How long have you been flying models?

[Brian Hammond]

My uncle built me a glider when he was in the navy during the 2nd world war and I would have been about 5 years old then and that got me going.The only time I stopped was when girls and marriage interferred with proper activities!

[Alan Dorrell]

I was an on/off modeller for many years. I have always been creative and aircraft have been a passion for as long as I can remember. My first "proper" model, a gift from my uncle was a FROG 'Interceptor', which was an ARTF. I was six and the year 1938. However, even before that I was making model aeroplanes from scrap cardboard. I suppose I hoped they would fly because they had wings !!! My family were avid readers and I had already started reading "Biggles".

My next model also from my uncle, who kept me in kits for many years, was, I believe, also a FROG kit. Of a Spit. It had a fuselage of moulded paper half shells with die cut formers and trad built wings with die cut ribs and T.E. to be covered in tissue. I can be pretty certain because my uncle bought himself one and never built it and I 'inherited' it a few years later. My uncle was of military age but was a chemist who had a serious accident at university and lost the sight of one eye. He had many friends who flew Spits in the War and I was proud to meet them.

As the war war went on, I was happy to make 1/72 scale models we referred to as "solids". Some kits were available, not many in balsa, so I would carve them out of firewood from plans in 'Aeromodeller' and 'Aircraft of the Fighting Powers'. Towards the end of the war, better kits became available and after it ended, I started having some flying success with 'Ajax' and 'Achilles' and suchlike. I also dabbled with Jetex without much success. I had two close friends, Roger Carlisle and his cousin Brian Organ. Brian went on to become a very notable artist and a Royal portraitist. The Queen and other members of the Family. His work can be seen in the National portrait Gallery.

When I was fifteen I joined the Air Training Corps but also became obsessed with the sport of cycling. Knowing I had to do National Service I enlisted as a short term regular in the RAF, but nothing exciting happened. When I wasn't training or cycle racing I would build KK scale kits in the billet and fly them the length of the billet if I was lucky.

Upon demob, I was accepted for teacher training as a handicraft specialist, metalwork. I joined the staff of a huge comprehensive school in SW London, the Wandsworth School and was soon co-opted into organising a school aeromodelling club which achieved some fame. Myself, I built and flew free flight and c/l stunt for many yearsI moved back to the midlands in 1964 and started a club again in my new post. This time in a country setting, the school's playing fields made a marvellous flying site with no hassle. However, a few years later, re-organisation put paid to that.

For some more years, I shared my passions for both cycling and modelling, but deliberately gave up after a tentative attempt at R/C in about 1978. Three things, sheer expense, the advent of CB on 27 megs and some extreme local snobbery by the users of Kraft radio who snubbed and ostracised any othe equipment users. I took up making bespoke furniture and cabinets in fine timbers and also drawing and painting. Ilove painting aircraft but do not have the skills for membership of the Gild of Aiation Artists.

Then, five years ago, I got the bug again. Partly due to now suffering acute arthritis in my knees and also a heart problem. I have to confess that I have turned into more of a builder than flyer. I belong to a thriving club but there are problems and despite two flying sites, besides our british weather, there is a lack of available instructors and examiners. Because I have to fly seated, I am barred from from flying unless on buddy box and many times no one is available. I am not blaming anyone. Unfortunately it is the way things are, to which I myself contribute.

Currently, I have ten flyable models, mostly scratchbuilt, three more to finish off and the usual assortment of kits, plans and must haves to have a go at. Anyway, I am off to Corfu for the third time next week. It is great and the number of flights I have made there already nearly exceeds the number made in the last four years, here at home.

Hope this has been of interest. Alan.

[Brian Hammond]

I also had a Frog Intercepter which must have been the first ARTF

[Erfolg]

As I have written, I have restarted aero modelling some 4-5 years ago, I also stated that it was a own design Crusader that rekindled my interest. As yet the model remains unfinished, due to a lack of knowledge.

What really got my interest going however, was a train journey to an IMechE conference in London. I picked up a copy of the QFI magazine. I decided that electric flight was viable, just. I could no longer be bothered with competition gliders and sport flights were far to short. IC was far to messy, needing tons of stuff at the field, and noise was an issue, restricting flight times and locations if the wood.

