3D Masters is an international 3D radio-controlled helicopter

Radio-controlled helicopter

Radio-controlled helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training...

 competition held over three days in July. The competition is held over three days during July. The 3D Masters is a premier radio controlled helicopter, attracting several elite model pilots from around the world.
The event attracts vendors and spectators alike. Each year, several vendors use the 3D Masters to debut, demo and showcase new products, as well as sell RC helicopter-related merchandise.

History

3D Masters was conceived by an amateur British radio controlled helicopter pilot named Jeff Barringer who realized that there was a need for a competition for pilots flying in the (then) new '3D' style. The first event was held in July 2001. From 2002 to 2008, the event was held at Northampton University in England. The Northampton

Northampton

Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 events were notorious for unfavorable weather in which long rain delays were typical.

The 2009 3D Masters was held at Mosa Trajectum Golf Resort in Murcia

Murcia

-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

Visitors from the rest of the World are welcome. Pilots, Sponsors and Spectators stay in accommodation at the 3D Masters site and make a weekend from the event. It gives an opportunity to socialize and share ideas with other like-minded people. Evening events are held for this reason.

Levels

There are two levels: Expert and Master. Prior to 2008, there was a third level -- a Sportsman level.

Sportsman

The Sportsman Level, which was last used in 2007, was for pilots who had not previously competed in international 3D competitions and who wanted to enjoy a weekend among their comrades.

Sportsman Pilots were usually not sponsored, and the total 'k' (the difficulty of the maneuver) could not exceed 10.

Due to the increasing popularity of the sport and the concommitant pressure on places in the 3D Masters competition, the Sportsmans Class was removed from the competition after the 2007 event.

Expert

The Expert Level is usually entered by individuals who represent the best pilots from their respective countries.

Masters

Masters Pilots are drawn from the top pilots in the world. To obtain a place in the Masters class a pilot has to be invited by the organisers. They are almost always well established, sponsored, well-known international competitors.

Competition

3D Masters is known to provide participants intense competition and a large, appreciative audience. Six internationally-recognized 3D pilots judge the event.

Format

The competition testing format is divided into three disciplines, each assessed individually:

Set Maneuvers

Here, each pilot chooses a number of maneuvers from a pre-published set of moves. Once the maneuvers have been chosen and entered, they may not be altered. The pilot must concentrate on perfecting those maneuvers for the competition. The set maneuvers change from year to year, and carry varying levels of difficulty, or 'k' factors.

Freestyle

In freestyle, pilots must show the audience and the judges their capability in a totally free format. They may simply show their ability to restore control to a helicopter that is falling, or consider and rehearse a sequence of their best maneuvers.

Props and pyrotechnics are allowed to be used in the performance to further highlight the spectacle.

Repeat 3D Masters Winners

In 2009, Dominik Hägele joined Curtis Youngblood as the only 3D Masters competitor to win the Masters Class 2 times.
Duncan Osbourn is the only 3D Masters competitor to have won in each of the Sportsman, Expert and Masters Classes.

Results

Year	Sportsman	Expert	Master
2011	N/A	Michael Wisbacher
2010	N/A	Gael Lamirand	Nick Maxwell
2009	N/A	Tom-Erik Rolfson	Dominik Hägele
2008	N/A	Tristan Balege	Lukas Riva
2007	Markus Kreuzberger	JaeHong Lee	Dominik Hägele
2006	Adam Turner	Stuart Mott	Chen Zarfati
2005	Stuart Mott	Chen Zarfati	Duncan Osbourn
2004	Kjetil Strom	Danny Szabo	Curtis Youngblood
2003	John Parker	Duncan Osbourn	Jason Krause
2002	Duncan Osbourn	Dean Jackson	Curtis Youngblood
2001	Kevin Targett	Clive Ceney

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3D Masters 2010

3D Masters 2010 was held in Venlo

Venlo

Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...

, the Netherlands on the 23-25 July.

The event was hosted by the Jupiter Flying Club. Jupiter Flying Club's site is based on heathland just outside the city of Venlo, Holland.

On 25 July, 2010, the winners were announced for the 3D Masters. Nick Maxwell was named 3D Masters Champion, the first American R/C pilot to win since Curtis Youngblood in 2004. Coincidentally, Maxwell flew a Curtis Youngblood designed helicopter -- a Rave ENV.

Gael Lamirand of France finished 1st place in the Expert Class.

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