We caught up with Quique Somenzini for an interview after he returned from the World Championships held in Argentina in November. 32 countries fielded 85 of the world’s best fliers in an atmosphere a lot more like a Formula One event than a model airplane meet. With the coveted title of "World Champion" at stake there’s a lot riding on the line, as manufacturer’s teams vie for the title that will last for two years.
Quique has won just about everything there is to win in aerobatics; 4-time winner of the prestigious Tournament of Champions, 4-time winner of the U.S. Nationals, 3-time winner of the Don Lowe Masters, but the one that had eluded him was the title of World Champion. He’d been in the hunt (finished in the top ten 8 times) but the dream of being world champion was still just a dream. 
A subtext to this story is that Quique moved to the United States from Argentina about 6 years ago. So while he was flying on the U.S. team for the first time, he was also flying in front of many of his friends and family. This competition was sure to be unique on a multitude of levels for Quique.
Here’s part of the story of how he finally accomplished his goal to be crowned World Champion.
Horizon: Nice to have you back on U.S. soil Quique. How are you feeling right now?
QS; Well, it’s a long trip back from Argentina, but I’m filled with energy from the win. It’s a good feeling, of course.
Horizon: Obviously, winning the world championships is a title coveted by many, but which only a few will ever achieve. What made this win so special for you, Quique?
Q.S. Well, ever since I started flying, my father and I dreamed about my being world champion. It’s the ultimate achievement. I’ve been very close many, many times, and now to win it in front of my friends and family, in my home country, but for the United States of America, well, it’s quite the dream come true.
Horizon: Wow. Almost sounds like a movie should be made of this. How about telling us a little about the format of the World Championship, Quique?
Q.S. It’s a long contest - 4 qualifying flights in 4 days, where all fliers are competing together for the team title. All 86 fliers fly four rounds of known maneuvers, and the best three flights are scored. The top team wins.
Then the top twenty-seven individuals move to the semi-finals, where the maneuvers are still knowns, but more complex. Flown on multiple flight lines, the semi-finals is held in one day – two flights to determine the top ten to move on to the finals for the individual title.
With the finals, the contest essentially starts all over. No scores are carried forward, as ten fliers fly on a single flight line, man-on-man, so to speak. All 20 judges (from around the world) judge two rounds of the tougher knowns, as well as two rounds of unknowns. The pressure is enormous, because the best single flight of each determines who wins.
Horizon: Geesh, sounds like a pressure cooker. Let’s take a breather from the event and back up a bit. How about telling us how you prepared for the competition, Quique?
Q.S. I designed my own biplane, the Euphoria, which was built by Oxai models. The airplane has to meet exact standards; no bigger than 2 meters square, no heavier than 5 kilos (11 lb). I used the YS DS170 pressurized four-stroke engine and the new JR 12X with DSM 2.4GHz Spread Spectrum modulation.
For a month I flew four or five flights every day before the competition – it’s a lot of work. The competition consists of both known and unknown portions, so it’s critical to be in tune with the airplane. To prepare properly, I flew no other airplanes during this time.
For the first two weeks, I practiced with my normal JR DSM system. Then two weeks before the competition, Horizon sent me a new 12X 2.4. I installed the radio and couldn’t believe the improvement. It was unbelievable how locked-in I felt with the airplane. Response is so quick, I felt even more "together" with the plane than ever before. It is such a big improvement, I think most fliers – from 3D to aerobatics – anyone interested in flying smoothly, precisely or using fast inputs, will "feel the difference".
Horizon: Do you think this helped you in the competition?
Q.S. Absolutely. In Argentina, the winds and gusts were high. Since the airplane was constantly getting bounced around, having a faster responding radio meant that the airplane would get my corrections quicker - meaning it would be out of shape less. That’s more precision.
And there were a lot of snap rolls in the competition. This maneuver is one that is all about timing. From the moment I flew the 12X, the precision of my snap rolls improved.
Of course, the servos I used were very important also. JR servos have always been the best – if the servos weren’t perfect, all the precision and speed of the radio wouldn’t matter.
Horizon: What servos were you using?
Q.S. It’s important to keep things light, so I used four DS3421SA’s for the ailerons, 1 DS9411SA for the elevator and a micro DS368 for the throttle. These servos have zero deadband and are extremely precise – the same electronics used in all JR servos – so most fliers know what I’m talking about.
Horizon: What about using 2.4 – no other competitors in the finals even had it? Do you think it was an advantage?
Q.S. Besides the speed and precision, yes, clearly, because I knew nothing could interfere with the signal, it gave me a boost of confidence that I’d never had before. When you go to the world’s, you don’t know the Rf environment of the local area, and you’ve never flown your equipment there. So having 2.4 with DSM and it’s unbreakable link allowed me to totally concentrate on my flying – I was free of any worries about the Rf link for the first time. It sounds kind of funny, but it was a big psychological advantage.
Horizon: Anything else about the 12X?
Q.S. The 12X uses the same magnesium case as the 10X – it is very solid feeling – important for precision flying. But JR improved the sticks with new gimbals, and they are the best ever - smoother, with well-defined endpoints.
What I really liked is the new screen and the programming. It is very easy and intuitive to adjust – something that was very important to competition.
Horizon: How’s that, Quique?
Q.S. Well, during the finals, we had flown one round each of known and unknown and I was in 3rd place. It was down to the last two flights, and the pressure was extreme. While I was waiting to fly, I saw the weather was getting very gusty, so at the last minute I decided to make changes to add more exponential. With the JR system, things are very easy to do – with that much pressure, it’s easy to make a mistake. But I made the change in the programming, it felt perfect, and my combined scores in the last two flights helped me win the event.
Horizon: So it sounds like you came from behind?
Q.S. Yes, that’s true. It was consistent flying that paid off – I actually didn’t win either the known or unknown, but the World’s is about the combined score for both. And my last flights were my best, to put me in the lead and the win.
Horizon: Sounds like a nail biter. What was it like on the podium?
Q.S.It’s hard to describe the emotion. As they played the U.S anthem, and I was standing next to the U.S. flag, I also had a small Argentine flag in my hand, as did many of the supporters in the crowd. They were calling my name – it was magic. This was the highlight of the competition for me.
Horizon: Well, we’re all very proud of your win for the United States. We’re happy you’re a resident, that you’re on the Horizon team and look forward to many years developing lots of great products with you, Quique. Thanks for your efforts!
Q.S. And many thanks to Horizon, JR and the Spektrum engineering team for helping to make this happen. The 2.4 was a big advantage – my guess is many will be flying it at the next World Championships!
And of course, I want to thank my family, and the U.S. team of Andrew Jesky, Jason Shulman and team manager Albert Glenn and assistant manager Raiko Potter. They were all instrumental in helping to make this happen.