Quique Somenzini’s Extra 300S Donated to Museum

In the Air:

By Michael Smith, National Model Aviation Museum Director | [email protected]

As seen in the October 2023 issue of Model Aviation.

IN THE NATIONAL MODEL AVIATION MUSEUM COLLECTION, one focus is on the developmental history of aeromodeling. This history spans from the first airplane flown in an event through the most current aircraft, and significant evolutionary aircraft in between.

For RC Scale Aerobatics, one of those in-between aircraft is certainly Quique Somenzini’s Extra 300S, flown to first place at the 1994 Tournament of Champions (TOC). It was at this contest that Quique introduced the world to 3D flying.

The airplane was the result of Quique’s desire to win the 1994 TOC. He knew something spectacular would be needed—an airplane able to perform maneuvers in post-stall flight. Together with his father, Mario, he began to modify Bob Godfrey’s Extra 300S design.

Quique stated, "We greatly enlarged the control surfaces and modified the entire wing and tail-hinge bevel lines to be able to achieve 45° control-surface deflection and 50° for the elevator. This created some challenges because servo arms and their geometry had to be modified to reach those ‘crazy’ deflections. Because servos of the time were not strong enough to move or hold the larger surfaces in place, additional servos were added and counterbalances carefully designed."

The engine was also reworked. At the time, model airplane engines had good high-speed power, but Quique felt that he needed better midrange control. To achieve this, Quique’s father modified the engine, carburetor, and exhaust.

Describing Quique’s 1994 TOC freestyle-winning flight, Norm Staub wrote in his Model Airplane News article, "The crowd stood motionless, eyes staring, jaws dropped low in disbelief." He continued, "Eyewitnesses struggled to distinguish between the illusion they were seeing and the principles of aerodynamics they were thinking." The aircraft that wowed the crowds was the modified Bob Godfrey Extra 300S built by Quique and his father.

The April 1995 issue of Model Builder magazine. In the bottom left corner is a photo of Quique and his parents at the 1994 TOC.

The April 1995 issue of Model Builder magazine. In the bottom left corner is a photo of Quique and his parents at the 1994 TOC.

In 2021, the museum’s Acquisition Committee voted to try to acquire this model. Committee Chairman Mark Radcliff reached out to Quique, asking first if the model still existed and, if so, would he be interested in donating it. Quique responded that the model was at his mother’s house, and he would be happy to donate it. There was only one problem—it was in Argentina.

Fortunately, Roberto Calvelo, a friend of Quique’s who lives in Buenos Aires, attended Joe Nall Week in 2022. After a quick discussion with Quique, he agreed to help. Once back in Argentina, Roberto hooked up his trailer and made the nearly 500-mile trip to Quique’s mother’s home.

Roberto shared that the return trip was a bit different: "On my way back at the police check point, the police asked for the airplane’s documentation. I sort of laughed and explained that it was a model airplane and did not have documentation. After arguing for 15 minutes, I told the police that the airplane was a unique piece, and I was transporting it to Buenos Aires with its destination, a museum in the United States. I explained that the owner of the airplane was a very well-known person and Argentina was proud of him. At that moment, the police realized how important the airplane was and what it represented for Argentina and let me go!"

After he was in Buenos Aires, shipping was the next step. Another friend of Quique’s, Sergio Testa, offered to help. Together, Roberto and Sergio built a crate, and then, with fingers crossed, it began its journey to the National Model Aviation Museum. After some unfortunate additional tie-ups that required more paperwork with customs, the model was delivered to the museum in November 2022. After it was unpacked and assembled, it was placed on display in the RC Scale Aerobatics exhibit.

Roberto Cavelo holds the model’s tail.