Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

Diary of a flier, episode 18

Story so far B.Leonard Wise is a Trainee Pilot who one day would like to fly a Model Spitfire.

For some time now my son Crispin and I have been building a plane from a Kit. It is the first time we have ever attempted such a thing. After making two left wings and getting that right we have it together. Walter has advised from time to time and I am modestly pleased with myself to have overseen and partly built this machine. Crispin is also keen to fly and whilst he has started much later than me he is getting on much faster. I cannot understand how he can overstake someone with my wealth of experience. Walter says it is because they have been brought up on computer games! And this could be right. I remember giving a new game to him when he was there with his friends. They tore off the wrappings, threw away the instructions put the disc in and started playing. How do you know what to do I asked. Sobvious he replied. I thought for a time that there must be a sobvious button but I could never find it..

Anyway we took our masterpiece of engineering to the flying site and with a bit of help from Walter we started the engine. He insisted on running a tank of fuel through the Engine before we took off. Then to the flight line. It was decided that Walter would take it off and trim it. Then Crispin would fly it then me, and Walter would land it.

Up it went Walter congratulated us on the accuracy of the build because it flew pretty well straight and true. He did a circuit and handed it to Crispin. It gave me a feeling of pride to see how well he controlled the plane then it was my turn. I did a circuit, try a loop said Crispin. You can do it said Walter so I put the nose down, opened the throttle, pulled back on the stick, up and over she went. At the top I shut the throttle a bit but it did come to the bottom of the loop rather fast and when I pulled it out disaster! The Tailplane tore away from the plane and came floating gently down. The plane went into a dive as you can well imagine. Shut the throttle shouted Walter, so I did but it plunged down to what I thought was destruction.. We discovered it stuck in a gorse bush. It was scratched and the wing was dented but it looked repairable.

It was my fault said Walter, I should have checked. When you stuck the Tailplane on did you first peel off the covering? Crispin and I looked at each other. We could not remember But when the Tailplane was retrieved, we could see that we had not peeled it off and did not know that we should. Walter told us that glue will not stick covering to wood and explained what we should have done.

We returned home sadder but wiser. One day I will know all there is to know about this hobby.

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