Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
07-29-2011, 12:45 AM
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Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Hey gang, haven't posted much since flying planes. The big event is in Heilbronn this weekend so might have to make the hour drive over and get me a boating fix. This is the event of Europe and if you haven't made it, its worthwhile as long as the weather holds up (which is looking to be overcast/possible showers & 60 degrees).
Pics to follow later.
Peace,
Jamie
Pics to follow later.
Peace,
Jamie
07-29-2011, 06:02 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Mark and Andre' should be there shooting footage, most likely still also. I met them back in `07 at the Gas Nat's in Celina and they're coming again this year, both really nice people.
Jamie, I'm looking forward to seeing pix from there. Those people put a lot of time and money into their beautiful boats!
Jamie, I'm looking forward to seeing pix from there. Those people put a lot of time and money into their beautiful boats!
07-29-2011, 07:07 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
After seeing the pics from Andre at Heilbronn last summer i just had to purchase 2 of Andy's SV43 hulls.
My father purchased one also. And they sure are beautiful boats and FAST!!!
Here is a video of one of my father's SV with a single QD25ht.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5QpV1EfT4
The second race he had to come from last to catch the lead boat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7MVWe6NF4
My father purchased one also. And they sure are beautiful boats and FAST!!! Here is a video of one of my father's SV with a single QD25ht.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5QpV1EfT4
The second race he had to come from last to catch the lead boat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7MVWe6NF4
07-31-2011, 01:04 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Observations: It wasn't as nice as former years. I've been to four of these within the last 8 years and have seen much better turn outs . Seems there was not so much interest and excitment as in previous events. Another key feeling was it that it wasn't as well organized. The boats running on Saturday were just a small handful and it seemed to be the same ones over and over. Was there from 10am - 1400 and didn't see any of the larger turbine rigs hitting it besides a single rig that chanced it. There were a few muti cylinder stuff but nothing of any real interest. Also it seemed like folkes involved heavily from years of past had taken more of a back seat/inactive participation as much as before. Just a real shame.
Boats on display were of the same outstanding quality and eye candy to be held. Just not as many. Vendor products were the best of the best and probably the most interesting part to see their hardware for the taking. Bring plenty of euro's.!!!
For what its worth, the weather was overcast with a high in the low 70's. I haven't been involved with the hobby for a good while now and don't have enough interest to keep up with the German/Netherland/American forums but did hear rumors along the line that the Heilbronn club president and some of the other organizers had a bumping of ego's so it caused a ripple effect to carry over to the event. (again, a rumor I heard from more than one source) but its a shame a disagreement has to dampen one of the premere events.
Here are a few samples.
Boats on display were of the same outstanding quality and eye candy to be held. Just not as many. Vendor products were the best of the best and probably the most interesting part to see their hardware for the taking. Bring plenty of euro's.!!!
For what its worth, the weather was overcast with a high in the low 70's. I haven't been involved with the hobby for a good while now and don't have enough interest to keep up with the German/Netherland/American forums but did hear rumors along the line that the Heilbronn club president and some of the other organizers had a bumping of ego's so it caused a ripple effect to carry over to the event. (again, a rumor I heard from more than one source) but its a shame a disagreement has to dampen one of the premere events.
Here are a few samples.
07-31-2011, 04:57 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Thanks for the pictures! If I were only an hours drive away I would have been there and would have taken 70 degree weather. I went out yesterday, ran a few boats and was sweating up a storm in 90+ sunny weather.
07-31-2011, 08:08 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Was really hoping to see more turbine action. Display is one thing, but running is another. Only one snuck out for a blast & man that thing was honkin down the track.
07-31-2011, 11:01 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Odd you mention electrics. They were there but in the few hours I attended, there weren't many that took to the water. I was trying to give the lowdown on the different types of hulls and setups. When I mentioned that electric is the worlds fastest, he couldn't hardly believe it..... then one hit the water-! Acceleration was unbelievable with twins. Funny is, we were over the dyke grazing through the displays when I heard it take off and I instantly pulled him over and told him to lets view the course again cause thats a high voltage mammy jammy rippin out there.
08-01-2011, 02:05 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Hello “gang” also, please let me say some words, I have been at this event for all 4 days (as from the beginning):
1<sup>st</sup>: Everybody has to know that the complete club members (MSC HANSA Heilbronn) are not professionals, they all are amateurs. They have some experience sampled since the last 15 years, but persons have changed.
In Germany the commercial situation is worse than the news are telling so most of the working people here have to work hard and they have 2 or even more jobs to get enough money. Result: time is going down.
Maybe same situation than in US. That means that the president Martin has problems to find enough members to help. Or in other words: people who are willing to help / work are difficult to find, this was very bad this year. I know that some club members think a bit different than others, but this item is an internal club issue and they have to solve it, I do not want to comment this here.
2<sup>nd</sup>: in Germany the laws, regulations and rules became and become stronger & stronger with the result that the preparation work costs more and more capacity. I think this situation is better in US.
