Quique Somenzini

Quique Somenzini is a professional radio-controlled aircraft pilot and designer who runs his own model company, QuiQue's Aircraft Company. He won the FAI world championship in 2007 and is widely recognized as the inventor of "3-D" flying, a style that involves tight loops, rolls, and hovering at very low forward speeds.

Born in Rio Cuarto, Argentina, Somenzini entered his first FAI competition at age twelve in 1979, making him the youngest competitor in the championship's history. His father, Mario, a former champion himself, introduced him to model aircraft at age nine. Over his career, Somenzini became Argentina's national champion twenty-one times. On November 18, 2007, at the 25th FAI World Championship held in Argentina, he earned the FAI F3A world champion title for the first time.

Now based in Springfield, Ohio, Somenzini designs aircraft for his own company, QuiQue's Aircraft Company. He also works as a product tester and sponsored pilot for Spektrum and JR, both divisions of Horizon Hobby, and for Team RCU, the competitive team of RCUniverse.com.