christchurch and district model flying club

Some reflections on flying by Brian Wiseman

I wonder if you saw in the R.C.M&.E the article about what seemed to be an Electric light plane for people to fly in. The motor is a 270 volt, 200 amp machine it is slightly larger than a 35oz coffee jar and weighs 50 lbs.  There is a lot written about the Li-po batteries, Which power it, as you can well imagine. The battery boxes have cooling holes in them, as well they might. You can imagine the kerfuffel if you smelt burning from the Battery Box. The plane can fly for 25 to 45 minutes at a speed of 130 m.p.h. I wonder who will be the first to be brave enough to fly it. It would be strange to see and hear, or rather not hear it in the air. This must be the newest idea to take flight as a people carrier. I wonder if it is the shape of things to come.

It does not say what the wing span is but it cannot be much more than the Models at an L.M.A meeting. Last year I saw the Comet at this meeting it was not electric powered but you could have put a small person inside it. With some modifications and two powerful motors it looked as though it could have lifted a person maybe so I guess we are not far away from electric people flight. At the other end of the Scale I read that the USAFs KC-135 Strato Tankers are now 50 years old. Incredibly, it is planned to keep them on for another 30 years.. It is not that they are standing idle. With two Wars one on Iraq and another in Afghanistan, '.1 they are doing more hours than they were planned to do. It is planned that they will do 75 to 80 years of service. This is about the same as the B52s. I once asked an engineer how long planes would last and he said for ever. Because every part is replaceable. When a spar or joint gets corroded, you take it out and put in a new one. So whilst the planes will last 80 years there will be very little of the original plane left at the end.

I wish I had got to the Living Legends at Duxford this year. It is so far to drive and I was slightly under the weather so I did not get there. There were several Between-the-Wars planes so I was told. I have ordered the video so it will nearly be as good. I lived next to Mildenhall Air Base for all of my young life so I have seen most of these planes. We had Handley Page Heyfords before the war which were followed by the Wellington. We also had a few Harrows. This was a high wing monoplane Bomber. Very slow. One morning I could hardly believe my eyes. My brother and I heard this

Harrow making a lot of noise. It was high up and it went into a dive then pulled up to try to loop the loop. He just about did it. I remember at the top of the loop he just got it over the top but it fell hundreds of feet before he could pull it out but he did. I expect it was done for a bet. I guess it was bit like seeing a Jumbo Jet do a roll.

I wonder if all Hobbies are as fast moving as this one. A Merry Christmas to you all.

Brian Wiseman.

Flying

The Sun is bright, the wind is light.
Just the day to have a flight.

Take my models, then dogfight.
I'll loop and roll, Oh what a sight.

Three glorious flights, the world is right.
'Cos Arsenal won 7 nil last night.

Back to Contents

[Home] [Chairman's Chatter] [Editorial] [Diary of a Flier] [Harry Spotters] [Ken's Seafox] [Cyril's Walrus] [Here we are...] [Ken's Piper] [Andrew's Alula] [Wild Things] [Reflections] [Andrew's Bingo]