ITA) and in 3rd place Novak-Buber (CZE).
From the 8th annual competitors from Sweden regularly participated.
In 1989 won B. Ragnarsson in category Club 20. In the following years Swedish participation along with German competitors was on of the largest, in 24th annual with number of teams (13) the Swedish matched the domestic teams.
In the year 1985 Malina brothers became the champions of the USA in the F3D category and the World Champions several days later.
It was done especially due to their 10 year commitment . We also met first teams from the USA (B. Wallace, McStay and P. Reed.) Since then Mr. Wallace participated every year till 1995 when he changed pylon race for air combat.
In all 30 Annuals we had the honor to welcome competitors from 15 countries AUS, BEL, CAN, DDR, FRA, GBR, GER, CH, JPN, NED, RUS, SWE, UKR and USA.
In the "international era" of GPM i.e. since the year 1983 Malina brothers (CZE) have won more then once, total 8 times. (Since the first Grand Prix total 11 times) van den Bosh (NED) - 5 times (he first participated in 1996), Thomas Lindemann (GER) - 4 times, Miroslav Novak (CZE) - 2 times. Manfred Pick (GER) has won "only" once, but he has been second 3 times and third 1 time.
In the years 1982, 1984, 1985 and 2000 only domestic teams have placed on top three spots. Germans triumphed in the 18th year, they did not let anyone to step into the top ranks of the winners and in addition they placed 4th, 6th and 8th. Similar ways Dutch have excelled in 2004.
After the „velvet revolution“ the company MODELA terminated its activity in the year 1991 – its individual plants became independent or returned back to independence (MVVS). The Grand Prix lost the patronage and sponsor. Members of the Modelklub Mělník decided to continue in the tradition of Grand Prix with their own potencies to try to obtain financial means from another sponsors.
The fifteenth (1992) and following years have been already held by Modelklub Mělník (with the help of individuals from another clubs) under the new name „Grand Prix of Melnik“.
A lot of thanks go to all sponsors of GPM, and without their support the small Modelklub would not be able to hold the traditional races.
For the World Championship F3D 2003, whose arrangement the MK Mělník was entrusted with, there was developed the electronic timing and information system „ZEUS“ for the pylon race. Its main creator is Michal Dolejš; Tomáš Bartovský worked on the electronic part and 7+2 segment large-screen displays were designed by Jaromír Bílý. Individual segments on displays signalize (during introduction of models) readiness of judges and timekeepers. There is displayed a number of passed laps, number of cuts and end of the flight. The system automatically records times in individual laps and total achieved time. It is possible to watch on-line flight course on the PC after individual laps in pyramidal sheds located in the depot. After ending of the flight every team will receive the flight record – the card with times in individual laps and with information about cuts.
The first run of ZEUS was in GPM 2003 and it acquitted well in the world championship in the same year as well.
After successful F3D World Championship held by Modelklub Mělník in the year 2003, top teams from the USA - „birthplace“ of pylons have participated in the Grand Prix of Melnik since the year 2005.
This year¢s jubilee 30th year of the Grand Prix of Melnik promises to be one of best-engaged race.
Organizers wish all competitors, guests, audience and also to themselves so that the 30th year would enter into the history of Grand Prix of Melnik as one of the most successful ones.
Jaromir Bily
