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Gladys International 21C

The Almost Quarterly Journal of The Sheffield

Society of Aeromodellers Issue113:2016

In this issue…the man who mistook a plane for a dog, someone

actually wins the competition, a depron Tiger, micro electronics,

the chance to win another competition. And so much more….

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Contents

Straight to business. It is with great pleasure that I announce we have a

winner for last edition’s competition. Yes, Martyn Aspinall correctly

identified 2 of the airframes ( see page 4).Well done that man, or as he is

sometimes known; M.

Second up is a letter received by Gladys regarding the reporting in the

last issue of the flagrant wearing of socks with sandals at the Nats last

year. Here it is, in full.

Dear Sir,

May I point out 3 areas of poor judgement in your attempt at blackmail,

re. the photo on page 6 in the Gladys.no 112

1. By the time you have spelt my name at a rate of one letter per Gladys

issue, everybody will have forgotten what this was all about and a

significant proportion of our membership will be operating Zimmer

frames instead of transmitters.

2. I have received messages of support from other members (well, one so

far .... but there would be more if they knew who I was) indicating

Editorial……………………………………………..2-3

Spitfire Women: Gordon Smeeton………………….4-5

Competition Answers: Ed…………………………..6-7

Back to The Sky: Jed……………………………… 8-10

This Issues’ Competition: Ed……………………….11

A Tiger in Depron: Andy Timmons……………… 12-15

All Bricks no Mortar : John Broadhead and Ed…….15-17

Three Guys and a Doll: Dame Ed Runyon………....18-19

Over Hot and Over There: Ed………………………20-21

Show Roundup: Ed……………………………...….22-27

Endpiece: Ed……………………………………......28

Acknowledgements:Thanks to all contributors. All photos by Neil Carver

except p12-14 ,Andy Timmons. If you have an article or news item for

Gladys ring Neil Carver on 0114-2667203. Cover Photo: a damaged B17

trails smoke at the Elvington show circa 1944

Editorial

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widespread support for ' a comfort dress code'.

3. This style of dress was being promoted by our esteemed committee

member and keen follower of fashion, Terry Gregory, at Elvington this

year as shown by you in the picture on the back page of Gladys issue 111.

What better guidance on dress code could a rank and file member such as

myself take when allowed out to interact with other enthusiasts and the

public at large at model events?I look forward to seeing a suitable

grovelling apology and a retraction all allegations of all

misdemeanours in the next eagerly awaited edition of Gladys. A

competition win would come in handy too.

Yours sincerely,’ Currently Anonymous'

Your Editor is suitably chastened but not apologetic, and will never give

in to rational argument. To prove the point and to make good the original

threat the first letter of the real name of Mr so called Currently

Anonymous is in fact; M. To prevent exposure M should cough up the

£10 as agreed. To be fair though we owe M a favour in exposing a

scandal at the highest level of the club. It would indeed seem our

Chairman has been hiding ( his ankles ) in plain sight for some time and

clearly has exerted a terrible influence on the fashion sense of more

impressionable, presumably younger fliers such as M. At least now the

issue is out in the open ( unlike Terry's ankles). There is worse to come

however……

Those of you who know our Chairman well will also know his love of

dogs ( not, I hasten to add in

sandwiches ). Gladys can now

a l s o r e v e a l d i s t u r b i n g

photographic proof that Terry

has begun to mistake small dogs

for model planes. In the photo

here he is attempting to find the

battery hatch on a powered

model. Has he gone barking mad

we ask ?

Enjoy the issue. Ed.

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Spitfire Women: Gordon Smeeton

Spitfire Women of WW2 is written by Giles Whittell and is a fascinating

book on the women of the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary).

Their task was to fly planes from factories or holding areas to where ever

they were needed within the UK. Before being considered for flying they

had to have at least 350 flying hours.

They had flying tests

on Tiger Moths and

after that basic training

on map reading,

w e a t h e r a n d

familiarising flights

over the UK. The

planes were unarmed.

They had no radio but

they did have air speed

indicators, altimeter,

compass, a t t i tude

indicator, turn & slip

gauge & artificial

horizon.

