Age groups of modellers

[Myron Beaumont]

Flanker

So sorry you hated building your "puppeteer"   I really enjoyed the build .Like you I havn't flown it yet 'cos it's for 'er indoors to try (she's dead keen) & the weather has been non too good recently.I have an SC 52 4st in mine (hope you havn't put an 'lectric thing in it ) Also enjoyed the "cub" build (Flair again) Then again I have plenty of time on my hands unlike some .I'll never be rich but I just love building

Grumpy Myron

[john powles]

hi In reply to the man who requires flat rubber I have seen some in the hook&eye haberdashery shop in derby I do not kno if it suitable for your needs but you can phone them on 01332 381744 No 2,corn exchange alert st Derby.hope this is of some help.

[john powles]

Hi. Iam 68. Ihave beem buiding models since I was around 7yrs old back in the dark days of the late 40s like many of your other oldies out there I started with a keil kraft cub glider which I completed all by myself to me it was great & it flew but like most planes it did,nt last long. but Iwas hooked as they say &it has always stayed with me throughout my life there as with others I,ve had my breaks from it but always been there with me .I like to do my own thing with it I have lots of models some artf,s but mainly sratch built some have yet to be finished that I have not touched in years,I diverse onto other projects Ie,catalina-rhapsody-long eze-p40-panther&other fling thing -I just like building .    

[Flanker .]

DS not worry Myron I have flowen the Pup, it just scares the c++p out of me so I don't. I have just given her an air test with a RCV 58 which is just purrrfect for her. But poor thing she is a hanger queen for reasons stated above. Last out she had a loose aileron servo which ment that she wanted to roll in all the time. All the trim in the world wasn't enough. I found the loose servo and sorted it out but I am waiting for a brave moment to come to test her again. Silly, when I was last int the yUK the club instructor tried to do my "B" and we could not make her spin so I still do not have a "B dispite some wild antics trying to make her flick into a spin , so DO feel safe when you try yours 'coz they are fine aircraft. Go well F

[Fats Flyer]

Hi all,

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread, please keep 'em coming, these are very good reading .

WOW, out of all the posting's to this thread, im very very suprised that there aren't more youngsters out there beginning to start this wonderful side of the hobby of building or come to think of it ,new builders of any age,most are seasoned builders.

I know that  buying a.r.tf models are very popular for quickness and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that,heck, we all buy ready mades now and then,but surely flying clubs can do more in reviving the art of building.

I think we need fresh idea's to attract more modellers.

have your say, how can we improve what is obviously a disappearing part of our hobby? ....should clubs do more ??????????? .

Maybe with all our idea's and suggestions,a way forward can be found and maybe graham and david could even help within the already excellent mag for people to air their views.

cheers for now

vince

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Vinnie - a brilliant post, one of the best thanks  

I think the important thing is the health of the hobby per se and not the building aspect of it.  BMFA membership is high, there are more clubs than ever and if building trends change then so be it....and I speak as a builder. Sure the average age in the hobby is 40-50 but that's probably a reflection of costs and time/commitments of the participants. You can't prescribe a leisure persuit - As long as folks build and fly or assemble and fly or just fly then we should be happy...........or am I missing something......

Just as an aside the plans in the mag' every month remain very popular - clearly something very important to our readers, they've encouraged many a flyer to build for the first time.  

[Flanker .]

Hello again. I am not a fisherman but I believe there may be a hopeful parallel. Most sports people do not build their own racquet's/clubs etc, they buy mass market tools. The "top end" folks buy bespoke equipment made by skilled specialists. This means that there will always be some building materials out there. This has worried me as although I loathe building aircraft I like to maintain them if possible and this means that I need a supply of iron on film/balsa/carbon/epoxy etc. To return to the fishing analogy I know that there are fishermen who make their own rods because they feel that nothing that they can buy will be "just right" I think it will be the same with our sport , building model air craft at home will continue to fall off for a while but will in the end "level out" as those who want something that can't be bought will either build, or I suspect, buy from those who can build. Who knows there may be a new cottage industry afoot for "bespoke" aircraft! Funny I probably would not mind building a fine aircraft for someone else if I got PAID for it ! Go well, F

[Myron Beaumont]

Flanker   The ultimate profession as long as you didnt have to live on Chinese wages ?

[Tom Sharp]

Recently on one of the forums, Ali of Als Hobbies was  advertising for someone to build three large composite gliders.

[Pat (rActive) Harbord]

I'm 38, so statistically appear to be in the middle of age distribution curve.

I build everything I fly ever since I started up again about 10 years ago. This coincided more or less with the arrival of my first born (must have caused a spark of nostalgia flying the aircraft my dad built when I was 8 or 9, freeflight, control line and then RC).

First thing I built was the sig rascal (electric) from the kit which was a great re-introduction to flying and also the first "large" aircraft I built on my own. Since then; 2 other kits (stevens aero g-ride and paul daniels quick flick II), lots of plan builds (mostly from rcm&e free plans) also lots of vic smeed plan built rubber powered stuff, indoor duration and peanut.

Recently I've been modifying larger outdoor free flight things by the addition of electric motors and radio assistance. The Triple Threat III plan was right up my street and will get it's maiden as soon as the weather calms down.

