1977 Kim Dong Sik, 24, DPR Korea

July 6-12, thirty-one nations came to the WC at Roskilde Aerodrome, Denmark, about twenty miles west of Copenhagen. Housing was located eight miles from the aerodrome in the village of Viby, at the Peter Syv School. Also located nearby was a pub that served its habits until 2:00am. Beer was served in plastic Souvenir mugs, that became contested as to how many one could collect in a given sitting!

The proprietor in fact, had watched about 6,000 of the mugs disappear into the hands of his competitor clients by the time the World Championships ended. The shape of the flying field was long and narrow with two runways, the cleared area was about a mile long. Unfortunately, this open space was surrounded by farm crops consisting mainly of corn, a crop well known for swallowing up aeromodels, and giving them back only at harvest time. Practice flying began on Wednesday, July 6, at the aerodrome, but the wind was gusting up to 15 mph, an omen of things to come? By Wednesday evening, the wind had lessened to about 5 mph, and it was possible to observe the performance of the competition. Flying F1Bs of identical configuration Team (P), and (CCCP) were putting up some impressive flights. The climb of these aeromodels was almost straight up, with no turn, having motor runs of only about 35-40 seconds, but getting very high. All of this was indicative of the fact that they were using timed controls in the climb to vary the incidence of the stabilizer, wing, and rudder. The motor tubes were dural, having been machine turned to lighten, measuring 32.5 mm dia. x 520 mm, about 20.5", with 40g Pirelli 6x1, 460 mm long, turning a propeller 600 mm dia. (23.5") x 760 mm pitch (29.88"). Wingspan was 1260 mm (49.5") x 125 mm (4.9") chord. The fuselage was 1110 mm (39.75") with a moment arm of 675 mm (26.58"), and a stabilizer of 80x 475 mm (3.13" x 18.70") or about 20% of the wing.

From thirty-one nations came eighty contestants to fly for the glory of their heritage, most now wearing uniform warm-up suits of national colors. Team DPR of Korea included the 1975 Wakefield World Champion Biak Chang Son, Kim Dong Sik, and Kim In Sol. Team CCCP included Sergey Samokish, Victor Roshonok, and Igor Ziljberg. Team USA included Walter Ghio, Robert Pescherio, and Charles Markos. Team GB Ron Pollard, Peter Williams, and Michael Woodhouse. Team Canada included Jack Mc Gillivray, Jack Reid, and Mike Thomas. Albrecht Oschatz of DDR, the 1969 Wakefield World Champion, was there with team mates Egon Mielitz, and Joachim Loffler, the 1963 and 1973 Wakefield WC, impressive team that. From Czechoslovakia came the 1971 Wakefield WC Josef Klima with team mates Frantisek Rado and Josef Libra. Thomas Koster, the 1965 Wakefield WC was here, but he was flying F1C. Shibachi Masabumi, Ishii Hideo, and Matsumoto Isao were the representatives from Japan. In all the following nations were represented: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Republic of Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, USSR, and Yugoslavia. The pub was warmer and dryer, so the throng hung out there watching the rain fall on the windows, warming their cups, looking on to the coming dawn.

ROUND 1: Opened at 3:50pm! It rained all through the night so by dawn on Friday July 8, it was soaking wet and windy, with the wind gusting to 15 mph. Get used to it, this condition would continue throughout the day. There were twelve 180 second maximum flights in the round, including Sik (P), Samokish (CCCP), Masbumi (J), Nimptsch (D), Reitterer (OE), Klima, and Sol (P) to name a few.

ROUND 2: Now the wind increased to 17 mph, in the drizzle, but 18 contestants maxed this round, including five who now had doubles.

ROUND 3: Piak Chang Sun the 1975 WC, began to wind, but broke a strand, so he bit off the dangling end, and continued to pack in the turns, 400 to be exact. Fully wound he set this F1B aside, and began winding his spare. Meanwhile the "Thermister Man" gave the signal to launch! Sun stopped winding his spare, jumped to his fully wound F1B, and launched it! Nobody on the (P) Team debates the "Thermister Man"! There were 17 maxes in this round.

ROUND 4-6: Now it was 5:00pm, there would be no fly-offs today, none of the 80 contestants had thus far maxed every round. Sik (P) was the leader now, Samokish (CCCP), was second, and Son (P) was third, all flew identical F1Bs. With the wind at 15-20 mph all day these Eastern F1B were the only ones with the climb that could penetrate the layer to get high enough to do 180 seconds. Below tenth place the times were pathetic.

ROUND 7: Kim Dong Sik put an end to a miserable contest, by maxing this round, he was the 1977 Wakefield World Champion! 

Sik wins for North Korea againThe top ten FlB curiously bore a very strong resemblance to each other, both in appearance, and in flight characteristics. The construction was so similar, as to appear to be "manufactured" by a "system" which produced components. Were the boundaries of "The Builder (I'm sure they meant 'maker') of the Model Rule" being stretched to the limits? Was "winning" at any cost, so important to some nations? Is this what Lord Wakefield of Hythe meant by "friendly international competition"? Uniformed Teams, all flying the same aeromodels? Wait and see, my aging comrades...

Kim Dong Sik's Wakefield

References

Model Aviation, Nov 1977, FF WC Wakefield, I W Kaynes
Aeromodeller, Sept 1977, FF WC, M Fantham
Aeromodeller, Aug 1978, Solarbo
Aeromodeller, Oct 1978, WC F1B
BMFA FF Forum 1990, N Beaumont

Music: "Hotel California"; Literature: "Blind Date"; Cine: "Star Wars"; Elvis Prestley dead