Their home base was at

White Waltham in the

south of the U.K. Each

morning they would be

given a slip of paper

telling them what type

of plane they would be

flying. They would also

be given a ring binder

which gave them

details of the type they were to fly. They flew anything that needed

delivering & one lady flew no fewer than 164 different types, from

fighters and trainers to bombers such as the massive Stirling ( opposite)

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Women came from all

over the world and came

from very different

backgrounds. Although

not mentioned in the

book what I find

remarkable is the fact

that many of these ladies

came from very wealthy

families and they chose

to risk their necks flying

all types of planes in

often terrible weather and

with little support.

In my view this book is

a must read.

Postscript– In May 2015

Joy Lofthouse, a member

of the ATA once again

took the controls of a

Spitfire, she was 92.( Ed)

While I am here I thought I would slip in as shot of a happy unsuspecting

bunch of club members on the Pie and Peas night, once again organised

by Gordon. Again please.

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I think it might be true to say the last editions competition was

challenging, but as noted in the editorial—we got a winner! Below are

small versions of the photos and shots of the whole plane. They all reside

in the RAF Museum at Hendon and were photographed in May

2015.First up was a Bleriot XXVII of uncertain history but probably built

in 1911. There were 2 pictures of it. Picture 4 on the through everyone. It

is of the cowl and

wing. Folk tended to

think it was a fin.

The cowl has that

shape to prevent the

pilot being covered

in oil that otherwise

spewed into the

cockpit.

Next up was a shot of the cockpit of an

Albatross D.Va. Alas it’s a replica , which is

why it gleams so. The final shot proved

difficult but the 2 Vickers guns angled upward

is very distinctive if not unique. This beastie is

none other than a Sopwith Dolphin. I would

say it is The Sopwith Dolphin but this: the

Competion Answers: Ed

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only one in

existence, is a

reconstruction

using no less

than 3 separate

planes. The 2

guns are angled

like that so the

pilot didn’t

shoot his prop.

off. Not the

best of designs

but without

interrupter gear the best we had. You can

test your recognition skills on 3 more

modern types elsewhere in this issue. This

time though they are RC airframes.

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Back to The Air : Ged Higgens

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away......no, scratch that, it's been done

before......cue a brass band playing the Largo from Dvorak's New World

Symphony, a warm Northern voice intoning "It were t'first tea after

t'war..." add a cinematic view of grocer's lad doing irreparable damage to

his private parts by riding down a steep cobbled hill on a delivery bicycle

and I suppose that's sort of the vibe I'm looking for........

'Twas 14th November 1973 in Barnsley, that picturesque mining hamlet

by the River Dearne, and we'd got the day off school. The marriage of

HRH Princess Anne and the then Lieutenant Mark Phillips was on our

black and white telly in the corner and an aircraft obsessed 12 year old

version of me was putting together the 1/32 scale Revell kit of a Ju-87D*

(which, incidentally, would end up painted in desert camouflage) that I'd

received as a birthday present a week before. I don't know why this sticks

in my memory but it does. I suppose it represents a sort of golden moment

before education**, adolescence, acne, exams, beer, girls (not many, if

truth be told, they tended not to be interested in aircraft and/or history),

university, more beer, bachelorhood, work, even more beer, mortgage,

wedding, less beer, children, family life, virtually no beer........

And then it was now; well, now-ish, the spring of 2014 to be more

precise. The middle aged version of me had never lost his interest in

aviation. It was sustained by wistful glances skywards at passing planes

and, in latter years visits to Duxford (the first of which blew my mind

when I could actually touch an SR-71...words failed me....they still do).

I'd reached that stage in life when a man feels he needs to take up a hobby

or two, so it seemed a foregone conclusion that I would return to

aeromodelling.

My only experience of powered model flight as a youngster had involved

a control line model powered by an IC engine. Working on the

assumption that things must have moved on during the forty plus years

that had elapsed since then I concluded that research was in order. That's

when I first became vaguely aware of SSA. I sort of made a connection

between it and the chaps I'd occasionally seen flying models when I'd

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been walking in the vicinity of Stanedge, Burbage and the wonderfully

named Higger Tor and filed it away. By good fortune I ended up in the

capable hands of Nitroflite once I'd located them pith helmet in hand in

deepest, darkest Rotherham. Roy and his glamorous assistant gave me a

thorough briefing as to the current state of the hobby (or is it a sport?) and

I left wiser if mentally exhausted.