I too would love to build for anyone that does not have the time or skill, examples on request. 

[Howard Tomlin]

Until last year, all of my planes were kit built, I bought 2 x artfs in 07 .

Im 33 and have been flying/building since i was 9, my first r/c model that i built was a "hepcat" it had an un throttled paw diesel!

[Fats Flyer]

Hi David,

Thanks for your reply, your absolutely right, as long as the hobby continues to rise ,things are going the right way.

R.C.M&E has made a large contribution to helping all corners of the hobby by supplying informative reviews and how too's.It's nice to have a mag that actually listens to it's follower's and responds in a very positive way.

Vince

[Myron Beaumont]

Flanker

I built a Graupner kit version of a piper cub way back & flew it once before I swapped it for a Cortina estate (still got some photographs -if only I knew how to put them on the net).Talk about aileron reversal ! I had to feed in opposite rudder to make it turn the way I wanted it to .No wonder you had a problem !Then again thinking about it I didn't have exponential or aileron/rudder coupling available in those early Futaba/Fleet days

I built the Flair version for 'er indoors to fly as a trainer  -WRONG -She will fly one of my creations .'Cor I wish I knew how to put these digital pictures on the screen from photos of construction & flying from the past etc .I ,or should I say   'ER! put several pics on the Gallery for the wonderment of folks that think all I do is moan & be grumpy .I'm not really grumpy but if I go to Timbo's great orme fly in I'll bring ear muffs for all of those hyper hearing sensitive foreigners in N .Whales who must be getting used to incendiaries over what was a beauty spot. (Timbo - Guess what? My first honeymoon was spent there )

Say no more  Eh!

[Dead-stick]

I am 52 years young and was bought up on tissue and dope in the late 60's, so yes, I am well versed in the art of traditional building. I started with control line and learned the craft of diesel engine starting, followed by free-flight, power and Jetex (and proper trimming techniques) and then moved onto single channel in the early 70's(Smoke Trail, Sharkface, Sawdust, Gemini, etc.). I have to admit though that I do like the ARTF's of today as it saves so much time, but they cannot equal the pleasure of a proper balsa bashing session! In fact I would say that I enjoy building slightly more that flying by about 60/40. 

 Need a challenge?, build an original Keil-Kraft Sopwith camel using the wood supplied and get it to fly properly! I am still having the nightmares today!!

[Poul Borge Pedersen]

WauW! And I thought I was an oldie to this hobby. Nice to see so many builders.

[Gregg LeWarne]

I am 61 and have been playing airplane since I was 12. build kits ,from plans and ocassional own design.I prefer scale or at least look like an airplane./Founs a use for electric,they are very good to get the 1/2A and overeight rubber type of the past to fly

[Fats Flyer]

Hi Jetsom,

No , im not shy, just busy with building and working to buy more and work longer to buy more and so on

[Chris Downing]

48 - I have built a KeilKraft Phantom control -liner,a half built RC plane, bought a second-hand RC plane (an attempt at getting an 'RTF' of the time, but didnt work), and built an RC trainer.  I never got any of them off the ground until last year, when a work colleague gave me some dual instruction on my trainer.

 Yes, work and life get in the way but an aeromodeller's spirit never dies!
I can't wait to build the next one. 

Mind you. I REALLY want to get to solo flying stage so I can practice on my own whenever  I get the opportunity.

[Tom Ruut]

  I found after a 7 year break,try and fly at every possible opportunity.Maximise your 'stick' time.Once a month is not enough.

[Fats Flyer]

Oh dear, where have all the new builders gone

[Tim Mackey]

[Alex Williamson]

Hi all -I beat you all on age -I'm 72 this year and have been modelling for ever -starting with Nordic Glider,rubber and diesel powered -all free flight of course -and not to mention C/L team race.

 I am now living in Johannesburg South Africa (what flying weather) and  currently working on  P38 twin. I fly radio control at the local club whenever I can - and have a fleet of 9 aircraft -enough to last me a while I think !

[Royden Baker]

No, Alex, you are not top of the heap, in fact you have a long way to go!!

I remember, vaguely, building a 'plane (can't tell now what it was,or if it flew, but I remember well it had about a yard of elastic!!) when I was 10 or twelve years old.

I am 82 years old and I build ARTF's which I enjoy.  I think at my age I do not have the time to spend months building my dream 'plane which, let's face it,  might never be flown!!

I started flying at eighty and had a good friend who repaired or rebuilt after those little glitches that tend to occur.  However, I have never been used to being waited on, so eventually I started doing the odd simple thing, like fastening the tailplane back on etc.

From that beginning I recently finished repairing a 'plane I really demolished about a year after I started flying, you know, the fuselage in three pieces, the wing in halves and so on.  I now really enjoy it, but I try not to deliberately make work!!

[Royden Baker]

Awesome!!

[flytilbroke]

Youngsters! On the Isle of Bute there is an incredible 90+ year chap still building full size Aircraft. He recently repaired a Kingfisher seaplane which got damaged in a storm. It had its tail destroyed when a hanger door fell on it at Cumbernauld Airfield.

I hope I can be near this active at 70, on models.