Fly RC Magazine WE LIVE RC
Held in Akron, Ohio, this past weekend, the F3P Team Trials proved to be a huge success for Team Futaba. The trials, which determine the three pilots that will represent the United States at next year’s F3P World Championships, were dominated by team members RJ Gritter, Devin McGrath and Ryan Clark, taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. RJ, flying with a Futaba 14SG radio, won three of the four preliminary rounds and two of the three final rounds. Devin claimed one round in the prelims and one round in the finals while also using a 14SG, and Ryan (with an 8FG Super system) remained within a few points of both of them throughout the competition. When it was over only 100 normalized points separated RJ from Ryan — meaning all three of them will be on Team USA when it travels to Poland to compete in the F3P class of the 2015 World Championships!
F3P Indoor Aerobatics utilize highly specialized aircraft that are ultra-lightweight. The aircraft’s total weight must be less than 300 grams — Devin’s model weighed only 67 grams, and RJ’s weighed 69 grams — and may be
powered by anything that does not generate exhaust. Most competitors utilize contra-rotating propellers that offer very precise control of the aircraft’s speed in all attitudes. 2015 will mark only the second World Championships for F3P.
Futaba and Hobbico congratulate RJ Gritter, Devin McGrath and Ryan Clark for their outstanding performances at the Team Trials and look forward to their representation of the United States at next year’s World Championships.