At this point I can hear the sharp intake of breath and tut-tutting of fellow

members muttering, "You should have talked to us first", but in mitigation

I would point out that I'm not the product of a school for gifted children

(see footnote on education). Eventually though, I decided to opt for the

purchase of a Spektrum TX and a simulator for the laptop, pending

purchase of a Bixler type ARTF foam trainer.

By late December 2014

I'd decided to contact

SSA prompted by Roy's

advice to join a club and

after meeting a fellow

member in Nitroflite's

shop who was seeking a

new undercarriage for a

rather pretty Cub type

trainer covered in what

looked like amber

coloured cellophane

(having had my ignorance dispelled in no uncertain terms since, I now

know this to be the modern replacement for tissue and dope). So, I

looked up the website, rang the number, spoke to Andy, visited an indoor

session at Dronfield and made the momentous decision to join in January

2015.

So, on the last day of 2015 looking back at the past year, how has it gone?

Well, my experience has been limited to indoor flying, as a glitch with

either my or the club's e-mail system meant that I dropped off the

circulation list over the summer (nobody's fault, just one of those things I

hasten to add) which means that the Bixler clone has yet to grace the

A Bixler type trainer

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skies. However I'm also the proud owner of a Hobbyzone Champ for

indoor flying. As to my progress as a pilot, I shall simply say that one wit,

who shall remain nameless, asked me if my name was "Wall-ter" as I

seem to spend a lot of time

bouncing off them.

Despite my ineptitude, the

experience has been invaluable.

On a good day I can just about

limp round the hall without a

major incident and from a

technical point of view I

understand the basics of what

makes a simple radio controlled

model aeroplane fly (and how to

repair one when it doesn't -

usually as a result of self-

inflicted wounds) and I'm even starting to get my head round the more

arcane settings of my TX. I have to say that none of this would have been

possible without the patience and generosity of the members of the club

who have taken the time to provide guidance and instruction with

unfailing good humour. So, a big thank you to all! As to the future....well,

I've just paid my subs for 2016, so watch this space......

*Which illustrates that my interest in the aircraft of the Luftwaffe from

the Last Unpleasantness was established early in life, but that's another

story. Suffice it to say that Lemmy, rock n' roll legend and, as of 28th

December 2015, late of this parish, was on the right lines when he said of

our Nazi adversaries that the bad guys had the best looking

uniforms.....they also had some pretty impressive looking aircraft.

**St Michael's RC ("Roman Catholic" not "Radio Controlled")

Comprehensive. In the words of Ken Dodd, "It was a good school, it was

Approved", certainly a number of its alumni progressed to study at

Armley, one of the North's more prestigious penal institutions.

The author, before crashing.

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All you have to do this issue is work out the names of the 3 RC scale

planes in the pic. below. I just need the manufacturer and the name, eg.:

Top : ‘Supermarine Spitfire., Left Hawker Harrier, Right; Miles Behind.

You don’t need to get all technical and say ‘Spitfire Mk1.’

It’s time to play Name That Plane! The prize is a whopping £30.

If there is more than one fully correct answer a draw will take place. If

no one gets all 3 but several people get two correct; a draw will take place

etc etc. In case you haven’t got this it means that a winner is guaranteed.

Even if you are the only entrant and get all three wrong, you will still

win. Even if you only know one– you can still win. Entry is limited to 1 attempt per paid up club member.

• Simply send your guesses with your name and contact tel. no. to

me :Neil Carver, 33 Bingham Park Road , Sheffield, S11

7BD.Alternatively email me at : neilcarver32@btinternet.com.

• All entries should reach me within eight weeks after Gladys is pub-

lished on the club site. The answers will be in the next issue.

• The Editor is the judge and the judge’s word is final. Good Luck !