My first electric model was an electrified VS Tomboy, which did not convert well to electrics. The nose far to short to obtain a reasonable CG without lead, The recommended dihedral, caused violent Dutch rolling. To cap it all a speed 480 with gearbox, was not man enough, to give a acceptable performance.

My second model has been continuously disappointing, now being replaced with a Clean Sweep.

After these tentative beginnings, far greater success was obtained by electrifying 4 gliders from 2m to 120" span, all flying extremely well.

[Colin Leighfield]

Hi Erfolg. Only just had a chance to look at this. You should definitely and try to finish the Crusader. It looks great, just as I think that the original looked very purposeful. Really an aeroplane without wings, the De Havilland Ghost certainly adding to the similarity!

The book I referred to is called " The Last Crusader: John Cobb's World Water Speed Record", by Barry Stobart Hook.

Because of your obvious engineering tendencies, I think you'd love it. There are sufficient of the people who were around at the time who are still alive to contribute authenticity, plus access to records such as those at Vospers which no one has since looked at since, make this a fascinating read. Additionally a much improved understanding of the personality and determination of John Cobb puts the whole thing into context.

it's fairly clear that it was a more competent design than Donald Campbell's Bluebird in the sense that the sponsons set to the rear instead of at the bow meant that the boat would never fly out of the water, which the Bluebird was almost guaranteed to do after re-engining wIth the Sapphire, it only needed a few degrees of positive angle of incidence to become a flying machine with the c of g too far back!

During the initial testing on Loch Ness, some structural weakness around the bow was found and artificial reinforcement was created by wedging wooden baulks inside. Vospers wanted to take Crusader back to properly strengthen it, but Cobb insisted that he hadn't got the time and wanted to push on. Vospers relented on the condition that he didn't exceed 180mph, which I believe would have got the record and left space to come back later and go much faster after modification. Cobb agreed, but when he went he ignored the technical advice and went up to 230 mph. Suddenly, the bow structure collapsed catastrophically with the consequences I think we've all seen on film. He'd never worn his seat belt and was thrown out. From the injuries he suffered, they reckon that he may have survived if he had worn it, but apparently he always refused.

I believe it's 60 years this year, time to finish it! I hope that it's close enough to being a plane for colleagues to excuse me getting this carried away, but it really interests me.

[thomas oliver 1]

My first model was a Keilkraft Lysander scale model, at age 10. On demob from the RAF in 1947, I soon took up building my own RC gear, before it was even commercially available. I have been modelling now for 77 years, including making umpteen steam locos and stationary engines, plus petrol and diesel engines. Running after free flight rubber models in the early days, and some early radio fly aways must have kept me fit. Tom O.

[Colin Leighfield]

By comparison with all of that, I'm definitely a wimp.

[Reno Racer]

Only 7 years for me. We could never afford any when i was a child, although i've loved aviation as long as i remember. So for me it was a bit of a middle age urge. I'd been flying full size on and off since since 1992 and quite of bit of gliding before i started flying RC and stopped flying full size.

I think i've leant more from flying models, than i remember learning to fly!

Self taught with Unot Wot and WOT4, both building and flying (although been a chartered engineer helps with building). After lots of stick time on low wing trainers with a club in wiltshire, moved onto high power EDF and large scale electric converstions.

Now fly mostly 4 strokes and some larger petrol, either aerobatic/pattern or WW1 to WW2 warbirds. Spent the last 2 years flying in the USA (Oklahoma) under the US AMA system, up to display standard. With constant blue, cloudless skies, i've racked up some flying hours over the past 2 years, probably more than the preceeding 5. Also built everything from SIG and Great Planes kits to Top Flite, Balsa USA, Ziroli and even a few Brit kits!

Edited By Christian Ackroyd on 03/05/2012 02:00:19

[Robin Coombs]

I started at age 10 with control line models flying at the Youngsfield Aerodrome in Cape Town while watching Tiger Moths and Harvards of the very young SAAF. I did a bit of real flying at age 14 with a friend of my Dad in a Piper Cub then a Tiger Moth, great stuff.

A long break taking part in motor racing and rallying.

I re started around 1980 and according to my log book have racked up 228 hours over 32 years of radio control. Mostly scale warbirds. My main passion is building and my latest project is the Tony Nieuhaus Spitfire. I am putting a 30cc petrol engine in it with electric retracts and lighting.

I see I am not the oldest one here at age 70 so that makes me feel great.

Robin in South Africa