Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
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PRINCESS DÉJÀ VU?

That’s my Princess at Longham

Here’s another model of the S-R Princess. I was contacted by a modeller from the Bristol area, Peter Wilson, saying

“Fred, a fellow modeller has spent many years building the Princess in the attached picture. It is frame structure for the key points and mainly blue foam construction. He intended it to be a PSS soarer. It was one of two, the other was built and flown by a George Dexter on the IOW. Unfortunately Fred has been taken very ill and can no longer pursue with his aim of getting it into the air and has given it to me. He would love to see it fly.”

To cut a long story short, a date was fixed for the model to be taken to the Scale Day at White Sheet and Trevor Hewson was there to record the event. Unfortunately I was tied up with the sailing club so couldn't attend.

On the day Peter reports that

“A great day at White Sheet, after fitting the Princess together we had to have a try at flying. There was a general discussion about wind strength and weight of the model, some had a view they tried to reduce drag in their planes and we had turned up with extra drag built in! Help was sought and up stepped Chris Williams who advised extra weight in the nose and some mixing in the controls.

Having loaded the nose and set the controls we asked if Chris could fly it  “unfortunately I am mode 1” he says, but little did he know so am I!

We carried it to the edge where I launched it into space, great flying from Chris who trimmed it out and flew it around for five minutes and carried out a perfect landing.

A great thanks to Chris Williams, Trevor Hewson and all the members who helped on the day it was much appreciated.

To conclude the story, Peter wrote...

”Chris, Mike, Fred and others

Well I cannot thank you all enough for your help in achieving the flight of Fred’s Princess.  Fred and George Dexter on the IOW are delighted with the outcome and the brilliant pictures.

Yesterday Thursday 25 May 2017 we handed the model over to Mr Alan Jones the Director of the Solent Sky Museum (on the right) in Southampton, They have received a grant and are reorganizing part of the Museum to show Aerospace in the Solent, the model Princess will be one of the key elements of the display for at least the next 10 years. The museum will let us know when the display is completed later this year.

Peter (on the left)

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