A good old chat

[Guest]

It was the name Seaspray that triggered the thought...how about waterplanes? Seaplanes' date=' flying-boats etc or will that be covered by the aircraft section? Not as off-beat as Ekroplans and Hovercraft,practically any model plane can be fitted with floats. Lots of events all over the UK ( list in Alistair Sutherland`s column in June`04 A.M.I.[/quote']Seaspray comes from an item I use to do at work I am into model boats but have done planes in the past its too hard now to find a flying field that gives you more than 10 15 minutes flying time at a go

[Guest]

Hi Seaspray, Flying fields arent too much of a problem here in the Scottish Highlands thank goodness, and lochs for waterplanes. I`m racking my brain for a model called Seaspray but cant think of one.hno: Great name though. Lets have some Kentish boat news. Duncan RO5

[Guest]

where r u in the heellands as iam from ayrshire

[Guest]

Jings am an Ayrshire man ma`sel, Born Crosshill, school Ayr Grammar,married Troon lass,lived Barassie,worked USAF Prestwick,( Illustrator) cold feet during cold war , moved to Aviemore 40 years ago. Lived happily ever after.

[Guest]

ah Crosshill I got a piston for a 1939 Wolsley fixed by a great engineer there. Ayr Grammer my cousin went there I wis a bit daft so I goat left behin Troon nice golf course there. Brassie the old man use to work at Brassie works in 1957 Prestwick /Monkton, yanks there till late 60s early 70 use to watch them fly there control line models with envy Aviemore spent time at Edinburgh Skillcentre with a friend from Aberdean Sorry I got mixed up between Kirkmichael and Crosshill

Small world isn't

[wonwinglo]

Control line models.

Seaspray my ears clicked up when you mentioned control line ! the Americans introduced this to Britain way back late 1949 when it was called 'U-Control' during the war the flying of powered models was forbidden so people fitted their 'Gas' engines in all sorts of things including race cars,power boats that were sometimes tethered to a pole in the centre of the lake and then came along control line,almost a forgotton flying form with the mass take over of radio many people like myself learned about model engines from this form of flying,there was nothing quite like feeling the model respond on the end of the line,and if the up-line broke as it usually did ! then the model just dived into the deck,some of the aerobatic models that had coupled flaps to smooth out the loops were quite something but the medium had one appeal to myself and that was flying scale subjects that would be impossible to trim as free flight models,as a schoolboy with limited pocket money I had the use of endless school playing fields with the blessing of the head master.

Getting back to your story the Americans bought with them their culture and control line was certainly one of them,virtually unheard of in the UK gradually the bug stuck and kits and engines started to flow into the countryfrom firms like Sterling,every local park had control liners at weekends,these noisy statically placed models annoyed the neighbours and the authorities started to gradually ban them as dangerous whirling objects that dogs chased around and around ! people tripped up over the wires and granny complained,why cannot people be normal and all build models,life would be so much easier if they did.

I dont know of any single control line activity around these parts everyone has gone over to radio control,such a pity because it brought with it fun flying in very small areas and that never to be forgotton feel factor that the model airplane would transmit down the lines to your hands and make you know that you were really flying it,simply great :terrific:

[Guest]

: Ah nostalgia etc, Saw my first R/C plane at Heathfield `drome flown by two American servicemen. The local model flying club had use of the defunct runways and inside the hangars for C/L when wet. Mine was KK Phantom Mite with ED Bee, lot of saving up for a 13 year old. next was F/F Tomboy (same Bee) Had wheels or floats, must do a R/C assist one soon. Smaller world than you might think...the Cooper brothers used Heathfield to fettle Bob MacIntyre`s TT bikes and a little girl used to come with her uncle Joe(Kelly) as gofor and Gunker. I met her 10 years later and we married and found out we had nearly been in each others company years before. Probably the only person to have had a few laps on the back of a TT winning "Porcupine" Ajay.:respect4:Cheers the noo Duncan

[wonwinglo]

Sheer Nostalgia.

Duncan that was a lovely story,your bride to be appearing like that,please forgive the indulgance in this pure nostalgia but it is raining cats and dogs outside,so what better way than to speak of times past-

The very first control liner that I had was the Keil Kraft Phantom,with a E.D.Comp Special all of 2.5 cc bolted up front she was a wizard machine,the undercarriage consisted of a steel torsion bar made by my Dad to withstand the constant bashing against the school playground's tarmac,the wings as you will remember were carved from solid balsa floorboards,sorry I mean balsa ! well Keil Kraft seemed to keep their heavier woods for such subjects which had somewhat higher wing loadings,once the Phantom had staggered around after a couple of circles it would lift into the air mostly due to the kinetic energy of momentum and ably assisted by the earths round surface,if you were not giddy by this time then you soon would be as the non throttled engine went faster and faster,as the adrenalin flowed so did the ever decreasing fuel tank drain dry and a quick glide akin to a breezeblock being heaved from a block of flats in zero wind conditions ensued,what fun as a quick refuel and the gravity defying exercise was repeated again and again until dusk prevented any further flying and a long walk home.