!! Name That Plane !!: Ed

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As anyone who has spoken to me, watched me fly, read any of my Gladys

articles, or simply seen me walking around, you'll know I like Flite Test.

Flite Test is an internet based community of RC plane enthusiasts who

design and build foam board planes, and although they sell the kits, they

also give all the plans away free and make videos of how you build and

enjoy the planes.

If you've not discovered them yet, take a look at www.flitetest.com.

Although Flite Test has a core team in Ohio, there is a huge, world-wide

community of contributors and one such person is Nic Lechner (otherwise

known as nerdnic - www.nerdnic.com). Nic has half a dozen sets of plans

to build various planes,

including a beautifully

finished P38.One of his

most recent is the 'Manic

Micro nnTiger Moth',

designed for use indoor

and out.

Now one of the problems

with a world-wide

community is that we

can't all buy the same raw

materials. The Flite Test

(and nerdnic's) planes are

built using 6mm Dollar Tree foam board (Dollar Tree is like a US

Poundland). This foam board is very light so using it to build an indoor

plane works OK. But if we use the board available in the UK, which is

much heavier, we have to add weight to the front of an already heavy

plane to make it balance, so it has to fly faster to stay in the air, which

makes it unsuitable for indoor.

So, when I saw the nnTiger Moth and decided to make one, I chose to

adapt Nic's plans and make the plane out of 3mm Depron. G-PERS is my

A Tiger in Depron: Andy Timmons

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interpretation.

Another 'feature' of my plane building activities is that I collect rubbish.

Before I throw stuff away, I tend to look at it and think, 'What could I use

that for?'. And so it was with a bottle cap from a smoothie drink I bought

my granddaughter. This smooth, rounded interesting piece of plastic

looked, for all the world, like an engine cowl, and although the original

Tiger Moth didn't have a round

cowl, I'm not one to let accuracy

to get in the way of a bit of fun.

The Flite Test foam board build

technique, is to cut away 6mm

strips of board leaving the paper

to act as a hinge to fold the

board up, hiding the bare edges

and adding strength to the hot-

glued joints. Obviously, with

Depron, there is no paper cover,

so the edges had to be butt joined. Close up, they look messy, but from

three feet away, they're fine.

Also, the thin Depron doesn't support itself as well as thick foam board,

so I had to add some support for

the dihedral. The top wing uses a

custom 3d printed shallow V

stuck underneath. The bottom

wing - a couple of 1mm carbon

rods.

The receiver is a DSM2 brick

acquired from our own Ron

Mallet. This is the 2S version

that has a built in ESC and two

built in servos (rudder and

elevator). Coupled to a 5gm motor and powered by a 300mah lipo and a

4x3 prop, there's more than enough grunt to get the plane into the air.

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Nic's original design also has a

micro servo between the wings

to work the lower wing ailerons,

but five minutes flying around

the gym showed that the

ailerons were more hindrance

than help. So I disconnected the

control rods and glued the

ailerons flat. Now it just turns

using the rudder and that gives a

sweet, flat turn, well within the

radius required to make it

around round the Dronfield hall.

The undercarriage uses what

looks like a wire from a Champ

(I found it stuck in the mud at a

pilot station at Flite Fest last

year. I did mention I collect

rubbish, didn't I?) The wheels

are printed on my 3d

printer to fit some O

rings as tyres. The tail

wheel is also from a

Champ.

Just as the glue joints

look better from a few

feet away, so does the

paint job. I've

discovered that terrible

painting is greatly

improved by the

application of neat vinyl

lettering, logos etc. I bought a cheap vinyl cutter a couple of years ago

and the difference it makes to the finished job is very satisfying. And

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finally I added a couple of pilots, again printed on the 3d printer. I'd seen

a file available to download called 'busto pilotta' and I thought 'Mmm,

Pilotta sounds a nice Spanish girl, I wonder what her busto is like.' Turns

out the file was the head and shoulders of a pilot. Disappointing, but still

useful. These are glued to a couple of bits of Depron and sit on the

fuselage edges. They look good from the side. I chose not to paint them

because you can go too far!