3<sup>rd</sup>: in the past I have been the “pond boss” so it was very easy for me and the participants to follow a given time schedule. Now I have been only the speaker, there was no timing set, everything was “free running”.
Result: a lot of willing drivers did not know what is happening and decided not to run their boats. And for me it made no sense to be all the time at the pond. Please note: I am not a member of this club but I know all of them and have always helped in the past and are willing to do that in the future (until the Big Boss will stop that).
4<sup>th</sup>: big boats with very nice paint jobs (= very expensive, some paint jobs have costed more than 1000 Euros)
have been displayed, but due to the not existing timing the owners decided not to run those. Due to the fact that mostly small single cylinder boats were running. Or in other words: nobody knew, when the water was crowdy and when empty. And the owners of these smaller boats (Dutch people, some Germans, like the Berlin guys) did not have the same fear of crashes than the owners of the big boats, this was shown by their driving style.
5<sup>th</sup>: the weather was terrific, we had about 15 degrees Centigrate here and mostly cloudy, some rain also. So the motivation of a lot of guests was not so high to come (here in Europe the motivation to drive hundreds of miles to any event is not so high as in US, as I think, especially if the weather is worse than bad)
6<sup>th</sup>: this weekend was the starting weekend of the holiday season for the southern counties in Germany, so a lot of former participants have to go to holiday with their families
7<sup>th</sup>: in the last years the event was growing and growing and some modelers do not like these kind of “mass events”
8<sup>th</sup>: the hip of the turbines was going down, indeed. Main reason: costs and driveability, no way to rework any broken turbine by the modeller if anything bad has happened. In this case the turbine has to be shipped to the company (Jet Cat) for reworking and this sucks a lot of Euros.
9<sup>th</sup>: for the selling companies / dealers the situation was very bad, the competition of the internet (Asia, US) is very high so sales are going dramatically down. That means: buyers compare prices not inside Germany / Europe, they compare world wide, and Germany is an expensive country, indeed. Only hard to get items like special engines, gearboxes, driveline parts could be sold, mass production items: extremely difficult. Overall the hobby sector, especially boats, is going down here year by year. One reason: people – especially younger people - spend more time with internet, TV and cellular phones (let’s say electronic stuff) than to stay in the hobby room and construct any model, the average age increases.
I have had a conversation with the club leaders Sunday afternoon and I hope we will get a better event in 2012. The date should be optimized, direction more to the beginning of July, and I will perform the time schedule as I have did this in the past and will discuss this draft with the club and the German board weeks before the event will be held. Result (hopefully): better organization, more participants, better weather.
……Just look and wonder…….
08-01-2011, 03:45 AM
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RE: Heilbronn this weekend. Might have to pay a visit
Hallo 'Jungs,'
Matho, there is no doubt that to put on such an event as huge as Heilbronn has been known for over the years takes lots of work and dedication esepecially from the sponsoring club members. As a former Modellflug Club member in Bayern, I was introduced to the 'ethics' of being such... meaning they expected me to pay my initial fee of about 300 euro and then 80 euro each year. ON TOP of that, they also expected club members to participate in '16-30 hours during the year for work days' to clean, maintain and perform various chores of the club AND assist during large events sponsored by the club. -*note that some members took the easy road and did nothing leaving all the work agreed upon to other members.
It was hard for me to accept as I like to pay my dues, show up, fly, clean my mess and go home but I did what it took to be a team player. The German way of conducting business is different but unique and has qualities at the same time.
My biggest point was not to put any one or any organization down, but the Heilbronn RC Boat Fest is something I'm proud to visit and brag via photos to our friends that can't attend. This year though, it was short in a lot of areas. With a huge organizational effort in the future everyone can run their boats and let the spectators be drawn in and hopefully recruit the next generation.
Hope it works out for the better next year.
Matho, there is no doubt that to put on such an event as huge as Heilbronn has been known for over the years takes lots of work and dedication esepecially from the sponsoring club members. As a former Modellflug Club member in Bayern, I was introduced to the 'ethics' of being such... meaning they expected me to pay my initial fee of about 300 euro and then 80 euro each year. ON TOP of that, they also expected club members to participate in '16-30 hours during the year for work days' to clean, maintain and perform various chores of the club AND assist during large events sponsored by the club. -*note that some members took the easy road and did nothing leaving all the work agreed upon to other members.
It was hard for me to accept as I like to pay my dues, show up, fly, clean my mess and go home but I did what it took to be a team player. The German way of conducting business is different but unique and has qualities at the same time.
My biggest point was not to put any one or any organization down, but the Heilbronn RC Boat Fest is something I'm proud to visit and brag via photos to our friends that can't attend. This year though, it was short in a lot of areas. With a huge organizational effort in the future everyone can run their boats and let the spectators be drawn in and hopefully recruit the next generation.
Hope it works out for the better next year.