⚠️ BREAKING NEWS: Factory Team 111 Joins the Grid: ArcaSpace President Dumitru Popescu as Team Principal, Aviator Andrei Vancea as Test Pilot
Factory Team 111, the founding entry in the ABWC paddock, officially announces its tactical and technical leadership, bringing a combination of pioneering aerospace vision and high-precision flight discipline to the starting line.
Dumitru Popescu - Tactical Command and Historical Vision
Operational leadership for Team 111 will be assumed directly by Dumitru Popescu, President of ArcaSpace. As Team Principal, Popescu will manage pit-lane decisions and lap-pace strategy—with a direct impact on the vehicle's energy reserves—bringing to Cosmobaza the philosophy of iron discipline and creativity that has defined ArcaSpace over three decades of aerospace pioneering.
When 12 identical vehicles race centimeters above the track, the decision to attack or preserve energy reserves is no longer a simple momentary choice, but a strict mathematical computation. Under his command, Team 111 aims to define the racing style of the new Post-Asphalt Era.
"Team 111 is entering the grid to establish the absolute limit of what a ground-effect vehicle can achieve. Operating anywhere from a hand's breadth off the track up to two meters requires a level of self-control and cold strategy that we want to turn into our “trademark”. Beyond our track presence, our testing work, alongside that of our colleagues in Team 281, will be immensely valuable in training the pilots of Squadron N10.” stated Dumitru Popescu.
Andrei Vancea - Aerobatic Precision and Flight Control at Cosmobaza
The new Test Pilot for Team 111 is Andrei Vancea (2,700 flight hours, a respected name in civil and sports aviation and a flight instructor with extensive experience in high-precision maneuvers. Accustomed to the rigor of aerobatics and managing flight paths under critical conditions, Vancea will evaluate the performance of ArcaBoard 2 on the circuit, optimizing the air cushion generated by the EDF compressors based on straight-line speeds, cornering dynamics, energy consumption, and g-force management to ensure ultra-precise execution above the track.
"In aviation, precision is a matter of survival. On ArcaBoard 2, precision becomes the primary weapon for overtaking and conserving battery power. The response of the compressors during rapid directional changes and maintaining the air cushion close to the track require flawless tactile feedback. My goal is to establish flight dynamics that become pure reflex for the pilots on the grid," emphasized Andrei Vancea.
'Factory vs. Private' Tension Ignites in After Asphalt
The complete lineup of Team 111 adds a massive layer of rivalry to the paddock. With both factory entries (281 and 111) operational, incoming private teams and fans now have a clear performance benchmark against which to measure themselves. This direct confrontation between the founding engineers and new title contenders will be one of the most compelling storylines in the After Asphalt docu-reality series.
Number 111: Historical Symbolism for ArcaSpace
Carrying the number 111, a designation of extraordinary symbolism in ArcaSpace history through the IAR-111 supersonic aircraft project and the destroyer Mărășești, the flagship of the Naval Forces designated for the EcoRocket orbital vehicle logistical support, Team 111, alongside 281, will stand ready to deploy at any moment during Season 1 to fill any potential grid vacancy from a privately managed team. Team 111 and its pilots will be eligible to score points in races, though those points will remain exclusively within the team's and pilots' historical record without impacting the final standings for the World Championship.
👉 Learn more about selection for Squadron N10 and register your team on the official platform: https://www.arcaboard.com
