The Jet World Masters 2013 competition was held in Switzerland and Festo was happy to provide assistance to the South African team. The competition brings together the best scale jet aircraft model builders and pilots who compete for the international title. The South African teams placed 22nd and 31st respectively in their category and 12th overall among the competing countries.
The South African Czechoslovak L39 Albatros next to its big brother at the Jet World competition. (Image: Festo)
Quite a stir was created among Festo staff when team members Oloff Schoeman and Boet Deneyschen took their L39 Albatros jet replica to the Festo Isando offices before leaving for the competition. “It was really interesting to see how it incorporates Festo components as part of the fuel system,” said Jaco van Sittert, a member of the National Contact Centre team who promoted the team sponsorship. “Traditionally, the competing teams present each other with a gift at the competition. Festo provided the SA team with connectors which they used to build a device for refuelling the aircraft, this was also their gift to the other countries teams.”
Interesting specifications
The model jets reach an impressive top speed of 300 km/h and are judged not only on their speed and manoeuvrability, but also the accuracy of matching to the original. Powered by a model turbine engine they can travel a maximum distance of 40 km in a 500 m radius of the pilot, which they do in an amazing eight minutes.
“As an innovation company, it was really exciting for us to be involved in this competition and we are proud to have had the opportunity to do something to support the teams flying the South African flag,” concluded van Stittert.
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