And that's the story of my indoor Tiger Moth. Not an accurate model, but

a lot of fun to build and fly. By the way, I’m happy to design and cut

vinyl for other people too, so if you want any for planes, Tshirts or

anything just let me know. The 3 D printer is also available to fabricate

those little bits of plastic that add detail to things, or simply replace

broken bits and pieces.

As well as indoor flying with the

Tiger , as you can see Andy is well

equipped for outdoor winter flying

(and polar exploration.) Pictured

below are his new heated compression

‘slope’ trousers, as worn by Soviet

cosmonauts in the seventies.

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Well it has happened again. Just

mutter the magical phrase ’tea and

biscuit ’ and John Broadhead will

magically appear at your door

armed with a bag full of wires and a

mission to assist you navigate the

increasingly insane world of micro

electronics.

So John.. What gives this time?

Well I’ve been looking at some

alternatives to Spektrum gear for

small scratch built indoor models,

mainly from banggood.com and

Hobbyking. The alternatives here

are for rudder elevator models but an additional servo can be attached.

First up is the WLtoys brick. They make lots of helicopters and

quadcopters and this brick

is actually a spare for their

indoor flying models. It

does need a transmitter and

there are 2 cheap choices:

either the WLtoys one or

the Flysky 6I ( above)

which is more adaptable. It

can be bought for around

£30 from bang good or

from Hobbyking where it

is sold under the Turnigy

name. It comes with a 6

channel receiver.

A WLtoys brick

All Bricks: No Mortar:John Broadhead and Ed

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I bought it as an experiment and it

works but you do need to change to

the right protocol on the transmitter in

system set up . This enables it to speak

to speaks to the receiver and is

simply a matter of 2 clicks so it isn’t

exactly onerous.

The only other thing that to note is that

binding has to take place each time

you unplug the battery. Again this

sounds a pain but takes seconds. The

sequence is: 1) plug battery into brick

2) hold bind button down and switch

on 3) switch transmitter off then

straight back on.

The other alternative is a brick from HiSKY ( above). This alternative

that will with work with a Spektrum radio as long as an HT8 module is

installed. ( see picture opposite) The module will work with Futaba and

Hitec equipment as well. This setup works well and is very smooth. The

brick was selling for around £9 and the module for around £12.

I know Banggood aren’t exactly a corner shop but on the occasion I had

something that was faulty I got a full reimbursement– without having to

go to Korea.

Thanks John. I guess given your CIA

background Korea may be difficult.

By the way is that a brick you are

holding in the photo ?

No, that was a square of dried

seaweed.

The interview terminated here.

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To be read in a Brooklyn

accent…..I am taking the

air one grey winter

evening and minding my

business when suddenly

these lights appear in the

sky. As you know I am

not one for drinking or

taking the kinds of things

that makes you see lights

in the sky but there they

are, for all to see. So I ring ’No Flaps’ Phil who is called No Flaps on

account of he can never find the switch for them and he says he is seeing

them as well but is drinking the kind of booze that makes him see

anything. Next I’m on the phone to Malc ‘The Clam’. As you can see

Clam is Malc backwards which is the how his planes go sometimes. The

Clam is very excited and says he isn’t drinking but is sniffing cyano but

this is accidental on account of

him forgetting to open the door

in his workshop. Anyways sure

enough he is seeing the lights in

the sky as well.

This being so mysterious and all

leads us 3 wise guys to conclude

this must be a sign. After some

debate we are in agreement the

lights are pointing in the

direction of a little joint at Bradway operated by ‘Neverland’ Neil, who is

called that on account that his planes never come down. Now, Neverland

Three Guys And A Doll: Dame Ed Runyon

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runs an exclusive establishment and

isn’t normally letting wiseguys like us

in but saying as we had brought him

some good tips for tomorrow’s races he

lets us in We aren’t in the joint 2

minutes though when this flying

something with gossamer wings

descends silently in a circle towards us.

We are staring in awe at this beautiful

creature when it hits a tree. Now this is

odd saying as planes normally hit trees

outside not inside. But it is that kind of

day, with lights in the sky and such so

we are thinking this is a sign too and don’t you know it; it is.

