SLOPING OFF...

...the Newsletter of Christchurch and District Model Flying Club for September 2021

MICROACES AND HISTORY IN THE MAKING

JON PORTER’S TALK TO THE CLUB ON 1 SEPTEMBER

Click on a frame for a larger picture

Jon’s first talk to the Club was about 8 years ago in the back room of the pub we used to meet at, and he was then into WWII profile models...I felt we really needed an update because a LOT has happened between times.

This talk was touch and go for Jon because for the two weeks beforehand he had been off work with flu, but there was no sign of this for the hour or so he talked to us about Microaces and for the next hour while he patiently anwered the many questions we all had about the product and how they are made, built and flown.

In the beginning were these RC/electric profile 3mm depron WWII fighters, decorated with self-adhesive vinyl-type markings - although this really doesn’t describe the excellent artwork! This range of kits sold well for a while but as demand dropped off Jon and his business partner Simon started designing the much better-known “proper” WWI kits, to a common 1/24th scale, from 2mm depron and various other materials and techniques. You can see the whole range on his website here. Models progressed from 3 channel to 3 channel ailerons mixed with rudder and now to 4 channel with his latest design, the Fokker DVIII. This is to a larger scale, 1/20th and uses a completely different form of construction, with a depron substitute inner frame, wrapped with Tyvek, a natural fibre “better than paper” product from DuPont. (Ed’s note - when I was into making Orienteering maps in the 70s and 80s, Tyvek was the wonder material for them: it was waterproof, tear-proof and almost indestructible, perfect for the large scale maps we used in all weathers, falling into New Forest bogs, leaping streams and so on)

Aware that these scale masterpieces, were not for beginners, he invested time into “Scrappee”, a multi-purpose Piper-Cub-alike with big soft wheels and a very simple structure, but using the same materials. This model is much easier to build and fly and has sold over 7000 kits in the last 18 months or so. Amazing! He’s also branched out into twins, with the semi-scale Percee, a really attractive and practical solution to the complications of two motors in a small-ish model

Businesses cannot stand still, and the next level of development will be larger models made using this “two component” technique. He showed us a Hawker Hurricane and a DH Dragon Rapide to drool over. My guess is that these models, if the “right” prototypes are chosen - (please Mr Porter - make a Bombardier Super Scooper - Ed) will rocket off the shelves, especially if, as he hinted, there are going to be micro retracts, flashing lights and flaps to play with.

This was a superb evening and many thanks to Jon for coming over from Boscombe to talk to us - a CDMFC mug will be yours when they are made.

Club members can get a 12% discount up to the end of September by using the link sent out by email.

Mike