FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM)

Authors: Tony Aarts and Peter Keim

1950

FAI General Conference in Stockholm, May 29 - June 2.
CIAM Bureau consists of Mr. A.F. Houlberg, President, G. Derantz, Vice-president, J. van Hattum, Secretary.
Introduction of three official FAI International Aeromodelling Classes, viz. Nordic A-2 Glider, Wakefield rubber power and internal combustion engine power 2,5 cc. These classes also obtained World Championship Status.

1951

CIAM Meeting in Brussels, June 5/6, attended by: A.F. Houlberg, GBR, President, G. Derantz, SWE, Vice-president, J. van Hattum, NED, Secretary, A. Degen, SWI, J. Guillemard, FRA, A. Helleman, BEL, A. Roussel, BEL.
Decision for the introduction of a separate Sporting Code for Aeromodelling (later on known as Sporting Code Section 4). Will be issued in 1955. See also 1954.
First separated World Championships for F1A, F1B and F1C.
Elected Officers: A.F. Houlberg, GBR, President, G. Derantz, SWE, Vice-president, J. Guillemard, FRA, Secretary, A.Roussel, BEL, Assistant Secretary.

CIAM Meeting in The Hague, December 8 1951, attended by A.F. Houlberg, President, A. Roussel, A. Degen, H.J Meier, GER, and J. van Hattum, NED.

1952

CIAM Meeting in Madrid, 1st week of May, concurrent with the FAI General Conference.
Attendance General Conference 26 member countries, CIAM only 6 countries.
This very low attendance for CIAM indicated that the majority of NAC’s do not give sufficient consideration to the importance of the model movement in the general aeronautical picture.
Therefore: CIAM asks official FAI support for World Championships, and introduction of FAI certificates for World Championship winners.
It has been noted that for the first time in history of FAI it would appear that the model movement is receiving attention and recognition, which it deserves.
This is a milestone in the development of international model aviation.

CIAM Meeting in Paris, December 6/7
Best attended meeting so far with representatives from France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Yugoslavia.
Discussion on the growing number of World Records. They intend to become (too?) numerous!!
Important specification changes for gliders and Wakefield models approved, viz.: maximum launching towline length for gliders reduced to 50 meters; maximum rubber weight for Wakefield models reduced to 80 grams; maximum flight time per flight reduced to 3 minutes; number of flights per contest five.

Following the decision on World Championship status for the three free flight classes there is reason to assume that in 1952 the first World Championships for Gliders, Wakefield and Power models were held.
Gliders Nordic A-2 in Graz, Austria, 13-17 August; Wakefield in Norköping, Sweden, 10-14 July; Power in Dübendorf, Switzerland, 13-14 September.

Radio Control in Contest Calendar for 1953!

1953

FAI General Conference in The Hague, Netherlands May 14-21. Also CIMR meeting.

CIMR Meeting in Frankfurt, November 28/29, attended by A.F. Houlberg, President, J. Guillemard, 1st Secr., A. Roussel, 2nd Secr., H.J. Meier GER, Zdenko YOU, J. van Hattum, NED, Jedelsky AUT, Araiza Goni SPA, P. Weishaupt DEN, G. Derantz SWE and A. Degen SWI.
Minimum fuselage cross-section for models cancelled.
FAI Teamrace specifications fixed.
Draft rules for radio control models to be set up. Experience still considered insufficient for setting up binding rules.
List of World Records for model aircraft reviewed, simplified and reduced from 116 records to 30!!
Introduction of separate Sporting Code for Aeromodels: FAI Sporting Code Section 4.

First mentioning of FAI Aeromodelling World Championships (Free Flight Rubber, Power and Glider, Control Line Speed) in FAI Contest Calendar.

1954

CIAM Meeting in December, attended by 12 people, representing 11 NAC’s.
The new separate Sporting Code for Aeromodelling (FAI Sporting Code Section 4) is now ready for distribution and will be in effect per 1 January 1955. No changes are allowed during the first two years after this date.

FAI World Championship for gliders (then called Nordic A-2 type) in Odense, Denmark.

