Sloping Off - September 2006
Editorial
by Mike Roach
My flying has suffered during the summer months, largely because I have been even more involved in sailing than usual. The craft in the picture is a Dart 15; a little catamaran designed for single-handed sailing and racing. It also can be fitted with a jib and a trapeze system, which I’ve worked out needs 3 arms or the addition of a crew. The sail is fully battened and looks and feels quite wing-like compared with the more traditional triangular type. It also has all the characteristics of a wing in that when it’s at the right angle to the wind it doesn’t half go, but get the angle wrong and it stalls as deeply as any model aircraft - you can see the turbulence on the leeward side as the tell-tales backwind.
Last May I paid my first visit to Howards (yes, you did hear right) to see the first flight of Trevor’s Cub. It was so inspiring I dug around in my attic and got my brother-in-law’s Goldberg Cub (same size as Trevor’s, slight differences in kitting) and fiddled about making a mount for Clive’s old Plettenberg and thinking idly about 5-cell LiPoly’s, speed controllers and so on. I was barely past the thinking stage when my next Howards opportunity arose, as Trevor had a Mig 3 to play with. He bought it ARTF at Woodsprings and in an indecently short time had modified it for electrics. It flew impressively but like other models in his hangar had some problem with intereference (bursts of silence at inopportune moments). I don’t understand much of what he has done to rectify this, but it seems to have worked. Me? I’m still converting LiPolys into £££.
Finally, Trevor had his first trip on Christchurch Harbour to fly his hydroplane off the water. It flew well but surprised the local sailors. I really liked its ability to carry water ballast, but I’m not sure it’s what Trevor had in mind.
