SLOPING OFF...
...the Newsletter of Christchurch and District Model Flying Club for...December 2023
FIRST FLIGHTS IN 2023
Paul asked who had maidened a model at Oldfield this year...and got a lot of answers!
But before we look at the large number of models, a bit of background.
The Club’s Longham thread on RC Groups has a whole page devoted to first flights off the lake (currently 143 since we first flew there in 2011). The idea is not new, I first came across it on the first Ivan thread hosted by an American builder, Luke Z and carried on in the second one here.
Paul’s request for Oldfield maidens and one member’s question “Could we have a list of first flights on the website?” started it off.
So I suggest we do indeed have a website first flights page every year and we can start in January. All I need is the model, the flier and a picture, any other details you want up to say 100 words, and I’ll start it up as soon as there’s a response. Not just for Oldfield but for the Slopes, Indoor and the Lake as well.
And on a question of semantics, addressed by Richard further down the page, a “First flight at Oldfield” is exactly what it says...it can have flown elsewhere, but it’s the first flight at OF, Longham, Indoors, on the Slopes that counts.
So please keep those pictures coming!
Ed
So here we go -
Me - Sopwith Schneider, Ruckus, “Big Chief” and the Ghastly Grob
Frank Bayes - Pumpkin Special, MiG15, BAE T45 Hawk, Pitts Special, Twisted Hobbies Turbo Dog, Jimmy's Iced Coffee Lidl EDF, Hobbyking F16, Easy Street and Tech One Sprint 3D (Frank wins - Ed)
John Levell - Flite Test Storch , GWS Pup and Microaces Fokker D7
(Is this the one? - Ed)
Peter Chaldecott - X-Fly Tasman and Arrows F86 Sabre (the first picture is of the maiden at County MFC back in October last year, photo by Chris Montague of that parish and the second by the Ed in June 23 in more familiar surroundings on the “First flight at Oldfield”)
Trevor Hewson - X-Fly Tasman (see above)
Martin Burr - P47 Thunderbolt
David Bintcliffe - Dancing Wings Tiger Moth
Martin Delaney - EDF LIDL glider
Geoff Harris - Scratch built - Barnstormer 52 Bootlace 65, DB Micro Mold kit (1992 vintage) - 72” Barnstormer, ARTF- E-Flite Taylorcraft 450, Multiplex Vicky 60” old timer - (damaged badly after 6 or 7 outings - the wood was so brittle I decided to finish it off)
Shaun Harris - Savage Cruiser and rebuilt Chipmunk
Richard Docketty -
“I submit M’Lud, that my Fillon’s Champion did make a first flight at Oldfield. Its first first flight was at Win Green, but it had not made a flight at Oldfield previously”
“Very well Mr Docketty, I will allow your appeal, but this is not a precedent” (Cheers from the gallery)
Jon Goddard - X-Fly Glastar v2
Alex Bush - Fun Cub and the roller on tow
Neil King - A10 Thunderbolt
Roger Villiers - Phase 5 (ex TH - The stbd wing was in two pieces, having had a 'mid air'.Some other smaller damage was incurred to wing mounts and nose area, probably upon meeting the ground!)
Alan Butterworth - a late entry with an X-Fly Swift 2100
Last but not least, Paul Johnstone - Wowplanes Martin Marauder
And at Longham
Mark Loveder - Icon (this is David’s, but it is an Icon...)
Me again - Sopwith Schneider
And on the Slopes
Richard Docketty - Cambrian Miri, Fillons Champion and Zagi (I saw what you did there Mr Docketty)
