April 2009

Nick struggles with an engine problem

Adrian's high speed machine

Mike the web's Park Master

David uses the new heli hovering spot

Paul William's Bi-plane

Paul Butcher's Bulldog

Chairman's Harrier

Paul Gurr's 3D

The Limbo comp only attracted 5 entrants, First round as many passes as possible in two minutes at 7 feet, in the second part the bar was lowered each time and we had 1 minute to complete a pass. Amazingly 3 people got under at 9 inches, just shows how low some of members can go.

Is it Bill or is it Ben?

Adrian's Thunderbolt

Chairman's Big Bubble

Lee's Mustang goes under

Nick's Zen 30, a very fast small pattern ship

The fine weather continues, with half a dozen fliers out for the evening.

Phil's gone back to IC flying giving his Giles an airing. Bob seems to have finally sorted his Mustang finally getting it slowed down on the approached. His last approach was perfect end with a perfect three pointer with the engine running.

Put a new motor in the aging Big Bubble only to sustain "slight" damage while doing some flying for the camera.

Bob's Mustang gets in the air after a lot of fiddling with the Laser 4 stroke

Phil posing his Giles 202 for the camera

The Chairman's Big Bubble in inverted high alpha

Monday 20th

Weather superb, sunny warm with little or no wind.

Great later in evening, with several models seeing just how long and how high they could fly.

Brought the Big Bubble out for a fly only to have the motor burm out after all these years, must send it back and complain.

Ray's own design Shockie

Chairman's little vintage machine.

The good weather continues. Blue skies and north easterly breeze.

The Radio Queen was packed with batteries (10 amp hrs) worth and set of for a duration flight. Only made 1 hr 14 minutes. Bit short of the record. Calculations show average current draw 8 amps, with the 6 cells giving 170 watts of power, not alot for such a big model. Conditions were not perfect as with no cloud makes picking the good from bad air is made harder.

Later in the day Phil (not wanting to miss out on the fun) did 1 hr 19 mins with his Miss Europa vintage model. Just to show how easy it is???

Ken brought out of retirement one of his Morley Maverick's (mid 90's) vintage. Chairman gave it a quick hop, flies very well lot more stable than modern machines.

Phil's Banshee OS46 powered, bought off Ebay

Pair of ducted fan Hawks.

Jim works on Darren's heli

Bob's Mustang

The Radio Queen lifts of on it's record attempt.

Ken's vintage Morley Maverick sees air under the skids for the first time in many years.

Bob's Low wing Model

George taking off with Steve's trainer

Nick flying George's Super 60

Ken's EDF Raptor

Ken's Hawk on Easter Sunday

Bob's Low wing Model

George taking off with Steve's trainer

Nick flying George's Super 60

Ken's EDF Raptor

Ken's Hawk on Easter Sunday

The first truly brilliant day of spring, warm, relatively sunny, little or no wind, and still no rain.

Great turnout, many new faces trying the new strip for the first time, all giving it the thumbs up.

Ken brought out the Radio Queen, and as fitted out previously went for duration. A flight of 55 minutes was achieved, recorded on an altitude logger which to date I haven't been able to get into due losing the software.

Nice to see heli's and fixed wing flying together, even a few novice heli pilots mixing it quite happily.

Phil spent the afternoon buddying the club trainer very successfully. While I, with lots of help, tried to get a prospective new members (Steve) Raptor 30 flying. A task at which I failed. It proved to be one of those days.

(Below left) Paul G scrounged flight with Darren's "bird", would he have let him if he had seen what transpired later (read below).

(Below) "Vulture" in flight, at height looks very realistic, so much so that Phil followed it with his glider in the hope of finding a thermal!

To date nobody has come down out side the fence. Lee was the first to try, following some very spirited and exceptional low flying his Tiger Shark met with "tera-ferma" outside the fence. Sadly for Lee though he was, denied the title "1st outside the fence" when it was discovered that some parts of the model had made through the fence back into the track, thus it was felt he had not made the effort to get the whole model outside the fence.

"As usual" some would say the Chairman later stepped forward to claim the title when I planted my little VIP at very high speed vertically into the ground (see below). Phil was driving past at the time and rushed over with his camera, later returning with a spade to dig the front end out.

Still investigating cause of crash, I think the motor came apart in the air (red dangly bit detached from front of motor), have simulated this on bench but the radio stayed functioning. Will keep trying to find an excuse.

I should have left it in the car and gone home, because (right) is how Paul with help and a large plastic bag returned model now very "X" Blade.

Didn't even have the common decency to come up with some long winded lame technical excuse "engine came out, servo failed etc, etc,". No just said "moved the stick the wrong way". Thus removing any chance of us all having a good laugh.

A few captions come mind for the picture.

"A funny thing happened on the way to the taxi rank"

"Have a sit down Paul and "really" make the Chairman's day"

"Two lumps wasn't it?"

Chris B.

Photo Ian's  Magic fun fly