Wow those certainly were heady days ! but what fun was had,the rich kid from down the road turned up with his Veron Focke Wulf 190 which had been covered in sheet balsa,but he had not made this gem only bought it from a top class modeller pretending that he had built it,shame on him,after fiddling under the nose cowl we eventually got the engine running and it sounded just great,with no undercarriage an hand launch pointing slightly outwards from the pilot did the trick as the lines tightened with the offset rudder and half a pound of lead at the wingtip.

I would not forget those days for anything,no sophisticated high tech gear just belt and braces stuff,our washing always reaked of ether and well burnt castor and our short trousered knee caps permantly grass coloured,I am so glad that I had 'ordeal by enthusiasm' as my baptism into model flying.

We just dont know how lucky we are today to have the equipment to fly our models. :woohoo: :great:

[Guest]

I saw my first control line model as a kid in Canada it was on the back of a comic and you got it for having so many credits I think it had something to do with the selling of that comic alass 10 years old with no money, but did I dream. ame back to this country (Scotland) in '61 only to the cries of whats I control line model years behind this country anyway...My first and last control line (I was poor)was a Keil Kraft Firefly me thinks I had a Frog .80 up front it had crashed (slow learner) that many times and puncture the dope/tissue wings that it was so heavy it went real slow hence I learned to fly then came along single channel radio again poor wee laddie no money look and admire ...

[Guest]

Dead right with the balsa floorboards Wonwinglo , we scrounged blocks of it from the nearby Scottish Aviation factory (Prestwick Pioneers etc). Trouble was it was brick hard and cut with grain vertical 5" max. The liberated alloy sheets were however cut to order! Still got a poker for the fire with handle made from brass alloy rollers from some part of a RR Merlin engine, price 20 Capstan cigs. Suppose the long arm of the law will be heading north right now! Hey , maybe we need a "Vintage Plane Slot" in the Forum.

[wonwinglo]

Yes good point Duncan,how about it Mr Moderator ?,a vintage airplane meeting place as it looks like we have a few on here that use the balsa dust to feed their golden locks and also got hooked on good old balsa cement fumes,reckon that we could evoke some memories.

Anyone remember mixing balsa dust with cement to make plastic wood filler ? sets like the proverbial rock,devil of a job to peel off the fingers and jolly painful when you had a itchy nose !

[Guest]

I almost forgot about Heathfield Areodrome when I got there in the 70s not much left except part of a runway and the Tower it was used by scrap car dealers and there was a little industrial site there too.I stayed at Crocketford many years a ago and went to Dumfries teck college as a mature student, just aside Heathfield unless your thinking of Heathfield in Ayr which an old aunt stayed. You looked across the playing field and in the distance you seen the white top of the Scotish Avation 's building and the tails of the planes taking off. Surely there is an interest in Control Line flying especially the combat wing models with thier stringer tails. Points awarded for the more you could cut off with your prop or am I wrong.....

[Guest]

Heathfield aerodrome in WW2 was a satellite (fighters) for Prestwick which was the most used and longest runway for the trans-Atlantic ferry flights with the advantage of a 99.9 % fog free record. The local model shop proprietor Danny Mitchell was an ace C/L team racer in spite of being disabled. A new-ish trend in C/L is carrier deck landing re-establishing the previous Fleet Air Arm supported events of yore. Now of course with lightweight R/C gear it is possible to do it on a suitable size patch in the local gym. What are you building at the moment Seaspray?

[wonwinglo]

Control line models-Dinosaurs ?

Well Seaspray around here you never see any control liners these days ? possibly the Nats is about the only place to see this form of flying in any numbers,but where would you even start looking for that stranded Laystrate control line wire ? there used to be a specialist supplier of control line bits and pieces but I think he went under long ago,I dont know if it has the same appeal these days to the youngsters,but what does ? the best years seem to be the fifties and late sixties when nearly every issue of the Aeromodeller had some freebie plans to build one.

Sottish Aviation we have the last flying Twin Pioneer down here on our doorsteps,what a machine,she will hover in a slight breeze even with all of those slots and slats extended,SA did a grand job for the war effort overhauling large aircraft,the place is an institution,the last one they built was the Bulldog,is that correct ?

Grounded again as the weather has turned foul with heavy rain and winds,looks all set for the weekend as well. hno: :damn:

[Guest]

Duncan D.Mitchell name is ringing a bell.Yep C/L is past it but round the pole was an is a poor replacement for C/L, although I did like those micro film models they flew indoors.I am trying to recommision a Vernon Tarpon cabin cruiser that has sat on the wardrobe for 20 years. I have spent the last couple of weeks preparring her for a relaunch but it was poor effort, slow, sluggish total loss I'll need to find more info on electric motors as Iam changing from I.C. to electric. also I have managed to get plans from Germany of a research vessel that I will be building soon.Hopfully I manage to gain enough knowledge to do some scratch building thats after I try and read the plans.wish I had some CAD knowledge too. a few years ago I bought an old Super Sixty in a model shop for a fiver.Done up and did some R/C flying. It was great cos my mate had a farmer friend and we could fly all day and did. If your in a club you have to share flying time with other club members and it can be as little as 15 minutes.

Your right Wonwinglo it was the Bulldog at Scottish Avation was being built when I was there and it save a few jobs over the years. I also was a member of the local model engineer club where they ran 3.1/2 and 5 inch guage live steam model locomotives again far too dear for this laddie but I enjoyed their company and learned a lot about them