General information about model flying

Here you will find interesting information about all important topics from all areas of the association,  the comprehensive activities and services for the members, the clubs and regional associations which are provided by the SMV.

These services are available to all members, the clubs and regional associations, as well as interested legal entities or public sector bodies or partners from the school/parental environment and the profession. The Swiss Model Aviation Association SMV as a national sports association and via the Aero Club of Switzerland member of Swiss Olympic, has the ambition to guarantee both the access of young people to aviation and the creation of framework conditions as well as the long-term safeguarding of the decentralized existing infrastructure for the practice of the hobby and for the practice of the sport in general.

Building models and flying with the models includes, in addition to the activity in the workshop or in the hobby room, many other areas, for example, outdoors in nature or on the competition field. Model airplanes are widely built and flown as a hobby and in competitions as a sport.model airplanes are available both ready and as a kit or kit to buy, or are also developed and built by model pilots themselves. Some flight models have the numerous functions of their prototypes, of which such can also be absolutely faithful to the prototype in every detail. However, model airplanes are also built as purely functional and purpose-built models, without an actual prototype of a person-carrying aircraft, especially as competition models.

Model aircraft come in many varieties. Competitions are held in many categories, including world championships, and the individual FAI categories are usually subdivided into further sub-classes.

There is a whole industry that offers in great variety kits and assembly boxes with various degrees of prefabrication for all kinds of designs. In addition, today there are also numerous prefabricated models. Their sizes can range from a few centimeters to several meters span.

Currently, very interesting categories represent the environmentally friendly electric motor-driven aircraft, powered by powerful and with a high energy density, environmentally friendly lithium-polymer batteries (LiPo). Attractive replicas of turbine-powered large and/or jet aircraft are also in vogue. With the turbines available today, mostly powered by gas or kerosene there is sufficient thrust available for the required propulsion of even very large models. The activities and emphases in the individual clubs can differ substantially depending on the infrastructure available.