Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

Depths of winter reading:-

A TRILOGY

Story A

Control – line flying in Vintage combat and Vintage team race at National Level.

The thrills and spills – this could happen to you too!

The T/R heats are not knock-out events-the fastest 6 teams go into the semi finals, and the fastest three then go into the final. So far, after 5 years of trying, he have never got anywhere near the semi finals!!

As per normal, he’d taken off his glasses and tucked them down the front of his Tee Shirt - on their retaining cord. So that there was no chance of them getting tangled in anyone's lines; was there? The teams get off to a great first flick start; the other two (who eventually both got into the final) were faster than my model, and I soon started to get a bit puffed rotating around in the outside edge of the centre circle every 2.3 seconds. However, when the engine cut for the pit stop, I landed near to Bill, the engine started at the second flick, and we were away for what was going to be my best ever time.

Then I felt my glasses slip out of the bottom of my Tee shirt and land on the tarmac!

Now; had he had his wits about him and a bit more time to think, he might have thought “Three super-tuned Oliver Tigers at £350 each plus three very nice team racers-approximate total £1200 versus one pair of Specsavers at approx £100”. What is the best choice of action??

But he didn't. He decided that as he came around in the centre he’d try to kick them away from under the three pairs of trampling feet. On the first circuit he missed them; on the second attempt his boot caught on the tarmac and he stumbled. In fact the stumble continued for one and a half laps encouraged by the 5-10 pounds pull on the lines until his model disappeared behind the other two pilots. He heard the Referee call out 'cut engines', but the last he saw of his model was its going up vertically in a wing-over, and then the three of flyers were enveloped and tangled up in their lines.

The good news was that the other two did cut their engines and landed safely without damage; the bad news was that his engine had dived vertically into the tarmac at about 100mph; apart from the sheer embarrassment of having fouled up in such a dramatic and public manner.

As they untangled each other his team buddy brought over the remains of a devastated model.

The Moral of the story even in mature years one can make a mistake.

Yet another case of “Clusterf**k.” At least he decided on the right and gallant course: not to “spoil the day” for others.

STORY B

“Of Youth and Records for the Models”

 Have you ever finished putting together a fine piece of work only to find you have a piece left over? How nice to have a font of knowledge among your fellow

Flyers but I wish we put model particulars onto records for ownership hand over.

I’d just acquired a 3 wheeler Morgan and over the summer hols had rebuilt it: leather seats, ash and dexion rear frame, Ford 8 side valve engine (with a warped head); etc.

There was no user manual with it.

Shortly after my 17^th birthday it was on the road and I was revving up - to go to pick up my lovely new girlfriend.

We’re just whizzing around the country lanes of N Somerset when on taking a right hand bed; woops froidian slip: on taking a bend; yes at fairly high speed, the steering decided to counter my turns on the wheel and WHAM into the hedge row we go. The hedge was on her side. She’d been fairly chatty when we set out but had become quit in the lanes of Somerset.

Retrieving her hand bag; OK,   from the hedgerow I returned it. There was silence then: “Take me Home - this instant!”

 I had a lot of “Clutter” in the car but nothing else. In fact I never did see her again after that.

What went wong as they say on the stage of life?  Well, if I had had the blessing of a user manual I would have been fore-warned that the rear wheel sprung forks / chain sprocket assembly had a nasty habbit of undoing its one nut on the through axle.  It withdraws to remove the wheel for puncture repairs, etc.

You see the connection with story A.

STORY C

Passing on Information

It was about 1937. An aspiring young man, now gaining modest recognition by his fellow flyers, saw an advert posted at his local hanger; Sarum near Salisbury.

“Light aircraft, 2 seater, can be towed behind an Austin 7:  £150.”

Why that’s just what I should do, he thought: buy that and get some time in with a 2 seater.  It’ll sit well in my Pilots Log Book and look ace behind my Austin 7 tourer. ”

Off he went: to Whitchurch airfield near Bristol. There he met his plane all in good order. “Sorry the owner couldn’t be here” said some duly appointed representative. Paying over his money he hitched it up to the Austin 7 tourer; the rear wheel of his plane to his car transom. He loaded the wing halves Port and starboard and off: back to Salisbury.

In his re-build checks he wondered why a tube crossing near his pilot seat had open ends; a thought at the back of his mind - you see.

Weeks later, all cleaned up and checked: his plane too; he has the go ahead from the Station Officer “to take up a passenger.”

In the mess room only one brave man an Army Officer stepped forward: the Flyers keeping a low profile - hmmm!

They are now trundling down the grass runway, its 900cc engine pulling at full tilt. “Hello,” he says to himself, “it feels much heavier with 2 up”…..and “I’m much further down the track than usual.” He’s passed the point of no return -WHOOPS.

Well: in those days when taking off to windward, at the west end of the runway was a bit of an old red brick castle – damn silly really,   but there it was,   and now they’re too close and have too little lift!!

He pulled back the stick gently, got off the ground but with no real gain in height, he peeled off toward to starboard, not quite in a stall yet … and into the valley of the Avon River.  They piled into the valley.

2 months later the Army Officer left hospital to resume his career and a couple of months after that: our young pilot.

He went back up to Whitchurch to learn more about the plane and this time he was able to meet the previous owner. “Why Laddie” said the old boy. Why didn’t you take with you the under wings: you rig thro’ that cross strut tube to make it a biplane.”  “It provides the extra lift needed for 2.”

The spare under wings been in the previous owner’s outbuilding all this time! 

The moral of this light hearted TRILOGY is all craft including model aircraft should carry a history file, maintenance schedule and asset register ( of all its bits ) not to mention  its dynamic  constraints.

Now seriously all you C & DMFC and other Clubs; when it comes to model disposal why don’t we include some model history notes with it?  

Tony Harris

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