1955

CIAM Meeting December 3/4 in Paris
Many changes proposed for Sporting Code Aeromodelling, among others that the maximum power for all power classes (at that moment only free flight and control line) to be 2,5 cc only. Effective January 1st, 1957.
(How does this cope with the freeze decided in 1954?) and that rubber weight for Wakefield models be reduced from 80, to 50 grams. Also that the power loading for free flight power models to be increased from 200 to 400 g/cc. These decisions caused many protests by contest flyers in these classes. Date of effectivity was intended to be January 1st, 1957. The General Conference decided for a delay of becoming effective until January 1st, 1958.
First combined Glider (A-2), Rubber (Wakefield) and Power World Championships organized by the German A.C. and American AMA at French Air Force base Mainz/Finthen near Wiesbaden in Germany. 23 countries were attending, high performances.
This was an incidental case. The combination of classes has been subject of discussion between 1955 and 1958 with several proposals being executed as a trial. The final decision has been taken in November 1958 and became an official rule in 1960. See under 1958.
Teamrace rules to be finalized.

German sources report the existence of a Subcommittee for Radio Control. This S/C met in Frankfurt
on 26/27 February. Three categories of RC-models were defined:
• RC-models without any restriction on the RC-equipment
• RC-power models with rudder control only
• RC-power models with multiple RC-functions.

1956

CIAM Meeting in Paris June 20-22. Representatives of 15 NAC have attended the meeting.
Rise of ground (ROG) in contests for free flight models cancelled.
Control Line Combat considered a class not to be supported by FAI!
Elected officers: A. Houlberg, President; H.J. Meier, Vice-president; J. Guillemard, Secretary; A. Roussel, Ass. Secretary.
Compromise decision on free flight power models power loading: increase to 300 g/cc i.l.o. 400 g/cc.
Maximum weight Wakefield rubber motor remains as originally decided 50 grams. Effective January 1st, 1958.

CIAM Meeting in Paris, November 16/17
The RC-Subcommittee has to establish contest rules for radio control models. Members of this subcommittee are A. Degen, A. Roussel and H.J. Meier.
Provisional decision, being a compromise in grouping of World Championships (see 1955 and 1957).

1957

CIAM Meeting in Paris, November 16/17
The CIAM Meeting was very well attended with representatives from Austria, Belgium, Czech-Slovakia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and USSR, 18 persons in total. It was for the first time that a delegate from the USSR attended a CIAM meeting.
It was decided that per class World Championships would now be held every other year. Teams will consist of 3 pilots (was 4) and a Team Manager.
Elected officers were: A. Houlberg GBR, President; H.J. Meier GER, Vice-president, Albert Roussel, BEL, Secretary, in lieu of J. Guillemard who had to resign for business reasons.
Final decision taken on the grouping of World Championships to become effective per January 1st, 1960.
• Group I Free Flight Glider, Rubber and Power
• Group II Control Line Speed, Teamrace and Aerobatics
• Group III Radio Control (Aerobatics only at that time)
These World Championships will now be held every two years. Much commotion in England regarding the Wakefield Cup that had been connected to the rubber powered model world championships class, but according to the original rules had to be flown every year.
It was officially stated that following the above there are now 7 FAI Aeromodelling World Championships viz.:
• Free Flight: (1) Glider; (2) Rubber; (3) Power.
• Control Line: (4) Speed; (5) Aerobatics; (6) Teamrace.
• Radio Control: (7) Aerobatics.

Hungary asks for attention for Indoor (microfilm) models. International contest in 1959 in Hungary will try out the provisional rules.

1958

CIAM Meeting in Liege, November 28-30, attended by 12 countries represented by 24 people.
The draft rules or Radio Control were extensively reviewed and finalized.
Mr. Houlberg, after 11 years in office, resigned as CIAM President, Mr. Albert Roussel, BEL was elected President, Mr. H.J. Meier, GER, re-elected Vice-president, Mr. Z. Husicka, CS, was elected Secretary.

1959

CIAM Bureau Meeting, April 11, Hirzenhain, Germany

CIAM Meeting in Paris, October 24/25
Attended by representatives from BEL, CS, FIN, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, NED, NZL, POL, SPA, SWE, SWI, USA and USSR.
(Re-)Elected Officers: A. Roussel, President; H-J Meier, Vice-president; M. Bienvenu, Secretary
Idea rose for organizing Aeromodelling Olympics every 4 years. A subcommittee has been appointed to study this item (H.J. Nicholls, GBR, Chairman, R. Beck, HUN, H-J Meier, GER, G. Barthel, ITA and ??? from the USSR).