Sure enough, at the foot of the tree lies a cot and in the cot is a baby and

there is no mother in the room unless one of the other customers is in

careful disguise which I doubt because no one does disguise that good, at

least not the kind that gets into Neverlands. So The Clam and No Flaps

are looking the kid over and it’s a boy and it looks in pretty good

condition. In fact The Clam says it is immaculate. Personally I’m

thinking because of an funny odour that maybe immaculate is too strong

a word but No Flaps is clearly smitten and it’s affecting his nasal senses.

Anyways, No Flaps decides to

take the kid home and all I am

saying is it is a good job that kid

is immaculate otherwise No

Flaps is having some explaining

to do to his good lady.

He isn’t worried though and

just says: “Have faith fellow

wiseguys , have faith.”

20

Your mission, should you accept it is to drive ( or rather be driven) for at

least 5 hrs across California and visit 2 aircraft museums before the day

is out. Twenty minutes into the journey you find out there is yet another

museum only minutes off your route. It has to be done. You just have to

persuade your driver of the wisdom of this. In the event I did but had to

leg it round this mystery museum at high speed and against the clock,

in searing temperatures chased by a mad dog. This then is a brief piece,

on the briefest of visits to the rather nifty, Castle Air Museum.

There are some 56 restored frames on site, and weirdly one is a Vulcan,

symbolising the Instructor pilot exchange between the USAF and the

RAF. Otherwise it’s a fine collection of US military stuff from the

thirties through to the cold war and includes the awesome Convair B36.

If we had been invaded by Nazi Germany this was the plane that would

have bombed England from bases in America and returned without

refuelling .The B36 Peacemaker is the largest bomber ever built and

when it first flew was the largest plane in the world. Its’ 6 radial and 4 jet

engines carried a crew of 16. Most of them lived on the small housing

estate located to the rear of the fuselage. Remember the massive runway

and aprons at Elvington ? They were designed to take the B36.

A 19ft rc version was flown in 2010 by a Carl Bachuber. He has said it

flies; ‘like a grain truck’. You can judge for yourself by watching the

Over Hot and Over There: Ed

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video. See :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru3zoCBaCCs

If you are really keen to build a B36 there are free plans for a 115inch

span version from : http://www.outerzone.co.uk/index.asp.

‘Outerzone’ is; “a listing of free vintage and old-timer flying model

aircraft plans to download.” The listing is free, you don't need to register

or log in to download these plans. Isn’t that wonderful ? Also at Castle

was a rare thirties Douglas B-18 Bolo It’s always struck me as one of

those planes that just isn’t right; in any way at all. I can’t find any

evidence of an rc version ever

existing which is pretty

unusual, but it’s not hard to

see why. It looks like a brick

with wings. I love it .

Four, thankfully air-

conditioned hours after this

flying visit we arrived at the

Oakland Aviation Museum,

but that, is for another issue...

If you think

you have

the scale of

this thing–

check the

people stood

by the left

hand tyre.

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Out and About in 2015 : Ed

A few months ago I came across a wonderful book in a charity shop.

‘Nature is Your Guide: How to find your way on land and sea’ was

written by one Harold Gatty in 1958 and does what it says on the cover. It

tells you how to use the signs of nature to help you find your way. Gatty

wrote the survival manual that went in WW2 US Army Air force life rafts

and was an expert in air navigation. The book has a foreword by General

J.H. Doolittle who flew the B25 bomber raid against Japan and who in

1929 became the first pilot to take off, fly and land an airplane using instruments

alone. I don’t know if he or Gatty ever got lost but am fairly sure if they

did it was hushed up pretty darn quick. Gatty was obviously a fun loving

guy and a considerate partner. Consider this :

‘Early in 1955 my wife and I made a leisurely trip by car from France

through Belgium and Holland for the express purpose of observing and

photographing the directional characteristics of trees.’ ( p106)

Now you may remember Gladys featuring tales of travelling to and from

aviation events that involved getting lost so I pounced on this book .Never

again would I be at the mercy of a malfunctioning satnav or for that

matter panic over the

possibility of being shot

down over the pacific

without knowing which

way to paddle. Nature,

courtesy of Mr. Gatty

would be my guide. So

the journey to Elvington

was uneventful. Every

ten minutes or so

someone got out to look

at moss on walls, the

directional nature of the

trees and the odd

signpost and Bobs your

uncle we were there.

