Jan Sebesta from the Czech Republic (CZE) has won the scale (S7) model competition in the 2016 FAI S World Championship for Space Models. Sebesta’s model of the Saturn V not only impressed the judges with it’s lifelike accuracy, but during the confirmation flight it preformed flawlessly, separating into five on cue, and returning to the ground with streamers and parachutes slowing it’s descent.
The crowd enjoyed the spectacle too, cheering loudly as the final stage of the rocket deployed its parachute at the top of its flight path.
Winner Sebesta said he had spent 250-300 hours working on the model. “I was nervous when I was presenting the model to the judges, but when I was preparing it I was focused on what I had to do. I feel very good, because it means my work has been a success.”
Sebesta is competing in the over 18’s senior competition for only the second time. The junior category was won by Wojciech Koszelski from Poland with a model of Saturn 1B which scored highly with the judges.
The full results classification can be seen at cupnavigator.com/worldrocket2016.
(A happy Jan Sebesta with his winning space model of the Saturn V)
More pictures here.
Photo Credit: FAI / Andy Pag