The swapmeet. No swapping no meeting.

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Unlike everyone else. Parts of the show were decidedly lacking in people

and in the case of the Swapmeet ; their unwanted junk too. Having said

that though things got pretty busy pretty fast. This of course was: ‘The

Vulcan Effect’ and in due course, the over popular beast did appear ( see

last issue)

I do think someone missed a trick though, not only were there an rc and a

full-size Vulcan present but there was an rc ( above) and full– size Victor

too. Alright the full size was in the Elvington aircraft museum which

wasn’t part of the show but it would have been quite something to have

the full size parked up next to this superb model.

At some point Terry and I

took the walk along the

flight line with pilots who

were either very friendly

and informative; or not so

friendly and informative.

We were a little surprised

to find our very own Barry

out there on the flight line

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We really shouldn’t

have been. Barry has

been flying in Team

GB for some years and

his flying has graced

many an event. The

Gee Bee models flown

by the club are Pacific

Models ARTF Gee

Bee Y series powered,

in the main, by Zenoah

38s. According to the

club they make an

excellent sport model.

25

I made a the fatal mistake of saying to Barry I would capture his pride and

joy in flight. Barry did well at working out where I was and brought his

Gee Bee as close in as possible but I was hard pushed to get a decent shot.

The increasingly murky sky, small size of the plane, it’s speed and the

fact my camera is not the greatest meant I was limited. I have attempted

though to add a touch of ( ahem) period realism to some of the shots.

In a weird coincidence it turns out that Jimmy Doolittle flew a ( real)

later model Gee Bee to victory in the Thompson Trophy on September 5,

1932. He lapped his competitors and averaged 252.67 miles per hour. As

he noted about the plane, it flew "like a bullet." I guess it helped that he

knew where he was going. We made it back home from Elvington

eventually, after waiting till dark to get a fix on the Pole Star. Gatty would

have been proud.

Weeks later we were at the Nats, under greying ,then rainy skies. Among

new models on display was the Avios 1.2 metre Sea Fury, now available

from Hobbyking. It looks fantastic (if you forgive the non-retractable tail

wheel ) and incredibly has a pilot who is the right size. Given its’ looks

and the fact it has retracts and comes with a 5 and 4 blade prop it is a

wonder it sells for less than £100. This might be a case of style over

substance though. Word on the net says it is fast ( ok it’s a scale Sea Fury)

Once again Terry was spotted mistaking a dog for a plane, this time an

Acrowot.

26

but is apparently a little heavy. Even with flaps landings look fast and

there is video of the undercarriage on one becoming detached on landing.

Not one for

the novice, but

it really looks

the part.

At the scratch

end of the

scale spectrum

w a s a

wonderful 1/3

scale Bristol

S c o u t

displaying a

l e v e l o f

constructional

skill verging

o n t h e

obscene. There were only eighty built and if you look carefully you will

see the machine gun is angled outward to fire past, not through the prop.

The plane was originally conceived as a civilian racing machine so the

issue of armament did not feature in its design. It was obsolescent by

1917.Andy Craddock has predictably taken great concern to be accurate

in the build and even the wicker seat is authentically modelled. It will

hopefully be in the air this year ,if it stops raining.

27

The rain wasn’t going to stop the con-

trol line guys. It might seem odd to

some older club members but seeing

control line flying is a pretty rare event

for some of us. Mind you, these days

it’s pretty rare for any of us.

You can make up your

own caption to this

shot of Phil and

Brian… in the rain.

28

Not only have you now seen

proof of Terry mistaking

various canines for planes

but here we present the awful

truth that Terry has also

mistaken planes for canines.

On the left Terry judges

puppies at Crufts while below

he attempts to tickle Phil’s

Comet under the chin. All is

not lost though: at least his

footwear is sensible this time.

Endpiece.